Knog Pop Duo light set

The Knog Pop Duo light set is aimed at fashion-conscious casual riders and commuters who want to be seen but need something more substantial than traditional blinkies. Both front and rear work well for around town use and less-well-lit areas, and are available to buy individually if you prefer (£13.99 each).

There are 10 colours, from the mild (black, white and carbon Electra) to the 'seriously wild' (sky blue tattoo, leopard print, rainbow) with a few pretty middle ground options in between.

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The front lights are available in single or twin-diode versions (we have the single on test) and both use surface mounted technology (SMT); this is just a clever way of saying diodes are mounted directly on the printed circuit boards, thus allowing more compact product. Pop 1s 35 lumens, Pop 2s almost double.

The polycarbonate lenses seem durable, with side windows allowing some peripheral bleed, and use collimator technology for a crisp, focused beam.

AA cells might sound a bit old school, given rechargeable li-on and li-polymer batteries have been default for several years now, but it means replacements are easily carried, or bought anywhere, so no need to worry about charging.

The front light opens via a coin slot, the rear by simultaneously pressing and pulling the lens, so we are talking water-resistant in heavy showers, not submersible. A slither of silicone grease on the contacts and switch doesn't hurt either.

Speaking of silicone, Knog pretty much started the craze for rubberised bike lights, and the Pops' stretchy brackets hug their hosts handsomely. These are easy to remove for cleaning/replacement and permit the 5-lumen rear to sit vertically, for the cleanest aesthetic, or horizontally on bikes with bigger saddlebags and/or less exposed seatpost.

Mounting the front beneath the bar prevents it being eclipsed by brake/shifter hoods on moustache and other, less conventional bar shapes – assuming you weren't using an extension bracket.

Overall performance is pretty good. In the highest setting, the front's 35 lumens is adequate for navigating moderately lit suburban/urban stretches at speeds of up to around 18mph, although the lower pulse and flashing settings are arguably more conspicuous.

Drivers seemed to take notice from around 300 metres in town, especially when tackling roundabouts/junctions, and between 300 and 400m in the sticks.

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

The rear is far more extrovert than 5 lumens suggests, and on its own, fastest flash seems best, although the subtle samba dancing strobe worked quite well combined with dynamos in slow-moving traffic.

In the concrete jungle we're talking 300, maybe 400m on a clear night, vertically mounted. Distances in semi-rural contexts are better – 450-500m, 650 in fast flash, which is pretty impressive given the price and design brief.

> Check out our guide to the best rear lights here

Run times seem pretty faithful to those quoted – even with the original batteries, the front managed 2hrs 37mins (3hrs quoted) while premium grade replacements notched it up to 97hrs 37mins in eco flash, whereas the rear hit 6hrs 23mins (steady) and a whopping 197hrs 41mins in eco flash. A faint pulsing red beam is emitted when reserves are dwindling, and we're talking three hours before you risk being plunged into darkness.

The only slight negative is that, although switches won't accidentally engage in pockets or panniers, powering up the lights proved trickier than some when you're wearing winter weight gloves.

Verdict

Stylish and user-friendly town lights with decent output