Light Fornt

zeroshoddy
zeroshoddy Posts: 59
edited October 2007 in Road beginners
Are LEDs better to be seem with?

Or are rechargeable spots as good for been seen

Does anyone have a

Would, say, a Cateye EL530 Front Light light country lanes?

Or is cmbo best - spots for seeing with flashing LED for been seen.?

Comments

  • Pirahna
    Pirahna Posts: 1,315
    I've tried an EL530 on the lanes where I live and it's useless, OK when you've got a full moon though.

    I ended up buying a Dinotte. Not fantastic but when I commute it's a 2.5 hour ride home and the Dinotte gives a decent run time on 4xAA rechargeables. If you only want it for an hour or so there are cheaper alternatives.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Pirahna wrote:
    I've tried an EL530 on the lanes where I live and it's useless, OK when you've got a full moon though.

    I ended up buying a Dinotte. Not fantastic but when I commute it's a 2.5 hour ride home and the Dinotte gives a decent run time on 4xAA rechargeables. If you only want it for an hour or so there are cheaper alternatives.

    That is some commute - wow!
  • irb10
    irb10 Posts: 32
    I've got a Cateye El520 which I've used on my commute which passes through some completely unlit country lanes, however it's only just about acceptable - I'd recommend something brighter. Most of the emitted light is concentrated in a small central spot which while bright isn't really large enough for unlit roads. This also means that the light isn't particularly visible from side angles so should probably be complemented with perhaps a flashing light to prevent cars pulling out of junctions into you!

    I was also wondering about the Dinotte 200L AA (the 4xAA NiMH cell version) mentioned by a previous poster, or possibly a Light&Motion Vega - any comments from owners on their suitability for unlit roads would be appreciated!
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Simple LEDs are fine for being seen with, but the light intensity isn't enough to light up the road - the only exception are SLEDs like the Dinotte, Hope and the Vega. I've got a Dinotte too and it's fine for unlit roads, but this technology does come at a price. The cheapest and useable option for unlit roads is a 10watt halogen, but run times do vary, depending on the model of light you chose. The great thing about the Dinotte AA is the fact that spare Ni-mh batteries are cheap and easy to carry - IME dedicated batteries and chargers are the least reliable and expensive to replace.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • richardjallen
    richardjallen Posts: 691
    I had an EL500. Remember after the first 10hrs of use it dims for a further 50. It was good to start with then I started to wonder why it was not very bright. In the end the plastic got brittle in the cold weather and it broke, fell off and went under a car.
  • tarpaullynn
    tarpaullynn Posts: 146
    A couple of other threads on the same subject which maybe of interest to you.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12545910

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12546104

    I have just purchased one of the Smart front twin halogen lights, quite cheap in comparison, but I would presume its not the same quality as higher end lights but it is very bright.

    10wsmartlight_alt1.jpg
    Tarpaullynn
  • Pirahna
    Pirahna Posts: 1,315
    irb10 wrote:
    I was also wondering about the Dinotte 200L AA (the 4xAA NiMH cell version) mentioned by a previous poster, or possibly a Light&Motion Vega - any comments from owners on their suitability for unlit roads would be appreciated!

    As I said, the Dinotte is not fantastic but I find it good enough for 17mph ish on the lanes. There was a test somewhere with the Dinotte and Vega plus a couple of others. The Vega wasn't as good.
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    Tie Dinotte with the LiIon battery has a longer life, but whether the extra cost is acceptable when compared with a couple of sets of AA batteries is debatable.

    The Smart twin set above could manage the 2.5 hours with judicious use of the 2.5 watt in lit areas. However this would rely on you being able to set out with a full charge, (I.E. charge at work after the trip in)

    The Smart batteries are available from Maplins or similar, and with care you can get bigger batteries and rewire them to give you a safety margin. However the cost is the weight and bulk.
    <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.)
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    tarpaullynn wrote:
    A couple of other threads on the same subject which maybe of interest to you.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12545910

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12546104

    I have just purchased one of the Smart front twin halogen lights, quite cheap in comparison, but I would presume its not the same quality as higher end lights but it is very bright.

    10wsmartlight_alt1.jpg

    I have these lights aswell. Pretty decent for £35
    I like bikes...

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