Are these lights any good?

sbullett
sbullett Posts: 139
edited October 2007 in Workshop
http://www.mailordercycles.com/hermes/s ... itemId=110

Seem a bargain for £27, anyone used them?

Comments

  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    For that kind of money even I'd be prepared to part with the cash and them go. But, no, I've not used them so can't help.

    If you decide to buy them I'd be interested to know what you think.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • Fab Foodie
    Fab Foodie Posts: 5,155
    Look at SJS Cycles, you can get the dual 5w/10w combo for about the same money. maybe more useful depending on the kind of riding.
    The Dual version has mixed report, they give good light for the money, they can be a bit delicate the battery is heavy and there is no trickle charge, but they're good value lighting and a lot of people use them to good effect. The dual version lamps are "bolted-on" to the bars.

    The version you show seems newer and may be a bit more robust, certainly the quick-release lamp might be a good idea for some. Take a look at both options. However for under £30 it's pretty damn good!
    The pessimists of this world are rarely disappointed....
    Fab's TCR1
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    They are good for the money, the battery is 900g though, but I don't think you can do any better at that price.
  • crackle
    crackle Posts: 216
    Yeah I was toying with the idea of buying an SJS dual one for some local nightime forest riding.

    I think the battery is probably the weakpoint. Might look on e-bay to see if spare lead acid's are available and at what price. But as said you won't get better for the price.
    _________________________


    Errrrrrmmmmmm..........
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I think the 6v 4.5Ah SLA on the Maplin site is equivalent - £6.99. You should get at least a couple of years out of them, but you have to not overcharge them, I use a £3 plug-in timer to prevent this.
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    alfablue wrote:
    I think the 6v 4.5Ah SLA on the Maplin site is equivalent - £6.99. You should get at least a couple of years out of them, but you have to not overcharge them, I use a £3 plug-in timer to prevent this.
    How do these type of batteries perform in the cold, and how do you keep the rain out to stop them shorting?

    Just thinking, I'd be wanting to use something like this for audax, but the 2.5 hr runtime would mean taking more than 1 battery on longer routes, so maybe not be ideal for me.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • nickcuk
    nickcuk Posts: 275
    I have the 2x10W rechargeable and paid £27.50 delivered from Ebay. SJS put about 5 into auction everyday - do a search on ebay for 'smart rechargeble' and they all come up. I am very happy with mine.

    I go out most nights - rural roads in the dark, not dusk or streetlit - and have no problem with 1 - 2 hour rides on full beam at 'normal speeds'. I have a coupe of downhill stretches that take me to nearly 40mph and I don't hold back becuase of any lighting problem.

    The battery and charger work fine but the battery holder sits right on the top of my waterbottle

    I think cars treat the 'two lamps' differently to the smaller LED lights that I have also used. I still have a LED light and sometimes use it on flash mode as well as the 2 x 10w

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