Shortening days and unlit routes

pastryboy

winter break on the cards?

I had a look at lights but anything good enough is horribly expensive. My hour long journey is 90% unlit and mostly along canal so poor visibility could be hazardous.

rolf_f

Road route alternative? I used to commute along the canal (waited til it was light enough in the morning before I started) but now take the road. Aside from being quicker, it is more interesting if less attractive. Ultimately, though much of it appears rural, it does pass near some fairly dodgy estates and I wouldn't want to be on it after dark even if I did have good lights.

Still, if you have the option of flexi time, I found it was really only about ten weeks when it was properly dark in each direction.

Eau Rouge

I used one of these guys
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart ... 360022781/
on unlit country roads last winter without a problem.

whyamihere

Eau Rouge wrote:

I used one of these guys
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart ... 360022781/
on unlit country roads last winter without a problem.

You must be a bat...

You get what you pay for with the lights.

pastryboy

Roads aren't realy an option - would be something like 13 miles each way through London and where I am around North London is very traffic (and traffic light) dense. Flexi-time I do get but family means I need to get home early.

Is that light really up to the job in pitch black? I thought the cheaper ones were just intended to keep you visible and you had to spend a fortune for something to actually light your way? Obviously at that price two would be feasible. My concern is really seeing the numerous bumps and cracks in the pathways I travel on - my distance is such that I need to be doing an average of no less than 14mph or it will take too long.

JonS123

I hatve a Cateye single shot (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Catey ... 360031623/ chose wiggle as first retailer that came to my head) which lit up the canal toepath more than enough during the winter nights. It comes with a mains charger and does 2 hours on "high"

Skippy2309

get a torch, a nitecore D10 or D20 are amazingly bright. Fenix have a bike mount system.

I have had both nitecores mentioned and they are seriously impressive.

CiB

Nothing to add, but this gives me the top 5 threads all at once. Bigger than The Beatles me.

Kieran_Burns

It is true you get what you pay for, and you have to balance cost and benefit - I've spent over £200 for the front lights alone but can see well over a 100' of the utterly pitch black bridleway now.

I'm running a Cateye singleshot plus and a Hope vision 2 - well worth the money (especially as I got the higher output hope for the cost of the lower one!)

symo

Last night on dartmoor was poitively apocolyptic. The cloud was dense (at 7:30) effeectively making it pitch black. Then a gale force wind was blowing across, followed by horizontal rain.

All in all not pleasant.

However I can report that even wearing sunglasses the new Aurora P7 SSC Torch I got from Dealextreme performed excellently. The light was bright and lit up the road for some distance.

prawny

symo wrote:

Last night on dartmoor was poitively apocolyptic. The cloud was dense (at 7:30) effeectively making it pitch black. Then a gale force wind was blowing across, followed by horizontal rain.

All in all not pleasant.

However I can report that even wearing sunglasses the new Aurora P7 SSC Torch I got from Dealextreme performed excellently. The light was bright and lit up the road for some distance.

I hear alot of good things about these, I might try one this winter.

R_T_A

pastryboy wrote:

winter break on the cards?

I had a look at lights but anything good enough is horribly expensive. My hour long journey is 90% unlit and mostly along canal so poor visibility could be hazardous.

What's your budget? I got a Niteflux vision stick commuter for £63: http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/id40941.html

I have that and a Tesco Cree torch (£10) on the helmet for focussing on rougher patches which helps too.[/b]

symo

deal extreme aurora p7 and two rechargable batteries, a recharger a case to keep the batteries in, handlebar mount and a helmet mount cost me £37. Forget cycle specificlights they just don't offer sensible prices anymore.

RedJohn

Eau Rouge wrote:

I used one of these guys
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart ... 360022781/
on unlit country roads last winter without a problem.

I've used two of these (together) as backups ... doable but nervous, I'd say, wouldn't personally recommend it as the only solution, especially if you don't want to slow down.

I've got a Hope HID MTB light which on-road (and off) is fabulous, however you don't really need to pay for MTB brightness if you're on predictable surfaces like the canal or road. Plus they dazzle pedestrians which is a bit unfriendly.

Something in between like the Hope Vison 1 (£80 odd) would probably be a good compromise - budget depending of course. Haven't actually used it myself but mulling over the idea as winter approaches.

RedJohn

symo wrote:

deal extreme aurora p7 and two rechargable batteries, a recharger a case to keep the batteries in, handlebar mount and a helmet mount cost me £37. Forget cycle specificlights they just don't offer sensible prices anymore.

I think that depdns what you are buying. The newest super-bright lights, designed for off road, are very expensive - but they're far brighter than lights used to be.

For something as bright as was available say 5 or so years ago, prices are probably lower if anything.

vorsprung

pastryboy wrote:

winter break on the cards?

I had a look at lights but anything good enough is horribly expensive. .

I hear that these jokers

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/SAM-s-Spo ... QQ_armrsZ1

Do Ixon lights at a good price. I haven't used them myself

Aidy

You shouldn't really need anything special to ride along a canal path.

You only need enough to light your way, pretty much any light which is more than a "be seen by" light should be sufficient.

symo

First get one of these
Mount that to your bike with one of these
Power it with http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790 keeping the spare one in this and recharge them here.

Add in the cost of an adapter plug for the charger and you are good to go. I was looking at a Hope Vision one, but I am more than happy with this.

pastryboy

Thanks for the helpful posts. What is the battery life likely to be on the torches, I need two hours a day.

fossyant

Tesco's give you 1-1.5 hours. So 2 set's of AA rechargeable.

Cycle specific lights are expensive - I have two Hope Vision 1's, but the torches are a good compromise - watch the angle in traffic or you'll blind someone......

If using a 'torch' make sure you have a backup light, same goes for any lights really.

tjwood

Loads of info about lights for all budgets suitable for offroad use in this sticky in the MTB Buying Advice forum:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12641036

chuckcork

Eau Rouge wrote:

I used one of these guys
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart ... 360022781/
on unlit country roads last winter without a problem.

Absolutely pathetic light for anything but walking along a flat level path with nothing front of you.

If you can afford it get something decent (I have a SON hub with an Edelux light, absolutely f*cking brilliant for high speed rides on pitch black partly potholed country roads!!!!!!) as this is only good for going into the cellar.