How to Choose Bicycle Lights in Taiwan: Front and Rear Lights, and the Fine for Riding at Night Without Lights (自行車燈)
When it gets dark early, many people ride a bicycle home from work. A set of bike lights helps you see the road and makes you more visible to others. Bicycle lights are inexpensive. On Shopee Taiwan you will find front lights, rear lights, and front and rear sets, each described differently. Five things are worth checking: front and rear lights, brightness and intended use, charging and run time, mounting and tube size, and warranty, returns, and the store's minimum order. This page goes through them in order and ends with one set we found: the USB-rechargeable front and rear light set from the 飛輪單車 (Velohouse) store on Shopee (white front light and red rear light, according to the seller).
Types of Bicycle Lights
| Type | Wording stores often use | What to confirm before ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Front and rear set | Stores often write “前後燈組” (front and rear set), “白光前燈＋紅光後燈” (white front light + red rear light), “USB 充電” (USB charging) | Whether both lights are included; how each one charges and how many cables come with it |
| Front light only | Stores often write “前燈” (front light), “頭燈” (headlight), “爆亮” (super bright), “流明” (lumens) | Whether it fits your handlebar; whether its brightness is specified |
| Rear light only | Stores often write “尾燈” (rear light), “警示燈” (warning light), “火山燈” (volcano-shaped light), “紅光” (red light) | Whether it mounts on the seat post or under the saddle; how to switch it on and off |
If you already have one light, add the other; if you have neither, a front and rear set is the simplest. We did not test each product. The wording above is what we saw when searching Shopee for “自行車燈 前燈 後燈 充電” on November 14, 2026.
Five Things to Check When Choosing Bicycle Lights
| What to check | What to look at | What often goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Front and rear lights | A front light lets you see the road; a rear light lets vehicles behind you see you. Stores commonly sell white front lights and red rear lights; the recommended set includes a white front light and a red rear light (seller's listing). In the regulations we only read that lights must be on at night, and we did not find a written rule on light colors | Only a rear light, so the road ahead is dark; or only a front light, so traffic behind cannot see you |
| Brightness and intended use | The seller describes the recommended product as an entry-level budget set, mainly for commuting on ordinary roads with street lights and for increasing visibility, and does not recommend it as the main light on mountain roads or riversides with no street lights at all at night. The product page does not list lumens | Frequently riding on unlit roads and finding that an entry-level light is not bright enough |
| Charging and run time | Both lights in the recommended set charge by USB, and 2 cables are included, so you do not need to buy batteries. The product page does not list run time or charging time; check the charge before you leave | Finding the light dead just as you are about to ride home from work |
| Mounting and tube size | The recommended front light mounts on the handlebar with a bracket (tube about 22–32 mm), and the rear light straps to the seat post with a rubber band (about 25–34 mm). Measure your bike's tubes first; the seller warns that the rear light turns on only with a long press | The tube is too thick for the strap; or a short press does not turn on the rear light, making you think it is broken |
| Warranty, returns, and minimum order | The recommended product's spec section lists a 1-month warranty (supplier warranty). This store cancels orders whose item total is NT$100 or less (excluding shipping), and the set's price on the day we checked was under NT$100, so buying one set alone is not enough. Returns and exchanges always follow the store page | Ordering just one set and having the order canceled |
【飛輪單車】USB-rechargeable front and rear bicycle light set, white front + red rear (Shopee)
Shopee store page information (shown on November 14, 2026; prices and promotions may change): the store is “飛輪單車工坊VELOHOUSE”, Shopee Mall (蝦皮商城), rated 4.9 with 429 reviews and 1,000+ sold (we only quote these and did not check individual reviews); ships from Sanchong, New Taipei; the page shows authenticity protection, a 15-day inspection period, and Shopee's buyer protection and returns. Check the minimum order before buying: the store's home page says orders whose item total is NT$100 or less (excluding shipping) are canceled, and after 2 consecutive orders or 3 orders in total that fall below the minimum, the store will no longer sell to you; this set's price on the day we checked was under NT$100, so buy it together with other items to go over NT$100. Product details (seller's listing, not independently verified by us): item number 5242-8000, white front light with 3 modes (high, normal, flashing), red rear light with 4 modes (alternating flash, normal flash, jumping flash, steady), both USB-rechargeable; the box contains the front light, front light bracket, rear light, rear light strap, and 2 USB cables; front light about 29 grams and rear light about 14 grams (with mounts); front light fits tubes of about 22–32 mm, rear light about 25–34 mm; the rear light turns on with a long press; 1-month warranty (supplier warranty), made in China; the seller calls it an entry-level budget set. What we did not find: lumens, run time and charging time, battery capacity, water resistance rating, or a BSMI mark. Warranty and returns always follow the store page.
Quick Checklist Before You Buy
- Do you have both a front and a rear light? → Add whichever is missing; if you have neither, buy a front and rear set
- Do your usual roads have street lights? → On unlit roads, an entry-level light may not be bright enough
- How does it charge? → For USB lights, charge them fully before you leave
- What are the diameters of your bike's handlebar and seat post? → Measure the handlebar and seat post, then compare with the product page
- How do warranty, returns, and the minimum order work? → Always follow the store page; the recommended set alone does not reach the store's minimum
Before You Order, Confirm These
- The store selling the recommended product cancels orders whose item total is NT$100 or less (excluding shipping). This set alone is not enough, so add other items; check the latest rule on the store's home page before ordering.
- Measure your handlebar and seat post, and compare them with the tube sizes on the product page.
- If you want to know the brightness (lumens), run time, or water resistance, the product page does not say, so ask the seller first.
- If you ride a power-assisted bicycle (電動輔助自行車), ask a bike shop before adding lights; this page is about ordinary pedal bicycles.
- Warranty and returns always follow the store page; save a screenshot before ordering.
Official Sources: Taiwan's Night Lighting Rule and the Fine
- Lights must be on at night — Article 128 of Taiwan's Road Traffic Safety Rules (道路交通安全規則) says slow vehicles (慢車) traveling at night must turn on their lights. Under Article 69 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), slow vehicles include pedal bicycles, power-assisted bicycles, and micro electric two-wheelers (National Laws and Regulations Database, read November 14, 2026).
- The fine for riding at night without lights — Article 73, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 5 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act says a slow vehicle rider who does not turn on lights when riding at night is fined NT$300 to NT$1,200. The law's page notes that the amended version of this article took effect on October 31, 2026.
- Lights must be kept in good condition — Article 119 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules says slow vehicles must keep brakes, bells, lights, reflectors, and other safety equipment in good and complete condition. Article 72 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act says that if lights and reflectors are not kept in good and complete condition as required, the owner of the slow vehicle is fined NT$300 to NT$1,200 and ordered to install or fix them within a deadline.
- Power-assisted bicycles have their own rules — Article 119 also says the safety equipment of power-assisted bicycles and micro electric two-wheelers must meet the safety testing standards, and their electronic control devices or original specifications may not be added to, removed, or changed without authorization. We did not check whether adding lights counts as a change; ask a bike shop first.
- Light colors and inspection — We did not find a written rule on the color, brightness, or mounting position of lights on pedal bicycles, and we did not find whether bicycle lights are products subject to mandatory inspection by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (標準檢驗局). The recommended product's page does not show a BSMI mark.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the fine for riding a bicycle at night without lights in Taiwan?
- Article 73, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 5 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act says a slow vehicle rider who does not turn on lights when riding at night is fined NT$300 to NT$1,200 (National Laws and Regulations Database, read November 14, 2026).
- Is a rear light alone, or a front light alone, enough?
- In the regulations we only read that lights must be on at night, and we did not find a written rule on how many lights or which colors. A front light lets you see the road and a rear light lets traffic behind see you, so having both is more thorough.
- Is this set bright enough?
- The seller describes it as an entry-level budget set, suited to ordinary roads with street lights and to visibility, and does not recommend it as the main light where there are no street lights at all; the product page does not list lumens. If you often ride unlit roads, consider a front light with a higher listed brightness.
- Why was my order canceled?
- The store selling the recommended product cancels orders whose item total is NT$100 or less (excluding shipping). This set's price on the day we checked was under NT$100, so buy it together with other items to go over NT$100. The latest rule is on the store's home page.
- Can I add these lights to a power-assisted bicycle?
- Article 119 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules says the electronic control devices or original specifications of power-assisted bicycles may not be added to, removed, or changed without authorization. We did not check whether a clip-on light counts; ask a bike shop first.
What We Found and Did Not Find
What we found: the original text of Articles 119 and 128 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules and Articles 69, 72, and 73 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (National Laws and Regulations Database, read November 14, 2026; the amended Article 73 took effect on October 31, 2026), and the seller's listing on the recommended product's page and the store's home page (November 14, 2026). What we did not find: a written rule on the color, brightness, and mounting position of pedal bicycle lights, whether bicycle lights are subject to mandatory inspection, the recommended product's lumens, run time, charging time, and water resistance, the rules on adding lights to power-assisted bicycles, and comparison tests of bicycle lights on the market. This page covers only how to choose bicycle lights; it is not traffic safety or legal advice.