Raveman FR160 GPS Computer Mount Blinky Light

Raveman FR160 Light $36  

Let’s face it. It can be treacherous out there. Driver distractibility is at an all-time high resulting in a massive spike in car-on-bike mishaps. You need to run a strong offense. The folks at Ravemen have a complement of front and rear lights to brighten the road and trail.  We recently received a demo sample of the Ravemen FR160. Designed to integrate with your Garmin or Wahoo head unit for a seamless front daytime light flasher and safety beacon, the FR160 provides a thoughtfully designed front light flasher/beacon to keep you safe on the roads.  Let’s take a closer look.

Features:

• Highly efficient COB LED boasting 160 lumens
• Eye-catching warning flash for daytime riding with 3x brightness settings
• Compatibility with Garmin and Wahoo (sold separately) head units and bike mounts
• USB-C charging port
• Memory mode to remember the most recent setting
• IPX6 water resistance for use during heavy rains

The FR160’s arrival at fat-bike.com coincided with the return of bike-to-work season in March. Pre-dawn departures followed by post-sunset rides demand visibility. The Ravemen unit has been a solid addition to my ride setup. To be fair, I’m not battling for lane space with four-wheeled coffins like my urban crawling homies. My commute follows an 11.4-mile stretch of sublime country miles along the St. Croix River. Cars are few, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to be seen.

My setup features a Dyno Hub-powered front light coupled with a Garmin Varia rear radar. The unit integrates smoothly with my Garmin Edge 1030 providing added visibility whether traveling by day or night. The unit’s design features wrap-around visibility so vehicles can see your blinky from the front and sides. This design feature is awesome for vehicles approaching from the sides and intersections.

The on-off button is located on the rear of the unit. You will struggle a bit to reach it when the unit is coupled with a computer. If you’re wearing gloves you can forget about it. I routinely decouple the two units or pull them off the bike mount entirely to turn it off and on. To be clear, this is a minor inconvenience for the safety and security it provides once it’s running.

The FR160 has 3 three constant levels and three flasher modes. Lumen brightness is as follows:

The run times are based on their lab testing. You may find some variability in your experience. I’ve yet to find a light that actually performs at the peak run times advertised, but so far, my experience with the Ravemen FR160 has been consistent. Running a constant headlight with the Dyno, I usually run the FR160 in Rapid Flash to extend my battery time.

Overall, I think the Ravemen FR160 is a good buy for the money. It charges quickly and does the job it’s designed to do. Give it a look if you’re interested in a front-running daytime light to keep distracted drivers on their toes.