How to choose the right lighting system for your bike
Choosing a good lighting system to see and be seen when cycling is key to our safety on two wheels, whatever discipline we practise.
There are many factors that we have to take into account when purchasing the system that best suits us and we are not always clear about what we should choose. Therefore, in this article we want to give you some tips that will help you choose the most suitable lighting system.
First of all, some of the factors that should be taken into account when choosing the lights that we are going to buy are, for example, the material they are made with, the fastening system to the bike and waterproofing.
1. Factors that affects the choice of cycling lights
1.1- Fabrication Material
Choosing a light with an aluminium body will offer more guarantee of solidity than one with a plastic body and even, in case of a fall, it will have more resistance; however, plastic lights will always be lighter and will have a more affordable price
1.2- Adjustement System
On the other hand, the adjustment system is also very important when selecting the lights that we are going to buy. Although the vast majority of them come with universal clamps that consist of a rubber system that allows a perfect fit, it is important to take into account the shape of the light to ensure that it will fit snugly on the handlebar or seat post.
1.3- Weight and Waterproof rating
The weight is also a fact that we will have to take into account when choosing, we should also take into account that the options that include external batteries add extra weight in addition to adding an extra accessory on the bike. Finally, it is important that the lights have a waterproof rating of 4 IPX or higher, because even if you are not going to submerge them in water, they should be able to withstand a possible rain shower
2. Choosing the light depending on the type of cycling
Finally, the last factor that affects the choice of lights is the type of cycling you do:
2.1- Urban cycling
For this discipline, in which we usually ride on illuminated streets, what we want is to have a support lighting system so that we can be seen. In this case, a white front light of 20 to 30 lumens and a flashing rear light of 5 to 10 lumens would be sufficient.
In that sense, depending on how often you travel, we would choose a light with batteries or with an external battery. If you do it occasionally, a battery-powered system will work perfectly well. If this is your most common way of getting around, we recommend that you opt for rechargeable battery devices for the convenience of USB recharging.
2.2- MTB
For MTB we are usually looking for a light that allows us to ride on trails and paths comfortably in the dark enjoying our night-time training sessions, offering maximum brightness at short-medium distance. In this case, we recommend lights from 1000 lumens for the front system as they will give you the best safety and field of vision, and with external batteries that offer greater durability to allow longer training sessions. For the rear, a flashing light of between 10 and 50 lumens would be sufficient to provide visibility in wooded and trail areas.
As a recommendation, for the practice of MTB with maximum safety, we recommend combining the light on the handlebar with a second front light on the helmet that will be the one that will provide the field of vision in the direction of our gaze.
2.3- Road Cycling
For road cycling, the rear light is even more important, because here we need a powerful light that allows vehicle drivers to quickly spot us. Since we will be driving alongside faster moving vehicles, we need to be seen at a much greater distance.
Therefore, the minimum recommended power for the rear light in this case is 100 lumens. Always flashing ones. For the front light, we recommend that you choose a light that focuses at least 100 meters away. For this, a light of 1000 to 3000 lumens would be perfect. In this case, for the aesthetics and aerodynamics of the bike, we will normally look for systems with integrated battery to avoid having to plug in external batteries and thus avoid extra weight and cables.
3. Selection of lights
To meet the needs of cyclists, Deporvillage has launched a new range of lighting systems under our DPV brand so that you can find the ideal system whatever your discipline: MTB, road, gravel, urban cycling or touring.
3.1- Front Lights
| DPV 120 | DPV 400 | DPV 650 | DPV 3000 | DPV 1000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Lumens | 120 (9.55 Candelas) | 400 (31.83 Candelas) | 650 (51.73 Candelas) | 3000 (238.73 Candelas) | 1000 (79.58 Candelas) |
| Nº of bulbs | 1 LED | 1 LED | 2 LED | 3 LED | 1 LED |
| Lighting modes | 3 | 5 | 4 fixed and flashing | 4 fixed and flashing | 3 fixed and flashing |
| Material | plastic | alluminum | plastic | alluminum | alluminum |
| Dimensions | 9x3x2,5 cm | 8,5×2,7×2,7 cm | 10x4x2,5 cm | 10x4x2,5 cm | 5x4x4 cm |
| Weight | 62 g | 107 g | 186 g | 103 g light + 244 g battery | 104 g light+ 238 g battery |
| Clamping system | Universal + Quick Release | Universal | Universal | Universal | Universal |
| Handlebar tyupe | diameter: 22,2 a 31,8mm | suitable for flat handlebars | suitable for flat handlebars | diameter: 22,2 a 31,8mm | diameter: 22,2 a 31,8mm |
| Battery life | 3 to 13 hours | n/a | 2 to 13 hours | 2 to 6 hours | 4 to 8 hours |
| External Battery | no | no | no | yes | yes |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Battery charge indicatos | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Internal Reflector | yes | no | no | no | no |
| USB rechargable battery | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
3.2- Rear lights
| DPV 20 square | DPV 20 strip | DPV 15 | DPV 35 | DPV 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Lumens | 20 (1.59 candels) | 20 (1.59 Candels) | 15 (1.19 Candels) | 35 (2.78 Candels) | 10 (0.78 Candels) |
| Nº of bulbs | 36 micro LED lights | 10 micro LED lights | 16 micro LED lights | 16 micro LED lights | 3 LED |
| Lighting modes | 5 fixed and flashing | 4 fixed + 4 flashing | 4 fixed and flashing | 4 fixed + 4 flashing | 4 fixed+ 4 flashing |
| Material | plastic | plastic | plastic | plastic | plastic |
| Dimensions | 3,5×3,5×1,5 cm | 7x2x1 cm | 6,5×1,5×2 cm | 7x2x3 cm | 7x2x3 cm |
| Weight | 42 g | 33 g | 35 g | 27 g | 41 g |
| Clamping system | Universal Allows to rotate + change light angle + Quick Release | Universal + allows you to change the angle of the light + Quick Release | Universal | Universal | Universal + Quick Release |
| USB rechargeable battery | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| external battery | no | no | no | no | no |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Battery charge indicator | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
3.3- Front and Rear Light Kit
Recommended for short and punctual displacements in highly illuminated areas. It consists of a 5-lumen white front light and a 1 lumen red rear light that work with an external battery, ideal for riding urban bicycles when riding in well-lit areas. They have a single function, flashing for the rear light and fixed for the front light.
Did you know…
Can the measurement of light power expression be made in lumen or lux? These are two complementary units that we should know how to interpret when choosing the light. The lumen (lm) is a unit of power that measures the luminous flux that light can produce in all directions. While the Lux (lx) is a unit that measures the illumination of a surface, i.e., the number of lumens per square meter.
