Reviews

Bontrager Flare R

Super-bright rear light with daytime-specific modes

When Bontrager first dreamed up the idea of a light made specifically for the day time, they must have known it would be met with a few sniggers.

Even we can admit to a wry smile when we saw the press release for the new Flare R. But then we tried one, and it was good. Really good.

In fact, when we came up with the original long list for the 100, the Flare R was one of the first items down there, and that’s saying something. Sure, it’s at the more expensive end for rear lights, but it’s a really great product and one that actually manages to get the job done in the day as well as at night.

For starters, it puts out 65 lumens which is actually a pretty decent punch for a backward-facing light. Front lights are high powered because you sometimes need to be able to see where you’re going, but a 600 lumen rear light would just blind cars following you – and nobody wants to be overtaken by a driver who’s seeing spots. So 65 lumens is pretty bright as rear lights go.

Even we can admit to a wry smile when we saw the press release for the new Flare R. But then we tried one, and it was good. Really good

Anyway, Bontrager reckon this one’s visible from over 2km away in the day time (presumably tested in Holland where it’s nice and flat) so anyone who says they didn’t see you is quite possibly stretching the truth a little. That bumps up to a claim of 5km at night which is a very long way indeed.

All that, though, wouldn’t be impressive at all without some serious run times behind it, and the Flare’s four functions (night flash, night steady, day flash, day steady) offer between 4:15-23hrs – yep, 23 hours – of run time.

Price: £44.99
Website: Bontrager

If you’re out for a ride and manage to run the battery all the way down on the night flash mode then chapeau, that’s a hell of a ride. But if you do, the light has a battery save mode that kicks in when it’s down to 5 percent just to get you home safely.

Like all good lights now, the Flare R also offers side visibility, enough to up the full visibility arc to 270°. Side visibility, for obvious reasons, is pretty important and something that has traditionally not been served all that well by lights, but pair this one up to a quality front light and possibly even a helmet light too and you’ll be sorted.