Although autumn might be setting in and the daylight hours reducing, lights are something you should consider using all year round on your road bike. Modern lights are easily rechargeable and there are plenty of options to choose from in terms of style, light levels and size. In this article, we’ll talk through road bike lights and some recommendations.
The range of lights available for road bikes now is huge. From discreet ‘daylight running lights’ to much brighter, bigger beasts for nighttime riding, there’s something for everyone. But how do you know what type you need?
Firstly, figure out when you’re likely to be riding and where. If you do the majority of your riding in a city during the day, then you’ll likely only need smaller, less bright lights. In contrast, if you will be riding in the dark and perhaps on less well lit country lanes, then a brighter, stronger beam would be recommended.
Road bike light brightness is measured in lumens, as this takes into account the overall amount of light rather than from a single direction like the candela measurement. You can buy lights from between 5 lumens to over 3,000 now, although that level of light should probably be reserved for the darkest and quietest of roads!
Front lights are usually brighter than the rear lights, and by law use white light, while rear lights need to use red. Most on the market now are rechargeable via USB cables or just plug directly into the slot like a USB memory drive, but some require small batteries. Furthermore, there’s a wide choice in mounting systems. Some use rubber loops to secure to your bike frame, while others have a whole mounting system. You can even get super sleek ones that sit under your computer mount – perfect for the time triallists among you.
At JeJames, our range of road bike lights includes a collection from top lighting brand Moon. The Hong Kong based brand focuses on providing high quality lights and accessories to cyclists across the world. For road cyclists, there’s plenty of choice, from small daylight running lights ideal for city and urban use to give you that little bit extra visibility (or what we call ‘be seen’ lights), to the more powerful lights perfect for unlit country roads (‘to see’ lights).
For something more compact, the Moon Aerolite COB works as both a front and rear light in one. It can be attached to your helmet, handlebars or handlebar drops, seat post, or your seat stays and provides great visibility for commuters or urban riders.
Another thing to be conscious of with lights are the various modes they have. Not all lights just have a single beam option, and it means you can adjust your lights to your surroundings. For example, the Moon Meteor Storm Pro Front Light has a maximum of 2,000 lumens, but has seven different modes with different levels of brightness so you can adapt the light to your surroundings. You won’t need 2,000 lumens in a well lit city, so instead of having to buy two separate lights, you can just change the mode to something a little less bright.
For a fully connected experience, consider the Moon MX 2.4G & Cerberus 2.4G Light Set. This set comes with both a front and rear light, but with extra tech to make it special. Gone are the days of having to manually turn on both lights and the risk of unknowingly riding around without one on. With this set, the handlebar mount has a feature that allows you to connect up to five rear lights and control them all from one button.
This set comes with the MX 2.4G, which can be mounted directly to your handlebars in place of a cycle computer mount. The cycle computer can then be fixed on top of the light making it nice and aero. It comes with six modes and a maximum of 400 lumens which is bright enough for most dark roads. The rear light, the Cerberus 2.4G is a 50 lumen light with five modes for you to choose from.
If you’re not entirely sure what kind of road bike light is best for you, then why not visit one of our stores? Use this link to find the closest one to you.
