Let there be light: can the Osram LEDsBIKE RACE 100 SET & RACE 50 bring some light into darkness?

Let there be light! Osram presented their first bicycle light at EUROBIKE this year. But does the Osram LEDsBIKE RACE 100 SET truly banish the darkness, and are Osram as innovative as their marketing claims? We’ve put Osram’s bike light to the test for you.

Osram – a name most of us associate with domestic light bulbs. However, the company has now turned its attention to the bicycle market. The result are three bike light sets, each consisting of a front and rear light. We tested both the priciest RACE 100 SET variant, which offers a powerful 100 lux and retails at € 49,99 and the cheapest RACE 50 model, which generates 50 lux and costs € 24,99. In between, there’s also the RACE 80, which costs € 34.99 and produces 80 lux.

Both of the models we tested can be charged via a USB-C charging port, and are delivered with a charging cable. However, Osram don’t include the power adapter, so you’ll have to either find one or borrow one from a friend 😉 The RACE 50 SET and RACE 100 SET both attach to the handlebars and seat tube with a rubber band – or you can secure them to a pannier rack too. Setup for both front and rear lights is almost identical, except that the front light mount can rotate 360°, while the rear light only tilts. When tilting or rotating, a fine ratchet system provides clicking feedback. A clear advantage is that you can attach and remove the light unit from the rubber band mount without having to loosen the band each time.

Both headlights have three brightness levels, which can be controlled by the power button. Both also feature two light strips on the sides of the housing – so you’re visible from the side too! At the top of the housing, there’s an LED indicator showing the battery status – 13 hours, according to the manufacturer. However, only the more expensive RACE 100 version displays the brightness level at the top alongside the battery charge status – nice! The build quality of the bike lights, which consist of an aluminium heat sink, a robust plastic housing, and a transparent polycarbonate lens designed for maximum durability, is impressive.

The two lights differ not only in price but also in the features. The RACE 100 bike light comes with a continuous light mode and an automatic brightness sensor – meaning it turns on by itself. There’s also a brake light function and 50 more lux on the front light. However, both models we tested are splash-proof with an IP44 rating.

What is lux, anyway?

Lux is the unit used to measure the brightness of a bike light. It measures the illuminance of the headlight at the centre of the light beam, perpendicular to the road surface at a distance of 10 metres. Simply put, lux indicates the brightness of the light at its brightest point. However, it’s important to note that lux doesn’t tell you anything about the total light output (measured in lumens) or the width of the beam (beam angle). Lux doesn’t reveal how far the beam reaches to the sides. There are also clear regulations for road traffic: in Germany, a bike light must have at least 10 lux to avoid trouble with the law. If you’re a mountain biker or an outdoor enthusiast riding off-road, there are no limits to the lux rating – except for your bike light’s battery life. That’s because the higher the lux, the more energy the light requires.

That’s everything about light intensity for now.

Osram bike light on review

Although you shouldn’t be riding trails at night – mainly for the love for wildlife and another small, yet significant factor – not being able to see anything – we ventured into the darkness to see whether the Osram RACE 50 bike light could brighten up the trail. First off: Osram don’t recommend the RACE 50 for trail use; only the RACE 100 is listed specifically for “off-road riding.” But we couldn’t resist and took both along for our night ride.

Osram RACE 50: Thanks to the rubber straps, it can be attached to the handlebars and seat tube in no time. On forest tracks and in road traffic, the light reliably illuminates the path ahead, which makes it a very practical companion. In the highest setting, the headlight ensures good visibility, allowing you to comfortably ride home at 25 km/h. We only used the other two brightness levels when the battery was running low. However, on the trail, the light is unfortunately ineffective: the narrow beam makes it more of a guessing game rather than showing you clearly where you’re going – dangerous! This effect is amplified by the low brightness and the handlebar mount. While the handlebar always points in the direction you’re riding, it doesn’t necessarily point where you’re looking. So the light doesn’t move with your head like a helmet-mounted light does. Furthermore, when riding on rough terrain, vibrations are transferred directly to the light. In short, don’t use the RACE 50 on trails – it’s better suited for the ride home after an evening spin on your local trails, when it gets dark earlier in the autumn. For that, the RACE 50 is a decent choice. The tail light, which mounts just as easily to the seat tube, is less bulky but still reasonably bright, ensuring good visibility in traffic. Even in the busiest urban environments, we felt safe.

Osram RACE 100: the RACE 100 is just as easy to mount as its little sibling and looks identical. In heavy urban traffic and on forest tracks leading to trailheads, the RACE 100 is a solid option. However, it’s still not suitable for trail riding: while the light is brighter, the beam is still too narrow to spot obstacles in time, and the handlebar mount limits it further. But as an addition to a trail-riding-specific helmet light, it’s quite useful. The automatic brightness detector, which switches between three levels, seemed unnecessary to us. Yes, it saves battery, but when it’s dark, we want to see as much as possible, so we ended up using the brightest setting most of the time. We did appreciate the brake light function – it works reliably and was a nice feature in road traffic. The battery life of the headlight in automatic mode was moderate, lasting around 5 hours in our tests, though it obviously depends on the individual lighting conditions. Temperature also plays a role in battery performance.

Thanks to the IP44 rating, both bike lights can easily withstand rain and mud – though with mud, you should wipe them off occasionally, as it can obscure the light.

The mounts on both lights are stable, but we noticed an annoying squeaking sound on gravel paths and with heavier vibrations, even with different handlebar materials. While this is no big deal, it can be quite irritating on longer rides. Additionally, we missed having a continuous flashing mode on both lights, which could help attract more attention on long road rides (though, of course, it’s not compliant with German road regulations).

Conclusions about the Osram RACE 50/100 bike light

Both lights are solid choices for use on roads and forest tracks. But once you hit the trails, they clearly reach their limits: the beam is too narrow, and too much vibration makes the light unstable. However, for the ride home after an evening spin or as an everyday light for commuting, they work well. But if you’re serious about riding trails, you’re better off looking for a brighter light with a wider beam, and, possibly, a helmet mount.

More information can be found at Osram.com

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Words: Robin Ulbrich Photos: Mike Hunger