PDW Spaceship 3/Radbot 500 Light Set

PDW's Spaceship 3 and Radbot 500 light set is a quirky, inexpensive but deceptively good commuter pairing with some unique features and a better build quality than the price would suggest. While bright, the rear's small surface area means it's most effective when mounted horizontally.

PDW – Portland Design Works – is based in Portland, Oregon, a US state where cycling is very much a way of life, and explains those neat touches.

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Front up

The Spaceship3 is a simple two-mode unit sporting three (Japanese, don't you know) diodes. These run in a triangular formation and are amplified through a well-designed collimator lens with oodles of peripheral bleed.

The rugged two-piece composite body is held together by a flathead screw that feeds into a threaded brass insert so, bad crashes aside, should live a long and productive life. Inside, two AA cells occupy a well segregated battery tray.

Thankfully diodes, circuitry and reflector are completely sealed from curious digits and foul weather alike. I'd be temped to add a quick lick of silicone grease to the contacts once the OEM cells expire but am pleased to report ours laughed at heavy downpours, and a brief blast at close range with my garden hose made negligible impression.

The squidgy top-mounted switch is easily commanded in gloved hands, yet just positive enough so as to not readily be engaged in the murky depths of a messenger bag. Flashing is default and very extrovert; we're talking around the 350m mark, though the sculpted lens hood prevents you dazzling yourself and oncoming traffic alike.

Combined with that generous lens, the fast-paced strobe shouts a very clear warning to others when entering the flow of traffic at roundabouts and junctions, and there's almost no danger of falling off the radar.

I say almost as despite being in this setting and dressed like a Christmas tree on acid, a heavily pregnant mother of two children decided to cross my path with seconds to spare – luckily I had upgraded my fixed gear winter/trainer's front stopper to disc!

PDW reckons 90 hours is possible from fresh batteries. I've managed 82 from the OEM set, which is still pretty good going. That said, unlike the latest generation of higher-end offerings, when reserves really hit rock bottom, output follows suit. By the same token, there is ample warning and every opportunity to replace batteries before trouble strikes.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights and our beam comparison engine here

Steady produces a very clear, if relatively narrow, spot that is more than adequate for suburban/urban navigation and picking out hazards to around 18-20mph. Unlit canal paths, and semi rural stretches call for something more potent for seeing with, but even then I was visible to around 150m. On this setting you can bargain on 25 hours from rechargeables, 28 dry cells.

The brand's Mission Control 2.0 brackets are interchangeable throughout the range and can be purchased separately. Lights engage and release with an audible click and the rubberised strap will cling limpet fashion to the full zodiac of handlebar diameters, from 22 through to 31.8mm. Chatter and vibration are minimal, even over washboard surfaces.

Rear we go

The rear Radbot 500 continues this well-engineered theme with a choice of rack, seatpost or seatstay mounting. Middleweight of the range, it sports a collimator lens single watt diode, three modes and, unusually, a generous reflector, which means it complies with road traffic regulations proper.

Agreed, it would need to be a very cruel, dare I say bored, copper who booked you on these shores. However, experience suggests their counterparts in mainland Europe take these things very seriously – tourists take note.

In common with its bigger 1000 sibling, access to the battery tray is via recessed Phillips screw. AAA cells are similarly well segregated and the unit has passed my usual tests with flying colours. This has divided opinion, some moaning about the inconvenience, but you're unlikely to be changing them every two minutes, and this arrangement protects vulnerable diodes and switchgear from filthy weather.

Talking of which, the small, silver button is tucked just beneath the lens and is very user-friendly. Depressing for two seconds induces constant, prod again to reach the strobe and flashing modes. Constant emits a warm, relatively bright glow that's visible from around 130m along pitch black lanes, dipping to 75-80 through neon-saturated town centres.

Run time is quoted as 30 hours in steady and 60 in flashing. I managed a commendable 27hrs 47mins from the OEM AAAs, and 58hrs 56mins in flashing using fresh, premium grade replacements.

> Check out our guide to the best rear lights here

Following behind, friends suggested they could pick me out at 500m on really starry nights, dipping to 300 in built-up areas. This sort of clout and economy suggests its perfect for audax, all-nighters and longer haul escapes from civilisation.

However, despite that dome-like window and big reflector, peripheral presence proved much weaker than expected. Repositioned horizontally to posts and racks alike largely addressed this problem, and I tackled larger roundabouts with less trepidation. It's not a patch on something like the IZone Curve 2 (review to come), though, which – legalities aside – is a much better bet for child/touring trailers.

Verdict

Sets a high standard for wallet-friendly commuter lights but the Radbot's subdued peripheral presence was slightly disappointing