In bike riding, vision is everything. Not only in terms of seeing what’s ahead but also to be seen by others, who, more often than not, are speeding around in massive chunks of metal. In the early and late hours of the day, visibility can become a problem, for which the answer is straightforward: bike lights. But, as with most things, there are bike lights, and then there are bike lights; Knog’s new Cobber is undoubtedly the latter.
Knog, an Australian bike accessories company, is known for its somewhat funky yet innovative take on improving the riding experience. (I still remember receiving a strange silicon light from my mom one Christmas called a Knog Frog that wraps around a handlebar and does look somewhat amphibious.) The Cobber lights are aimed at just that, and they accomplish it by producing 330 degrees of light.
The Cobber lights come in three sizes (Big, Mid, Lil’) and offer varying levels of brightness (470, 170 and 110 lumens, respectively, with the red rear lights emitting slightly less). They’re cylindrical, 100 percent waterproof and install easily onto bars with silicone straps. There’s also a magnetic clip system that lets you take the light off while leaving the strap in place, which comes in handy in preventing theft.
All of the Cobber lights use Knog’s Modemaker platform, which lets riders plug their lights into a computer to configure their settings. Users can program each light with up to eight modes, but there are twice as many options available. Within those modes, cyclists can make further adjustments to brightness, strobe frequency and more. It sounds complicated, but Knog’s interface is well-organized and straightforward (and using it isn’t required to make the lights function).
Bike lights are often a secondary purchase, perhaps made at the bike shop in a moment of, “Oh yeah, I need that,” but they shouldn’t be. There are plenty of options available, and Knog’s Cobber is among the most versatile.
