HOW TO CHOOSE A BIKE LIGHT

Colors

Bike lights come in two colors: red and white. Following the rules of the road for cars in most states, you'll need both lights to ensure that you can always see the road ahead of you and be seen by cars behind you. Be sure to choose a bright white LED light to face the road, and a red light to attach to the rear of your bike. Many times, you'll find that rear lights have a blinking feature to better catch drivers’ eyes.

How Many?

Since the most basic bike lighting setup includes one bright white light in the front and a red light in the back, it’s easy to find combination packs that include both. But by all means, if you want more light, go for it. Another standard rig is to attach a white light to your handlebars, a red taillight to the back, and a third light to your helmet.

Beyond this, it's up to you. There are also lights to put on your spokes, products that make your bike frame glow, and endless reflectors that you can attach.

Mounting

Many lights feature simple mounting systems that use plastic clips or brackets, and hand screws that make them easily transferable from bike to bike. Often, the necessary attachments for handlebars are included.

Your rear safety light should be mounted onto your seat post; plus, you can clip more into back pockets or backpacks. Also, some bike packs and jerseys have a dedicated loop for attaching a taillight.

Brightness

Different lights offer different lumen ratings, which is a measurement of how well the lamp illuminates a subject at a certain distance. Don't assume, however, that higher lumens automatically result in a brighter light. The lens and bulb housing design are also factors that influence brightness levels.

Some lights provide a focused narrow beam, which illuminates a smaller area at greater distance, and a wider beam, which improves your peripheral vision (preferable in traffic). Lights generally offer 40 to 500 lumens, so be sure to check out these and other features, too.

Battery Life

Some rear lights and most bike headlights offer multiple lighting modes, such as high intensity, low intensity, and strobe (flashing, blinking) mode. In these cases, the light should list a different max battery life for each setting. The lower the intensity that you set the light to, the longer the battery will last. In practical applications, you're most likely to use the light at its highest setting and leave it there.

Some lights feature a charge indicator that lets you know exactly how much life is left, which can certainly come in handy. If you choose to use standard batteries, stash extras in your seat bag.

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