Choosing the perfect bike lights for night riding is essential for extending your cycling adventures into the evening. As daylight hours diminish during spring, fall, and winter, having reliable bike lights becomes crucial for safety and enjoyment. Unexpectedly finding yourself riding in the dark is common, which underscores the importance of selecting the right lighting equipment.
This article covers the following topics:
- Types of bike lights
- Key features to consider
- Top recommendations
- Tips for choosing the right bike lights
- Maintenance and care tips
- Buying bike lights at ERIK’S
Types of Bike Lights
There are several different types of bike lights for you to consider as you ensure maximum safety and visibility for your ride.
Headlights
Headlights (or front bike lights) mount onto your handlebar and illuminate the path in front of you. They make it easier to see where you’re riding after dark, and they can also make it easier for drivers to spot you.
Tail Lights
Tail lights (or rear lights) shine behind the bike and make it easier for other road users to see you. Some rear lights are designed for better daytime visibility. They typically attach to a bike’s seatpost.
Helmet Lights
As the name implies, these lights attach to your helmet, offering an additional form of headlight. For nighttime trail riding, you might want to utilize both a handlebar-mounted headlight and a helmet-mounted light, which can be redirected by a mere turn of the head.
Wheel and Frame Lights
A variety of side safety lights can be posted on the wheels or frame. Spoke-mounted lights are highly visible because they clearly show your wheels in motion. They add extra visibility to the reflectors that come with many bicycles.
Key Features to Consider
Now you know the different types of bike lights, but there are many other key features to consider within each category.
Brightness (Lumens)
Brightness is, of course, an important consideration for being able to see and be seen. This is measured in lumens for bike lights.
More power is needed to see where you are going than to be seen by other road users. Therefore, you’ll want a brighter headlight than tail light—for example, a 500-lumen front light paired with a 100-lumen rear light.
There’s no set rule regarding the lumen output you need on a bike light—it all depends on the type of riding you’re doing, the surrounding conditions and visibility, etc. As a general guideline, a light with 100+ lumens is advisable for daytime riding (to be seen by others), 50-200 lumens for urban commuting, 400-600 lumens for rural riding (to see where you’re going), and 600+ lumens for trail riding to both see and be seen.
Most high-lumen lights come with multiple brightness settings and flash modes. You can adjust the level of light output to fit the riding conditions. The lower brightness settings on a high-lumen light help the battery last significantly longer. Consider that a 900-lumen headlight typically gets 1-1.5 hours on 900 lumens, but at its lowest setting it’s putting out 500 lumens for over five hours. So it’s not a bad idea to buy a bike light with a higher number of lumens than you think you’ll need.
Battery Life
Bicycle lights come in three general battery varieties:
- Bike lights with removable batteries are cheap and easy to find. The downside is that they’re not especially bright, and the cost of buying replacement batteries will quickly offset their lower price.
- USB rechargeable lights are the most widely available and frequently used. They’re easy to charge (typically with a USB-C cord) and generally easy to attach to your bike’s handlebar and/or seatpost.
- Dynamo lights are among the most high-powered bike lights; they run on hub-generated electricity, so you don’t have to worry about charging them before you ride. The only downside is that you need a dynamo hub in order to power them, but these can be retrofitted to most bikes.
Generally, you can expect to get at least three hours of battery runtime on a single charge for a rechargeable bike light or up to ten hours for a non-rechargeable light. It’s not a bad idea to carry an extra set of bike lights just in case your other ones lose their battery power sooner than expected.
Mounting Options
You’ll likely mount your headlight on your handlebar, but it can also be mounted on the steerer, the eyelet, or the axle of your bike, with different mounting mechanisms for each. If you mount the headlight on your handlebar, there will probably be a flexible quick-connect rubber bracket that wraps conveniently around the handlebar for easy installation. (An adjustable hard-mount bracket is available for heavier lights.) If you can’t mount the light on your handlebar, you can install a stem cap light on the steerer. If your bike has a front rack or fork eyelets, you can mount headlights on the eyelets with the help of an eyelet stub and a light mount. Just make sure to mount your headlight at the right height to increase visibility and decrease the shadows of objects in front of you.
The seatpost and bike rack are two popular places to install your rear bike light, with either a hard-mount bracket or a quick-connect bracket for easy mounting. When attaching the rear light to your seatpost, make sure the light sits near the top but is low enough to not get obstructed by bags or other belongings. If your seat bag prevents you from mounting a rear light, you can use a light mount with a clip attached to the straps of your bag.
Wherever and however you mount your lights, just remember that you’ll have to remove them often for charging, cleaning, and transferring to other bikes. Select a light mount that is easy to install, operate, and remove.
Durability and Water Resistance
Especially if you ride on rough terrain or in inclement conditions, make sure your bike lights are durable and water-resistant enough to stay functioning at a high level. Many bike lights are waterproof, which is ideal for long-distance commuters or mountain bikers. Some lights come in aluminum casing for added durability.
Beam Patterns
The type of beam pattern will make a significant impact on visibility, safety, and riding confidence, especially depending on the type of cycling you prefer. For cycling with a road bike, you want to illuminate the road far ahead, and your ride will mostly be fast, straight, and stable, so you might prefer a longer, narrower light pattern. But a wider light pattern is a good choice if you ride your bike on country roads and want the widest possible visibility.
Mountain bikers navigating twisty singletrack will need a wide and balanced beam pattern, since the handlebars will be swerving left and right repeatedly, but they’ll also need enough light near the front tires to help with tricky maneuvers and tight switchbacks. On the other hand (or in addition), a light affixed to your bike helmet can have a tighter, stronger beam pattern since your head is pointed wherever you want to look.
Flashing notification lights (AKA blinkers or flashers) are great for helping others see you on the road. However, they don’t have the power (lumens) to help you see in low-light conditions. These lights are meant for biking in the daylight when you want to be safe and more visible to others. Even the most basic set will improve your daytime visibility for drivers, other cyclists, and pedestrians. It is highly recommended to use these lights anytime you are riding on the road.
Most lights have multiple flash settings that impact the battery life, such as steady and flash light modes, along with different levels of brightness, which all help you be as visible as you want to be. Take a look at the Specialized Stix for excellent examples of lights that will keep you visible.
Top Recommendations
So, which bike lights do we recommend at ERIK’S? Check out our top picks below, but remember—there are lots of considerations, and personal preference comes into play, so choose the light(s) that are best for you!
Cyclists who ride in dark conditions want to stand out in traffic, and they want to see things regardless of conditions. For these purposes, lights in the 650-1,200 lumen range are ideal. One of the most popular lights out there, the NiteRider Lumina 1200, even comes in a combo pack that includes a Solas tail light, measured at 250 lumens. The headlight alone offers 1,200 lumens (at full power) in a balanced long-throw and wide beam flood pattern that illuminates the path up to 20 yards ahead.
Best Budget Night Biking Light
Heading out after dark and need bright but affordable lights? Look no further than the Specialized Flash Pack. This combo kit includes the Flash 300 headlight along with the tried-and-true Flashback taillight. The single-LED headlight oval beam pattern gives a perfect blend of spot and peripheral visibility, along with a single-LED tail light for rear visibility. As an added bonus, extra bright side lights to give you 180-degree visibility to other cyclists and motorists. Whether you’re an all-conditions commuter or prefer a leisurely ride for fun, the Flash Pack has will help you see and be seen, all at an attractive price.
Best High-End Night Biking Light
The Lezyne Connect Smart light set is the most advanced cycling light combo available, with four programmable modes for any type of riding, day or night. The pair’s Smart Connect wireless technology links the headlight and tail light with the LED Ally app, allowing the rider to toggle through various setups that automatically adjust both lights. Although the Lezyne Connect Smart light set works well for daytime commuting, it’s also safe and reliable for nighttime riding, with a 1,000-lumen headlight and a 75-lumen tail light that provides 270 degrees of visibility. It’s even durable if you’re hitting off-road trails after dark, with a rugged aluminum body and waterproof rating.
Best Commuter Night Biking Light
For our top recommended commuter light for night biking, we recommend another Lezyne model: the Macro Drive 1400+ headlight. This light offers lengthy runtimes in a compact and durable build. Its 1,400-lumen (at the highest power) beam has a central focus, illuminating roads along with the periphery. Waterproof and versatile, it’s a reliable powerhouse that won’t let you down as you navigate city streets after dark.
Best MTB Night Biking Light
If you like to take your mountain bike off-road for some night adventures, you’ll really want to find some of the best bike lights for nocturnal trail riding. Like the NiteRider Lumina/Solas combo pack above, the NiteRider Lumina Dual 1800 headlight produces a far-reaching beam pattern with wide peripheral illumination. This headlight is especially useful for off-road trail riding at night, emitting 1,800 lumens on Boost Mode (one of the brightest self-contained bike lights on the market today) and side lighting to increase your visibility. Resistant to water and dust, with a high-strength body casing that prevents cracking and abrasions, the NiteRider Lumina Dual 1800 headlight packs an unexpected amount of power, serving as an ideal solution for mountain bike lights.
Tips for Choosing the Right Bike Lights
As mentioned above, bike lights have many variations, and it ultimately comes down to which lights work best for your particular type of riding. The recommendations above are a good start, but make sure to follow these tips to make sure you’re choosing the right lights for you.
Assess Your Riding Conditions
It’s important to find the right bike lights to suit your specific riding conditions. If you’ll mostly be commuting in the city, you won’t need as much illumination on brightly lit urban streets, but you’ll want lights that make you more visible to motorists, even during the daytime. On the other hand, rural and suburban roads have intermittent lighting, so you’ll need lights that are bright enough to illuminate the road and make you visible to other people. Nighttime trail riding is even darker, so you’ll need an extra bright headlight for you to see and a high-powered tail light for you to be seen. Weather conditions, time of day, your typical riding distance, and other conditions come into play as well.
Consider Your Budget
Obviously there are lots of different bike lights out there, and some of the higher-end (and highest-powered) models could really stretch your budget. But most of the time, you can find effective and reliable lights to fit into a wide variety of price points. Lights for quick rides in the city usually don’t have to break the bank, but you might need to spend more on dependable lights for nighttime trail riding, which offer the strongest combination of illumination, visibility, brightness, and battery power. ERIK’S has a wide variety of bike lights to suit any budget—shop online or stop into a store to learn more about our available options!
Read Reviews and Ratings
Cyclists are part of an avid community, and they love sharing their tips and tricks for bike lights and all other kinds of advice to optimize your ride! Check out customer reviews, talk to your fellow cyclists, and peruse online message boards to get an idea of which lights will work best for you.
Maintenance and Care Tips
Bike light maintenance is relatively simple—there aren’t many moving parts in these compact, reliable accessories. Still, there are a few things you can do to keep your bike lights in optimal condition for as long as possible.
Regular Checks
If you just bought new bike lights, make sure they’re fully charged before using them. In general, make sure to check your lights’ battery indicator anytime before heading out on your bike. Charge or replace the lights regularly to avoid getting caught in the dark. But try not to overcharge them: if lights are left on chargers for weeks at a time, the elevated and prolonged heat will start to stress the battery pack and reduce its capacity. Whenever you detach the lights for charging or cleaning (see below), inspect for damage such as cracks, water ingress, or faulty seals; if the connections look or feel loose, you may have to tighten the bike lights’ parts with a small screwdriver.
Proper Cleaning
Make sure to wipe down the lenses of your bike lights in order to keep them as bright as possible. Most of the time, a soft cloth and some water should do; for the dirtiest messes, you might also need some mild soap and a toothbrush. Detach the lights before cleaning to avoid damaging your bike and to clean as thoroughly as possible. If your lights have moving parts, like adjustable mounts, you can apply a little bit of lubricant to ensure smooth movement.
Storage Tips
Store your lights in a cool, dry place when not in use. Avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures or direct sunlight, which may impact their performance and longevity. If you’re about store your lights long-term, make sure to fully charge them beforehand. It’s recommended to pull the light(s) from storage every 8-12 weeks and top off the charge to prevent deep discharge. This will improve the longevity of the battery and prevent any surprises if the light fails to turn on when you pull it from storage.
Buying Bike Lights at ERIK’S
Discover the perfect bike lights for your nighttime cycling adventures at ERIK’S! Whether you’re navigating city streets, exploring trails, or riding along rural roads, we have a wide selection of bike lights to suit your specific needs.
Visit your nearest ERIK’S store to explore our wide selection of bike lights in person; our expert guidance can assist you in finding the ideal lighting setup. Alternatively, browse our complete collection of bike lights online to conveniently compare options. We have an array of financing and layaway options to get you just the right bike lights (and other accessories) as quickly and easily as possible. At ERIK’S, we’re committed to helping you stay safe and visible during night rides, ensuring you have the best equipment for an enjoyable cycling experience after dark.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many lumens do I need for night-biking lights?
There’s not set answer to this question, since it depends on what particular riding you’re doing. For well-lit urban areas, 100 lumens or more is recommended, while dark roads typically require 200 lumens or more. Trail riding requires 200 lumens of brightness on average (though 250-400 lumens is ideal), while dark off-road terrain is safest with 500 lumens or more. Finally, 400 to 600 lumens is recommended for rural riding.
How long do night bike light batteries last?
This depends on many different variables, including the particular light you have, the power setting, flash settings, etc. For a typical rechargeable bike light using the average power mode, batteries can last at least three hours on a single charge.
Can I use night biking lights in the rain?
Yep! Most reputable bike headlights or tail lights are waterproof enough to withstand the rain; just check the manufacturer’s guidelines before using.
Should I get a helmet light or handlebar light for night biking?
This also depends on the type of riding you’re doing. For night riding in well-lit urban areas, a handlebar light is typically sufficient. For nighttime off-road trail riding, you’ll probably want a helmet light, preferably in addition to a handlebar light.
Can I use my night biking light during the day?
Absolutely. The more ways you have to increase visibility, the better. Many bike lights have various flash patterns (aka blinkers or flashers) that help alert other riders/drivers to your presence during the day.
Do night biking lights come with a warranty?
Many of them do, but this depends on the particular manufacturer and retailer. (Any new product you purchase at ERIK’S is backed by the manufacturer’s warranty, where applicable.)
Conclusion
Bike lights are an absolute must for cyclists of all kinds, ensuring that your ride is always safe and comfortable. Just remember the points we covered in this article:
- Types of bike lights
- Key features to consider
- Top recommendations
- Tips for choosing the right bike lights
- Maintenance and care tips
Contact us using one of the methods below for expert advice from an ERIK’S representative, and/or stop into an ERIK’S location to browse our vast selection of bike lights!
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