Lights. Any recommendations
Roger Davies
Posts: 305
I've given up on my old dynamo. Fed up with bulbs blowing. Anyone have any recommendations for a battery front and rear light? Thanks
RD
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Old bikes are better
RD
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Old bikes are better
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Old bikes are better
Old bikes are better
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I assume any old flashing LED rear light will do but I`ve got one of these for the front & am very impressed so far http://cyclexpress.co.uk/Products/HL_EL_510.aspx 2 modes, dipped & main & the light is good enough to see by [:D] I also suppliment it by a cheapo flashing front when I`m riding in lit areas. Cycling home at 10.30 pm lets you test these things!0
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Roger - is all your riding down in street lit areas or do you venture into proper dark bits from time to time?0
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LED front lights are improving very fast and the new year's models are out in August. You might want to delay till then if you can - on the other hand you may get end of range prices. The best front AA battery LED IMO is the Cateye 530; Rear LEDs - I use Cateyes too but there is lots of choice.
It is important to note that you should swap rechargeable batteries far more frequently than the run-time given on the instruction booklet. LED output drops off substantially after a couple of hours of battery use.The artist formally known as boring old fart0 -
looking forward to buying light later this year, they've clearly come on tremendously, the first battery lights I used to use would make you cry today, seen some splendid lights lately0
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bof</i>
The best front AA battery LED IMO is the Cateye 530;
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I dropped my Cateye 530 on the floor and it stopped working. This was a common problem last winter as I recall the same thing happened to at least three of us. I wouldn't buy one again as the electrical connections within them seem very flimsy and you can't repair them yourself!0 -
Keep your dynamo and run LED lights from them - these cannot blow with a regulator circuit (buck puck) and probably not without one either. Efficiency is improving all the time look out for models based on CREE and Soeul semiconductor emitters. A 3W dynamo can give you as much as half the light output of a HID lamp (200+lumens). For perspective, your current bulb will give you are 40lumens.
Failing that and you you reguire no more than an hour or so go megawatt halogen, great fun and very cheap. My overvolted 35W does three times the light as a standard bike HID and cost less than œ80 to build.
For the rear, use a battery LED and fit lithium cells - they'll last a whole season commuting.
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"Europe\'s nations should be guided towards a superstate without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps, each disguised as having an economic purpose, but which will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation"
Jean Monnet, founding father of the EU.0 -
Get the Smart LED on the rear - its brilliant : http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... 5360026001
And Dinotte on the front from Planet X if you have unlit roads to ride.0 -
Oh hang on - they're saying thats discontinued now ? Anyone any ideas why ? Too bright ?0
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by andyp</i>
Roger - is all your riding down in street lit areas or do you venture into proper dark bits from time to time?
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Hi Andy. Thnaks for your reply. Yep I cycle a lot on unlit roads probably 50/50 with lit roads.
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Old bikes are better********************
Old bikes are better0 -
Check out solidlights.co.uk - Not cheap, but very durable - Love my battery model - You could run one of their Dynamo models.
Metal case, three power levels on my battery 1303.
Topeak have a good looking unit on their website, with monster run times quoted against the hi cap. battery.
Of the battery-only types:
Always liked the look of the 4xLED Lupine, but that's more expensive and I preferred the Solidlights battery packs.
Lumicycle came a close 2nd choice.
Dinotte were another one I considered.0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by cougie</i>
Get the Smart LED on the rear - its brilliant : http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... 5360026001
And Dinotte on the front from Planet X if you have unlit roads to ride.
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if you can find one, they are a really bright light. I'd recommend them.
*** Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right ****** Whether you think you can or think you can\'t, you\'re probably right ***0 -
Posted - 20/06/2007 : 22:34:21
quote:Originally posted by cougie
Get the Smart LED on the rear - its brilliant : http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... 5360026001
And Dinotte on the front from Planet X if you have unlit roads to ride.
if you can find one, they are a really bright light. I'd recommend them.
*** Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right ***
Me too. Wifey got one and it's painfully bright.0
