Interbike 2013: Light & Motion extends and updates line of bike lights

I’ve always been a big fan of Light & Motion, the pre-eminent manufacturer of LED bicycle lights, and looked forward to meeting with them at Interbike to review the updates to their line for 2014.

Several of their already excellent lights have received upgrades with the biggest being their flagship Seca 2000 light getting an upgrade to a measured 2000 lumens while actually dropping in price as a result of efficiency gains by the U.S. assembly team.

As noted, the Seca 2000 has increased its output 18% to 2000 lumens, while maintaining the same svelte 343 gram package. Also new is the Seca 1500, retailing for $399. The new Seca lights maintain backward compatibility with all 3 & 6 Cell Light & Motion Li-Ion batteries. That’s a measureable 2000 lumens by the way, as tested and published in conformance with the industry’s ANSI FL-1 standard.

The new Urban 700 gets a bump in the output to a whopping 27%. Part of the credit for the increase in power is due to Light & Motion “peening” the reflector to create a wider beam pattern. This avoids the hot spot effect and makes your commute more enjoyable. The rest of the Urban line gets pushed down in price with the Urban 200 at $79.

My new favorite, the Stella 500, put outs 500 lumens in a very compact package and also gets a customized “peened” reflector to optimize the extra output with a smoother wider beam pattern. Also, it now features a run-time based race mode.

The Taz all-in-one crossover light also gets a new 1000 lumen model that comes in at $249. This is in comparison to its bigger brother the Taz 1200 at $299.

All of the lights mentioned above also get a new pulse mode that, to my eyes, should increase visibility on the road. The randomized pattern should catch the eye of drivers more than a light with steady output.

Another item that commuters should have with them is the Viz180 taillight. The Viz180 ($100) doesn’t just shine to the rear. Where other lights direct their beam backwards, the side flashers on the Viz180 give you visibility to drivers coming at you from the side.

Look for a review of the Stella 500 on Bike World News soon!