Introduction
As climate change gets worse and worse and the cost of fuel rises constantly, more and more people are ditching their cars in favor of bikes. If you are new to the world of cycling, however, then there are a few things you will need to sort out before you can ride safely across the city.
One of the most important accessories for any cyclist is a good set of bike lights. You will probably want the brightest lights for a bike that you can find in order to make you as visible as possible and keep you safe from dangerous drivers.
Why do You Need Bike Lights?
Staying safe on the road is important. The reality of the situation is that when you are on a bike, you are vulnerable. The road is dominated by motorists, and their vehicles are much tougher than your bike. In a collision, the cyclist is always going to come off worst. This means you need to make yourself as visible as possible to ensure motorists can see you and do not hit you by accident.
Bike lights are a great way to ensure you are as visible as possible. They put a bright spot of light on your bike, making it easy to see you even in the dark, and keeping you safe.
As well as that, a front bike light serves an important secondary purpose: helping you to see where you are going in the dark, just like a torch. This is not quite as vital as the primary purpose of keeping you visible to cars, but it should not be overlooked!
What are the Brightest Lights for a Bike?
There are many different brands of bike lights available in Australia, and all of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing to consider, however, is the brightness, which is measured in lumens. You want to buy the brightest lights for a bike possible, which means the highest lumen count. Lumens measure how bright a light is, as well as how far from the light will be illuminated. A low lumen, relatively dim light will not light up very much ground in front of it, while a high lumen model will be brighter and will illuminate a wider area.
But which bike lights are the brightest in 2022? Well, we have picked out a few of our favorite models of bike lights with the brightest lighting and the best value for money.
Victagen USB Rechargeable Bike Light
The Victagen USB Rechargeable Bike Light is a powerful bike light with a remarkable 2400 lumen output from dual XML T6 white LED lights. This will light up the ground in front of your bike for an impressive 300 yards!
The other major advantage of this light is its battery: as well as being one of the brightest lights for a bike on the market at the moment, it offers a solid 4 hours on maximum brightness. That is pretty good, but what makes it really stand out is that it can be recharged using a USB cable rather than having to worry about replacing the batteries.
Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light
The Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light is one of the most versatile bike lights around at the moment. This has a very respectable 1100 lumen output but can be adjusted to any one of nine different lighting modes: three for daytime cycling and six for cycling in the dark. These range from high battery life modes, promising a hundred hours of use, to the brightest mode, which only lasts a single hour, but is brightly illuminated, keeping you clearly visible.
This is another USB rechargeable bike light, allowing you to keep the battery topped up easily. It also has a low battery indicator, letting you know when you should charge it, and a fast-charging feature to help you get back on the road as soon as possible.
NiteRider (6776) Lumina Combo Bike Headlight
The NiteRider Lumina Combo Bike Headlight is a reliable 1100-lumen bike light with a solid range of functions. This light is designed to be user-friendly and easy to get great results out of without having to fiddle with advanced settings. It is simple, effective, and does the job it needs to.
This bike light is another USB rechargeable option, although it does not have any fancy charging features. In general, this option is ideal if you want something stripped down and simple rather than something complex.
How Bright should Bike Lights Be?
Different environments require different brightness levels. If you cycle off-road a lot, then you will want something very bright to illuminate the ground in front of you and help you to spot oncoming traffic. In general, that means you will want something offering 1000 lumens or more.
If you cycle in urban areas a lot, then you are going to be dealing with traffic more than ground hazards. That means you need to ensure you do not dazzle oncoming drivers, but you also need to be brightly lit enough that they can see you. In most cases, around 600 lumens should be enough. Less than that, and you will be hard to see. Too much more than that, and you risk dazzling oncoming traffic and causing an accident!
Should Bike Lights Flash?
Flashing lights have their advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that a flashing light can be more eye-catching than a steady light, but that is not enough to really make up for the disadvantage: half the time, a flashing light is not emitting any light. That means that half the time, you are in the dark! In general, it is better and safer to use a constant bike light.
Conclusion
Bike lights are an essential part of road safety for cyclists and should not be overlooked. You should never cycle in the dark without lights, under any circumstances, as this can be very dangerous. Buy a good set of bright, powerful lights, and ensure that they remain well charged and ready to go.
