The Planet Bike Shiner 70 light set is a compact yet bright LED setup that can be used to complement traditional headlight and taillight setups. The lights offer flexible mounting and can provide additional visibility while riding. Planet Bike offers the front and rear light set for $50 or the taillight by itself for $30. Each of the lights have 70 lumen output from the array of LEDs which Planet Bike refers to as PB Power Array. Maximum runtimes are 8 hours for the taillight and 12 hours for the headlight. The lights are micro USB rechargeable and have integrated 440 mAh Lithium Polymer batteries. Both lights also feature Planet Bike’s iconic Superflash pattern for daytime visibility as well as constant output modes.
The Planet Bike Shiner 70 is a compact LED headlight and taillight set that ensures you are visible during the day or night.
| Retail Price | $50 |
| Rating | 8.5/10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 34 (headlight) / 34 (taillight) |
| Likes | + Affordable price + Daytime visible Superflash and Courtesy output modes + Dual direction rubber strap style mount provides flexible mounting options |
| Dislikes | – No mode memory – Mounts don’t work well on narrow forks or seat stays |
| Where to Buy (US) | Planet Bike |
UNBOXING
The Shiner 70 comes in a cardboard box with Planet Bike’s distinctive circular patterns printed on it. Both lights are directly mounted onto the cardboard backing and can be interacted with. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Shiner 70 headlight and taillight
- Two rubber mounts
- Rack mount and hardware for taillight
- Instruction manual
Note that only the taillight can be purchased separately.
MOUNTING
The Planet Bike Dual Shiner 70 use a ubiquitous rubber strap mount for both the taillight and headlight. The strap uses a thick rubber strap with multiple cutouts to accommodate different diameters and appears to be identical for the both lights. While the mount feels well built, it’s best suited for round mounting surfaces as the inside has a circular cutout that doesn’t work well with narrow seat stays or forks. For traditional E-Bikes or commuter bikes, like the Priority Ace of Spades the mounts work on seat stays, seat posts and handlebars. Planet Bike even includes a rack attachment and the hardware to place the taillight onto a bike rack which is a thoughtful touch. The mounts also have a square attachment point which means you can place the lights vertically or horizontally, which is very useful for horizontally mounting the headlight on the handlebars. If you’re looking something that is better suited for mounting on forks the Planet Bike Spok USB lightset is a better option.
FIT & FINISH
The Shiner 70 headlight and taillight are nearly identical visually aside from the different lens tint color. Both lights have a modern rectangular design with surface mounted LEDS arranged in a straight line. Planet Bike refers to these as a PB Power Array and they generate an even illumination pattern when turned on. For improved side visibility, the lens are transparent on the sides which allows both lights to be visible from up to 180 degrees. The designs are much more modern in appearance than the pod-shaped Planet Bike Spok USB lightset but are also more generic as well. Branding is limited to “Shiner 70” printed on one side and the Planet Bike logo on the other. It’s a lightweight design with plastic lens body and lens that can easily tuck behind seat posts or handlebars.
The user interface for the lights is a single square rubber button on the lens. It’s large and soft to the touch which makes it easy to use even with gloves on. The Shiner lights have a single level menu which cycles through the three modes with a single press. There is no mode memory as you always have to cycle through the modes to turn it off, there is no long press to shut off the light. It’s a bit unusual, but something we’ve seen with other be-seen style lights like the Topeak Headlux 100 USB. There is also no multi-level battery indicator for the lights, just a low battery indicator which means you’ll want to remember to recharge the lights regularly. While the Shiner 70 may lacks the smart features or sensors the Magicshine Seemee 30 light set has they are much brighter and easier to use.
LIGHT OUTPUT
As the product name implies, the Shiner 70 headlight and taillight each are capable of 70 lumen. The headlight uses 10 LEDs that are uniformly illuminated while the taillight uses 7 with the center LED slightly brighter than the rest. Each light has three operation modes: high, low and Superflash. Claimed runtimes vary from 1.5 hours / 2.5 hours for the in the constant high mode to 8 hours / 12 hours using Superflash for the taillight and headlight respectively. We found the runtimes to be consistent with the claimed values and rarely had to recharge the lights when using low or Superflash output modes. The combination of the transparent lens and surface mounted LEDs gives the Shiner 70 lights a uniform flood like beam instead of a focused beam. Unlike tightly focused lights such as the Light & Motion Vya or the Bontrager RT lights, that means the Shiner 70 lights aren’t visible from very large distances away.
Superflash mode is an iconic output mode that Planet Bike has used on most of their taillights, such as the Rojo 100, and has an irregular flash pattern that is quite eye catching. It’s the mode we’d recommend for daytime riding as it ensures you’re visible on the road. We mounted the Shiner 70 on our Priority Ace of Spades as secondary lights and found that they worked quite well mounted on the handlebar and seat stay. Combined with traditional headlight and taillights, the Shiner 70 add additional visibility and can even serve as backup lights if you happen to run out of battery on your other lights.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Planet Bike Shiner 70 lightset to be a well design and easy to use bike light set. At 70 lumen each, the light combo is bright enough for daytime or night time use and works well to improve you’re visibility on the road. The lights have a modern thin rectangular design with multiple LEDs that can easily hide behind seat posts or handlebars. As with many Planet Bike products the Shiner 70 delivers great performance and simple designs instead of unnecessary smart sensors or app controls. We’d highly recommend using the Superflash modes on the lights for daytime riding and the lower constant mode at night time in combination with traditional headlight and taillight setups. The only downsides of the lights is the lack of mode memory which requires you to cycle through modes to shut the light off and the mounts which don’t work well on narrow forks or seat stays. That said, if you’re looking for budget friendly light set that is daytime visible the Planet Bike Shiner 70 is an great option.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Planet Bike. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.