Bike Lighting

See. Be Seen.

Why Lights Matter—Day and Night

Modern traffic is louder than ever. Good bicycle lighting isn't just about riding after dark; it's about visibility 24/7. Daytime running modes, wideangle optics, and radarassisted alerts make drivers notice you sooner. Choose lights that cast a clean beam to see the road and a flaring pattern to be seen from distance and from the sides. If you only remember one rule: run a front AND rear light on every ride, even at noon.

Smart bike taillights with brake, motion, and proximity sensing

Smart Lights—Brake, Motion, and Proximity Sensing

Today's “smart” taillights do more than blink. Builtin accelerometers can mimic a brake light when you slow, and ambient sensors can boost brightness when traffic or daylight changes. Examples we love flare under deceleration. Smart behavior means you're more predictable to drivers without touching a button.

See our Smart Lights

Rear-facing radar and crash protection awareness for cyclists

Radar & CrashProtection Awareness

Rearfacing radar changes the game. Systems like Wahoo TRACKR Radar and Garmin Varia detect approaching vehicles and send alerts to your head unit or phone. Some units combine a bright tail light with radar and, in the case of RCT715 and Varia VUE headlight camera, video capture for incident review. Pair one with a reliable rear light and you'll ride calmer, more informed, and with a digital "sixth sense."

Check out these lights here!

Front vs. Rear—Seeing the Road vs. Being Seen

Front lights serve two jobs. If you ride unlit roads or trails, choose a highlumen, wellshaped beam to actually see the surface ahead. If you're in the city or under streetlights, a compact “beseen” front light is enough to mark your position without blinding oncoming traffic. Rear lights are always about being seen—favor wide side visibility and a dayflash mode with a distinctive pulse that stands out in sunlight.

Sleek, aero bike lights that integrate with modern cockpits

Streamlined, Aero & Sleek—Lights That Disappear on the Bike

Clean bikes get ridden more. Lowprofile options like Ravemen FR160/FR300 “undercomputer” headlights, Lezyne Stick/Strip series, and Knog Mid Cobber wraparound lamps hug the lines of aero cockpits and seatposts. They stay quiet, rattlefree, and won't spoil your fit or your bike's silhouette.

Check out Streamlined / Aero Lights

Bike lights integrated with head units for auto-brightness and control

Lights That Talk to Your Computer

If you train with a head unit, choose lights that integrate. Garmin UT800 headlights pair with compatible Garmin computers for autobrightness and mode control. Radar tail lights (Wahoo TRACKR, Garmin Varia family) push vehicle alerts straight to your Wahoo or Garmin, and many lights support standardized control profiles so you can switch modes from your bars—no fishing for a tiny button.

Check out radar bike lights!

Mounting That Just Works

Secure, elegant mounting is half the battle. Solutions like Ravemen's combo mounts let you bolt a front light beneath your cycling computer for a tidy, onestack cockpit—no second clamp, no cable clutter. Seatpostfriendly rubber straps are fast and universal; dedicated aero and saddle mounts are quieter and more secure for performance bikes. If you hear a rattle, fix the mount. A quiet bike is a safe bike.

See our mounts

Charging Style & Battery Life—What Really Matters

USBC charging has become the standard—fewer cables, faster topups. Look for clear battery indicators and realistic runtime charts at the modes you'll actually use. Big night rides? Consider lights with replaceable batteries or powerbank passthrough. Daily commuters should favor sealed designs with robust rubber doors; racers might prioritize the lightest battery pack that still covers a full race warmup and cooldown.

Modes That Make Sense

Skip the gimmicks—choose two or three modes you'll live in. My playbook: Day Flash (blindingly visible, distinct pulse), LowSteady (groupfriendly), and HighSteady or HighFlash for dusk/dawn. Brakealert and peloton modes are worth having: they keep things polite in a paceline while boosting intensity when you decelerate or when cars approach.

Front and rear combo light sets for easy, balanced setups

Combo Light Sets - Easy Wins

Matched frontandrear kits are the fastest path to safer rides. Many bundles balance power, runtime, and compact form, ideal for riders who want one purchase that “just works.” If you're upgrading later, keep the set together for consistent charging and mounting habits.

See Combo Bike Light Sets

Lumens, Optics & Beam Patterns—Plain English

Lumens measure total light output; optics shape where it goes. A 600lumen light with a wellcut beam can outperform a 1000lumen flood that wastes light into the trees. For road use, look for a flat cutoff or elliptical beam that pushes light forward without dazzling oncoming traffic. For gravel and trail, favor a rounder, broader beam and consider running a bar light for fill plus a helmet light to “point” through corners.

EBike Specific Lights—Wired Power, Street Smart Beams

Ebikes unlock highoutput, alwaysready lighting. Lezyne's STVZOrated ebike range taps the bike's onboard battery and uses roadfriendly cutoffs that keep drivers happy. Add Garmin Varia ERTL615 radar tail light for awareness without draining your main pack.

See EBike Specific Lights

Trail & Adventure-Big Power, Simple Control

Night gravel or singletrack demands serious output and easy buttons. Barmounted units a stout 1400lumen road light run in HighSteady for speed and LowSteady for climbs. Add a helmet lamp to see around switchbacks and call out obstacles. Always carry a backup or power bank—dark trails are no place to gamble.

Trail & Adventure Lights

Care & Setup — 5-Minute Checklist

Align beams: front just below the horizon; rear level with traffic.
Charge rhythm: top up after rides; do one full deep-charge weekly.
Clean lenses monthly — road film kills brightness and clarity.
Check mounts: remove play; replace tired straps before they fail.
Set defaults: Day-Flash (midday), Low-Steady (groups), High-Steady (dusk).

Tip: if anything rattles, fix it now—quiet bikes are safer bikes.

Gravel Night Loops

Bar light 1200–1600 lm (wide beam) + helmet spot for cornering. Keep 20–30% reserve.

Mode: High-Steady on descents, Low-Steady on climbs.

Singletrack Sessions

High-output bar light (flood) + compact helmet light. Bring a power bank or spare pack.

Mounts: solid bar clamp; helmet quick-release.

Bikepacking & Adventure

Simple, glove-friendly controls; long runtimes; USB-C pass-through or swappable cells.

Nice-to-have: red running light + low side glow at camp.

RA Cycles Perspective—Who This Is For

If you're a commuter, you need simple buttons, sealed ports, and a dayflash you can trust. If you chase KOMs at dawn, choose a steady front beam with a radar rear. If you ride gravel at night, run bar + helmet lights and a wideangle rear. And if you're on an ebike, wire it in and forget charging—just ride. We've tested these lights in New York traffic, California canyons, and on rainsoaked commutes; we recommend only what we'd ride ourselves.