High-powered lights
If you’re riding on unlit roads or country lanes – be it while commuting or on training rides – you’ll need a high-powered unit which will fill the road in front of you with light.
Lights at this end of the market are often powered by a removable, rechargeable battery (like the Gemini Xera Flashlight reviewed here) or a separate battery pack which is strapped to the toptube (such as the Hope R4), but an increasing number, including the 800-lumen Light and Motion Taz, can be charged via USB, which removes the charger (the easiest bit to lose or forget) from the equation.
We’d recommend around 400 lumens as a starting point for riding on unlit roads (the recently-reviewed RSP RX480 has a claimed output of 480 lumens) and, above that, the world’s your oyster, with the output of some top-of-the-range mountain bike lights measured in the thousands. Prices vary but generally start at close to £100.
Beam patterns vary a lot – some, particularly those designed for off-road use, have a very wide spread, while others have a more focused beam. A beam pattern somewhere between the two is ideal if you do most of your riding on road as you want to avoid blinding drivers while ensuring there’s enough light to pick out any hazards across the road. Also, make an effort to point the beam on the road, rather than into the eyes of oncoming drivers. After all, you want them to be able to see you, and for you to be able to see where you’re going.
