Like-Bikes LED Handlebar End Safety Lights

These CNCed bar plugs from Like-Bikes feature red LEDs for additional visibility in the dark and low light conditions and they work well.

Each light is held in place with a rubber expander in the middle. You twist the business end of the light so the expander is the right diameter, push it in place and that's job done. It takes seconds and holds secure.

Operation could hardly be easier. You press the cap and the two LEDs inside glow steady. Press again and they flash. Press a third time to turn them off. Simple.

The lit area is just 1.5cm across and the cap is a translucent cover rather than a lens, but these are still surprisingly noticeable. They're nowhere near as bright as a rear light -and you certainly wouldn't run these instead of a rear light, of course - but they're a useful extra.

If you fit these to a flat handlebar, you obviously add to your visibility from the side, which is particularly useful at junctions and around town. You do need to be careful when leaning your bike up against a wall, though, because the plastic cover which stands proud of the alloy surround isn't the toughest ever.

I've been using them on drop bars so they face backwards but they're barely ever in your field of vision when you're looking ahead. They're certainly not off-putting. Sometimes you obscure the visibility of the lights to traffic behind with your body but that's not a problem as long as you're treating these as an added bonus and not relying on them to get you seen.

Each light runs on two AG10 (389) batteries. The intensity started to dim after 16hrs in constant mode and I'd say the amount of light was useful for 20hrs. Replacement batteries are cheap. I found 10 for £1.50 online without looking too hard. Spend more on some half-decent ones and they'll last longer.

We did wonder whether rain would get inside because there's no sealing on the threads, but that didn't happen. We put them in the shower for an hour and a tiny amount of water got in but they carried on regardless - and bear in mind that the thread gets additional protection from your handlebar once fitted anyway. You might want to squeeze some silicone grease on there just to be on the safe side, or use some PTFE tape. Grease would make unscrewing the caps easier when it's time to change the batteries too; it can be tricky if you've done them up tight.

Although these are branded Gub, a Like-Bikes branded version is on the way.

Verdict

Good-quality LED plugs for both drop and flat bars, providing useful additional visibility