bike lights
velocity07
Posts: 6
hey,
I need to get some bike lights but am unsure as to which ones I should purchase. Can anyone suggest some lights they have which are good, kind of need them to be affordable aswell!
thanks guys
I need to get some bike lights but am unsure as to which ones I should purchase. Can anyone suggest some lights they have which are good, kind of need them to be affordable aswell!
thanks guys
0
Comments
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The standard for affordable bright lights is the Smart System.
Two options 10 watt / 2.4 watt or dual 10 watt
St John Street Cycles do them at £30 for the dual 10 watt
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Smart-Smart-BL201-HB-Twin-Headlamp-system-lead-acid-rechargeable-10W-+-10W-(MSRP-%A359.99)-1886.htm
or at £25 for the 10 / 2.4 watt
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Smart-Smart-BL201-HA-Twin-Headlamp-system-lead-acid-rechargeable-2.4W-+-10W-(MSRP-%A359.99)-8379.htm
Good systems but have two draw backs - heavy due to battery and casing size, and have a limited battery life depending on use. The 10 watt will be about 2 and a half hours.
Ifyou want something smaller and neater then self contained LED lights are available, as well as smaller rechargeables
What would be helpful is an idea of your riding - terrain, time and street lighting.<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
i cycle in bristol so is very hilly and the street lighting changes dependent on where you cycle, it may be there and well lit then totally gone. the roads are quite smooth very little potholes etc but will be cycling on well used roads (by cars) and then through quiet parks (I admit it is a bit of a weird route, but is the quickest!)
looking to buy front and rear lights for £40/50, what could I get with that?!0 -
Others will have their own opinions, but look around. There is a good article in this month's C+, but unexpilcably they left out the light that has been the main contender for some time, the Cateye TL1100 (successor to the TL100)
I don't count because I am a serious cyclist with a lighting set in excess of £300, but my wife who is a leisure, occasional tourist and odd evening cyclist has the following:
Smart 10 / 2.4 watt as above - this will suit you well as you can extend battery life bu using the 2.4 watt on lit roads and the 10 watt on unlit. There is a thumb switch that sits by the brake lever on the handlebar
Cateye TL1100 on the back (retails between £22 - £30 so shop around and don't forget to add p&p) but make sure you are buying the 1100 and not the 1000
This has a number of modes including the option to mix flashing and constant.<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
Others will have their own opinions, but look around. There is a good article in this month's C+, but unexpilcably they left out the light that has been the main contender for some time, the Cateye TL1100 (successor to the TL100)
I don't count because I am a serious cyclist with a lighting set in excess of £300, but my wife who is a leisure, occasional tourist and odd evening cyclist has the following:
Smart 10 / 2.4 watt as above - this will suit you well as you can extend battery life bu using the 2.4 watt on lit roads and the 10 watt on unlit. There is a thumb switch that sits by the brake lever on the handlebar
Cateye TL1100 on the back (retails between £22 - £30 so shop around and don't forget to add p&p) but make sure you are buying the 1100 and not the 1000
This has a number of modes including the option to mix flashing and constant.<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
For a rear light, I recommend the Smart 1/2 Watt LED Superflash - it has got to be one of the brightest rear lights around and it is available from Mike Vaughan via eBay (click link) for £12.49, posted.
Or you could get a set with a Smart 1 Watt LED front and 1/2 Watt rear for £32.98, posted. A 1 watt front is very good for being seen, won't quite do for unlit roads though.
I have the rear plus an Electron Nano 1 Watt - similar performance to the Smart 1 Watt, but slightly neater/smaller. and all aluminium construction - again, very good for being seen.
For lights to see with, the Smart Lead Acid sets above are good for the price, but for a slightly better set with a much lighter NiMH bottle cage battery, the Electron 5w & 10w NiMH Halogen set is pretty good at £44.95.
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It is better than the Smart Lead Acid on a number of counts, but whether or not it's worth the extra is a matter of personal choice of course (I have both systems and favour the electron, I have the Nano as backup and to add flashing, except I recently got a Dinotte which is great but above your price range).0 -
I only ride on lit roads. So it's more a matter of being seen, not seeing for me.
I get standard battery-operated lights. (AA or AAA) and I use rechargeable batteries (charged in a solar charger). I also wear yellow lenses to increase the contrast at night. Works a treat. (Not great if you need to light your own way, of course).
Smart/Polaris are a good brand. That Superflash one can be seen MILES away.Commute - MASI Souville3 | Road/CX - MASI Speciale CX | Family - 80s ugly | Utility - Cargobike0 -
I mostly ride on lit roads, and bought a Smart LED light set from an LBS for under £30.
The 1/2 watt rear is excellent, and comes with mountings for seat post or rear stays. I notice at night time cars tend to sit a good way back to avoid being dazzled by it.
The 5 LED Polaris front light is good to be seen by, particularly the flash mode at dawn/dusk, but IMHO all but useless for seeing the road ahead! On one dark night when I had to go through an unlit section (streetlights broken) it faintly illuminates a patch of road the size of a dinner plate. It was a real slow cycle, swerve at last second to avoid stuff on the road, very nearly came a cropper on an deep pothole!
Both lights can be opened without tools (though rear needs a coin or key to prise open), and both take normal AA / AAA batteries.
Rufus.0 -
For the rear I vote the cateye 1100 - I use it on a part urban and part rural commute (absolutely no streeetlights for about 5 miles) and the choice of flashing / non flashing combinations plus ten individual bulbs seems to do the trick - it must be visible for miles in the dark. Also there is a catch that lets you put it on your seat pack which allows me to move it from bike to bike.0
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Hi all,
any makes suitable for riding on unlit mountain roads
I don't want to run into any sheep 0 -
You mean the sheep aren't wearing Hi-Viz and lights?
What are the farmers thinking of?<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
cut backs you know...?0
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Cunobelin wrote:The standard for affordable bright lights is the Smart System.
Two options 10 watt / 2.4 watt or dual 10 watt
St John Street Cycles do them at £30 for the dual 10 watt
Just bought one of these on ebay from the shop mentioned in the above quote for £22.01 plus £8.50 p&p.
The seller has quite a lot of them on and they go around the £20 to £30 mark normally but I bid on one that ended late on in evening and got it at a good price.
Don't pay to much for them on ebay though as you can get them at the shop mentioned above for £29.95 and the p&p is only about £3-£4.Tarpaullynn0
