New Equipment Review: A Biker's Dilemma...

A Biker's Dilemma, by Jordan Cohen

As bikers, we must always put safety first and looking cool second, right? WRONG!

I’m here to introduce you to a company that puts the “funk” in functionality: Knog. This super-fly urban bike company from down under (who knew they had bikes in Australia?) has only this to say: “The thought behind Knog is SEXY URBAN BIKE simple”. This philosophy is definitely mirrored in their amazing line up of biking accessories.

You may be familiar with the incredibly popular (but not super functional) Knog Frog lights that you see on many fixies.

While these little guys do pack a punch, the single LED does leave more safety conscious cyclists a bit wary. But don’t go and throw out the baby with the bathwater. Knog is not a one-light manufacturer. In fact, they recently came out with a whole arsenal of bike lights of varying sizes and brightness levels, all designed with the same easy-on/easy-off attachment and stylish color selections. I recently got my hands on a pair of the Knog Beetles, which boast two bright LEDs and do more than their part to warn cars and bicyclists that I am riding alongside.

It may not look like much, but I now use this light for the front of my bike and have been more than satisfied with its incredible brightness. The only downside is that it has 5 flash modes (which could be good if you like to match your bike strobe to your mood), so turning off the light takes more clicks than I desire. But for ease of attachment, funk-factor, and brightness, this light gets nearly perfect marks in my book.
Now on to the monsters of the Knog family, because personally, I need to have the security of a blinding beacon on the back of my bike. I recently received the Knog Gekko, which boasts 3 LEDs and takes AAA batteries. Though this light only provides one extra LED, it really makes a difference. I’ve had friends bike behind me and complain of being near-blinded at a close distance and able to see my light from 50-100 feet back. And though it doesn’t seem like a big deal at first, when it comes time to change your batteries, you will be very pleased to save money on buying AAA batteries instead of the small specialty ones found in many microlights. The Gekko is a great light because it provides incredible brightness, but doesn’t sacrifice the easy-on design or the unique, colorful silicon shell.
2010 is a big year for Knog as they roll out a new line of compact multi-function tools and a super cool looking cycle computer that is just as easy to get on as their lights. Stay tuned for reviews of these new products soon!