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better bike light 1.pngCycling app of the week: Better Bike Light
What is it?
Ever forgotten to charge your light and it’s gone flat on your way home? This app gives you a useful solution in this situation, allowing you to turn your phone into either a front or back light. You need a flashlight on your phone for the front light settings to work, and it requires access to your camera to control it. The back light actually just takes over your main phone screen, turning it into flashing red arrows that are surprisingly bright and visible. This is also adaptive, so when you're slowing down it will hold steady like a brake light. You can also use a bluetooth headset to indicate turns so you needn't take your hands off the handlebars.
App of the week: Donkey Republic
App of the week: what3words
How can it help me?
Obviously, this app could get you out of a pickle if one of your lights has gone flat on the way home. In the photo above we see the phone mounted to a flat rear light inside a clear case, which brings us to its main shortfall... you'd think cyclists who are prone to memory lapses by not charging their lights might not always carry the necessary equipment to do this! I found it is visible enough to be seen through a clear rain jacket in a back pocket though, and with the brake light and bluetooth turn indicators, perhaps it's good enough to be a viable replacement for a back light in some cases. The front light option is more readily useable providing you have a phone mount fitted to your bike.
What makes it unique?
While there are other apps that turn your phone into a torch, this is the first we've seen that also has a back light option. It's impressively visible but as previously mentioned, you'll have to be organised enough in the first place to find somewhere to mount or carry it. There are multiple front light modes, making this a pretty comprehensive replacement for a flat light when needs must.
Where can I get it?
The app is completely free and is only available on Android. Download it here.
Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story).
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12 comments
My phone flash in torch mode barely gets me down the stairs to the kitchen for my midnight protein shake, what exactly makes this Better Bike Light any “better”
Always carry a spare. I've learned this the hard way
I changed to a USB rechargeable one because of battery failure one day. At least with the USB as my commuting lights I can give them a top up once I get to work. I've also got another rear in the bag as a backup just in case.
But with spare batteries, you can change them mid-ride - not so easy with a dying USB light. In desperation, you can usually buy a pack of batteries at a garage or shop.
LED lights are so small and cheap these days, I've got into the habit of carrying 2.
Or just ask a passing cyclist with a working LED if you can shoot a three-second video of their one, flashing if preferred, and stick it on loop mode.
Nugatory effort. Better to download dashcam footage of a sharp left turn, put THAT on loop mode, and wait for the problem of airholes who tailgate you solve itself...
Oh dear. Words fail me.
why? If you need to get home and your lights die halfway. Frankly I’ll take anything.
Have been there... due to two punctures returned home much later than planned, in dark with no lights. OK, I had hi-vis... but still was $!£$ing myself.
Why?
1. The biggest advantage of having a mobile phone is that you can use it to - wait for it - make a phone call to ask for help (spouse/partner/mate/taxi cab). Using your phone as a light is going to drain the f*ck out of it, rendering it useless for its original primary purpose (yeah, I know, who phones these days? Mobes are for Strava and Snaptwitbook or something or so my kids tell me).
2. How do you mount the thing? If you use your phone as a GPS cycle computer and happen to have a mount on your handlebars which you might possibly be able to reorientate so the camera flash is facing forwards. Otherwise you're screwed. If you haven't already jerry-rigged a rear facing mount out of a clear pouch and a rear light as in Jack's photo above, you're screwed.
3. If you can somehow mount the phone at the front then why not just use the flashlight app on the phone?
4. If you can somehow mount the phone at the rear why not use the flashlight app combined with some red cellophane held in place with a couple of rubber bands - probably less of a drain on the battery, longer throw on the light output, and gives you a reason to carry some Cadbury's roses around with you just in case.
5. Or just carry some spares FFS.
You've posted more words in these comments than anyone else!
They failed me because I couldn't sum all that up in a pithy one liner.