Topeak Highlite Combo II LED light set

Topeak's Highlite Combo II lightset has taken me by surprise with its blend of sleek styling and sensible ninety-odd hour output (flashing)-perfect for uncluttered, dynamo equipped sportives or those early season rides that just slip past dusk. That said, common to this type of light, the otherwise excellent rubberised ring type handlebar bracket struggled to cope with my super oversize WTB drops; and they’re water-resistant as opposed to waterproof so don’t forget that all-important blob of silicone grease/Vaseline on the battery contacts to keep mother nature at bay.

Fuelled by two CR2032 watch type cells, at heart these are honest to goodness two mode, three LED (four rear) secondary lights with simple rubberised brackets. . Build quality is generally good. Both survived (as distinct from passing) my garden hose test, needing a squirt of water displacer to bring them back from the brink, although challenging weather hasn’t brought any nasty surprises.

Positive, yet user-friendly switches are easily operable in winter gloves but aren’t susceptible to impromptu engagement in the bottom of bags, panniers or pockets. Access to batteries, bulbs and batteries is simply a question of unscrewing the lens-everything slides conveniently out- easier still with the Redlite which opens courtesy of a simultaneous press and twist coin-slot back.

The rubberised loop brackets bear marked similarity to Nite Rider, although the rear post mount felt squishy and slightly low rent. To be fair, this affords a sculpted and secure fit around most round posts between 25.4 and 27.2nn diameters but ours required a little more persuasion when embracing an oversized post.

Performance is pretty impressive considering their size; producing a very pure white/red beam visible from around three to three hundred metres in steady, three- fifty in flashing without being lost in the town centre melange. Peripheral visibility is equally pleasing thanks to the white-lite’s clear halo and red lite’s horseshoe pattern but for all their usefulness and frugality in an urban setting they remain firmly secondary/contingency lights beyond the suburbs.

Verdict

Good value round town or secondary lights but weather proofing could be improved.