It’s very easy to use and the battery life is solid, if not exceptional, at 1 hour 25 minutes on full power. The low-power mode caught us by surprise on occasion, though – once the battery goes under 30 per cent charge it’s no longer possible to select a higher-power mode from a lower one. In fact, there was more than enough power for techy trail riding, and the Ara held its own against higher output lights such as Exposure’s MaXx D MK13 and Lumicycle’s Apogee. With 2,600 lumens peak output, a 9,000mAh battery and a wired remote, along with an LED display of mode and battery life, the Moon Rigel provides plenty of illumination from its six LEDs. It has an out-front mount to push it ahead of the bars. There are no bleached spots of light on the trails and the impressive beam pattern is broad and well-controlled.

Moon Meteor Storm Pro front light review - BikeRadar

The in-built Reflex++ technology uses accelerometers to calculate how fast you’re travelling and how rough the terrain is, and increases or decreases brightness to match, up to 5,250 lumens, so you don’t need to fiddle with the controls as you ride. You’re limited to 3,750 lumens in the highest constant mode though. With five LED lights and a whopping 6,500 lumens total claimed output, the Magicshine Monteer 6500 is a seriously capable unit.

Exposure Joystick Mk16

We also had concerns about the long-term durability of the mount, but Hope’s after-sales support is generally very well regarded.

2000 Bike Lights 2000 Lumens Smart Bike Front OLIGHT ALLTY 2000 Bike Lights 2000 Lumens Smart Bike Front

There are four LEDs that deliver a fantastic mix of white and green light, making everything stand out, helped by its massive 4,500-lumen output. But we feel the Apogee could still do with a bit of an illumination boost outside the spotlight’s strong focal point. The yellow/brown hue highlights earthy tones well. Lifeline’s Motion technology adapts the light’s output depending on movement, halving it when you’re stationary. These two measures of light are related. Lumens is the total light emitted by your bike light. Lux is the brightness divided by the area it covers. It’s not the most powerful light we’ve ever tested, but the Hope R8+ puts out enough light to illuminate everything in front of you and then some. Side-to-side flooding is very good too, and is in fact wide enough to spot lines even when it’s not pointing directly where you want to go.

NiteRider Lumina Max 2500 with NiteLink

The same goes for run times. In our tests, we timed each of the lights on their max setting to find out just how long the juice will last. Obviously, if the LEDs push out lots of light, more battery power is required. All of our lights have at least one-hour of run time at the 1,500-lumen minimum requirement, but most offer considerably more burn time at their max output, so it’s unlikely you’ll get caught short. Fall is officially here, and it’s beginning to show. As the days grow shorter and it becomes more and more difficult to squeeze in a ride after work, you might want to consider embracing the dark (if you haven’t already). Night riding allows you to put in some miles whenever you can find time, and it’s a great way to mix up your typical ride if it’s starting to become a little stale.