Accessories
Three of the best: Bike lights
Moon, Lezyne, and Light and Motion lights for every budget reviewed
Supernova Airstream
Cooled using 20 airflow regulating fins on the body, this light is another piece of German precision engineering. The Airstream’s push button takes you through the four beam intensities in order, ranging from the maximum – using its entire 370 Lumen potential – to an adequate urban light that burns for up to 24hrs. Beam […]
Xplova G3 GPS
The Xplova G3 aims to deliver GPS performance monitoring, route planning and navigation at a bargain price – £200 less than Garmin’s Edge 800 and £55 under its 705. Compared to the 705 – its head-on rival – the G3 is only 9g heavier, has near-identical dimensions and the same size colour screen. Although low […]
Lupine Piko 3
Both the lamp unit and the power pack of the Piko are so compact you’d barely notice them, and it also delivers an impressive lighting punch. The beam is a perfect blend of penetration and flood, allowing confident riding on and off road. You can program the beam levels to give you two, three or […]
Sigma Power LED Evo Pro
Chucking out the most powerful, penetrating and wide-reaching beam on test, the Sigma is a serious light. Breezing through all our ride tests, including the off-road mission, even at its lowest light output it’d be more than adequate for most road-riding situations. Bar mounting is simple and, a better option off road, it can also […]
Moon X Power 500
The Moon is a super compact but super powerful light. Its Over Drive beam is seriously impressive, putting out a far-reaching spot and an even, wide-ranging flood. It’ll give you 1:40hrs of burn at full power, rising to 8hrs at the get-you-home low. In between are two other levels, with the second ideal for most […]
Trelock LS950
The Trelock is a bulky unit to strap to your handlebars and does have a bit of a dated – retro, if we’re being kind – look to it. The mount is also a bit of a fiddly and cheap-feeling fabric strap affair that could be improved upon. However, get past these not insignificant gripes […]
Lumicycle LED 3SI
The Lumicycle light is not as bling as its pricier test-mates but its performance is easily on a par with them. Full beam isn’t far off the Sigma and it has a perfect blend of spot and flood. From the reasonably compact and frame- friendly fabric-clad power pack, you get 3hrs of burn at full […]
One23 Extreme Bright 3
If you’ve followed the 2011 trend for white bike kit, then the One 23 Extreme Bright 3 could provide the final aesthetic finishing touch you’re after. Both the light and power pack score heavily on style and the rubber wrap-around strap makes fitting simple, either to the bars or to the supplied helmet mount. In […]
RSP Asteri 3
Although a neat little unit, the Asteri is surprisingly heavy. But considering it has no external power pack, has a tough waterproof alloy casing and delivers more than the claimed 5hrs at full beam, this can be forgiven. The beam provides good penetration, range and a reasonable flood. It sails through urban commutes, where you […]
Electron Terra 2
This twin light package, primarily because of its individual controls, gives an amazingly versatile set-up. One can be aimed just ahead of your front wheel to take advantage of the flood and pick up potholes, while the other can be fired into the distance. With both blazing full, you still get 5hrs of burn time […]
Busch+Muller Ixon IQ
On the whole, the advent of LEDs and smaller, more powerful rechargeable batteries has shrunk the size of bike lights. Unfortunately the IXON IQ bucks this trend and is a whopper. Much of its size is down to the IQ-Reflector system that uses a large reflector to cast its beam rather than relying on direct […]
Topeak WhiteLite LP
This light from Topeak is a chunky unit. In its defence, it’s undeniably a light for seeing with as well as being seen; is by far the brightest in this price bracket; and rather than just coping with unlit roads, provides enough light on its full well-flooded beam to ride confidently. Its size is largely […]
Knog Boomer Rechargeable
Cycle into work on a winter’s morning, unhook your Boomer in one easy flick of a rubber strap, plug it into the USB port on your computer to charge it, then ride home confident your light won’t die. With its simplicity of design and commuter-oriented functionality, the Boomer ticks plenty of boxes. For such a […]
Cateye Uno and Rapid 3 LED
Another front and rear package that includes a neat-looking single LED front light and a three LED rear. The rear runs off a single AA battery, delivers 80hrs of burn flashing and is extremely visible. The front isn’t much bigger than the AA battery that powers it but although giving 60hrs of burn flashing – […]
Blackburn Voyager and Mars
Small but perfectly formed, this neat light set from Blackburn would be ideal to stow in your bike jersey in case you get caught out at dusk or dull and foggy days. For such small units, both the front and rear chuck out a decent amount of light. On flashing mode you can see the […]
Tacx Antares Rollers
You’ll either love or hate the turquoise blue drums of the Tacx rollers but, in combination with the grey frame, they do have a certain minimalist futuristic cool look to them. With 370mm width they’re a good set of rollers to learn on; you’re gently encouraged to stay towards the middle but have some margin […]
Minoura Action Roller Advance
As the lightest rollers on test, weighing in at a mere 5.3kg and folding down impressively small, the Minouras open their account well. At 415mm wide their alloy drums are also the widest. They don’t have a parabolic (curved) profile but the additional roller width and low frame design does make them novice friendly, and […]
Elite V-Arion Rollers
These have plenty of features to justify their price tag. Most obvious is the variable resistance that offers three levels of load. Level two feels very similar to riding on a flat road with a light headwind and is suitable for most interval, tempo and steady pace sessions. You obviously can’t create enough resistance for […]
CycleOps Aluminium Rollers
The second set of rollers offering variable resistance, these have a more traditional and austere appearance. At 390mm width, the aluminium rollers allow plenty of scope for wobbles when learning the ropes, but with a flat profile and no retaining lip, could cause more anxiety. The aluminium drums do deliver a silky smooth ride, though, […]
Kreitler Kompact 3.0 Hot Dog
Kreitler rollers are known as the Rolls Royce of rollers and come with a lifetime guarantee. Go to any track cycling meet and you’ll see the riders warming up on Kreitlers and spinning silkily smooth to insane speeds on them. Despite the hefty price tag the orange square profile tubing does look a bit agricultural, […]
