Gear

Five key lights from Xeccon’s 2017 range

Up-to-date lights with some neat features and great value on paper

Xeccon are new to the UK but have a strong history in quality lighting products – including diving torches – as well as a plenty of experience in illuminating the way for both on and off-road cyclists.

Although new to us here at RCUK Xeccon are an established player globally, with a reassuringly good track record of reliability, weather resistance and spares back up.

In fact, Xeccon are confident in the lights they produce. Prototypes go through various simulated test conditions, evaluated and specifications tweaked. Every unit is built, checked and sent to the test rooms where they are left running for hours before being boxed and ready to ship.

Now Xeccon have picked up a UK distributor, so expect to see their lights, which come with a 12 month warranty, in a bike shop near you. We’ve had a look through the range – here are five key lights for the autumn/winter season.

Xeccon Zeta 1300R front light

Xeccon’s most powerful lights are the Zeta models. The 1300R here is the base model with a 1600R and incredibly bright 5000R at the top of the range.

Primarily designed for off-road riding and suitably robust for the job, a light such as this, with 1300 lumens on tap, also offers versatility for the road night rider who wants to ramp up the output for increased visibility when descending at speed on unlit and potentially rough lanes.

The ability to scroll through the output levels is really easy – a wireless remote switch can be placed almost anywhere you want. That means you can always have it to hand to ensure you’re riding with the most suitable light output whether on a slow climb, a fast descent or negotiating a busy city centre.

Four light levels and a strobe mode comes with burn times of between 3.5 and 38 hours. A full recharge will take five hours.

The Zeta’s compact aluminium body gives it a high quality feel and the unit is supplied with mounts for handlebars, helmets and action cameras, along with a longer second lead. For most road riding, a bar mounted light with the battery strapped below the toptube of the frame will be the most suitable set-up.

The Xeccon Zeta 1300R comes in at just shy of £100, giving you plenty of lumens for your money, while the 1600R is £139.99 and the 5000R costs £189.99.

Price: 1300R £99.99 (1600R £139.99, 5000R £189.99)

Xeccon Spear 600 front light

While the Zeta range is primarily aimed at off-road riders, or road cyclists who demand plenty of light, the Spear 600 will be spot on for many roadies who want a compact all-in-one unit (that means there’s no separate battery pack, unlike the Zeta).

If your training rides or commute takes you beyond street lit areas then 600 lumens is enough output to let you ride at daylight speeds with clear vision of the road (and potholes…) ahead. This single LED lamp has three beam outputs and a safety strobe mode for dusk or wet weather conditions. Burn time is between two and a lengthy forty hours.

Otherwise, the Spear is a lightweight unit, well sealed from the weather and easy to attach to various handlebar diameters with the stretch rubber strap bracket. With a tough alloy/plastic body and convenient USB charging, it looks an affordable option for riders looking to pack the miles in over the winter.

Price: £39.99

Xeccon Link 300 front light

Front lights at this price have moved on leaps and bounds over the last few years and, if you’re a regular commuter or a rider who wants a compact unit with a medium output, the Link 300 may be all the light you need.

Once upon a time a light at this price would have been powered by a pair of AA batteries in a bulky casing, dishing out a vague beam for only a few hours before expiring, giving poor visibility and the constant risk of riding home in the dark.

Things have stepped up a gear, however, and the Link 300 has a maximum output of 300 lumens, giving you all the output you need for street lit riding, and it’s easily rechargeable via USB. Claimed run time is two hours on full beam, so enough for most rider’s ‘out and back’ commutes or an evening training loop before you need to charge. The Link 300 has just two modes for simplicity and the low beam (fine for many conditions) will extend the burn time to ten hours.

Otherwise, the Link gets a water resistant alloy/plastic body and the same stretch strap bracket as the Spear 600. Other Xeccon options are the cheaper Link 150 and a higher output (twin LED) Link 600.

Price: Link 300 £29.99 (Link 150 £19.99; Link 600 £39.99)

Xeecon Mars 30A rear light

Moving on to rear lights – an essential piece of kit year-round, by our reckoning, but especially once the autumn kicks in. For poor weather or chasing fading daylight, a rear light on your seatpost will keep you safe until the clocks go forward in the spring. It’s as important as a warm jacket or a pair of overshoes. The Mars 30A looks like it ticks all the boxes as a compact, affordable and, with an output of 30 lumens, bright rear light.

Without the need for a beam, 30 lumens should keep you visible and there is a high, low and ‘daylight’ setting along with strobe and flash options. As with many Xeccon lights, this is rechargeable via a micro USB, with five hours to charge from empty. If your bike is stationary for five minutes or more the light will automatically switch off to save the battery.

A new feature is Xeccon’s Smart Brake Indicating System (SBIS). Regardless of what light mode you are in this system identifies when you’re braking and automatically turns to the brightest mode, alerting the following traffic. This brake light can function in daylight too, when you’ve not got the light switched on.

A cheaper Mars 30 model is available for under £20 if you prefer a more basic rear light. Otherwise, the Mars 30A is a well designed, high spec choice which will help keep you rolling safely through the darker, wetter months.

Price: Mars 30A £22.99 (Mars 30 £19.99)

Geinea III front and rear lights

The Geinea III lights look ideal if you ride just in daylight and need a set of minimalist lights to boost your visibility on the road, or just in case you get caught out in poor weather and fading light.

Sold individually or as a twin pack, the Geinea III lights are one of Xeccon’s most compact models. With a simple stretch rubber strap, they’re designed to be fitted quickly and to stay securely in place on the handlebars, regardless of their diameter.

Fifteen lumens from a single LED should provide enough visibility to use these as a safety light on low light or drizzly days, while there’s also the option of a steady or strobe setting.

The Geinea lights have a high quality aluminium housing and offer burn times of between 2.5 to nine hours, depending on the setting. They are powered by an internal rechargeable battery and a full recharge takes 2.5 hours.

Price: Front £14.99; rear £14.99 (front/rear set £27.99)

Website: Xeecon
UK distributor: Moore Large