Bike lights are vital to help cyclists see and be seen on the roads. But if you ride a speciality bike, finding the best fit for your ride can be daunting.
Don’t worry. You’re in the right place.
Here, we’ll explore the best bike lights for speciality bikes – including electric bike lights, recumbent bike lights, cargo bike lights and more.
So, whatever kind of bike you ride, you can get this bike safety essential spot-on and be as safe as possible on the roads.
Although bikes can come in lots of different shapes and sizes, there are some legal requirements that all cyclists should be aware of when it comes to bike lights.
Here’s what’s required at night according to the UK’s Highway Code and Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR):
These must all be lit, clean and working properly.
The Highway Code also recommends white front reflectors and spoke reflectors to help cyclists be seen more effectively.
Just bear in mind that these are minimum requirements.
In order to stay as safe as possible on the roads, it pays to go above and beyond these regulations.
For instance, although bike lights are only required during hours of darkness, a Danish study cited by We Love Cycling found that cyclists using lights during the day were able to reduce the risk of colliding with a car by 19%.
Given Denmark’s vast network of cycle lanes (and reputation for cycling safety), we can confidently assume this figure would be significantly higher if the study had been conducted in the UK.
Which brings us onto…
Different speciality bikes will have different considerations when it comes to choosing a bike light.
However, some features will enhance your safety, convenience and comfort, regardless of what kind of bike you ride. Here are the main ones to look out for.
There’s no need to select a specially designed e-bike light for an electric bike.
However, there are some bike lights out there that are designed to work seamlessly with your e-bike’s motor or battery system, to receive integrated power.
This comes with a few key benefits:
In particular, not having to remember to charge your bike lights will mean your lights are always ready for your rides – even those that are planned last minute.
But there are a few downsides too.
Firstly, installation isn’t generally straightforward. Depending on your electric bike’s make and model, it may even involve disassembling some of your bike and motor, as well as adding additional wiring to connect the light to the motor.
As such, you’ll need to get a trained e-bike professional to handle the installation for you.
You’ll also need to check that any electric bike lights you’re considering are compatible with your bike’s motor system.
Plus, bear in mind that there are far fewer dedicated electric cycle lights. So, you’ll be selecting from a much smaller range than if you decide to go ahead with a USB-C chargeable bike light that’s compatible with both e-bikes and standard bikes.
This means you might find it hard to find an electric cycle light that meets all your requirements.
Remember, there is nothing to stop you from adding rechargeable lights to your e-bike so you can benefit from all the features they offer. For instance, the SeeMe Pro 360 will have you covered with 360 degree visibility and twin UHD videos.
Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong, but we would always advise prioritising safety features above all else. After all, convenience is important, but safety is priceless!
While the bike light regulations are the same for recumbent bikes, there are some additional considerations to keep in mind.
This is mainly because recumbent bikes are lower to the ground and therefore harder to see.
Here are some tips and factors to bear in mind when choosing recumbent cycle lights, in order to improve your visibility and therefore safety on the roads.
As a rough guide, a front bike light should be a minimum of 100 to 200 lumens. Meanwhile, a rear bike light should be a minimum of 50 to 100 lumens.
However, opting for a bike light that has a higher maximum lumen output can enhance your visibility. This is especially valuable for recumbent bikes that can be harder to see due to their low profile.
SeeMe Cycle’s 360 degree bike light set consists of a 1,500-lumen front bike light and a 450-lumen rear bike light, along with 150-lumen quadrant LED lighting strips to maximise your visibility from every angle.
In this way, it’s designed to make you visible from greater distances and help you stand out, especially in well-lit areas or during hours of daylight.
A bike light with several modes (such as steady, flashing and eco) will have you covered for a range of cycling scenarios.
In particular, flashing modes can help you to make other road users aware of your presence. This is especially helpful when riding a recumbent bike in well-lit urban areas or during hours of daylight, when a constant beam may not draw as much attention.
The SeeMe Pro 360 includes three constant modes and three modes where the side wings flash twice per second. In this way, it complies with all current legislation across the world and provides bright daylight running lights in the same way that most new cars do as an extra safety feature.
When it comes to mounting recumbent bike lights, it’s important to explore where they’ll be most visible.
The riding position on a recumbent bike is vastly different from that of a standard bike. So, be sure your lights won’t be obstructed by your legs or other components.
Bike lights legally can’t be mounted more than 1,500mm from the ground. But when it comes to recumbent lights, the general guideline is the higher the better (within the legal limit, of course). This is because a higher mounting point can significantly enhance visibility.
As well as investing in the right recumbent bike lights, consider taking additional steps to improve your visibility and prevent cycling accidents.
For instance, you could add additional lights alongside your main bike lights – such as helmet lights or lights mounted to a flag pole.
Other visibility aids can also make a big difference, such as reflective clothing, reflective tape and high visibility flags.
While some cargo bike models already come with lights, this isn’t always the case. So, what should you look for when selecting the best cargo cycle lights to add to your ride?
Well, safety should always be at the top of your list, but especially when you’re carrying heavy loads or passengers.
With that in mind, it pays once again to look for high lumen bike lights with several modes to choose from. This will enhance your visibility and make sure you’re covered for pretty much any scenario.
It’s also important to make sure that both your front and rear lights are properly positioned and visible. Depending on your cargo bike, this might mean you need to look for versatile mounting options. Or, you could even consider bike lights that are integrated into the cargo box.
But that’s not all.
You can enhance safety even further by looking for features that maximise your communication with other road users.
For instance, some bike lights have braking alerts built into them. This ensures that other road users can tell when you’re slowing down. And you can even incorporate turning indicator lights for extra visibility.
Other steps you can take to enhance your cargo bike’s visibility include:
Many cargo bike riders like to spruce up their bikes with fairy lights, but do so with caution.
While fairy lights can help you to stand out to other road users, the last thing you want is for them to blind you in the dark.
Likewise, avoid fairy lights that flash blue. These are illegal in many countries due to being reserved for emergency vehicles.
Selecting tandem cycle lights is much the same as selecting lights for a single bike.
After all, the process of attaching and using lights on a tandem is pretty much identical.
However, as tandem bikes are longer (and heavier), there are a few extra considerations to bear in mind.
When you’re cycling in a group, you’ll need a front and rear light just the same as when you’re riding solo.
But if you’ve ever ridden behind a high lumen rear light before, you’ll know just how dazzling it can be. Especially if your companion has set it to strobe mode!
So, what should you look for in a bike light if you frequently ride in a pack?
Well, some brands have specially designed peloton cycle lights or features that are designed to be used in this instance. Like the Exposure Lights TraceR MK3 ReAKT + Peloton Rear Light.
This rear light can be set to Peloton mode, which causes it to automatically dim when detecting light from a rider behind to reduce glare – before flaring up for safety when at the back.
In this way, it enhances comfort for you and your fellow riders, without compromising on safety.
However, you don’t need a specially designed bike light to improve your safety and comfort on group rides.
Rather, looking for a bike light that has a variety of modes available (eg. different lumen outputs, as well as both flashing and constant modes) will mean that you can select the best setting for the time of day and your position in the pack – covering you for any scenario.
As you can see, speciality bikes come in so many different shapes and sizes. And they’ll each come with very different considerations to keep in mind.
After all, selecting rickshaw bike lights is always going to be very different from choosing the best lights for your electric bike!
However, despite their differences, they have a lot in common too.
Whatever kind of bike you ride, the main takeaway should be to select bike lights that prioritise your safety on the roads.
High lumen bike lights with lots of different modes will cover you for most scenarios, giving you the option to change your settings and enhance your safety to fit with your riding experience and environment.
Likewise, features that can help you to be seen from all angles will be crucial for any rider. But it’s especially important if you’re riding a speciality bike that’s got a low profile, a longer frame or other physical differences that other road users might not be expecting.
At SeeMe Cycle, our groundbreaking 360 degree visibility bike light incorporates super bright radial LED strips alongside our ultra bright LED directional front and rear lights to ensure you are visible to other road users from every angle.
Add to that the UHD video cameras front and rear that allow real-time viewing of the rear camera on your smartphone when fixed to the handlebars, and you have the safest cycle you have ever ridden.
Check it out today and enjoy enhanced safety and comfort on the roads.
