A Review of Bicycle Lights

I like lighting up like a Christmas tree when I'm on my bike. Kuching drivers are generally an ok lot, especially with the cycling revolution raving along these few years. I generally have two lights in front and three lights at the back- one attached to my bike, one in my back pocket, and one attached to the brain bucket. But the quest for the bestest affordable blinking lights is ever on. So here's a review of what I have that are easily available in Kuching. Of course, ordering the latest lights over the net is as easy as pie. But let's just say that you're like me and you want to touch the darn things, switch them on and see if they call out to ya; and you don't want to pay crippling postage if it's an international import. So here goes…

These Are Not Too Bad
Tadpole lights. I used a lot of these on the rear of my bike. They're cute, light and pretty ok as far as blinkiness goes, but they drink up battery juice the way elephant trunks suck up water. I got them from about RM35-50 (~USD10-18), depending on brand and make. After about a year or so, the silicone just snapped off.

At the front of both my bikes, I'm currently using the Cateye HL-EL 135 (No.6 in the piccy). I have three of these. I generally go out with both lights blazing in front. Correction. I actually have four of these. One has been returned to the supplier for fixing. One good thing about Cateye, they do have a lifetime warranty so check with your local bike shop on that. This is a pretty decent model. RM50 (~USD18) a piece. They're not the bestest out there but they are easy to get and they're decent enough. My first one lasted about 1.5 years of heavy use and except for a crazy on-off switch, it works fine (that's the one back with the supplier).

For the back of the bike, I'm currently using the Cateye TL-LD610. (No. 1 in the picky) It's a pretty decent light. I like the blinky options it has. And it's bright enough that riders using this look like blinking radar dots in the distance on a night or early morning ride) I have two of these. I keep one on inside the back pocket of my jersey.

Attached to my helmet is an el-cheapo China-made blinky which I got for RM4.90 (~USD1.60) at the local supersave store. It's big and ugly, which I like because that makes it all the more blinker on my head. I like to have lights on at least three points on a lateral line at the back because, really, drivers need more than one warning to tell them you're on a bike in front of them. The first line of vision is probably the light I have on my helmet and the one on my back pocket. This one has served me the longest. It stays permanently on the brain bucket, even when I go offroad.


I Don't Like These
I've experimented with a few different other systems. These are the ones that didn't work for me. A riding buddy of mine got me a nifty little torch with an attachment for the bike handle (no. 3). It's a great torch. Makes the road signs reflect to high heaven when I'm on the road; but the attachment sucks. It broke in three different places when I was adjusting it. My buddy did warn me about that and I proved him right. I'm still using the torch, just not on the bike.

Nos. 2 and 4 are two other el-cheapo made-in-China jobbies. Forget about those. The hand (no.2) is too big and cumbersome for the back pocket or helmet. The Power Beam gets you noticed by on-coming traffic but couldn't get you home on a straight road full of street lights even if your life depended on it. Plus, the Power Beam is so brittle you could almost bite off the plastic. My bike slipped off its perch (as bikes do from time to time), and that was the end of the Power Beam. Also, the attachment rings were way too small for my mtb handlebar. I had to improvise (no. 7). Bleh.

No. 5 was my first rear light. It's an Evo. Pretty decent quality but it wasn't bright enough for me.

My fellow rider in the US, Arleigh of Bike Shop Girl fame, recently previewed the Planet Bike Superflash Turbo rear light. It looks pretty cool. Check out the video here.

There are a hundred and one lights out there that my fellow riders are using in Kuching, I know. These are just the ones I have tried and tested. Got any lights to recommend? Leave your recommendations in the comments section. Meanwhile, keep on pedaling!