If your only night riding experience involved a cheap light, you might want to consider an upgrade. Getting any one of these lights will transform your ride. Our test unit’s thermal throttling was quite sensitive, and after two minutes of being stationary with the light on max power in 14°C temperatures, it reduced output to the middle setting. These two measures of light are related. Lumens is the total light emitted by your bike light. Lux is the brightness divided by the area it covers. The latest Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv road light is now up to 1,600 lumens from 1,200 lumens a few years ago. It’s got even more tech built in, with optional detection of oncoming traffic, which automatically dips the beam – a useful feature with such high output. You can wire in a remote for bar-top control as well.

Bike Lights, 2000 Lumen Super Bright USB Rechargeable Babacom Bike Lights, 2000 Lumen Super Bright USB Rechargeable

With 1,000 lumens at full power, Lezyne’s Lite Drive 1000XL provides more than enough brightness and beam spread for riding on unlit roads. You’ll only get around 80 minutes at this power, but dropping it down to the second highest output (which sits at 500 lumens) provides just under three hours of run time, which ought to be enough for even the longest of commutes. The in-built Reflex++ technology uses accelerometers to calculate how fast you’re travelling and how rough the terrain is, and increases or decreases brightness to match, up to 5,250 lumens, so you don’t need to fiddle with the controls as you ride. You’re limited to 3,750 lumens in the highest constant mode though. The compromise is that while the PR1600 has good range, and the flood illuminates the distance ahead well, it can’t match its pricier, multi-LED competitors for beam spread. The Moon Meteor Storm Pro feels more powerful than its claimed output but the light it projects is especially focussed. Simon BromleyThe Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000 is a great choice for casual night rides. Ian Linton / Immediate Media The clamp is fiddly and the charging cable is proprietary, but otherwise, this is a great light for road and gravel night riding.

Moon Meteor Storm Pro front light review - BikeRadar

Combining a spotlight and wider optic, the light provides a broad beam as well as a more focused reach.Battery life is impressive and although the mode and battery indicators are a bit vague it’s an easy-to-use unit overall. The big problem, however, is the price. It’s an expensive light and at this price point you might fancy a little more power. Light output isn’t the only factor to consider, beam patterns are just as important. Some lights project their output into one specific area, illuminating everything within that space with exceptional detail, but that’s frequently at the expense of broader coverage. The Ravemen PR1200 has a nifty high/low beam setting, similar to that seen in a car, which can be used to avoid dazzling oncoming road users.