Commuting lights - which are the best???

clevedonroger

With dark mornings/nights not that far away I need a good set of lights that i can put on/take off pdq for a commute to the station. About 2 miles of my trip has no street lights along country roads (pretty dark). Was thinking of paying around £75 for a set. What's the best vfm out there at the moment??

N0bodyOfTheGoat

A Fenix L2D Cree Q5(or two, could be warranted on unlit roads, although they are damn bright by all accounts) is the current a top contender for best bang for the buck front light... http://www.thephotonshop.co.uk/page23.htm

High mAh rechargables are in the ballpark of... http://www.vapextech.co.uk/acatalog/Hig ... eries.html

Rear light wise, I believe the Smart 0.5W to still be a front runner, its certainly caught the attention of road users on my commute last winter! http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=16534

linsen

There is a good thread about this, look it up by my username. I just bought a fenix from the Photon shop with a lockblock mount. Tried it out on an unlit stretch last night and it is the dog's b***cks. I would strongly recommend it. And around £40 too. I put a cateye flasher on too, and two on the back. And an Altura nightvision jacket - I think I was probably visible from space!

girv73

There are some videos on YouTube with the Fenix L2D Q5 on bikes.

eg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0KsqK0Ux-U

I'm convinced!

alfablue

Stanley222 wrote:

Are the SMART rechargeable lights any good?!

Such as these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=010

Thanks

10 years ago they were good. I liked them for the large reflectors, but they are VERY heavy and the bracket wobbles a lot. A Fenix L2D CE Q5 will blow the socks of one of those, costs just £7 more, uses 2 AA batteries, and weighs 100g not 1kg. The FEnix is very quick to fit and remove (with a Twofish Lockblock), will slip in your pocket, doubles as a torch, and it offers enough light to be able to ride at daylight speeds on unlit roads. Also, the Smart batteries are easily damaged by overcharging (I used a timer to prevent this). Run time is about the same as the Fenix, but you can easily carry any number of AA's to extend this. Carry an extra smart battery and you add 1kg to your bike!

With any light set with integrated rechargeable batteries you have to maintain the discipline of daily charging, and once they run out you are stuck. With an AA based light you can always add more juice, and if you get stuck you can buy AA's anywhere (that said, they perform much better on 2900mah NiMH rather than Alkalines, but alkalines are fine if you get stuck). Fenix run time is 2.5 hours on Turbo, 4.5t hours on high (usually bright enough, just switch the level to Turbo for the darkest bits).

I have tried Smart, Electron, Cateye and Vistalite halogens, and Dinotte LED's, the Fenix is the best , cheapest and easiest to use.

linsen

should add about the fenix that it sohouldn't be run on turbo for more than 10 mins at a time or it will overheat - according to manufacturer's guidelines anyway. I have no experience of this - does anyone else?

alfablue

linsen wrote:

should add about the fenix that it sohouldn't be run on turbo for more than 10 mins at a time or it will overheat - according to manufacturer's guidelines anyway. I have no experience of this - does anyone else?

I have had no trouble doing this on the bike, the passing air cools it (some halogens have the same sort of warning).

KitsuneAndy

For rear light I've got a Mars 3.0 and it's fantastic, incredibly bright and cheap to boot:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Black ... 360020250/

It came with a fairly good front light, which is fine for on-road commuting but wouldn't want to use on any completely unlit tracks.

biondino

Andy, thanks for that, just bought one!

KitsuneAndy

biondino wrote:

Andy, thanks for that, just bought one!

Hope you like it then

Lifetime guarantee as well and 2 of the LED's are side mounted so it's visible from pretty much every angle.

Pip13

Hiya, have been reading this forum for a while and thought I would now post and say hi. After reading many threads on the Fenix I ordered one and it arrived today. SO bright. I ride on completely unlit roads at 5.30 am. Tested the light just now and its perfect. Would really recommend it. I got the smooth reflector as was not sure which to go for.

linsen

definitely good on unlit roads. I got the orange peel one. It's fine

FSR_XC

There are a number of threads in the MTB forums about Fenix lights. By all accounts they are excellent.

I have also seen a couple on Ebay for sale as 'repair or parts', making me wonder a little about the mention of not using 'turbo mode' constantly.

There are other products out there for less than £100. A good example is the Dinotte AA light which has a 200 lumen output and lasts for about 3 hours.
There are still some older Cateye tripleshot models out there (for around £100) too and there are companies selling off Light & Motion Solo (Evans for £60, I think). I have the 'Logic' version of this. A great light, with a wide field of vision - info says about 300 lumen, but as it's halogen the light is yellower, I would say there is little between it & the others I mention here)

I have seen all of these lights used off road at night and they work well very well.

I was considering the Fenix myself (off road at night, it's handy to have a helmet & bar mounted light), but with concerns over the 'turbo mode' and the 'burn' times I chose to by the new Hope 1 LED - 240 lumen, 3 hrs with decent batteries and a reputable manufacturer. www.ukbikestore.co.uk have them on offer at the moment. You'll need the promo code - MBR9312 - to get one for £63.89. I haven't used these, my LBS pricematched this offer.

Dustine

I use a Mars 4.0 on the back, and a Light and Motion Vega on the front. It is bright enough for 10 miles of back roads (ie unlit) commuting at an average of about 16mph, and on a few bits ive hit 30 mph-odd with it and still been able to see, although i knew the roads well. I have to recharge it every two days, despite what it says it should run for, and i have had it sent back and exchanged once, due to it not holding a charge. But for the money (i paid less than £100, and im sure ive seen it recently for a lot less than that) its been great- bright enough, last the commute, recharges fast, easy to take on and off the bike. Can really argue with it.

alfablue

I think orange peel is the one, the difference is not too great (I have both) but the orange peel gives a smoother beam with less of a "hot spot", at the expense of slightly less "throw", but there is still plenty. It is definitely good enough for unlit roads. I have been using mine since March, no problem with it at all, and I use Turbo often. I had the older Dinotte 5w, the new 200L is slightly brighter, and they are very good, however the Fenix uses half the batteries and is less fiddly having no separate battery box, and is potentially more reliable as the cable and connector are prone to failure.

ChrisLS

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Catey ... 360031622/

...these are excellent-reliable and you can see where you're going, I have ridden off road with mine...

ilovehills

I need to replace my lights too! I have 9 miles of totally dark, quiet, country roads. The problem is it's hilly - normally 30 to 40mph downhill in the daytime! There a potholes and/or sticks in the road at times, also rabbits etc.!

Would I need to go for really pricey lights or are the Fenix lights OK? I might consider 2 Felixes, switching the second one on for the downhills.

Cheers,

ilovehills

spasypaddy

what is recommended for commuting through london? i was considering splashing out on a dinotte, is this overkill for the london roads?

TheRevOlutionary

Apologies if I repeat any other queries, just adding to this thread from work, so cant read all the pages!

Im hoping to get some decent (road use) lights for my new bike, and from reviews and advice so far, have deduced that Cateye LD610 and el530 are very good and more than enough for 'normal' urban riding? Anyone got them, or got any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance

simon_e

LD610 is a great rear light.

EL530 is a very narrow (but bright) spot. For a good spread on the road and good off-centre visibility I'd suggest something with a wider beam. I found the EL-320 similar in this respect, and when I rode alongside a chap with this one from Halfrauds I was impressed - good spread on the floor and clearly visible from the side.

EL-320 lasts nearly a week with 4 AA 2500mAh NiMH rechargeables (25~30 mins each way) but my tiny EL-135, 2 x AAA and 3 LEDs, is better for visibility and battery life is considerably better. I suggest that output value is not the most important criterion, whether for dark lanes or being seen in lit areas.

I'm looking at a small helmet light too, as the problem I see when approaching other riders from behind is that you don't always see a rear light fitted low down on the bike. Something at the top of the back or on the lid (like this) would help, I'm sure.

TheRevOlutionary

Appreciate the reply. I chose the EL530 because it looked a wide beam pattern, but if not than i'll not spend that sort of money! Will check out the pthers you mentioned, thanks again

alfablue

FSR_XC wrote:

There are a number of threads in the MTB forums about Fenix lights. By all accounts they are excellent.

I have also seen a couple on Ebay for sale as 'repair or parts', making me wonder a little about the mention of not using 'turbo mode' constantly.

These were being auctioned for charity by Doc of Glowgadgets, a major uk dealer in Fenix, so I would not worry too much that they are prone to failure - he is bound to have had some returns and spare parts.

TheRevOlutionary

I like the EL135, but will also check out Fenix now... 8)

TheRevOlutionary

Have found a guy on eBay doing the EL135 and LD610 in a set, yet I cant find them as a set anywhere? Is he just selling the two individually, or is this maybe the LD600 instead? The product picture is poor, and have asked him but he's a bit elusive with his answer.

At £23.99 its good VFM but only if it's actually those you get!

Any advice?

ademort

Hi i have the new Fenix TK20, it,s 150 lumens and a great light . My commute is 16Kms over mostly unlit roads and this fits the bill. I also have a Fenix T1 at 220 lumens an even better light for unlit roads, however it takes Cr123A batteries, which are expensive and i found that the rechargeable type deliver nowhere near the same output as the standard type battery.the TK20 is really excellent and you would have no regrets in purchasing this light greetings Ademort

TheRevOlutionary

So the TK20 is basically a torch with bike-fitting strap?

biondino

Got my Blackburn Mars 3.0 in the post - will report back.

TheMightyHet

I've just nicely ordered The Cateye single shot and the Blackburn Mars 3.0. I'll let you know how I get on as I ride back on a dark country road so it should e a good test for the single shot.

Kushtrim

This is a really silly idea I know but...

I have a Cateye Ld-610 rear light which is really good and I would recommend to anyone. I was thinking of combining it with a blue led light (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250294951707&ih=015&category=22689&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1) that should give a red and blue police type affect, which might put drivers off passing so close however they might knock me down for being such a c**t. Not to mention the fact that it's probably illegal.

Any opinions???

ademort

[uote="TheRevOlutionary"]So the TK20 is basically a torch with bike-fitting strap?[/quote] yes of course its a torch that can be used as a bike light, and very effective it is too.However it does not come with a strap to fit onto the bike you have to buy the attatchment seperately. Greetings Ademort

singlespeedexplosif

i was considering splashing out on a dinotte, is this overkill for the london roads?

nothing is overkill for the roads, particularly london!