Commuting lights - which are the best???

commuterconvert

I haven't examined the cat-eye LD610 up close but I'd just chip in that the LD600 & EL320 combo I bought last year annoy me a bit in that I have to take them off when I get to work and while they are in my bag they can easily switch themselves on & wear out the battery.
Very, very annoying when you put them on the bike in the evening and discover they are flat. My solution is to have two sets of rechargeable batteries for both front and back.
It's workable but not ideal, next time I buy I'll look for something with a recessed switch.

Also the fittings kept on slipping about so I ended up having to tape the fittings on to the frame front and back with electrical tape.

cycleNoodle

I have a niterider minext x2 and its the best light iv ever used, its bright, lasts ages and is small. Brilliant!!

TheRevOlutionary

The search continues, and I reckon the Cateye LD610 is a cert for the rear, but the front I am still debating over. How much light do you need on urban roads? I shall, no doubt, be using it on trails too but not at any speed to need silly amounts of lumens (!) so what's the happy medium? Anyone got an Ayup? They look good for both but didnt really want to spend that much :roll:

TheRevOlutionary

TheMightyHet wrote:

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.

Please do, this was an option I'd also considered 8)

TheRevOlutionary

Ps: Thanks to all who've contributed to the thread and suffered my constant ramblings!

TheMightyHet

I have just nicely been out to try out my lights and all I can say is wow! The Single Shot is as bright as any light I've come across, except perhaps the £300+ lighting systems you see endurance racers sport on their bikes! The cateye lit a sign up as clear as day from 200+ yards and the beam size is more than enough to be able the road surface clearly a good metre either side of your bike. An absolute excellent front light for a commuter. The only niggle I had was with the bracket. It was a pain in the arse to attach due Cateye fitting it with a thumb screw(?) to tighten it to your bars. Why they couldn't just use a normal screw as how many people haven't a screw driver near at hand! All in all though top light I would highly recommend it!

The Blackburn Mars 3.0 actually blew me away more than the Cateye for it's sheer brightness. It has three LED's which are absolutely the brightest you'll ever see in a rear light plus two others left and right facing. I paid at most £15 for the light and it's the biggest bargain I have had so far in my short commuting career as it were!! If anyone runs into you when you use this light they must be either blind or have been looking the other way! It's more like a rear foglight on a car than a bike light! Go get one you won't regret it!
I can't comment on battery life as yet but will update later after some more use!
Hope this helps!

moonio

what about these hair braids?

Kieran_Burns

The single shot plus is a fantastic light - I was cycling home at dusk on monday and it was lighting the road up beautifully.

I winced at the cost of it, but would gladly buy a second now as it really instills confidence in being seen abd being able to see.

TheRevOlutionary

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The single shot plus is a fantastic light - I was cycling home at dusk on monday and it was lighting the road up beautifully.

I winced at the cost of it, but would gladly buy a second now as it really instills confidence in being seen abd being able to see.

Is recharchable worth it too?

martin_f_mccarthy

I've seen a rechargable front in argos for £30, anyone know what thats like

TheRevOlutionary

martin_f_mccarthy wrote:

I've seen a rechargable front in argos for £30, anyone know what thats like

What make/model?

Kieran_Burns

TheRevOlutionary wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The single shot plus is a fantastic light - I was cycling home at dusk on monday and it was lighting the road up beautifully.

I winced at the cost of it, but would gladly buy a second now as it really instills confidence in being seen abd being able to see.

Is recharchable worth it too?

actually - that's a good point. I have a battery powered light as the secondary (with spare charged batteries in the pannier.)

The single shot is recharged from the mains and has a buit in battery.. so swapping is not an option while commuting.

Meant to get over 3 hours on the bright setting and I have to say mine is still going strong after 2 hours worth

biondino

Okay, this is why I don't want a really powerful light. My current front light lasts between 90 and 120 hours on 2 AA batteries, and yours lasts 3 hours. I know it's purely laziness, but, you know, I'm lazy!

TheRevOlutionary

biondino wrote:

Okay, this is why I don't want a really powerful light. My current front light lasts between 90 and 120 hours on 2 AA batteries, and yours lasts 3 hours. I know it's purely laziness, but, you know, I'm lazy!

But surely if you can do a commute in less than 3/4hrs then you can just charge it up each night. 3/4hours use woudl see me through an weeks commute as it's still light enough when I leave in the morning at the moment.

Is poorer vision a substitute for changing batteries?!

OldSkoolKona

Anyone tried out these Exelite Products?

http://www.exelite.co.uk/recreational.html?product=lumipac

I have a Lumni pac which I wear over my backpack when commuting, makes you very visible from behind (as it were :? )

simon_e

TheMightyHet wrote:

The only niggle I had was with the bracket. It was a pain in the ars* to attach due Cateye fitting it with a thumb screw(?) to tighten it to your bars.

Is this their toylike H34 'flex-tight' (flexy-but-not-tight) bracket? They include this one in because one size fits all, including oversize bars. Buy a H32 Q/R type instead.

I like the look of the Singleshot lights but can't figure out why they didn't offer the cheaper one (the single bulb version) with 4 x AA batteries. The shop could flog you a NiMH charger then too!

commuterconvert,
I fit my rear LD600 vertically on the seat post close enough to the top that it can't be slipped out from the bracket. That way it's always on the bike, don't know if it helps you. I put the EL-320 front light in a pouch or rucksack pocket lens down to avoid pressing on the on/off switch (or remove a battery during the day). For the rear, if you get a Cateye seatpost clamp* they are better than the flimsy doesn't-really-fit-anything band Cateye supply as standard.

* choose your diameter:
SP5: 23.5-27.2mm
SP6: 26.5-30.5mm
SP7: 28.8-32.5mm
SP8: 31-34.5mm

IIRC one of Niterider's lights (Ultrafazer?) get a really good rating in this month's C+ bike light test. Probably worth a glance.

STEFANOS4784

Hi all, does any-one know anywhere other than e-bay i cann get the fenix light, they all seem to be out of stock

Many thanks in advance, and oops Snooks, you seemed to have touched a nerve there :?

TheRevOlutionary

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Hi all, does any-one know anywhere other than e-bay i cann get the fenix light, they all seem to be out of stock

Many thanks in advance, and oops Snooks, you seemed to have touched a nerve there :?

From the MTB forum:

grumsta wrote:

Good summary there - although for those on a really tight budget ultrafire torches from dealextreme are a good alternative to the fenix.

Feltup

I have just ordered the Fenix which is due to be back in stock at the end of next week. I'll let you know how it works once I've done a couple of rides.

There's a few vids on youtube comparing the Fenix to other lights and it looks pretty good on there.

always_tyred

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

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

nothing is overkill for the roads, particularly london!

Look guys, so you know, "especially in London" has the potential to be annoying and you must bear in mind that about 7 out of 8 people in the UK don't live there.

London is very busy but there are comparatively large number of cyclists and comparatively good facilities compared to a lot of cities. I personally think its far more dangerous commuting in a semi rural environment (I was frequently terrified in Oxfordshire when being overtaken at 80 or 90 mph by a businessman on a phone during his intercontinental commute) and I had more vehicles deliberately drive at me for no reason in 4 months in Glasgow (including 2 busses) than combined across the surrounding decade or more.

back to the point....

The DiNotte is the only rear light I'm aware of that casts a beam and gives you half a chance of being seen around a blind bend. As such, its most effective in those rural lanes. However, I've had a bus driver COMPLAIN that it was too bright in a city! I managed to contain my sympathy, and I often get motorists comment on it rather more positively.

Its got stupid fixings and its expensive and I've had issues with the batteries and the light engine (as they call it) but the customer support is at least pretty good and the product is unique so if you want what it offers I recommend it.

TheRevOlutionary

Look guys, so you know, "especially in London" has the potential to be annoying and you must bear in mind that about 7 out of 8 people in the UK don't live there.

London is very busy but there are comparatively large number of cyclists and comparatively good facilities compared to a lot of cities. I personally think its far more dangerous commuting in a semi rural environment (I was frequently terrified in Oxfordshire when being overtaken at 80 or 90 mph by a businessman on a phone during his intercontinental commute) and I had more vehicles deliberately drive at me for no reason in 4 months in Glasgow (including 2 busses) than combined across the surrounding decade or more.

Too true, I live outside of London and half of my trip home is down poorly lit pathways or roads, and regularly get overtaken too quickly or close (trying to squeeze past me and a parked car etc). I would definately like a light that will do more than show someone im there, but need a happy medium with regards to budget :roll: 8)

demBones

just upgraded to

front cateye single shot plus

rear cateye ld1100

very new to this and can't comment versus other brands but they are very bright

singlespeedexplosif

Look guys, so you know, "especially in London" has the potential to be annoying

blimey. I had no idea people were so sensitive. Personally I have no problem with it but sorry if anyone has been annoyed by my comment, which was based on my own personal experience.

fonty1978

demBones wrote:

just upgraded to

front cateye single shot plus

rear cateye ld1100

very new to this and can't comment versus other brands but they are very bright

I'm after an additonal light and considered your choice. Think i might try one this weekend.
Incidentally i notice you live in Dobcross do you commute through Oldham? I commute from Failsworth to Royton and find it ok except for the terrible roads and occasional numpty..

singlespeedexplosif

blimey - a positive local thread for local people. Uppermill boy here...

fonty1978

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

blimey - a positive local thread for local people. Uppermill boy here...

Sounds like you're also a fan of the League of Gentlemen!!

always_tyred

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Look guys, so you know, "especially in London" has the potential to be annoying

blimey. I had no idea people were so sensitive. Personally I have no problem with it but sorry if anyone has been annoyed by my comment, which was based on my own personal experience.

The forum is congested with threads about fixies (love to see you try one on my commute) and Boris (who? is he some local politican somewhere?) at the moment. I'm only human.

demBones

fonty1978 wrote:

demBones wrote:

I'm after an additonal light and considered your choice. Think i might try one this weekend.
Incidentally i notice you live in Dobcross do you commute through Oldham? I commute from Failsworth to Royton and find it ok except for the terrible roads and occasional numpty..

not really go through uppermill to mossley and hence to stalyvegas.

tarmac quality not great, numpty count low but very new to this (only 1 near death experience so far)

lights are good esp the rear light. the front one is powerful but the range is not super as its an LED but more than good enough to illuminate the tarmac in front of me.

@SINGLESPEEDEXPLOSIF Hi there nice to know there are local peeps on here.

@fonty1978 Me too. Filmed not too far away from us and been to the used for the external shots of the local shop.

singlespeedexplosif

not really go through uppermill to mossley and hence to stalyvegas.

my route too..then onto Ashton Old Road into M'cr...(unless it's an offroad day. Canal all the way from U'mill to Picadilly). Numpty count this side of Staly is decent as dembones says..other than Sunlight vans, it seems. Ashton onwards is a whole new level of near-death experiences.

@SINGLESPEEDEXPLOSIF Hi there nice to know there are local peeps on here.

Hi back What sort of time do you commute? wonder if we pass each other? I usually leave Uppermill by 06:00 and heading home..Staly around 16:45?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

They are more expensive than the Fenix, but they claim 670 lumens :shock: for £120 inc. postage...
http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?p=1121