Knog Blinder Arc 1.7 and 5.5 Review: Dazzling Aussie Quality

A couple of years ago, I rode the Dunwich Dynamo. If you’re unfamiliar with the event, it’s an overnight bike ride from the East End of London through 120 miles to the Suffolk coast at Dunwich. Things didn’t go ever so smoothly (as reported in Cycling Plus issue 276). Having not fully considered the vagaries of riding rural roads at night, I brought along a 20 year old halogen Cat Eye that seemed bright enough during testing in my back garden.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, I discovered the bike light technology of the early 90's to be wholly inadequate. I’m not sure how many lumens the old unit was putting out, but I’m guessing single figures. Were it not for a full moon and the odd lucky guess, I’d probably still be cycling round Epping Forest.

Bring on the new Knog Blinder Arcs. It’s apparent that things have moved on substantially in the last 20 years. In common with most Knog products, these compact units look great and feel well put together.  Soft touch silicon is complemented by tough polycarbonate housing with anodised aluminium trim (available in 4 colours). The lights attach to the bike using silicone straps and a stainless steel catch, made extra secure with a small magnet. This strap system features on all Knog’s Blinder range, and there have been reports of the silicone fraying when used on oversized bars etc. Perhaps with this in mind, the straps can be replaced on both Arc units via a small screw under the base. Knog claims that both lights are 100% waterproof and they certainly held up well in a heavy rainstorm. The lights are fitted with lithium batteries, recharged via a foldaway USB plug on the rear.

Blinder Arc 5.5

Pumping out 550 lumens, the Arc 5.5 is remarkably bright on its highest setting. The beam pattern produces a good spread on the road ahead and I was able to ride quickly on an unlit potholed track without suffering the sweaty palms of my Dunwich Dynamo experience. Re-joining the road, a single button press dips the light to avoid dazzling motorists. There are 4 settings in all, 3 levels of brightness and a flashing mode. The battery manages a claimed 1.8 hours on full beam and 17 hours on flash. In the box there’s a helmet mount, an extension lead for the USB plug and a spare mounting strap. The Arc Blinder 5.5 has an RRP of £89.99.

Blinder Arc 1.7

At 170 lumens, the more compact Arc 1.7 is not quite as blinding as the 5.5, but is still bright enough for me to ride on the unlit track, albeit with a bit more caution. The above photo is for comparison with the 5.5 and really does not do justice to the amount of light produced. The light boasts the same lighting modes, giving  a claimed 1.4 hours on its brightest setting, 11.7 on flash. The power is adequate for commuting on unlit roads (or even the Dunwich Dynamo), but if you’re looking to do some night time off-roading, I would plump for the 5.5. The Arc Blinder 1.7 has an RRP of £49.99.

Conclusion: Blindingly good lights, great quality, convenient mount system, easy to use.

http://www.knog.com.au/gear-featured/blinder-arcs.phps

Knog Blinder 4V review

Anna Meares might have broken Victoria Pendleton’s heart in the Olympic sprint final, but we won’t hold it against Australia if her compatriots Knog keep banging out great products like the Blinder 4V.

Knog always take an original approach to design, producing distinctive looking products such as the Strongman lock I reviewed in April. As with the lock, the Blinder 4V backs the style with impressive performance.  Released as a companion to the square-shaped Blinder, the 4V is a rear light with 4 super bright LEDs in a straight line. Blinder is an appropriate moniker as with the help of special optics the LEDs pump out 44 lumens. Translated into lay terms, that means the light is visible up to 800 metres away – giving approaching drivers plenty of notice of your presence. There are 5 different flashing patterns available, my favourite being the “organic” mode. A lithium battery is recharged using a clever little USB plug – giving up to 50 hours of use in flashing mode.

The anodised aluminium case combined with industrial grade silicone makes the light 100% waterproof, just as well in some of the conditions we’ve had recently. The integrated strap secures the light to seatposts between 22 and 32mm diameter using a steel watch-strap style catch.

I love this light – it looks absolutely great and performs brilliantly. Expected to retail at about £30, there are cheaper options out there, but not many that match the Blinder 4V’s quality and none that match its good looks.

Knog Blinder Light Review

 

Australian company Knog first came to my attention when I bought a couple of their Frog bike lights. The silicon encased LED lights looked great and were highly practical, not relying on brackets to fix them to my handlebars or seatpost. Switching the lights between bikes or attaching them to a helmet was a doddle and if you looked at them through squinty eyes they really did look a bit like frogs. Having said that, although bright, they weren’t quite powerful enough to use on their own – I also had to use other, uglier and less amphibian lights to feel safe. Knog have corrected that somewhat with the release of their new Blinder light.

First Impressions

In common with most Knog products, this is a funky bit of kit. Unlike any other bike light I have seen, it has a flat square front with an anodised aluminium face. The 4 LEDs are arranged in a square with the aluminium forming thick go faster stripes (other patterns are available). The whole thing is about the size of a compact bike computer. There is an ingenious clip system that allows bracket-less mounting to the bike, with a metal catch – a bit like a watch strap. The whole thing feels really well made and a big step up in quality from the Frog lights.

Charge ahead

The light is powered by a lithium battery that is charged via an inbuilt USB plug that clips out of the back of the Blinder. One charge gives up to 50 hours of battery life in flashing mode, 3 hours in constant mode. If you have a computer at work, it is an ideal way to make sure you never have to ride home with a dim light.

Blinding Light

In use the light really lives up to its name, the LEDs giving off 80 lumens, visible from a claimed 800 metres.  There are 5 different flashing modes to help catch the attention of other road users. The light is 100% waterproof and survived the recent deluges with no problems at all. Bright enough to use without additional lights, it looks great on the bike, although no amount of squinting can make it look anything like a frog.

Summary

For:        Compact, lightweight, waterproof, USB charging

Surprisingly bright and looks great.

Against: Quality costs - at £30 a light it’s a bit pricey.

Score: 4/5