To See Or Be Seen A Winter Guide To Lights

To see or be seen that’s the question, today we are going to run through some of our best-selling lights and give you all the information you need to get the right lights for your ride.

Let’s start by finding the right light for your ride. The first question we often ask our customers in-store is “What are you wanting to use your light for? to see or to be seen?” If your riding on unlit roads/trails we would define this as a light to see, however if your commuting under street lighting or riding through the day we would say this is a light to be seen.

The majority of lights that we stock come with a daytime flash mode to keep you visible whether it’s day or night.

It’s all about the lumens! – Well that’s not strictly true but they are important measurement of brightness to get your head around.

Here’s a rough guide on what lumen level we recommend for the different riding conditions.



When comparing lights, you will certainly need to make a choice on battery type.

Replaceable battery lights are usually cheaper however they often have a lower lumen output (to conserve the battery life). Whilst they may seem economical, they can often end up costing more when you factor in the cost of the replacement batteries over the light’s life span.

USB rechargeable lights on the other hand might cost more initially however they are easy/cheap recharge either by plugging them into a computer or a wall charger.

Traditionally most riders mount their lights on the handlebar and seat post and whilst these are good positions it is well worth considering mounting a light on your helmet.

Helmet-mounted lights are perfect for trail riding as you can look ahead on the trail whilst being more aware of your surroundings. Helmet lights are also useful when riding on the road as the light is elevated making you more visible to drivers increasing your safety.


One of our best-selling lights all year round is the Bontrager Ion Pro and Flare RT set, these are powerful yet compact and are super rich in useful features. Firstly, the front light packs in an impressive 1300 lumens, allowing you to see on even the darkest unlit roads, and the rear 90 lumens, which in a daytime flash mode can been seen up to 2km away! Coming in at £139.99 it is an investment however we certainly feel it is worthwhile.



Another staff favourite lighting combination is the Cateye Amp 500 front light (500 lumens) and Rapid mini (25 lumens) perfect for commuting in and out of town. The set costs £64.99 and it’s great value for money.

If your still unsure about finding the right lights for your riding, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or come on instore and a member of the sales team will be happy to help.