Ascher USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set,Super Bright Front Headlight and Rear LED Bicycle Light,650mah Lithium Battery,4 Light Mode Options(2 USB Cables and 4 Strap Included)

If you’re a “serious” cyclist — using your bike nearly every day for sport, touring, or commuting — you’re aware of the huge safety benefit of daytime running lights. Even the most distracted driver can’t help but notice a flashing LED, red if going away from them or white if coming toward. With its tiny form factor, intensely powerful beam, and powered by an equally small but multi-hour rechargable lithium ion battery, I would nominate the LED daytime running light as the greatest advance in cycling safety since the helmet.I’ve owned these things since they first came out. They need regular replacement for the same reason your iPhone lasts only a couple of years — the lithium ion battery wears out and won’t hold a charge. I accept the expenditure of an average of $10 per year as a bargain-priced investment in safety and peace of mind, especially in that most dangerous of cycling environments, city streets. But even with these lights I never assume I will be seen! My flashing white front light is no guarantee the car coming toward me will not suddenly turn left across my path. I watch for the telltale signs — a dip in the oncoming car’s front end as the driver brakes for no apparent reason, a twitch in the steering, the angle of the driver’s head. Never count on oncoming cars using their signal lights! American drivers are among the world’s most undisciplined, and mobile technology has distracted them to the extent that mortality rates are climbing back to the levels of the no-seatbelt, drunk-driving era. We cyclists must be more vigilant then ever before.Old-fashioned bicycle lighting systems were intended to illuminate the road ahead so the rider could see where they were going. I consider urban cycling at night to be too dangerous to contemplate, so have no use for such lights. But most daytime cycling lights — whose sole purpose is to alert other road users to the cyclist’s presence — to an extent emulate the design of the past generation. They’re bigger than they need to be and are often awkward to install and remove. Some even use expendable batteries!Which is why as soon as I came across these lights on Amazon, I knew their designers were on the ball. Their goal was maximum conspicuity in a minimal form factor with reasonable battery life. And, near-instant removal and replacement, essential for battery charging. My 15 lb. Specialized Tarmac carries no non-essential accessories and as a result looks clean and purposeful. A headlight bolted with a metal mounting bracket to its carbon fiber handlebar would look absurd. But (see image) these lights are sufficiently small, and their mounting system is sufficiently flexible, that they fit neatly on my bike’s head tube and seat post. Their compact round lens design is the most efficient way to package each light’s three powerful light-emitting diodes. When off, they’re nearly invisible and so do not clutter the bike’s lines. But when running at my favorite setting, slow blink, they can be seen from a half-mile away. (Slow-blink setting consists of two flashes followed by a brief pause. Compared with evenly spaced flashes, or having the lights on constantly, this staggered-flash approach distinguishes my bike from everything else out there. The eye is attracted by irregularities and staggered-flash is a driver’s eye magnet.)What would I change? In the hand the lights have a solid, even hefty feel. Which is all well and good, but to a weight-weenie sport cyclist like me they come off a little heavy. I’m hoping future versions manage to shave a few grams here and there. At this point I’m confident that when the time comes to replace these, this astute manufacturer will be offering new models that are smaller, lighter, and just as bright. Companies that offer state of the art solutions have a tendency to stay ahead of the pack.