Top 10 San Antonio Bicycle Lights

When you ride a bicycle just before sunrise, and after sunset, a highly effective front headlight and a blinking taillight are essential. Although it might appear counterintuitive, understand that the brighter the ambient light, the brighter the device you’ll need for visibility. Rear blinkers that put out 15 lumens may look bright after dark but are harder to pick out in full sunlight. When purchasing brand new lights, look for durable, no-slip accessories, an easily detachable light body for charging and theft protection, power indicator signals to alert you whenever it’s time to recharge the device, and an IPX water-resistance score of 5 or higher. The following are the top bicycle lights that we love.

Top Bicycle Lights in San Antonio

 

Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight

The Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight will cover your rear while you are cruising down the road. This taillight contains three ultra-bright LEDs that are mounted behind a parabolic lens. This makes it possible for the light to be seen by traffic approaching you up to a mile away. This bicycle tail light has a mount for their helmet along with mounts so it can be placed on the fender of the bike or the seat post. This flexibility allows the rider to chose was to position the light they feel is the most effective. The entire enclosure is waterproof so the light can be activated no matter what the weather conditions are when you are riding your bicycle. The Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight can operate in one of two modes. There is the steady light and the battery saving flashing mode. In the flashing mode, the battery life can last up to 100 hours. The power unit for this light array is a single AAA battery. For added protection of your rear guard is the placement of Scotchlite TM strips on the sides that will aid others in seeing you. This will help make sure you have an incident-free trip the next time you take your bike out for a ride.

 

NiteRider MiNewt 250 Headlight

The NiteRider MiNewt 250 bicycle headlight is full of great options and for many, may be a better alternative to lights that require continual battery changes. The two most striking technologies integrated into the NiteRider MiNewt 250 bike headlight is that it’s a USB rechargeable bike headlight and it’s cool, slim design is excellent for both looks and aerodynamics. The NiteRider MiNewt 250 bicycle headlight is perfect for low-light or as a bike headlight for commuting. The built-in lithium-ion batteries make this rechargeable bicycle headlight versatile because it can charge from a USB port or wall outlet with the included cord and converter. The manufacturer claims run times of 3, 4, and 6 hours depending on which mode is being used (high, medium, low) and a much longer time (not specified) for flashing mode. The light uses a 1W LED lamp and takes about 4 hours to recharge. The battery pack is integrated, so no cords or connections are required while in use. The whole unit weighs only 190 grams as well, making it one of the lightest we’ve seen, and the 2-year warranty isn’t a bad touch either. To get the NiteRider MiNewt 250 bicycle headlight, though, you’ll have to shell out $110. In our estimation, from this preliminary review, we think it’s probably worth it to those who want a premium headlight with easy options beyond just battery swapping.

 

CatEye Reflex Bicycle Taillight

The CatEye Reflex Bicycle Taillight is the automatic rear lighting system you can mount and forget since it will protect your blind side at all times for you. This rear light comes to life when ever darkness is detected or motion in the rear from an oncoming vehicle is noticed. This is accomplished with a sensitive sensor in its optical array of vision. The CatEye light can be preset to 5 different modes. It can be set at constant, flashing, pulsing, rapid flashing or in the battery saving long-life mode. The lens itself is specially designed so it can be seen at a 180-degree area of vision. The light itself is emitted from four 5 mm LEDs and one larger central LED. The power is from a twin set of AAA batteries. The constant and pulse modes have a battery life of up to 30 hours. The rapid flashing lasts up to 60 hours and the slower flashing mode can emit light for up to 100 hours. The extended long-life mode has the ability to last 120 hours. The light source of the CatEye is not your only protection. The lenses also have reflective characteristics so it can be seen even when not activated. This way you will never have to worry about being seen by anyone approaching you from the rear while on the road again.

 

MagicShine Model MJ-808U Bicycle Light

With the MagicShine Model MJ-808U Bicycle Light mounted to the front of your bicycle, you will never have a problem seeing the road. The light source is from a CREE XM-L ultra-bright LED backed by an orange peel high efficient reflector that can cast a light beam up to 500 meters in front of you. The power source is four 8.4 volt lithium-ion batteries which have a life of 3.5 hours when on 100% brightness. The recharge time is 3 to 3.5 hours. There are three different power settings you can use including 100%, 30% and shine only. There is also a power level indicator you can clearly see. As the power diminishes, the indicator changes color for easy reference in 5 different color settings. The LED has a life expectancy of 50,000 hours. The shell of the head lamp is made from 6061 T6 aluminum alloy which is covered type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish which is black in color. The water proofing grade of the head lamp is IP67. The lens is an anti-reflection optical glass that is treated to be scratch resistant. The MagicShine bicycle light is made for the rider that wants to see where they are going no matter the position of the sun. The easy to read battery life indicators mean you will never just be without your head lamp again.

 

NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light

When you have mounted a NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light on your bike, you are ready for a night excursion with a smaller but more powerful light weight illuminator than what most others have to offer. The name is 700, which refers to the maximum amount of lumens this light can project on the road way in front of you. The NiteRider Lumina 700 can be set to 4 different light intensity settings. These are high with 700 lumens, medium at 350 lumens, low at 200 lumens and 40 lumens for walking speed. There is also a flashing mode that can be used at your discretion. To power, the illumination of this bike light is a single Lithium-Ion Batter. It requires 6 hours to be fully charged. The discharge of this power varies depending on the intensity of the beam you decide to use. At high the battery lasts up to 1 ½ hour. In the medium setting, the battery lasts up to 3 hours. You can get 5 hours and 55 minutes of light on the low setting and on the walking setting the light will work up to 18 hours. The NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light can be mounted on either the handlebars or on your helmet. The handle bar mount fits bars up to 1 ¼”. The helmet mount attaches to most standard bicycle helmets. The light itself is an LED for long life and reliability.

 

MagicShine MJ-880 2000 Lumen Bike Light

This is the same MagicShine MJ-880 2000 Lumen Bike Light that won the prestigious award of the best bike light by MBUK Magazine for 2013. The 2000 lumens are created from the twin Cree XM-L LEDs. Each of these light sources has an expected life span of 50,000 hours. This light is illuminated through a pair of high efficient optical lenses. To power, this bike light is 6 x 18650 cells of this lithium-ion battery that produces 8.4 volts and has an amperage of 6.6. The charging time for this battery is 3.5 hours. The charge can last up to 2.3 hours when on maximum output constantly. There is an LED indicator light that informs the rider of the power level in the battery. This bike light comes with a battery charger that is specifically made for it. There is built-in protection to prevent overheating of the battery when being charged. The on button is mounted on top of the light so riding can switch it on while riding. The housing unit of the MagicShine MJ-880 is made of 6061 T6 aluminum alloy. It has a finish that is anodized and is anti-abrasive. The color scheme is flat black and silver. The dimensions of this light are 2.3” x 1.9” x 1.8”. The light and power pack are separate units but can be easily mounted without tools.

 

Portland Design Works Radbot Bike Tail Light

The Portland Design Works Radbot Bike Tail Light is designed to be securely mounted at the rear of your bike so those approaching you from behind will be able to clearly see you. For added protection, there is also a red reflector mounted just under the light so any vehicle with light will also reflect on it to announce your presence on the road. The Radbot Bike Tail Light is equipped with the same one-watt red LED bulb that is now standard equipment in new cars for a tail light. It has three modes in which it operates. There is steady on, cornea flashing and off. The steady mode can last up to 15 hours of constant operation on a set of fully charged AAA batteries. The flashing or blinking mode is rated to last 30 hours but there have been reports of it lasting up to 50 hours by those that use it on the road. The on/off button has a safety feature on it which requires the user to hold it for 1.5 seconds before it initiates. This way the light cannot accidentally be turned on by someone or something bumping into it. This tail light can be securely mounted to the frame of the bike or it can be mounted using a clip to the luggage rack or a back pack.

 

Blackburn Click Bike Light Combo

For riding at night the Blackburn Click Bike Light Combo will help light the road up for you and make it possible for others to see you. Both lights make use of the latest LED lighting systems. Each one has two bulbs for increased illumination. The maximum lumens are 15 from the clear lens. The front has a clear lens and the back is red, the bulbs are clear. The lenses are made to magnify the light the LEDs generate. The lights are turned on by depressing the lens. Both the front and back light assemblies are easy to mount into place. The front easily clamps to the handlebars and the rear light attaches under the seat. This is done by hand and no tools are required. The power supply is from a non-integrated system. This makes it possible to simply replace the batteries, which are CR2032 for both the front and rear light assemblies. Only one per unit is required. The lights have two modes in which they operate. There is the flashing light mode that has a battery life of up to 140 hours. There is also the steady light mode in which the battery will last up to 70 hours. The total weight of the units is 0.24 pounds. The material the lights are made out of high-grade polymer. This helps to make them impact-resistant with a long operational life.

 

Serfas CP-500 Combo Light Set

The Serfas CP-500 Combo Light Set is made especially for those that want to ride at night and need to illuminate the road ahead of them. This set of lights is a white LED one for the front illumination and a second red LED so you can be visible at night to those that will be traveling faster than you on the road so they can clearly see you. Both lights have an integrated silicone strap to mount it. This can be accomplished on the handlebars in the front and on the frame in the rear. These mounting straps are made with a quick-release latch so you can also use them off the bike easily if necessary. Each of the Serfas CP-500 lights is powered by 2 CR 2032 lithium batteries that are included with the set. The modes in which the lights can operate under include steady high, steady low and flashing. The battery life expectancy of each mode is different. The batteries can last up to 25 hours in the high steady mode. In the low steady mode, they last up to 35 hours. In the flashing mode, the lights can last up to 50 hours. The Serfas CP-500 light set is made to help increase the safety level of your next bike adventure. Even in the day time, they can be used to help others see you on the road.

 

Xeccon Spiker 1211 Cycling Light

Xeccon is a company based in China that manufactures several different types of lights for cycling, and also makes lights for scuba diving. They were kind enough to send us a Xeccon Spiker 1211 Cycling Light to review. In this review, we’ll review the specifications of the Spiker 1211, and we’ll post another Spiker 1211 review soon that gives our impressions from riding with the Spiker. The Xeccon Spiker 1211 is an LED bicycling headlight that can be mounted on your handlebars or helmet. The Spiker 1211 consists of 2 main parts — the headlight and the battery pack. The headlight itself is about an inch tall and about 2 inches long, has a CREE XM-L LED that is stated to produce 650 lumens (Note: Xeccon advises it is now rated at 850 lumens). The Spiker 1211 light is indeed very bright. The Spiker 1211 bicycle headlight is controlled by a single button in the back, which cycles between high, low, flashing and off selections — the button glows green when fully charged, then blue, and then red when nearing the end of its charge. The headlight plugs into the battery pack with a connection that is nice and secure.