Brompton Lights: A Guide
A set of front and rear lights is essential for the safety of any cyclist. Lights ensure you can see the road and are seen by others! However accessories that work well with the Brompton folding bike can be tricky to find. We’ve written this guide to front lights, rear lights and hub dynamos to get you lit up and riding safely on your Brompton.
Front lights - light the road ahead of you!
Brompton x CatEye 500LM front light (link)
This is the official Brompton front light and it is fantastic! Updated from the older 400LM Cateye, this option comes with better battery life and brighter output.
What’s special: This light comes with a specific bracket which sits just above the front fender. It’s installed in lieu of the reflector.
- This bracket ensures that the light is always angled nicely to see the road
- 500 lumens it’s lower to the ground than handlebar-mounted options
- Other features: flashing modes, USB rechargeable, easy to click on and off.
- Benefit: by having the light sit above the wheel, it frees up precious handlebar space for mounting. Think QuadLock phone mounts, or stem bags.
Magicshine Allty 600LM front light (link)
A great alternative to the previous light, which is compatible with any other bikes you might have. See the world ahead of you with this 600 lumen. The mount cinches onto the Brompton handlebar.
What’s special: IPX7 waterproof. The Magicshine mount is very well designed and it’s super easy to take lights on and off.
- This light mounts onto the handlebar, and twists on and off with a quarter turn.
- Other features: flashing modes, USB C rechargeable
Knog Lil Cobber 110LM front light (link)
This is a casual light option which is fantastic for letting other people see you rather than lighting up the road. Great for a park ride or or as a secondary blinker light.
This bike features a 330 degree beam angle, making you visible from a wide range of directions.
- neat lil light which can be mounted to the side of the mid and high and Brompton handlebar.
- Other features: flashing modes, USB rechargeable, easy to slip in and off.
Rear lights - help others see you!
Magicshine SeeMee 150 or 200 LM rear light
Our preferred rear light for the Brompton, the SeeMee, comes with a mount that securely sits in the saddle rail. As saddle rail width is standard across bikes, you use both the mount and light with your other bikes. We also love how easily this light twists on and off with a simple quarter turn.
- Rear light is 150 or 200 LM, which is crazy bright for a rear light!
- Other features: flashing modes, IPX 6 waterproofness, USB rechargeable, brake and motion sensor
- Benefit: easy to take off for safe keeping, super bright, can use the mount and light on other bikes
Brompton x Cateye Mini 25LM rear light (link)
This official Brompton rear light comes with a special bracket which screws into the underside of the Brompton seat. This light is only compatible with Brompton saddles from 2016 onwards, take a look underneath and if you see a square indent (2x2cm), it's compatible.
- Other features: flashing modes, USB rechargeable, brake and motion sensor
- Benefit: easy to take off for safe keeping, super lightweight, relatively long
Knog Lil Cobber 50LM rear light (link)
Similar to the front light mentioned above, this is a convenient lil flasher light that features a 330 degree beam angle which can be seen from the sides and behind. The mount sits on the seatpost and doesn’t interrupt the Brompton fold.
- Mounts using rubber strap around the seatpost, can be slid off and on without taking the mount off.
- Other features: flashing modes, IP67 waterproofness, USB rechargeable, 330 degree visibility, customisable modes
Dynamo hubs - ride forever!
We often get asked, why go dynamo? Our answer is that dynamos just work and keep working. The mental overhead of remembering to charge your lights is gone! Also you can ride for longer and never worry about your lights running out during your adventures. On a Brompton the way the cabling is routed also looks really discrete and clean.
Installing a dynamo and lights does make your bike a bit heavier, but we argue that the convenience and ease is well worth it for most regular commuter rides.
There are two Brompton dynamo options.
- Brompton x Shutter Precision hub kit - for most people this is a great option, however the front light it comes with is not that bright, and very upgradeable.
- Schmidt SON Dynamo wheel - a German made option that’s more durable, doesn’t come with lights.
Brompton x Shutter Precision SV-8 Hub Kit | SON Dynamo Wheel | |
Price | $449 | $509-529 |
Colour | silver or black | silver or black |
Comes with | Busch & Muller front light (25 lux) & Brompton rear light | doesn’t come with lights |
With dynamo lighting, one can fine-tune how much light you’d like from your front light. Here are a few popular options
Busch and Muller IQ X - 100 LUX
Busch and Muller IQ XE - 150 LUX
Schmidt SON Edelux II - 100 LUX
For rear light there’s the Busch and Muller Toplight Line Plus Rear Light - similar in style to the reflector and sits nicely over the rear wheel.