When it comes to bike lights, most people associate this as a trusty light on the handlebars and another on the rear of the bike below the seat. In an effort to maximise one’s visibility on the bike, we have seen the rise of other forms of lighting on the bike with one being wheel based lights.
As the name suggests, wheel based lights are lights which attach to your wheels and help create greater visibility for drivers towards the bottom and side of your bike.
Should you Buy Lights for your Bike Wheels
Do you find yourself commuting rain, hail or shine all year round? If the answer is yes, we think that adding lights to your bike wheels is a great option if you are looking to increase how visible you are on dark roads.
One of the benefits of using lights on your bike wheels is that it provides side lighting which normal front and rear lights don’t really provide. This is particularly beneficial when riding down a road where cars are waiting to enter the road and may not otherwise see you.
Are There Any Negatives to Attaching Lights to your Bike Wheels?
Yes.
While we don’t believe these are deal breakers these are the associated negatives that we could come up with by attaching lights to your bike wheels:
- Creates additional rotating weight on your bike wheels which may not be favoured by people who are chasing those Strava King of the Mountain segments.
- Doesn’t create much ‘seeing’ light which you would get with handlebar lights. Bike wheel lights are more suited for increasing the visibility for drivers and others to see you on the road as opposed to helloing increase your sight in the dark. For this reason, we recommend combining bicycle wheel lights with handlebar and rear lights.
Activ Life 2 LED Bike Wheel Lights
Compatible with a range of bike wheels from 12” toddler bikes to 29” adult bike tyres. The lights simply snap into position and use durable silicone bands to remain in position.
The Activ Life wheel lights rely on 21 bright LED bulbs that are both waterproof and durable which helps these last the distance. The bulbs themselves are powered by the smaller AAA battery variety rather than AA that you may see with some other bike wheel lights.
Comes in 8 different colour options from blue to rainbow coloured. You’re bound to find something suitable for your needs and your bike colour.
DAWAY LED Bike Spoke Lights
The Daway LED Bike Spoke Lights was our pick from the bunch thanks to its 30 different light patterns that are lit by 14 LED lights. You're bound to be seen on the road thanks to the different pattern designs.
The lights are powered by AAA batteries which are secluded in a waterproof housing that is also durable and bound to last. The lights are easily installed by clipping onto your bike spokes and then simply secured by screw.
One thing we really liked about the Daway lights was the motion sensor which automatically turns on and off your lights to help conserve battery. Great if you're in a rush and forget to turn your lights off.
We had two issues with the Daway lights which aren't deal breakers but are worth noting. Firstly for the pattern lights to work properly they are dependent on you doing a speed of 29 kph or 18.6 mph. Not slow...! While secondly the lights only fit wheels of 16 inches and upwards. Not as compatible as the Activ Life lights we previously reviewed.
Nite Ize Spokelit LED Bicycle Spoke Light
The Night Ize Spokelit lights are a great option for anyone that's looking for a bike wheel light that either flashes a certain colour or will rotate through a spectrum of colours to create a bright rim (on your rim!). The light relies on one bright LED light which is slightly different to other bike lights we reviewed.
Powered by 2 x 2016 Lithium batteries that last for 25 hours and housed in a waterproof housing, these are a great option for anyone that is looking for bike lights that don't have a big battery housing thanks to the small lithium batteries.
Like other bike wheel lights we reviewed, the Nite Ize Spokelit lights are easy to install by simply connecting to the spoke of your wheels and screwing to secure.
Brionac LED Bike Wheel Lights
The Brionac LED lights are another bike wheel light that are powered by lithium based batteries. We think this is a great option for anyone that's looking for a bike light that has a small battery housing.
In terms of lighting, the Brionac comes with 18 LED bulbs and capable of various lighting effects including changing through a spectrum of colours, breathing light, flow flash and rapid flash.
Similar to the Daway bike light, the Brionac LED Bike Light comes with auto sensing lights that turn on and off depending on if you are moving or not. This is great for when yu're in a rush and forget to turn off your lights.
Similar to other bike wheel lights we reviewed, the Brionac LED lights are easy to install by simply attaching to the spoke of your wheels and screwing on.
I’m Ben! I used to catch a bus to work until one day I decided the time would be better spent commuting by bike to save time and keep fit. Ever since then, I’ve loved commuting to work with this blog sharing some of my favourite tips and equipment for fellow commuters.