I've won a new bike light!

the_hundredth_idiot

Not just any old bike light but a Lupine Tesla 4. It turned up last week and I used it one day last week on my commute.

Wow - it's a fantastic light. I was very careful to aim it down so I didn't blind oncoming traffic but, down one of the side roads I use, I did hear the cyclist coming the other way say, "Fcuk me - it's a bike!" when he realised.

The only reason I haven't used it every day is that I'm umming and aahing whether or not to keep it.

PROS
Very bright - it's got to reduce the chance of a car driver not seeing me.
For the small distance of poorly lit cycle path on my commute, it's much better at lighting my way than the CatEye EL520 I currently use as my "constant" light (though you'd expect it to be for about seven times the price).

CONS
It's over the top for a 6 mile each-way commute on London roads, and that's the only night riding I ever do.
I worry about blinding people from having it badly adjusted.
It has an external battery pack (the light itself on the bars is very light as it is just the bulb and reflector and a simple but effective o-ring fastener) which swings from my top tube. I can get a bottle-cage mount for it for another £25, though.
It's £275 of front light which is a lot of money - there's no way I could leave in on the bike when I park up so I have the faff of removing both bits. And that's hard work as the o-ring fastener for the light is quite tight - no chance of that moving when riding. My EL520 is a one-piece light that just unclips one handed when I leave the bike somewhere - at worst, through theft, I would just lose the bar clip which can be replaced for a few quid.

If I got, say, £200 by selling the Lupine on eBay, that's more than enough for a good replacement front light (hypothecating my winnings) such as the Hope Vision 1 when I inevitably end up smashing my EL520. Plus, the money left over could probably pay for a year's worth of servicing of my road bike OR an old steel-framed '80s "racer" and the bits I'd need to tidy it up (I keep promising myself I'll do that as a summer project).

For serious night-riding (e.g. off-road) or for a commute along country lanes, there would be no question about me hanging on to it. But for a shortish London commute, I'm really tempted to cash in.

supersonic

The Tesla 4 uses the same emmitter as the magicshine, but has slightly better optics.

Cash in and get one of these for 50 quid!

Splottboy

Your problem is, your just too "bright!"

Kieran_Burns

I'm tempted to offer cash and a Single Shot

stuaff

The Zyro comp I think? I entered that one too....
Agreed, the Tesla is overkill for anything on-road. I've got a Vision 1 for doing FNRttCs, and I've never felt the need to go past the second setting even in the pitch black on country lanes.
Perhaps you should just do more night riding and enjoy the feeling of power

Kieran_Burns

My vision 2 on full power lights up the road like a car on dipped beam. I was astonished at the power output - completely rendered the Cateye redundant.

Headhuunter

Yeah you'll probably start to get complaints and general comments if you use it in London traffic. I get people either moaning at the brightness or complementing me on being uber obvious on the road and I've just got a AA powered 200 lumen Fenix L2D up front!

Kieran_Burns

Headhuunter wrote:

Yeah you'll probably start to get complaints and general comments if you use it in London traffic. I get people either moaning at the brightness or complementing me on being uber obvious on the road and I've just got a AA powered 200 lumen Fenix L2D up front!

are they really brightly lit up as well? :P






(awaits grammar nazi comments..... )

the_hundredth_idiot

It was the Zyro comp. Funnily enough, I feel kind of guilty about thinking about selling it - feels so ungrateful - a bit like selling a Xmas or birthday present - so I've still got it for now.

If I could get a Hope Vision 1 for £52 like someone else on these boards said he did, I'd be tempted. But I might also look at some of those Deal Extreme torches - someone posted a link to one which is about £8 and has 230 lumens (I know lumens aren't the be all and end all but still ...)

I could stick with my CatEye EL520 which is good enough for London really but my rechargeable batteries (VapexTech) keep getting stuck in it (they seem a little thicker than disposable AAs) and I think it's going to pull it to pieces soon - the lens and cap and so on keeps falling to pieces when I try to get the batteries out.

supersonic

230 lumens with the 14500 cells - they don't output as much with AA, but still not bad.

The P7 torches are probably better, and can run in low mode.

I'd sell the bugger! No guilt for me, you won it, cash in!

fossyant

Does it run on different power settings ? I'd keep it, can't have enough light. I've got 2 Hope 1's and tonight at dusk, you could see the passengers in the car in front thinking 'WTF is that behind us......' as the interior of the car lit up.....

supersonic

To demonstrate the awesome power of the P7 torches:

(all pics at 2 seconds exposure, and ISO 146)

A One Watt Luxeon LED headtorch:



Fully charged P7 torch:

the_hundredth_idiot

Yikes - maybe I might get a P7 regardless of whether or not I use it on my bike. Funnily enough, there was a thread about batteries a few weeks/months ago and someone posted a link to the candlepower forums - I remember thinking at the time that, even with the catering for all tastes that the internet is so good at, I was a little surprised to find there was such a forum. Now, I'm thinking of joining!

14500 batteries - who would have thought there'd be such things. There's a whole new world of batteries out there which I need to find out more about. :shock:

The only thing tempting me to keep the Lupine is that I could get a "water bottle" holder for the battery which would make it a little more convenient. But just the water bottle holder is £25!

supersonic

Cells is the correct term really - cheap enough to buy with chargers. Just have to take a little more care with them.

Th P7 uses a 18650 Lithium Ion cell which is just a little bigger than an AA battery, but are 3.7 volts yet still upwards of 2500 mah.

The 5 mode torch is very useful - from portable sun to great for lit roads.

fossyant

PS You could always 'mod' an existing water bottle, or buy the 'tool container' bottles for next to now't...........