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The Knog Blinder Road 600 headlamp is quick and easy to install, durable and does not require separate charging. This is best for extending the trip home, although brighter lights are available for the same price (or less).
It’s that time of year again…clocks have changed, off-hours trips are in the dark, and even weekend day trips sometimes need a light, depending on how much darkness affects visibility. The Blinder Road 600 works well as a “visible” light, as the name suggests, it can put out up to 600 lumens, which is more than enough to make it work as a main light in a pinch.
Like many Knog lights, it attaches with a rubber band and clip, is quick and easy to use, and holds the light securely. A similar strap broke on the Knog light after a few years of use and I’m glad to see the straps are removable and very cheap to replace (£1.50 from Tredz).
There are two straps in the box that should fit the vast majority of handlebars; the smaller strap (22-28mm) works well with my round profile bars, while the larger strap (29-35mm) has a good impressive amount of elasticity, flexible enough to fit airprofile bars. The flashlight itself is about 53mm wide so you will need a lot of space between the computer stand/stand and where the cables start as it is not designed to go through those spaces.
Unlike many flashlights of similar power, the Blinder has two independently controllable LEDs. The beam on the left is relatively narrow (12 degrees) and can be used as a spotlight, illuminating the ground in front of you. While this spotlight is good enough to illuminate potholes in dark driveways, I find this light to be best for long commutes and trips into the late afternoon rather than illuminating the entire drive; necessary for unlit country roads. two LEDs, even then I would like to have something brighter to quickly navigate them.
The second LED is located behind the lens and is designed to make it a spotlight (32 degrees). Knog says it’s best for slow rides over bumps or bumps; in real life i use it to see and it also helps when using both led gutters which light up the road.
The choice of the mode is carried out by means of two buttons in the top part of a lantern. Press and hold the left mode button for two seconds to turn the light on or off, then press once to cycle through flashing patterns, left LED, right LED, or both LEDs. The buttons on the right then change each mode’s brightness, low, medium and high settings for three permanent modes and two different flash modes in flash mode.
This provides a total of 11 different modes which, while relatively easy to navigate, feel like overkill. Knog does make sure the settings are available for every situation, but I was drawn to using the flashing or dual LED mode and changing the intensity to balance out the battery life. The buttons are small too, well placed so you can at least see what you’re doing, but with thick winter gloves it’s not that easy to do.
Knog claims the light will last for 1 hour at a maximum brightness of 600 lumens. 2 hours at 400 lumens brightness, 8.5 hours at most economical constant setting, 5.4 or 9 hours in flash mode. This is in line with competitors such as the Lezyne Microdrive 600XL, but less than the Ravemen CR600, which lasts 1.4 hours at 600 lumens and longer than Knog in flash mode.
The actual burn time is as advertised, although it was very moderate during testing, so in cooler weather, this time may be slightly shorter.
When charging the flashlight, you simply plug it into the USB port that unfolds at the back. This means no leads are required, which is useful for unplanned additions at work, for example. You get a short USB extension cable that helps free up a port next to the one you’re using and reduces the chance of it breaking while charging.
Cutouts on both sides of the headlights help improve side visibility, which is especially useful in urban environments where intersections are more common. The flashlight is also IP67 water resistant and has withstood shower and sink tests, so it should hold up to a lot of wet weather. (IP67 corresponds to 30 minutes in one meter of water.)
The Blinder Road 600′s MSRP is £79.99, which is expensive for a flashlight that puts out just 600 lumens. For example, the aforementioned Lezyne Microdrive 600XL and Ravemen CR600 cost £55 and £54.99 respectively. You can even get something more powerful than Knog for less money – for example the Magicshine Allty 1000 costs £69.99 and has more power and longer runtimes.
For now, however, Blinder can be found at a discount of around £50. At this price, it’s a better deal if you don’t plan on going too fast in the dark. For serious commuting and the occasional nighttime commute at dusk, the lights are fantastic – durable, quick to install, and keep the bar tidy.
Beautifully designed and durable, it’s best for serious commuters, but you can get brighter lighting for less money.
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Tell us what the light is for and to whom it is directed. What do manufacturers think about it? How does this compare with your own feelings?
Nog said: “The Blinder Road 600 has all the best features of our original Blinder Road, but now has an incredible light output of 600 lumens. When this increase in lighting power is combined with carefully crafted beam angles when driving on the road, you have the most powerful and ultimate road bike headlight. ever made by Knog.”
I like the design, but I think 600 lumens is expensive. It is best for passengers, because the running time and power do not allow you to drive at high speed for a long time without light.
As long as you have a 53mm rod and no cables/hoses, you should be fine. Installation on round or aerospace profile poles is easy. Sleek design that doesn’t look bulky when installed.
Quick and easy to use, holds the flashlight securely on rough roads without bouncing or wiggling, and the silicone strap is very cheap to replace.
It’s IP67 rated (it can be submerged one meter in water for 30 minutes – “more than a meter,” Knog says) and it’s withstood several slips.
The burn time can be found in the comments, it is good, but there is not much to write about. Charging from the tablet takes about 3 hours.
For the price, I expected more power and longer run time. They can be limited to keep it small, so it’s forgivable, but it costs a lot more than some 600 lumen bulbs.
It appears to work with a rubber housing and interchangeable straps, but is significantly more expensive than other flashlights of similar power.
What is the price compared to similar products on the market, including those recently tested on road.cc?
I think overall it’s a good choice. Yes, the buttons are small and you can get brighter lights for less money, but it has withstood drops and rain and is bright enough for the vast majority of commutes if you go a little slower Can help you in an emergency with no lights, plus there are multiple modes , attractive flare and decent side visibility.
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trials, cyclocross, commuting, club riding, sports, general fitness riding, mountain biking,
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Jamie has been cycling since he was a child, but he noticed his races and analyzed his mistakes while studying for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Swansea University. After leaving school, he decided that he really enjoyed cycling, and now he is a permanent member of the road.cc team. When he’s not writing tech news or running a Youtube channel, you can still find him trying to get his Category 2 license at a local critics match…and skipping every break….
As always, Martin, what you see in the video is not what other people see. Do you need more durable goggles? …
Doing stuff like that sucks! Seriously, it would be great if community organizations could get some decent equipment.
Looks like someone rummaged around in the garage, stuffed the parts into a bag, and took £40! …
Here is a short video showing Beaty playing on Sunday and a short conversation with her after: https://youtu.be/X3XcIs7T0AE
It’s well built, has a useful low beam mode, and a long battery life that can be used as a power bank. But a disappointing strap
A powerful light source/power bank at an attractive price, but reduces usability due to several design options.
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Post time: Nov-01-2022