BBB Strike 760

The BBB Strike 760 is a powerful but compact torch-style front light with an impressive output and run-time in a small package. It has all the light you'll need for most road riding (unless you're going to be out all night), but it lacks some features found in similarly priced competitors.

If this light was a car, it would be a hatchback with a big engine but no electric windows. The grab handles would be undamped, like they were in 1999. As a means of seeing where you're going, it is very effective, chucking out as much as 760 lumens from a package that weighs barely over 100g. Somehow, BBB has managed to squeeze in pretty decent battery life too – as much as 15 hours in low mode.

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John reviewed the Strike 500 in 2012, and back then it was also a hundred nicker; LED and battery technology moving on means that you get 52% more bang for your (mixed currency metaphor alert) buck in 2016. But otherwise this is pretty much the same as four years ago. As John said, the clamp is simple and effective: a plastic band that is secured by an Allen bolt. There are two holes, allowing it to fit to 31 or 25mm handlebars, and once you've done it up it stays firmly in place.

If you're fitting to a bike and leaving it there, it's fine – if you're always switching between bikes then you might prefer a tool-free clamp system. You can also mount the Strike on your helmet; BBB has a mount available for this but not included as standard. The relatively low weight would make it a good option for a head torch.

In use

Operation is straightforward, via a single button. You click it to switch the light on (no need to hold it down), and then successive clicks change the mode. Holding the button powers the light off. As the button is quite stiff, I wouldn't be overly concerned at it switching on uninentionally (the reason why most lights require an extended press), but I do take issue with the fact that when you're cycling through the modes (super beam, high beam, standard beam, low beam and flash beam) the cycle passes through "off" between flash and super beam.

Most night-time riding that I do includes a variety of environments and ambient light levels, and as such I'm often switching between a light's modes to suit. Having the light switch off is not what you want when you're moving! Modern lights generally are pretty consistent in terms of operation – click to change mode, hold to switch off. It's a mystery to me why BBB should do things differently here, and a weak point of this light in my view. While we're on the subject, there's no "mode memory" here either, so the light always powers up on super beam irrespective of what mode it was in when you last used it.

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What of the modes, then? The four constant levels give a good range, from very bright down to a much lower level allowing a lengthy run-time when you don't need masses of illumination. The flash uses the full 760-lumen output in a simple on-off mode at two flashes per second. I found it was effective at getting you seen when riding through traffic day or night. Riding in the dark, I'd much prefer a mode where the light is always on with brighter flashes.

Thermal protection is built in, so the light automatically switches down to "standard beam" (228 lumens) if those cooling fins on the front aren't managing to keep the temperature under control, complicating the process of trying to test run-times while sat at my desk.

The beam itself is pretty good too – a strong central spot that cuts a long way down the road with a wider, gentler surrounding output. It isn't StVZO compliant, so wouldn't be suitable for use in Germany, but it was fairly simple to keep the whole bright central spot directed at the ground, such that the lighting levels weren't dazzling to drivers. The light does have a brow, which provides a cutoff to the top of the beam, but I think it's primarily to avoid dazzling you the rider rather than offering much to other road users.

Charging

Charging is by USB, as you'd expect, but not the micro-USB that is now used almost everywhere, which is a shame. There's the required mini-USB cable provided, but it's another example of where I think this light is lagging behind some competitors. The charging port is covered by a rather flimsy rubber cover, which I can't say filled me with confidence, but I didn't see any issues with waterproofing during testing.

The power button has a bi-colour LED under it, which is blue in normal operation and red once you've drained 50% of the battery capacity. BBB's claimed run-times of around 2 hours and 12 minutes on super beam and an impressive 15 hours on low beam were pretty accurate. As the battery runs down, the light automatically drops to lower output to give you ample opportunity to get home safely.

So, to sum up... when considered in isolation this is a pretty effective light that isn't heavy but still has decent battery life. Only when measured up against competitors with convenience features that are missing here might you conclude there's room for improvement. From those that I've tried, the Cateye Volt range is the strongest alternative, with the 800 offering similar output at a similar price, but it's simply a nicer light to use, and that's where my money would go.

Verdict

Strong output and decent battery life, but usability isn't as good as some