Cygolite Metro Pro 1100 USB

The Cygolite Metro Pro 1100 USB is a front light with a range of different beams and enough power that you can ride as fast as you like at night. It's also small, light and relatively inexpensive compared with some key rivals.

• Pros: Powerful in higher modes, light, relatively inexpensive
• Cons: Fairly limited run-time at high power, double clicking the function button on the fly can be tricky

Let's talk about the beams first. As you can see in the beam comparison engine above, the Cygolite Metro Pro 1100 USB is very bright in what's called its 'boost' mode. I've also been reviewing the Exposure Strada 1200 over the past few weeks and the centre of the Cygolite's beam is even brighter than you get there, with slightly more punch into the dark straight ahead of you.

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The Cygolite doesn't quite have the Exposure's breadth of illumination – you don't get the same flood – but you can easily see the full width of the road. All of this means that you get enough vision to ride fast on unlit roads at night, even on steep descents, without needing to back off because you can't see enough.

Using the light is pretty straightforward, all operations being made via a single raised button that sits on the top of the light. Turn the light on and you can choose to scroll between low, medium and high constant beams and a pulse, or you can opt to scroll between flashing modes, zoom (which is like a lighthouse!) and a low power walking mode.

If you select the former, you can double click the button at any time to go into boost mode – the really high intensity mode I was talking about to start with. This is A Good Thing because it means you can use boost mode when the roads ahead are clear, then press the button and go to a less intense mode so as not to dazzle road users coming in the opposite direction. You don't need to scroll through modes that you don't want in order to get to the one you do. Cool.

Just a couple of times over several weeks of testing I tried to click the button twice but only managed to click it once. I'm not sure if it was because the road was bumpy or I was being a bit of a klutz in big ol' winter gloves. Either way, this scrolls you to the next mode in the sequence, and if you're in high mode, rather than getting the extra light you're after, you get a pulsing beam. Don't get me wrong, this was a rare occurrence, but it is a possibility.

You get about an hour's life in boost mode, so you might have to use it sparingly, depending on how far you're riding. If you have a 45-minute commute, fill yer boots. If you're out for an evening training ride, you might need to be a bit more choosy about when you use it. You know the type of riding you do and whether it's suitable for your needs.

> Buyer's Guide: The best 2017/2018 front lights for cycling

Of course, it's not all about that boost mode. Low mode (you get about 10 hours on full charge) will get you seen and is just about bright enough to light the way, although I found myself riding quite cautiously in this setting. Medium (about 3 hours) and high (about 90 minutes) modes certainly allow you to ride on unlit roads. I found myself using the medium setting most often.

The DayLightning mode (about 14 hours) is useful for daytime riding, flashing brightly to announce your presence.

Those run-times are nothing like as high as you get on the larger and more expensive Exposure Strada 1200, for example, but they might be sufficient for you.

The power button starts to blink fast when the battery is running low, but it would be good to have some indication of how much power's in the tank at other times. If you're desperate you can always put the light into 'walking' mode which really isn't very bright, but it has a 100-hour run-time and it'll help get you seen.

The light sits on a mount that's secured to your handlebar with a thumbnut (no tools are required). The light just slides onto the mount and clicks in place. It's a simple design but it's secure. You can easily move the mount if you want to adjust the vertical angle of the light mid-ride and you can swivel it a few degrees to either side too.

The Cygolite Metro Pro 1100 USB is a very good light. It has enough power to show the way and various other settings that are useful for getting you seen around town, although it doesn't have the biggest fuel tank so run-times are limited compared with some. I'd say this is a really strong option for a regular commuter who wants to jack up the power occasionally on unlit roads.

Verdict

Small and light, a good choice for commuters who occasionally want a super-powerful beam to light the road ahead