The clocks changing doesn’t mean your riding has to stop – you just need to prepare yourself and your bike for the changing conditions. Riding in the dark can give a whole new perspective to those local loops you have done countless times, and indoor training isn’t for everyone!
What light is right for me?
Lights generally fall into two categories, see and be seen. Most bike lights have a Lumen rating, letting you know how bright they are, this can range anywhere from 50 to over 2,000! The general rule of thumb is that up to about 200 lumens is good for being seen when riding, think commuting home at dusk or those early morning rides. To see the road or trail ahead, lights over 600 lumens will give you reasonable visibility, if you’re riding fast or far look for a light with 1,000+ lumens.
How do I fix it on my bike?
Most lights will be supplied with a standard mount that will fit easily onto round handlebars or a round seatpost. With the increasing popularity of aero bars and seatposts and more integration there’s now a whole host of ways to make sure your lights don’t ruin the clean lines of your top end bike. There’s now options to mount a light using GoPro brackets under computer mounts, extended mounts for aero seatposts and even under saddle mounts that are super discreet.
Be seen
The Specialized Switch 2 Pack (£55) has you covered, with the ability to act as either a front or rear light at the press of a button. With 65 lumens as a front light and 18 lumens when being used as a rear light. These make a great set of commuting lights with integrated USB charging, meaning you’ll never forget any charging cables!
To see
Specialized have simplified their FLUX light range for 2021, there’s the Flux 850 headlight and the full fat Flux 1250 headlight for people who need some serious light power and run time. Both lights come with ModeShift, meaning there’s 3 levels of power that give varying levels of runtime using both the spot and wide beam to ensure the road, or trail, ahead is well lit. The Flux range comes with a super neat bar mount that fits most round bars and allows you to position the light above or below the bars making sure it can clear any cables. Running an integrated one piece bar? No worries, an action camera style mount is also included. Going off-road? You’re covered with the helmet mount.
Rear lights
Just as important as seeing where you are going, a good rear light allows other road users to see you. Luckily Specialized have your back covered. With the range starting from the small but mighty flashback (20 lumens) that will clip of band on to almost anywhere. For those roadies looking for the super clean and integrated solution the Stix saddle mount allows people running a Specialized saddle to mount it under the saddle and not interrupt the clean lines of their bike. For those riders who are putting in some serious miles, day or night, Specialized created the Flux 250R. Packing a serious punch with 250 lumens, it is visible at more than 1 mile in the brightest daytime conditions, meaning you can be sure no one will miss you when sun sets.
Shop our light range online www.jscycleshack.com/lights or come into store to them in action!
