Bikeshop
Trelock LS725/LS605 twin pack £36.99 Nite Rider Ultrafazer 3.0/TL 5.0 combo pack £25
Bath of these lights are available separately, and that'sa good thing becausethe LS725 front light is
fantastic, while the LS6Q5 rear isn't. Trie front Ecopower LEO runsoff [out AA batteries, kit ksoul marly as
much light as the very bright (ateye Single Shot(pi03) and ishugely visible. It gavejustover9 hours of
use before the light level dropped off considerably, and then ran for a further 19 hours. It is also bright
enough to see with. Thesii-LED rear LS605, powered by two AAAs, is pretty dismal. It doesn't give out
much light, and whai it does has to poke through a tiny slol in the light unit. It is visible from all angles,
out it isn't really bright enough from those angles.If we had tested the LS725 alone it would have easily
scored 9 out of!0
Batteries Front 4 < AAs Rear 2x AAAs Runtime Front IS hours Rear 35+ hours
TrelockvAvwiquireiocks.co. uftrelock.html, www.uelotk.de
[he LS725 is a wonderhr
ight.buyiuloneandgel
1 proper rear ligtil
Electron Nano 1 front / 7 LED rear light twinpack £29.95
Withal watt LED and a fairly well controlled beam pattern the Nano 1 is a light you can ride with at
reasonable speeds. It's not too visible at obtuse angles so is worth supplementing with a secondary light
for visibility. The all alloy construction is top quality though, and the sealing first rate. The rear light is
excellent. Similar in design tothe Mite Rider TL5.0, it isaseven-LED unit with a lens that lights up, rather
than focuses thelrght. The rear mount requiiesa flat blade screwdriver for filing, and the front is tool-
less. For the money, this isanice balance of lighting, edged out by the Nite Rider Ultrafa;er and Blaikbum
Quadrant/Mars 3.G combo packs.
Batteries Front 4x AAAs Rear 2x AAAs Runtime Front TOOhours Rear 150+hours
El ec tro ri w ww.u It i ma lepursu its.co.ul
Blackburn Quadrant/Mars 3.0 combo pack £29.95
Two tried-and-testedlightsinasub-30quid package has to be a good deal in anybody'sbook. The
Quadrant front light isagoodall-raunder and, thanks tolhe open front lens design, its visibility from the
side and obtuseangles is excellent. With a quality mountand 102 hours of run time [claimed 130 hours) in
constant mode, and just over 310h.our.s in flashing mode (claimed 300 hours], the Quadrant isasiar
performer inits own right. Thefact you get the great little Marsi.O rear light for this money too makes it a
bargain. The mount is a little fiddly, but this isa rear light that's bright from all angles and one of the best
sealed units on test. Vou do have to usea screwdriver and removethree strews u> change batteries, but
after two years of service our old lest sampleis still working fineand has never failed due toingress of
water. Hun limes for the rear exceed the claimed 150 hours by nearly 20 hours.
Batteries Front 4 i AAAs Rear 2x AAAs
Run time Front 102 hours ReaM70 hours
Blackburn www.ullimattpuisujts.co.uk
Attacking buy if you're
afwrafrontandrejr
lights set
The front Ultralazer 3.0 patki quite a punch considering it's just three LED* powered by two AA
batteries. It gives olf an impressive puddle of light, just enough w ride with but with good visibility
lhanks to the LED arrangement and the side 'window'on the body ofthelight.lt is also waterproofs
50 metres-untested, as we don't have 50-metre deep buckets-aided by the magrieticswitch on
the rear. The mounting is a tool-free design that's reasonably easy toinftall, and it isactompanied by
agood little rear light. The TL 5.0 uses three large LEDs and twosmaller ones pointing out to the sides.
Theilampfor the seatpostrequiresa screwdriver to fit, but the light body itself hasa dip for hooking
on your bag or Jacket. They're both very well sealed andoffer fantastic performance.
Batteries Front 2 xAAsRear2< AAAs Runtime Front 40 hourslfull power] Rear 150+hours
Nite Rider www.2puie.co.uk
Good all-round lights with
greal build quality
Electron Backupz LED safety light twinpack £12.95
These are small and surprisingly bright units that you can more or less mount anywhere you like. They
are perfect for keeping in your bag, deskdrawer or saddle-pack, soif your main lights run down you
can slickthese on and be seen. The war is brighter and features a CR2032 battery, with the front
slightly dimmejand running on two (R2016 batteries. The run times, as you would expect due tothe
battery differences, are much longer on the rear. The Backupz are not designed to be used as main
lighting but they're prefect for keeping handy for those'just in case'moments as the batteries willlast
a long time when I he lights are not in use.
Batteries Front 2 «CR2016 Rear 1* CR2032 Run time Front 185 hours Rear 300+ hours
Electronwivw.uliimatepursuiis.co.uk
Simple, well thought out
product that works, scored
an their intended purpose
BBBBLS27 £15.95
Thisis a three-LED unit that runs on three rechargeable AM batteries(Ni-MHfflOmAh), which are
included. Theresa problem with that rightaway in that most chargers on Ihemaikel charge AAA
batteiies in pairs, with only a few letting you thargejust one, or three.Soyou will have to buya
single battery matching these batteries for capacity in order lochargeihem on most chargers.
Putting that aside thisisa simple unit that is pretty well made, but with a basic handlebar mount
which does not allow the light to be twisted from side to side at all. But... It is £15.95, itisbright.it
is well sealed, and the little side window on the LEDs works pretty well for visibility.
Batteries From 31 MAs (Rechargeables included]
Run time 7.2 hours (constant) 18 hours (flashing)
BQBGreyvillesaleisgreyville.com
rou II need a suitable
charger, or you couldjust
use- regular AAA batteries
NOVEMBER 2007 CYCLING PLUS 101

Blackburn Voyager 3.0 £29.95
The light reading; showed the Voyager 3,0 lo be surprisingly bright, but only in a very narrow portion of
the beam. Dueto the narrowness of this beam, andihe distance by which theLEDisrecessed into thelens
the visibility of (he light from the side sutlers. It is nowhere near as visible asthe Quadrant- which comes
in a two-pack for the same money. The beam from the Voyager is jusl enough to ride with on dark roads,
but if you're travelling atany kind of speed its limited projection soon comes intoplay and you find
yourself riding beyond the scopeofthelight. Running on four AAA batteries it gave 18 hours of constant
light, which is two hours less than claimed. This isn't a bad light by any means, but it's not bright enough
to ride with at speed, and not as visible as other comparable lightsin the test.
Batteries 4kAAAs Runtime 13 hours
[llackburnwww.ullimatepuisuits.co.uk
Bikeshop
Cateye EL135 £19.99
Small but bright from all angles and with a simple tool-free mount that works well. Powered by two
AA batteries it gave well in excess of Ca I eye's claimed run times of 80 hours constant and 320 hours
fashing (we recorded 91 and 328). The LEDsare set forwards in the open lens design, making the
impressive light output for such a small unit really stand out from the side and obtuse angles, and
although it's not bright enough to ride with on daikroads at speed,lhis is a cracking little light to be
seen with. When you power uplhe unit it startsin flashing mode solhat when your batteries aie
running low you do not need to tycie through the full power setting first, resulting in a light that will
at least flash to get you home on virtually fiat batteries.
Batieries2xAAs Runtime 91 hours
Cat eye www.zyro.co.eik

Well made but Hulk lypical Cateye -well made,

between adding light and functional, well thought
a commuter light 3 lit and affordable

Cateye LD150F £12.99 Cateye Single Shot £59.99

FrveLEDs in a traditional lozenge shaped case designed purely for visibility form the basis of the LD150F.lt
is also available asa rear light in red (for 19.99} and comes with ,i the excellent Cateye Flex-Tight
mounting allowing it to befiited almost anywhere you like, There Es also a clip mounting in the boi,
allowing it to be fitted to clothing loops and bag straps. Run times again eiceeded Cateyes claimed time
by about three hours, and we got 93 hours ol flashing, and 49 hours of constant use. Thisisa nice little
supplementary unit and it is versatile enough to be used eilher on the bike or on your jackeVbag/helmet
and so on.
Batteries 2xAAAs
Runtime 49tours
Cateye www.ryro.co.uk
We're the first to properly test thisbrand spanking new offering from Cateyeand us new reverse lens
technology lighting out on the roads. The single LEDisplaced at the front of the light, pointing
backwards to a lens which then focuses thelight and aims it forwardi This results in almost all of the
available light from the LEO being used rather than allowing it to spill or spread in unwanted
directions. Powered by its own 4.8v Lithium Ion battery pack and coming complete with dedicated
charger, the Single Shot is very brighi, but also highly visible thanks to the front lens design. It'sa
superbly well madeunitwithacompact and neat alloy body, robust seals,and a wry smooth switch,
fhe Flex-Tight mounting is excellent, and run times from a full charge were exactly one hour in excess
of theclaimed 2 hours on high,6hours on low.and 24 hours flashing.
Batteries Li-Ion pack Runtime 6 hours
Cateye wwwiyro.co.uk

Well made and well sealed, Pricey, but fantastic,

withtjood runtimes for in easily good enough to
batteries ride at speed with too

Nite Rider UltrafazerMax £45 Torch LA4100 £14.99

A1 watt LEO running from just two AA batteries is not going tolast for a long time, and sure enough we
managed just under theclaimed three hours on full power, just under five hours on low power setting, and
a liitle over the claimed nine hours in flashing mode. Unlike the Ultrafazer 3.0, though, there isno side
ivindowonthislight, but visibility isn't too bad at more obtuseangles. It doesgireoff some nice peripheral
light though, anditisbright enough to ride with at pretty goodspeeds on unlit roads. The clamp isnice,
easy to fit and very solid in use. We can't help but think this lightshould be powered by four AA batteries
instead of two for better run-iimes. That said, ii's waterproof, very w-ellmadeand comes complete wiih
two bar mounts. As well as the short run times it's also a little pricey.
Batteries 4 «AAs Run time 3 hours
Nite Rider wiviv.2pwe.co.uk
First, aesthetic impressions of the LA4100 from Torch weren't that favourable but assoon as we
slipped batteries into it and turned it on that changed. This thing frresout an impressive little beam,
but also scores highly ior visibility thanks toan open side'window'on the body. Therun time wasa
little ovet 13 hours in constant mode, which is good going for a 1 watt LED running from lour AAAs -
the flashing mode saw that stretch to just under 32 hours. Despiteits cheap and plasticky
appearance the light iswellmadeand well sealed, although theclamp could be better, it works and
isreasonablyeasytofit.
BaI1eries4xAAAs
Runtime 13 hours
To r ch www.m oore I ,i rge.co.uk

ltoandbnglii,butabli All mall, a surprisingly

11 'i on hum time good little light

NOVEMBER 2007 CYCLING PLUS 103


Supplements
and additives
The fat! that every other vehicle
on the road has to use lights
makes it easy forcyclistslo
increase our visibility,
Supplementing your lighting with
reflective items such as vests,
jackets, patches, or stickers ishoth
simple- and highly effective. There
are plenty of product! on the
market, from a simple reflective
sash through to expensive
reflective jackets. Prices start from
£1.99, so there's no real excuse for
not adding at least one,
potentially life saving, reflective
product to your kit.
Bikeshop
CateyeLD610 £19.99 Torch LA4105 £5.99
The oldCateyeLDSOOwasa great rear light,andtheLD610isirie logical evolution of that design, t\ medium sized front light designed purely for visibility,
Powered by two AAA batteneshoused inside a well sealed and well made unit its light tomeslrom five it does a cracking good job, Running nine LEDs from two
IFDseach with their own lens 'nest'. The Flex-Tight mounting as found on otherCateye lights is quick and ABA batteries and complete with a pretty good mount
Simple to use, not to mention secure and durable. The sealed rubber switch require; you to push and (the light unit has a clip for jacket or bag mounting) this is
hold tolumitoff, meaning you cannot accidentally kill the light — single pushes simply cycle between a real no-brainer considering the price. The visibility from
the flashing or constant modes. With the LEDs mounted further out than the old LD6O0 this light is more ■ill angles is great, and the built-in reflector in the lens is
visible from wider angles, and also offers longer runtimes; we managed just under the claimed 30 hour; not only a good idea, but it performs very well loo. Thii
of constant light with 29 hours andafew minutes, but longenhan the claimed flashing time of 60 hours light is also available as a red rear light for the same price,
with just over61hours. and also asatwmset.There'seven a fi ye LED version
Batteries 2 x AAAs Run time 29hours available for direct bolt on lilting to rear racks.
Cateyewwiv.j( ro.to.uk Batteries 2 x AAAs Run dms lOOhours
Torch www. mo ore I arge.co.uk
Highly visible and
functional, well made and
well sealed
One of the best rear
lights you can buy

Visibility
Knog Bullfrog Rear E
,!ki i.i rii i (abow)
Res pro reflective This is a light unit contained within a silkone
stickers for your housing that also doubles up as the clamp.
bag, (left) snap-on SportingfivelEDs powered by three AAA
3H reflective am battens, theie arc an assortment of flashing
bands, (below] modestochoosefrom.aswell as constant light.
reflective vest The run times were nowhere near theclaimed
rimes tho jgh, with a little over 132 hours In
flashing mode, well under the claimed 220,
Although not that bright In the light readings,
the impressive thing about the Bullfrog isits
visibility. The wholesilicone body more or less
lights up in the dark, making it highly visible
from all angles. The lack of a mounting makes it
simple to fit almost anywhere, although on
smaller diameter seat posts it did tend to move
over thebumps when wet. A white front version
is a Iso available.
Batteries3xAAAi
Run time 132 hours (flashing)
Knog www.moorelarge.io.uk
S-Sun doubleview £17.99
The idea of a combined white and red light in one unit
might seem like a good idea, until youfi tit toa bike. If you
put it on your seatpost, you end up with a red light only
visible (ram one side, anda whitelight which illuminates
the back of your leg. If you put it on your bars, then you
get a white light in front,and you light yourself up red.
But... If you put it on the side of your helmet...Ah ha!
You would need two of them, but it's not a bad idea, and
adds a lot of visibility at the expense of looking a bit like a
Christmastree.Theonlyj>roblemis,youhartiQpay
E17.99 two limes to do both sides of your helmet. A
slightly bonkers product, but one that we couldn't help
but try to f nd a use for purely because it exists.
Batteries 2 XCR2G32
Runtime 150+hours
S-Sun Hykeham Wholesale tr 01522 SO155O
Soon ends up beige
with dirt, but a good
performer nonetheless

NiteRiderTailfazer .slightly silly, but

If you're shopping fora pack of lights
then you'll be hard pushed to better
the Blackburn Quadrant/Mar; 3.0
combo. TheTrelock pack contain; the
fantastic LS725, and the Nile Rider
Ultrafazer 3.0/TL 5.0 path is a
cracking little set-up too. If you're
buying just a front light, then you
can't really beat the new Cateye
Single Sfiot for performance. The
price might seem steep, but once you
start using it you'll realise it is indeed
one of those rare products that are
nuly worth the money. Trelock do sell
the LS725 by itself, and ifsa
stunning performer letdown only a
inawayreassunnglyquite
lntermsofbrightnes;,thi;hastheedgeonthe
good- on your helmet...
Electron unit found in the Electron Nano 1 front II LED
rear light twin pack, but it is not asbright as the Cateye
LD610 (which is only a fiver more). It is slightly less
bright than both of those lights at obtuse angles, but it
is still very good indeed. Despite initial reservations
little by its mount. As for rear lights,
about the wea:herproofing, it is well sealed and runs
the new Cateye LD610 sets a high
substantially longer than the claimed 3Qhours, with
standard. It is just a little better, In ai!
ours only recording a mar keddrop in brightness at the
aspects, than any other comparable
36 hour marker from the two AAA batteries. Likethe
rear light out there, and that sets it
Cateyeandthe Electron it can be mounted vertically or
apart from the crowd. Both the rear
horizontally, and the supplied mount is pretty easy to
lights from the Nile Rider and the
install.
Electron Nano packsare great too,
and they're available separately a;
Run time 132hours (flashing]
well. Remember, though, that any
Nile Rider www.2pure.cauk
light i; belter than no light at all. It
could make the difference between a
car seeing you and braking, or your
worst nightmare...
Bright, v/ell made a^
lie seen, be safe and he sensible in
tolil, but the blighter
the coming winter months.
LD610isonlyafivermore

NOVEMBER 2007 CYCLING PLUS 105