Category Archives for Bike Lights

Choosing an LED Headlight for Bikes: What You Need to Know

As a cyclist, you must always be very cautious and alert, whether you pedal inside or outside. You should purchase the correct equipment for your bike and make sure you have everything that you need. In fact, you really need LED bicycle headlights and taillights in this day and age. Bicycle lighting, including headlights and taillights, are very important when you explore the city or anywhere you go including cycling indoors, they will be very useful to you and will promote your safety. Unexpected events can make your journey cycling unbearable and you will have to be aware, especially if the weather changes unexpectedly, you need to be prepared and well-equipped. All cyclists should constantly be on the lookout. We can never tell when the weather might change, it is unpredictable. It is imperative you make the right choices when you pick out your LED light kit with powerful lumens, a rechargeable li-ion battery or similar battery pack, and, above all, ensure you have super bright lighting where you are easily seen. As any experienced cyclist knows, you want to ensure that you are safe on the road and nothing should compromise your amazing journey. Follow these guidelines and you won't have to worry one bit anymore about your bicycle lighting.

1. Purpose of Buying Led Bike Lights

In the first place, you need to figure out the use of your new LED bike light, whether you will use your bike outside or inside. In appearance, it doesn’t seem to matter but it makes a huge difference in purchasing LED bike lights as you are dealing with different types of bikes so the same thing goes for the lighting. As a matter of fact, the size and shape of the beam lay on the style of the bike and so you are better off choosing a brighter light. Outdoor LED lights have a more focused beam whereas indoor lights have a wider spread. When you ride around town, look closely at how well-lit the streets are and don’t forget that on-road bike lights are built to irradiate anywhere you go and enable you to see clearly.

2. Duration of LED Bike Lights

In fact, you need to determine how many times you will use your led, it is important as it will enable you to get something more durable and you won’t have to spend more money. You need to make up your mind about how often and for how long the bike lights will be used. The length of time the light is needed allows you to choose between battery-operated and rechargeable models. Indeed, LED bike lights are known for their capacity to use less energy and, as a result, they last longer. If you would like to extend a battery life even longer, you may want to buy an LED with a low-power option. Moreover, if you are going to use the bike light very often, you should buy a bike light that features a life battery.

3. Natural Events Can Cause Some Issues

Were you aware that bicycle lovers don’t care about riding when it rains, shines, or its night? They like cycling whenever the feel like it and nothing will stop them from exploring new horizons. They are very passionate about this activity, so they won’t let anything come between them and their love for pedalling. In that case, these cycling fanatics should buy an LED bike light that can prevent them from having an accident just in case a natural disaster occurs or weather conditions change suddenly. You should check out weather-resistant lights. They are generally constructed with better seals, making them well worth the investment. Furthermore, if you ride in below freezing conditions, the extreme temperatures can have an impact on battery life, discharging it much more quickly. And for those who don’t cycle often, they do not have to spend a huge amount of money on LED bike lights. This rule only applies to risk-takers who are willing to venture out anytime no matter what, so they are the ones that might want to invest in these types of bike lights. Thus, they won’t let weather conditions or anything jeopardize their adventure at all costs.

4. Various Led Lights Bike

As soon as you have established the variables of use for your bike light, the next stage is to learn about the various options available. Bike lights shine a concentrated, solid beam up ahead. Flashing lights are preferred for their power to enhance visibility. Some bike lights have a low-power setting that helps save energy. Please check out these the three main styles of LED bike lights and choose whatever you see fit for your outdoor or indoor activities.

• Flashing LED bike lights are used to make drivers aware of your presence, but they are hardly an appropriate choice to brighten up a dark path. Mainly flashing lights function with the regulated range of 1 to 4 flashes per second or 60 to 240 per minute. These types of lights are meant for the rear light even though many standard lights include a flash setting.

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• LED bike lights feature a single-focused beam constructed to better the biker's visibility to surrounding traffic and lighten up the path ahead of you. Many of these lights are made of standard and high beam settings and if you are in a situation, in which you are in the dark, you should go for a brighter light. These lights are mainly placed in every place a light can be installed.

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• Low power LED bike lights ensure an extended life battery. You need to know that this type of light or setting is not enough for dark roads and indoor riding. Low power LED bike lights are only useful for dawn, daytime, and dusk use, but they are not the best options whenever it rains.

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Choosing LED bike lights are not an easy task but they will be very useful whenever you ride your bike outside or inside. In addition, it will reinforce your safety and will enable you to pedal in a safe environment without any constraints. To conclude, if you follow the advice above, you won’t be in danger and you will have all the appropriate equipment for your cycling session.

The 5 Brightest Rear Bike Lights on the Market

Top Brightness 930 Lumen Bike Light with Cree XM-L2

The 930 Lumen Bike Light is a spectacular flashlight perfectly developed to fit the night rider. This beauty casts a luminous and standard light beam while not using the lenses’ reflector in the flashlight. There is the possibility of even focusing the headlight specifically to stretch the shine of the beam a longer distance. This exceptional flashlight has a tail end switch push button that controls the on and off switch of the different lighting modes.

A rider can flick through the five programmed modes on the rear-end switch: the five modes are low, medium, high, strobe and SOS. The flashlight comes with a specifically inbuilt single chip microcomputer that activates a low-battery warning for battery protection, and memory which resumes to the last mode used, and is therefore provides for ease of operation.

The beam focus on the flashlight is adjustable through twisting its head to suit your need when lighting several conditions, and when on various tracks you may be on.

The 930 Lumen is easy to mount due to the flexible mounting bracket that enables you to fix the flashlight on a variety of bikes without necessarily using tools of any kind.

Features

• The flashlight has been manufactured according to the FL1 expectations with a light output of 930 lumens when operating on the high mode
• The flashlight’s body is built using airplane-grade aluminum and has a finishing of high quality anodizing anti-abrasive
• The 930 Lumen light comes with an anti-shock carry case, a wrist strap, an 18650 Li-ion battery, an AC battery charger, 2 extra O-rings, a bike mount and a rubber strap to firmly hold the flashlight fixed to the bike mount
• It is water resistant with an impressive IPX6 rating, having been extensively tested time and again to prevent any erroneous specifics before released to the market
• The size of the beam is adjustable by twisting the light’s head to use in different occasions. There are no noises when rotating the head as the light’s body build is comfy and very smooth
• It is really bright for a one-bulb flashlight, small and not cumbersome, handy, and uses the most dynamic second generation LED technology by Cree. With this light you have the brightest bike light on the market, and you will never be disappointed
• Includes a flashlight mounting bracket to fix on the bike, a handle bar mounting strap and a specially made bicycle handlebar mounting stand for mounting the light on
• An inbuilt single chip microcomputer that flickers a low-battery warning for battery protection, has a single button control, and memory of the last used mode
• It is outstandingly superior to many similar capacity products available
• An easy to read and follow instruction manual

Pros

• The flashlight emits an extremely bright beam that can be widened to suit prevailing situations and conditions
• This headlight comes with rechargeable batteries and a charger system, which is a good match to complement its unique lighting abilities
• Has a really outstanding design that feels very solid and with exceptional control for brightness
• The light is an original concept and none of the available lights are a near imitation
• A life span of 10 hours and 30 minutes of battery in low 100 lumen; medium 530 lumen with 2 hours of battery time; and battery life in high 930 lumen of 1 hour
• A bright, uniform beam that runs in the absence of a lens reflector on the headlight
• It is easy to quickly strap on and remove without hassle
• This flashlight is equivalent to a car’s headlights in terms of brightness, hence reduces the risk of a biker getting blinded and run off the road, even in pitch darkness

Cons

• The light is not really suitable for rough terrain
• The headlamp cannot be mounted on all bike handle bars; some are too thick and have larger diameters for its strap and mounting preferences
• The light is almost too bright for users with prevailing eye conditions

Comparison

The flashlight does not heat up while charging and in use, as some other products on the market and this is a plus for the rider’s comfort and assurance. The Lumen 930 LED light gives a square shine that is easy to adjust with the rotating head, something that is not universal with other available headlamps.

Its solid top notch body ensures that the headlight will remain intact if the rider falls to the ground; the lamp will not be damaged.

The light has a longer battery time when fully charged as compared to available market products such as the lesser 700 LED lamps. The batteries are easy to remove and fix into place, as compared to other products whose batteries require some lubrication when removing to charge.

Verdict

The Top Brightness Lumen 930 LED is the perfect equipment for a night rider. It is a hassle free rechargeable light that has a longer battery time which assures that you will not be left stranded in the dark. What’s more is the fact it has an SOS option that you can apply when signaling for aid in case of need.

Therefore, the 930 Lumen single bulb LED is the right fit for the market, and every night rider should consider this model when looking to purchase a bike light for night use.

How Many Lumens for a Bike Headlight?

You may enjoy all kinds of different sports and other types of outdoor activities. From jogging down the road early in the morning before daybreak to running long distances to beat the record of those in the same competition, outdoors is the place you want to be, day and night.

Though night time may be a good time to get your exercise, it may not be the safest when you are traveling from one destination to another. This is one of the main reasons why you should make sure that you are completely prepared for these rides before you start out.

In some cases, you may not be riding for amusement or sport, you may be using your bikes to commute or to run errands. In either case or situation, there are some key things that must be considered and factored in when preparation is being made.

One of the most important is ensuring the lights on your bike are bright enough to handle the ride. More importantly, you should research to see what types of lights are recommended for maximum visibly. That said, here is some invaluable information about lumens for bike headlights.

What are lumens?

Lumens can be described as the amount of light that is emitted per second. The measure of a lumen is in units, specifically as it relates to the solid angle of one steradian.

Therefore, when you choose light bulbs and fixtures for certain needs, you will need to understand lumens instead of watts or LEDs, especially since these measurements are their counterparts.

Once you understand lumens as compared to watts or LEDs, you can choose the bike headlights that you will need for your purposes and individual needs. It is important that you have a good handle on what lumens means since it involves your personal safety as well as others’ too.

For instance, the higher the lumen rating that you select, the brighter the lamp on the bike will appear, meaning it will make it much easier for you to see items in front of you during the night. Brighter lighting will also make it easier for others to see your lights.

Either way, the right measurement will help to keep you safe while riding along the road. For instance, if the lights are not bright enough, you may injure yourself if you drive over potholes in the road or you do not see other obstacles that can obstruct your view.

How many lumens for bike headlight?

When choosing lumens, there are a number of different factors that must be kept in mind because choosing the right number of lumens is only a part of the decision that will need to be made. For instance, lumens will only tell you how much light will be put out, but it does not address the direction in which the light will travel. In some cases, two lights may not be sufficient enough for the ride if the beam of the light is too narrow.

You should also be aware of the different types of riding prior to making your final selections since the number of lumens will vary based on your activities. For instance, in an urban setting, you may not need more than 500 lumens to ride safely to your destinations.

On the other hand, if you are mountain biking, the number of lumens may be increased quite dramatically. This is also true if you plan to ride at high speeds at night from their home to the office.

Conclusion

Choosing the number of lumens is not always as simple as you may think because there are other factors involved that will need to be considered. Some of the more commonly known include the type of bike riding that will be done at night, whether it is commuting from home to the job or mountain bike riding; the number of lumens will often vary greatly based on the activities involved in traveling from one destination to the next.

Staying safe is always the main consideration when choosing the right bike light for your purposes, and it is better to err on the side of too many lumens rather than not enough. Remember that it is not only your own safety, but also that of others you may encounter along the way.