Aussie firm Knog have unveiled their brightest ever light – dubbed the Blinder Road – and are shipping us an early sample from Down Under for review.
The Knog Blinder Road comes in front and rear versions, with a claimed output of 200 and 70 Lumens respectively – comfortably making it their brightest light to date ahead of the 80 Lumen Blinder 4 front light.
Knog lights are popular with the fixie crowd and commuters wanting a light bright enough for riding on well-lit roads but this marks the company’s first move into the road-specific market. At 200 Lumens we’d put the Blinder Road in the ‘serious commuter’ bracket and certainly at the lower end of what we’d recommend for night riding. It’s an innovate package though, with a number of interesting features.
The front light uses two Cree LEDs in separate lenses, one with a narrow, focussed 15° beam, and the other with a wider 22° beam to flood the road. That makes the Blinder Road visible at up to 1,000m, according to Knog, while the front light also uses a thermal management system which automatically regulates light output for optimum performance when the bike is stationary and in motion. The front light has four lighting modes, with a claimed battery life of one hour on the brightest mode and up to six hours in eco-flash mode.
The rear light, on the other hand, uses one Cree LED with an 80° beam and three high-powered LED strobes with a 22° beam. The body of the unit also has a clear section for increased side illumination. The rear light has three different lighting modes, including a ‘peloton’ setting which only uses the two middle LEDs so you don’t blind your riding buddies, with claimed battery life ranging from 3.5 hours in steady mode to 20 hours in eco-flash mode.
The lights share many of the design features from the Blinder 4 which impressed us late last year, with an anodised aluminium face and the same tool-free attachment mechanism, which uses a silicon strap with a stainless steel camber clip. The lights are also USB rechargeable and, according to Knog, completely waterproof. Both lights charge in five hours and have a low battery indicator. As you’d expect from a design-conscious firm like Knog, the lights are available in four colours: black, gunmetal, red and grape.
UK prices have been set at £59.99 for the front light, and £39.99 for the rear. The lights are expected to be available in the shops from April (timed to hit the Australian winter). We’ll report back with our findings in a full review before then.
Price: £59.99 front, £39.99 rear
Website: Knog
UK distributor: Moore and Large
