Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light

The Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light is a good option for anyone riding in busy areas, offering decent performance just as a rear light, along with up to 160 lumens of improved visibility from the built-in brake light, plus 115-lumen indicators controlled by a wireless remote. The indicators can work as hazard lights, plus it has an anti-theft alarm, lane-defining lasers and a horn! And if you don't want to bother yourself with turning it on and off, you can set it to do that automatically too.

Concentrating on just its performance as a rear light, I was very impressed with how bright the NT101 is. It offers three solid modes – High (50 lumens), Mid (25 lumens) and Low (15 lumens) – and three flashing – Warning (160 lumens), Slow (100 lumens), and Hazard (115 lumens). On top of these you get the left and right turn signals (115 lumens).

These can all be controlled using the wireless remote, which comes already connected to the light. The buttons on the remote are clear and user friendly, and take no time at all to get used to. They're as follows: power, left turn signal, right turn signal, horn, alarm (to activate when parked) and laser lanes.

2024 Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light - remote.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Mounting

The remote was easy to fit to my handlebar using a rubber fastener, but attaching the light itself might be an issue for some. It comes with two brackets, one for a pannier rack and one for a seatpost (27-35mm in diameter), but it wasn't compatible with the aero seatpost on my road bike with the equipment that came as standard, so I had to add more padding (provided). Once done, it was very secure.

2024 Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light - clamp.jpg (credit: road.cc)

It's tightened either side with two bolts using a hex key (also provided). It's a little more time-consuming to fit than other rear lights, but because it was so secure I didn't mind.

The light itself can be a little difficult to detach from the mount as it requires a clip to be pulled down while sliding the light out to release it. But on the plus side it was super sturdy and didn't move at all once mounted to the bike. Silver lining!

Indicators

The feature I liked most was the indicators, which flash in a line either side. They flash for 12 seconds before cancelling, and were really clear to see, even from over 100m away. I found this feature most useful in the dark when other road users might not be able to see my arms as clearly.

2024 Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light - indicator right.jpg (credit: road.cc)

During the day I stuck to using my arms to indicate my intended direction rather than rely on the indicators, as I think other road users are still expecting this.

Brake light

The 160-lumen brake light, which is triggered when deceleration is detected and lasts for three seconds, is useful, though it's not as obvious as other brake lights I've used, such as the Sigma Buster (full review to come).

Laser lanes

The Ground Warning Lane lasers were great for showing road users the space around me, and could be seen from around 25m away.

2024 Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light - laser lane.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Horn & alarm

The horn is good but very loud and rather aggressive; it's not something I'd use that often and feel a bell does a better job at alerting others in a more suitable tone.

Equally, I didn't really find the Anti-Theft Vibration Alarm that useful. It does what it says: vibrates when it detects the bike is being moved and sounds an alarm. I suppose every little helps, but I doubt this would stop someone stealing a bike. I'd highly recommend a good lock instead or as well as.

Run-times

Battery-wise, the NT101 lasted around 6:50hrs when being used on the High setting and with features such as the turn signals and laser lanes. This is only 10 minutes less than Ravemen claims for that mode, which I thought was good given the brightness and the fact that the other features will use more power.

A small blue light flashes on the back to indicate when the battery is getting low, which I found useful.

Charging is via the USB-C cable provided, with recharging taking roughly 2:20hrs from flat, which is quite fast.

2024 Ravemen NT101 Commuter Signal Rear Light - USB port.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The IPX4 rating for water resistance is a bit disappointing (some Ravemen lights are IPX7), though it's not unusual for lights at the cheaper end of the scale, and I didn't have any issues during the review period.

Value

The NT101 is quite a niche product – there aren't many direct competitors on the market – so it's hard to say whether it's expensive or not in comparison, but the Rockbros Bike Laser Rear Light is also £59.99 (we haven't tested it).

Other high-tech rear lights that have braking incorporated into the design include the Lezyne Strip Pro Ai Alert 400+ Rear Light. The Lezyne can't function as an indicator, yet still costs £60, making the Ravemen look a pretty good deal for all the other functions it provides, though its highest output is a lot lower.

Another rear light that provides automatic braking is the Sigma Buster I've been using, which I mentioned earlier. That costs only £29.99, but again it is very limited compared with the Ravemen, though it's a cheaper alternative if you want a smaller brake light with fewer features.

For more options, check out our guide to the best rear bike lights.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a good rear light for urban riders and commuters. The indicating feature is a great way to feel safer during heavy traffic or at night when an arm signal might be harder to see, though a few of the other features aren't as important in my opinion.

Verdict

Well-priced, clever rear signal light with many bonus features, even if some seem a bit gimmicky