Whats lights are for you?!

slow turner

What lights do you use on your bike and how do you rate them, im in the market for some new lights as the days are getting shorter and i want to be seen and i want to live through this coming winter.

Thank you

Arran

rake

smart rear lights are very good. i use a homemade 3w front, small but piercing.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mc/cycle/7/Smart/Lights_-_Rear/

anto164

This on the rear in the vertical axis..

http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/468

And i only have a basic front light as below, single LED, but i need to get a better one as it's not bright enough at all to see with.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cat ... t-ec019837

Rear one is VERY good, front one not so.

rjh299

I use Knog lights on best bike as they don't require mounts. They are only to be seen with though. Not powerful enough to see where you're actually going.
I use Smart rear light on commuter with 16 LED Electron headlamps on front. Good lights but need mounts and big(ish) rechargable battery.

morstar

I purchased a Hope Vison I last year as what I perceived to be the best compromise between price and performance and it fits the bill perfectly.

The light costs anywhere between high £50-s and £80. I spent £24 on 2 sets of some seriously good batteries (from a specialist) and £50 on a charger that is absolutely Sh*t hot.

I spent about £132 total which did put me in the region of the exposure joystick which gets seriously good reviews consistently.

I believe the exposure is probably a better light in terms of beam and weight but my reasoning for selecting Hope was as follows.

1) No inbuilt batteries. My previous light had to be chucked when the unreplacable battery died.
2) The battery charger works for nearly all the batteries in the house.
3) MOST IMPORTANT! I always have a set of batteries ready to go! My previous light took 7 hours to charge. I could only go on preplanned rides. In practice this proved to be ride prevention. I specifically wanted something with standard batteries. (AA's in this case)

I am really happy with my purchase as for my budget I got most bang for my buck. There are some incredible lighting systems out there but you can very quickly get carried away.
I will probably purchase a second Vision 1 this year so that I can have a flashing one on busy roads and really bright spread on the silly little country lanes I ride.

softlad

whatever lights you have, carry a set of Knog Frog Strobes as spares - they're only 'visibility' lights, but are unbelievably good at what they do - especially when you can get both front and rear for less than £20...

Radioactiveman

Hope vision one. Bought a set of 2700mAh batteries and charger to go with it and a spare battery holder. I think I will buy a second one for the depths of winter.

On the back I have 3 blackburn leds. 2 on my bag flashing and one on the seatpost on fixed.
I could do with a brighter rear light tbh.

Lagavulin

I was running 2x Blackburns Mars 4.0s at the back and both a Cateye-EL450 and Cateye EL300 Opticube on my old hack. Haven't yet brought myself to mount such devices to my CAAD 9.

Ran one of the Mars and the EL450 in flashing mode and the other rear and the EL300 on constant.

Rate the Mars 4.0s but think you could get better front lights than I've used sio far.

Fancy some flashing rear helmet mounted lights as last year I frequently encountered one gentleman commuting - when I was on the bus to work - and that was always the thing that caught my eye first.

unixnerd

smart rear lights are very good.

+1, excellent.

itchieritchie

Isn't it scary how the lights discussions have popped up already? Don't like that at all...

Depends what kind of riding you're doing. 'Visibility' lights as someone mentioned, are all you need for commuting. I get about on a Genesis Flyer SS and refuse to venture out sans my Blackburn Mars 3.0.

It's superbright and has good visibility from the side, which is also an often overlooked area. GREAT ratings and reviews too. Got mine from Wiggle.

And I went into Condor cycles yesterday and picked up a nice new Knog Beetle for the front. I use the slower flashing mode, which is more relaxing and saves battery, and it's plenty bright enough too.

Matches my grips (purple) and nice and easy to slip on and off.

Condor are doing 20% off all Cateye and Knog lights at mo if anyone's interested.

So at the moment I have the perfect combination. I also have an Exposure Joystick for more hardcore penetration (oo-err!) but don't need this for commuting. It's so bright I'd worry about dazzling oncoming cars and posing even more of a danger to myself...!!

lewishamilton

Smart rear lights are the nuts. Really blind you when you look directly into them. Stevie Wonder would notice them.

I use Smart Lunar 35 on the front...It's pretty good, lights up the road to the degree I am confident cycling at speeds and shows potholes (which is a life saver) Don't let the price put you off (by thinking its too cheap) £20 off the bay brand spanking...

Alternatively buy it from amazon, test it out, if you don't like it send it back.

Dunkindiver

These are amazing, I used one of these on the Exmouth Exodus and the Dunwich Dymano, and on low power, provided more than enough lightand lasted all through the night on the rechargeable battery.
Amazing value and very fast delivery!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

(the ad states 4.5 hours runtime on lo power, mine lasted a couple of hours longer than that!)

bompington

Dunkindiver wrote:

These are amazing, I used one of these on the Exmouth Exodus and the Dunwich Dymano, and on low power, provided more than enough lightand lasted all through the night on the rechargeable battery.
Amazing value and very fast delivery!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

(the ad states 4.5 hours runtime on lo power, mine lasted a couple of hours longer than that!)

Yep, mine was indeed amazing until it suddenly cut out halfway home one dark night, and consistently refused to charge up afterwards.
I've had a pretty good success rate over the years buying cheap stuff that's turned out to be really good value, this one definitely fell on the other side of the equation - I'm not the only one to report that this light has failed either.

nferrar

My main lights are Ay-Ups but also have one of those magicshine ones as backup (and for fast descents). On the rear just a small flashing LED + a fibreflare thing on the seatstay.

tlw1

I bought the P7 light from dealextreme & its been fantastic for mountain biking. But turning up at the local cycling club with a magnalight strapped to my helmet (oh-er) is going to get me some strange looks!

But re: Bompington - I bought four batteries with mine & one of them has done the same as yours.

Dess1e

Another vote for the Hope Vision 1 on the front. Best all round compromise 3 light levels + Flashing, and uses AA batteries so you can have spares should you be out all night or away from home for several days. Built to last as well.

Peejay56

Smart 1/2 watt LED on the rear. Lumicycle System 3 LED on the front.

Lumicycle is expensive, but performance is unreal.

Pete.

redvision

if you can afford it get an exposure light.
i have the exposure maxx 2 (got it on my b2w scheme last year). they are incredible. light up the road like a cars lights, and the battery life is fantastic (3 hours on full beam).

run 2 blackburn 4.0 on the back, 1 on flash, 1 on constant.

wiggle have an exposure smart on offer:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Road_Sale/33/ ... 360045231/

also their light comparison might help:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Front_Lights_Br ... /index.htm

god, how depressing is it that we are soon gonna need lights?!!!!

slow turner

Thanks for all the comments, i just bought knog skink lights for the front and back £30, i should of made it clearer about what i need them for, its just really when i go out of an evening and it starts to get dark i can put them on to get home in one peice. Well pleased with knogs.

Arran

fnegroni

My 2p worth: always use a pair, at least at the rear.
In the rare eventuality one fails, the other will provide the much needed redundancy.
A couple of times last winter I was thankful to have two at the back and two at the front.

spasypaddy

Exposure Strada for the front
and
a blackburn 4.0 on the back

cougie

Definitely go with 2 on the back. For proper night rides - I have a P7 on the bars and a Fenix L2D on my helmet.

jthef

I would love one of these
http://troutie.com/?p=532
Some of my commute is down unlit country lanes.
At mo use P7 touch on helmet, very good espeshaly on flash mode in town. :twisted:

sub55

http://www.lumicycle.com/product/195/2240-lumen-spot-flood.htm 8)

wilshawk

For my front light I use the cateye HL-EL135.cost me around £25 and Im very happy with it. There are more powerfully rated ones, but this one seems to produce as much light as you will ever need to get noticed - I can see it reflecting off roadsigns 100m ahead of me. It looks pretty smart, has quickrelease, and takes two AA batteries, I use rechargable and they seem to last for several weeks, thats on the flashing mode and 25mins per day.



For backlight I use the Cateye TL-LD600, it seems to be quite a popular one, cost me £15, has 4 diferent modes (probably two too many), takes 2x AAA batteries which again, last me for weeks, quick release. I really cant complain, its a great light. Only thign to note is that these 'long' type designs need to go on the seatpost, and verically to avoid your thighs hitting them, so they will fit better if your seatpost is raised 2+ inches, otherwise you might find it a bit of a squeeze.



P.s. no I dont work for cateye!

northpole

I have a hope vision 2. I mainly use it for winter commuting in town. I wouldn't want any less - in my opinion you can't have too bright a light - making yourself visible is a great survival tactic!

On the rear I have something called a cherry bomb or something similar - very bright flashing light which is nigh on impossible not to see from quite a distance!

Peter

Anonymous

I was a Dealextreme convert until the battery pack mysteriously and suddenly packed in.

Just bought a Nukeproof (same LED, P7) from CRC, 105 notes with decent battery pack and warranty...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=41025

andyrr

Also had used the DX lights
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

which are super bright lights but they at the tail-end of last winter, just when I was goign to pack them away for a few months they refused to accept a charge.
Dealt with DX and they were ok but a hassle as you have to return them and pay postage both ways.
Got new set sent out and these are fine - not used in anger yet.
Have a set of Light and Motion Solo Logics as backup which I had blown 2 bulbs in over a couple of years - not tragic I know but genuine ones are £13 a go so not cheap and I don't want to have to fork out for 2 x £13 just to carry a spare.
If / when there is a next time I may go Hope or Exposure as reliability and backup service seems better than the likes of DX although they offer good vfm in the pound / light output stakes.

Radioactiveman

Surprised L&M made you pay for the bulbs. A group of guys I mtb have had various work done on L&M lights such as new bulbs,rewire,new pcb all free even outside of warranty.

Pross

Got myself a Fenix L2D torch and mounting block but these seem to have been ursurped now by P7 torches. I have two Smart 1/2 watt rears, one stays on constant and the other flashing. I also have a flashing Smart front light plus a Nightvision jacket which has a red flashing light attached. Only problem is I still can't drag myself out in the dark!

Thick Tester

Front and Rear Dinnottes ( 200 AA Front and 140 AL Rear ) and a smart rackmount on the carrier as extra insurance



They might be small and run of 4 x AA's but they conceal Retina burning quality and really do get you noticed. Only issue is that you have to buy them direct from the states