If like most of us, you work during the day and you want to ride mid-week then you need lights. And if you want to go off-road then something a little more illuminating than the average £20 bike light is called for.

For a nation of shed-based inventors the UK really doesn't have very many independent companies turning out quality gear in the UK. And when it comes to lights, well, there's only really one: Lumicycle. Pioneering users of NiMH, Nickel Metal Hydride, batteries, the same technology as you find in laptops and mobile phones, in mtb lights Lumicycle are a very small company based on the South Coast who turn out excellent, if a little Heath Robinson, lights at 'can't beat that' prices.

A lotta bottle

The main advantages of the NiMH batteries are weight and power characteristics. At only 52 grams per cell they are considerably lighter than the NiCad equivalent and don't need to be fully discharged before being recharged - like lead acid cells you should never fully discharge them. Like many other manufacturers Lumicycle 'over-volt' their bulbs for extra brightness. This simply means applying a higher than recommended voltage to the bulb. The battery consumption goes up a bit and bulb life is slightly shortened, but the light is proportionally brighter.

The light units are small, tidily machined aluminium cans with a screw front which are mounted onto the bars with releasable zip ties. This is a bit Heath Robinson for some but most riders we've spoken see the benefits: weight, cost and flexibility. The mounting does make them look a little unfinished next to a mass produced light but there is no loss of function and you can adjust the light beam on the fly and the lights roll round the bars when you crash - which you tend to do more at night.

Part of the reason that the Lumicycle lights are so cheap is that the company only sell direct so there's no point in asking for them at your local bike shop. Bash www.lumicycle.co.uk into your browser and see for yourself. After very little pondering we ordered a twin light, bottle mounted battery system with a 12, and a 35W bulb and a fast charger: total cost £159.99. If we're honest we went for the twin set (minus pearls obviously) on gadget grounds but as soon as we put the lights on the bike it was apparent that all you really need for most situations is a single 12W, or 20W max. Sure the 35W is great, as bright as a Cat Eye Stadium costing twice as much, but the run time dips from almost 4 hours for the 12W to around 1.5 hours.

Verdict: Would we buy Lumicycles? Yes, with a single 20W flood bulb and a fast charger. That'd give around 2.5hours continuous run time and cost a paltry, for this much technology at least, £137.49. Bargain.

There's loads more info, order forms and light myth-busting, on the Lumicycle website www.lumicycle.co.uk.
Email sales@lumicycle.co.uk or you can ring them direct on 01202 269863.