Note: The brand name under which a particular model is sold varies from country to country. Further, the same model may be sold in one country under different brand names. Finally, not only a different model may appear, overnight, under previous model's name, but also two different models may coexist simultaneously in one market under the same name.

It is not possible to escape the fact that the bike radios are generally cheap. Regarding design, a large geared tuning knob is preferred, accessible from a handlebar, as well as a speaker directed towards the face. A greater power is preferred, given that wind can interfere with the listening. Miniscule radios, as difficult to hear, should be generally avoided.. Use of more than just 2 AA batteries can indicate a higher power. An automated tuning will usually eliminate all but the strongest stations and may force an awkward juggling to get to the desired station. Crummy additions add size, weight and/or bother. Since only a small fraction of buyers are likely to use those radios over a longer time, the designs must be thwarted towards an impulse buying. At times, FM sensitivity may be improved by making an antenna out of a wire connected to a proper (try 'n error) location inside and run to the outside. Present-day radios have usually AM and FM, but sometimes come only with FM. Old radios may have AM only.

If you need to find out how the term bicycle radio is defined .

Optimus-Radio Shack. Comes with a redundant horn. Manufactured in China and appears to be a slightly modified, mostly stripped down, version of the Equipment Outdoor radio below. Its knobs are decent and the tuning is geared. This radio's sensitivity may be improved by connecting an outside antenna to a pin sticking out of the PC board inside or, better, an antenna terminal by the speaker. With such an antenna the radio picks up 31 FM stations in my area. Without the extra antenna, the radio picks up 25 stations. As of early '03 the radio ceased to be available in the US, but continued to be marketed in the UK and Germany. It is still abundant on German Ebay, as Elta 3122. Takes 2 AA batteries. No screwdriver is needed for changing the batteries. The plastic snap contraption locking the radio to the handlebar mount breaks after about a year of use.

Equipment Outdoor Bike Radio - Elta 3122 N. A bit bulkier than the Optimus above. The larger housing improves accoustics and allows for a larger internal wire antenna. However, the radio picks up only 17 FM stations in my area, which might be due to poorer quality control. The knobs are easier to grab. The battery door opens easily, inviting the loss of both the door and batteries. In the UK it has been marketed, in particular, by the Debenhams department stores. In Germany, this radio has been marketed as AFK. Now this radio appears to have replaced the Optimus, described above, at the German Elta.

ATC. From Taiwan, ATC just lent the name. It takes 4 AA batteries. Has a larger speaker, higher power, geared tuning and a better internal antenna than Optimus. However, its selectivity is poorer - does not lock on distant stations. It has been marketed in Germany as Precision.

BR-2000. Has a decent loudspeaker directed towards the rider. It is characterized by a poor selectivity and an average sensitivity. It is the only one of the bunch equipped with a connector to an outside antenna. With the antenna, the radio picks up 17 FM stations in my area. Takes two AA batteries. A small Phillips screwdriver is required for battery replacement. Made in Germany by Premier Bremen.

BR6. Another radio by the Bremen manufacturer. The loudspeaker directed towards the rider is about the only positive for this radio. The sound quickly deteriorates when increasing the loudness. The knobs are small. The selectivity is poor and sensitivity average. In my area, the radio picks up 17 FM stations. The radio takes 3 AAA batteries. You need a Phillips screwdriver to open the compartment and the use of a diagram to place the batteries right.

BCR-100. A third radio by Premier, now combined with a computer and equipped with automated tuning. The casing must have come out from a mold that was just minimally modified relative to BR6. I have not tested the computer - its positive are large digits. The automated tuning is, in practice, a disaster. While BR6 picks some 17 stations in my area, BCR-100 picks just 4! The radio takes 3 AA batteries. The production seems to have moved more recently to Asia.

HFM-698/Lucky Star. Another shabby German radio distinguished by the fact that it might be used as a table radio too. Even though the radio comes with an external antenna, its sensitivity is quite unsatisfactory as it picks up only 8 stations in my area. The sound quality is about average for the bike radios. The tuning knob is sufficiently large. The radio takes 4 AA batteries. No screwdriver is required for changing the batteries.

Youthtronics stereo radio cassette. The benefits of stereo and cassette are difficult to disregard, but sound and sensitivity are inferior relative to few other bike radios. The radio satisfactorily picks up 12 FM stations in my area. Has an earphone jack. Volume control is difficult to grab and weatherproofing is crude. Made in China. Takes 4 AA batteries.

Bike-Hearo. An interesting radio built into a helmet visor, with speakers hanging in vicinity of the earlobes. The radio attaches with velcro patches to the helmet. FM only. Automatic tuning. A round knob at the center of the visor serves as a volume control and a power switch. Two buttons on the side serve as scan and a reset once the end of the band is reached. If you lose a station, due to poor reception, you need to reset and rescan. The radio picks 8-9 stations in my area, curiously missing the strongest station half of the time. The sound quality is OK. The radio has an input jack for an external source and provides an amplification for that jack. The radio takes two AA batteries. Changing the batteries requires detaching the radio and using a small Phillips screwdriver. Made in China. While, overall, the radio is not quite satisfactory, as most of the others, its placement and housing may be THE way to go.

Welltech. An AM/FM radio with clock and horn. Sold in the Lidl supermarket chain in Europe. For Lidl, Welltech appears to be a house brand. Neil Saunders, who tested that radio, writes that it is "quite sensitive for a radio with an internal aerial ", "Outside FM is quite good" and "AM is strong inside and out". Neil further writes that the radio is manufactured by LS-Electronic. My own take is that the size and positioning of controls is such that you can forget about adjusting them while riding. The radio's overall size appears adequate.

– The bicycle radios are generally made weather-resistant by using a tight housing and a speaker w/plastic diaphragm. Water getting inside may throw off the tuning; the radio may require a complete drying to become operational afterwards.
– Similarly to other products suitable for bicycle commuting, there is a particular abundance of different radios in Germany. Subject to hindrances of language, payment and shipping, that the brave can overcome, the German Ebay can offer a good choice of the radios.
– From the radios I had an opportunity to test out, my ranking is as follows, from top to bottom: Optimus (w/added antenna) > Outdoor/AFK (w/added antenna) > Optimus (no modifications) > Outdoor/AFK (no modifications) > Emerson > ATC > BR-2000 > Unomat > Bike-Hearo > BR6 > Youthtronics >> Pyramid. This rating reflects my particular rating of various features. I tried to indicate the advantages of each model above. Emerson and ATC do not much benefit from an added antenna, as the antennas they come with are already long.

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