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review
£34.99
VERDICT:
An excellent evolution of the standard Fibre Flare, an all-in-one solution
Weight:
112g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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- Appalling
The Cyclops has evolved from the original Fibre Flare, adding a bright rear-facing LED to the all-round visibility of the fibre optic main body. It's a great concept, especially for the urban warrior at rush hour.
Not many lights offer as large an angle of illumination as the Fibre Flare. With about half of its body length comprising the fibre optic rod, it lights up the bike, you the rider, or the ground depending where you have it positioned, as well as pumping light out in all directions for drivers to see – especially important at junctions and roundabouts.
> Find your nearest dealer here
For me, though, the original was never really bright or definitive enough to be used as a standalone light source. A great secondary, yes, but without that piercing beam to make it stand out.
It does now. A single LED sits at one end of the light, angled to suit seatstay or seatpost fitment. When it's strapped to the seatpost the LED is at the top and fires the light out horizontally. On a seatstay the LED should be at the bottom (not as photographed).
Fibre Flare doesn't claim any output figures but it's pretty bright, 20 or 30 lumens or so, I'd say, and FF claims it's visible for 2000m. That's a bit optimistic, but on a straight piece of unlit road it easily distinguishes you as a cyclist at 1km away, especially in flashing mode.
While we're on the subject of modes, you can set the Cyclops to be on either solid or flashing, or solid and flashing with both the LED and the fibre optic working independently. Both flashing will get you four hours of burn time, with solid halving that to two. They aren't massively long burn times really for the output, but will get you through a decent length ride – plus commuters can recharge it at work within two hours.
Fitment is by way of a couple of silicone straps through clips that can also be used to attach it to bags and clothing. Using either of those fixing options the Fibre Flare remains secure and in position. A neat little feature is the part of the silicone band that covers over the plastic clip of the light, preventing damage to your bike's paintwork.
> Check out our guide to the best rear lights here
The only real issue I can find with the Cyclops is that, being quite long in the body at 190mm, it needs quite a lot of seatpost to fit, so best suited to compact framesets.
You can of course run it on the seatstay with the LED at the bottom to get the correct angle, but for me I prefer it to sit up higher in a driver's line of sight.
The other thing is the price. At £34.99 it's right at the top end of what I'd be expecting to pay for a light with this brightness and short burn times. The build quality is impressive, though, and it doesn't struggle from water ingress in heavy rain.
Overall, I think the Cyclops is a well-thought-out light that has turned the Fibre Flare into a complete solution for riding in the dark. Check your seatpost length, though.
Verdict
An excellent evolution of the standard Fibre Flare, an all-in-one solution
road.cc test report
Make and model: Fibre Flare Cyclops
Size tested: Length: 190mm, Red
Tell us what the light is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Fibre Flare says, "Combining the best of Fibre Flare Omni-Directional technology (Lensed SMT LED Driven Fibre-Optic) with an integrated Lensed SMT Uni-Directional LED (Focused Beam) in the Fibre Flare head.. All in a compact USB rechargeable package."
The Cyclops is a sensible evolution of the standard Fibre Flare as the new LED means it's now powerful enough to be a standalone light.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?
- LENSED SMT LED's DRIVE THE FIBRE-OPTIC (Creating the brightest Fibre Flare ever made)
- UNI-DIRECTIONAL FOCUSED BEAM - FULLY INTEGRATED
- OMNI - DIRECTIONAL FIBRE OPTIC VISIBLE 500 MTRS+
- UNI - DIRECTIONAL FOCUSED BEAM VISIBLE 2000 MTRS+
- USB RECHARGEABLE 'AA' SIZED Li-POLY CELL PROVIDES SUPERIOR BURN TIME (4hrs Strobe - 2hrs Solid)
- REAL TIME CHARGE INDICATOR
- INTERNAL & EXTERNAL WEATHER PROOFING SYSTEM
- BEAM ANGLE TO SUIT FRAME GEOMETRY (Rear Stay or Seat Post Mount Options)
- Silicone Mounting Slings & USB Cord Included
Rate the light for quality of construction:
9/10
You can bend it and twist it without ill effect plus all the components look well put together.
Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
10/10
Charge it, strap it on, turn it on – it's that simple. Combining the LED light alongside the near all-round visibility of the main body means it's great for commuters.
Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
8/10
Simple silicone bands to clamp round a seatpost or seatstay work well and keep the light in position. It can also be clipped to a rucksack or clothing.
Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
9/10
Passed the rain and shower test with flying colours.
Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
8/10
It's got quite a short burn time for a rear light of 2 hours on solid or 4 hours on flashing, but the Cyclops exceeded the manufacturer's claims by 10 minutes or so. Charging from flat only takes a couple of hours.
Rate the light for performance:
8/10
The LED is very visible to following motorists even though it isn't the brightest on the market, and when added to the main body's 360-degree glow it is a pretty complete light.
Rate the light for durability:
8/10
There is very little to go wrong. Being flexible and fitted with rubber end caps, it doesn't matter if it's dropped.
Rate the light for weight:
8/10
Rate the light for value:
5/10
For its output and burn times it's a touch on the pricey side.
Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose
As a main light I'd prefer it on the seatpost but you do need to be running quite a bit of that to get it to fit. I'd say it makes a great secondary light on the seatstay though.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the light
The side visibility.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light
Quite long for seatpost use.
Did you enjoy using the light? Yes
Would you consider buying the light? No
Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
I've used Fibre Flare lights in the past as secondary lights for extra side visibility, so the Cyclops is a great update for use as a main light. The only issue is that it's quite long to fit on most seatposts unless you are riding a compact. Other than that it's well built and will certainly stand up to the tests of winter. Well deserving of its 8/10.
About the tester
Age: 37
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: Mason Definition
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
Latest Comments
- GMBasix 1 hour 51 sec ago
We need to be very careful about taking an approach that suggests that one vulnerable road user group should use the other facilities available to...
- wtjs 1 hour 4 min ago
Wow! This Metro looks just like the hyper-junk Mail. As for 'what about the penalties inflicted on red light offending drivers'! I'm prompted to...
- Hirsute 1 hour 6 min ago
All in the article - road tax.
- Sredlums 1 hour 21 min ago
Some nice looking bikes there. One thing about the Look bike, you say "It is the only steel frame made by Look" but that is definitely not true.
- chrisonabike 2 hours 20 min ago
Ah, but: in UK, if a motorist drives into you (or simply parks in a cycle lane, forcing you out into the path of another motorist) then the council...
- hawkinspeter 3 hours 22 min ago
You're right. I just use the main Long Ashton Rd to get between the A370 and Ashton Court/B3128. Looking at a map, Festival Way doesn't go far...
- hand0j1n 17 hours 40 min ago
Hopefully the new device is a big success, but wahoo do have a lot work to do in terms of convincing that their quality control has improved. ...
- chrisonabike 16 hours 30 min ago
Agree that the moaning comes from a place of priveledge and ultimately "if only there weren't so many other people driving"....
- Simon E 18 hours 15 min ago
Have added some clarification....
- Simon E 18 hours 25 min ago
I was tempted to try Galibier gloves but opted for Endura Freezing Point from LBS last year. Not cheap (£60, I think). I'd prefer a shorter cuff...
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6 comments
I've seen a fair few of the older model, and they're not bright or attention grabbing in the slightest. You're much better off with a high powered rear light, especially considering the pricetag.
www.veloism.cc
Good, that's why I clip one my backpack when I'm carrying one, and by the amount of other people I've seen doing the same I'm far from alone. Lots of side visibility, and something that doesn't dazzle or blind anyone (including other cyclists). A very good light to mount up high, where they seem to be rather good at grabbing attention and keeping you visible while filtering through typical urban traffic.
I hope they have improved the rain protection. I had one of the original fibre flares on my rear stay for added visibility and didn't even get one Winter out of it before water got in and runined the battery contacts.
The rubber mounting straps left something to be desired too, simply didn't last in Winter weather and was using cable ties before long.
I have a mini on my top tube usb version, it gives me some visability when filtering in traffic still going strong. I have heard the battery versions die due to corrosion, the USB version is great though.
On the other hand, I've had four of the originals which have been going strong for a good few years of daily Lancashire weather abuse...
I used the original version of this - had two actually - but both died after an Aberdeen winter of rain, sleet, salt etc. I don't think they're in a great place on the bike for spray. Perhaps the latest version has improved the seal to the battery compartment - I'd hope so. Otherwise buy an Exposure Flare - has worked fine for years.