GROUP TEST TRAIL LIGHTS

Night riding is an awesome way to transform familiar trails into fresh challenges. The contrast between light and shadow increases the sense of speed, while roots, rocks and other obstacles fly at you with exhilarating unpredictability. Good lights not only help reduce the risks, but also enhance the experience, by making it possible to ride even faster without imminent peril.

The more power your lights have, the more detail you’ll be able to see, both in front of you and, crucially, to the sides, to give the trail context. In our experience, 1,500 lumens is the lowest output you can get away with and still feel comfortable riding blue-graded trail centre-style runs. The more technical the terrain, the more lumens you’ll need. All the lights here have a claimed minimum 1,500 lumens, but some are much brighter. Generally, more lumens equates to a higher price.

Relying on brands’ claimed lumens is a good indicator of performance, but actual power can vary significantly and is usually lower than the lab-tested figures, because environmental factors, such as cold, affect output. What matters most is how the light performs on the trail, and beam pattern, LED colour and ease of operation play crucial roles in this. Light projection is arguably the most important factor. The