Bike lights

jeremyrundle

Sorry if this has been asked before but, I have just bought my son and myself a bike, I am fifty and have been looking forward to cycling, (detest the traffic though).

Lights.

Over the years I have never been happy with any lights on bikes, though I have only ever had the old ever ready type, krypton bulbs etc.

Before I buy again, has anyone experience of LED Lenser cycle lights, I swear by their torches but at the price of decent lights what experience do others have of cycle lights please.

Thank you

apreading

Do a search for Magicshine or Fenix - there are other cheaper options too.

There are alot of LED lights you can get for anything down to £5 - I have some at that price which take AAA batterys which makes them simple to work with and use a twofish lock block to mount them - just like a bike light you could buy in a UK bike shop but 100x better and a tenth of the price!

the cheapest place is dealextreme who ship from the far east - search for X2000 and find one which takes AA batteries - this will cost very little money and be extremely good and easy to charge.

Ther are much more powerful versions, with the simplest being the Magicshine which is made up as a proper bike light and includes dedicated charger etc - you will not believe how bright they are!

If you want to buy in the UK try searching the web for Fenix torches - not as cheap as the ones on Deal Extreme but build quality is excellent.

jeremyrundle

Thank you, any one else have any ideas please.

Also I would like to learn to maintain our Saracens, has anyone an idea where I may download videos or anything to learn to remove rear wheels and get the chain back properly, yes I know, simple you say.

Also adjusting the gears and other parts.

Thank you.

bartimaeus

There is a "What Lights" thread on Bikeradar:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12641036
as well as a very long discussion on the pros and cons of various set-ups... see
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12660192

I used this to chose my riding lights and they have been excellent... good power, good spread, good burn time and very easy to use.

19189 TrustFire P7-F15 SSC P7-WC 3-Mode 900-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*18650) Main light
14443 Ultrafire C1 Cree R2-WC 5-Mode Memory LED Flashlight (2*CR123A/1*18650) Helmet lights
15642 Universal Bicycle Mount for Flashlights and Gadgets (2cm~3cm Diameter Adjustable) Attach P7 to bike
12000 Universal Nylon Mount for Flashlights and Lasers Attach C1 to helmet
13820 OEM 2*18650 Lithium Battery Charger (110V~240V AC) Charger for 18650s
02709 Universal UK Travel Power Adapter Plug Adapter for charger
05790 TrustFire Protected 18650 Lithium Battery (2500mAh 2-Pack Blue) Batteries

bartimaeus

Indeed - you need "lights to see" (which is what my post covers), but also "lights to be seen".

I have a small Cateye commuter light up front and a Blackburn Mars 3.0 at the back. LED rear lights all seem to bytore all prlighte pretty good and have very long run times (150 hours claimed). I also wear a reflective vest and have some WOWOW ankle wraps from Halfords which are excellent: much better than the velcro ones, and not to expensive when they are on offer.

What you need depends on what you do... the "to be seen" set up is essential on-road after dark but you don't need expensive kit to be visible. The "to see" kit can be very expensive - but the recommended set up gives you awesome power for the price, and is plenty good enough for off road in total darkness.

SpeedyLuke

Yeah i would have to agree with apreading, there are quite a lot available for some good prices on the internet. Just have a shop around.

andrewc3142

To see by, I invested in an Exposure Joystick Race Maxx. A neat solution since the battery is integral, ie no separate battery pack to find a place for. Great light, perfect for fast winter commuting. Problem is the price, about £200. But that's about what you are looking at if you want a light to see by.

For a rear light in the real dark I use a cateye tl-ld 100. Again, not especially cheap but effective.

As back-up lights I always pack a set of those tie-on cateye ones (sl 110). Fine for being seen around town, not expensive and fix on pretty much anywhere.

Personallly, I don't go in for all the reflective hi-viz stuff, although my clothing usually has reflective tabs here and there.

arthur_scrimshaw

If you are near to an Evans store they run these

http://www.evanscycles.com/servicing/fr ... ce-classes

Free and might be useful.

Regarding lights, I bought a Hope 1 last year, couldn't justify the price of the Exposure lights but seriously considered the magicshine, in the end put off by reports of variable quality. However I might just risk it this time around!

jeremyrundle

May I thank all those people for their help, much appreciated.