BBB Strike 500 front light

The BBB Strike 500 front light is a torch type headlight; with 500 lumens it enables you to see as well as be seen. How does it compare to others of similar rating?

The name and looks of our white test unit make me think of a Star Wars Storm Trooper, perhaps a plus for sci-fi fans!? The plastic bodied approach is different to most other manufacturers of these high power LED units such as the Lezyne Super Drive, which I am currently reviewing too. It may make for a less premium feel for some, for what is a £100 item. Still, it is a solid build, with a feature aluminium finned heatsink up front.

Mounting the plastic clamp to my bars was a nice and simple affair. It's a multi-size design, with two bolt holes to fit either 25.4mm or 31.8mm bars (like a belt). No juggling of rubber grips is involved and it held the light plenty tight enough. Angle adjustment of the light on the bars can be made, which is a nice feature, and one often overlooked.

The light is removed from the clamp using slide and pop lock arrangement. The tab is small and I often struggled to get it to release. Once off, you'll probably be heading for the charger: like many lights these days, it charges via USB, Mini-A to be exact - similar to many smartphones. There's no mains adaptor so you're going to have to use one I'm sure you'll have lying around - or a computer. I think USB charging is great for this reason, and it cuts down on cost and the environmental impact of another charger entering this world.

Charging from empty takes around 4 hours in mine, and the manual's experience. You'll know once the blue LED around the power button remains constant rather than flashing. The light is a one button affair, with five modes: four intensity settings and one flashing. Burn time runs from 1.7 - 2.3 - 4 - 8 - 4.5hrs through the modes. I found this to be fairly true and for city commuting, I'd say you can get away with the lowest brightness and longest burn time - allowing a few days between charges. The beauty of lights like this is you can go low power in the city - to be seen, then bump it up once you're on less illuminated roads - to see.

When at 50% battery, the light will change to red, meaning you've got plenty of warning before being caught out. The battery is a removable 18650 Li-ion, just like the one in the Lezyne. Unlike the Lezyne however, it is contained in an unserviceable plastic cell, meaning you're going to have to get onto BBB for a spare, rather than a basic battery supplier. It's a shame as otherwise you could get some spares for your saddle bag.

I like the BBB Strike 500, it's a solid torch type bike light with a more unusual design than the black aluminium conformity. Performance is very similar to the Lezyne that I was also testing at the same price point, both charging by USB, Li-ion batteries, multiple modes, form factor, and very little to tell them apart in the tunnel test. The Lezyne does a better job at spreading its beam, meaning so you should see more of the carriageway and it should get you more noticed - however all things being equal our figures suggest the BBB will punch its narrower beam a bit further down the road - and it has the better bracket, so it's a close call. That swappable battery on the Lezyne though means it just edges it for me in a closely run race.

Verdict

A good premium light for commuting and dark roads, but should have replaceable batteries.