New Road Bike Lights

NotSoEasyRider

Hi, Hoping someone can give me some good advice, ive only been cycling with dedication for 6 months and havent needed lights as yet. I am wondering which to buy and what to have on my road bike.

Front light - I want something bright enough for me to see on dark country lanes without slowing down too much, but I dont want it so bright that it dazzles car drivers (as i have seen some riders using. I like the car drivers to see me but not be dazzled/distracted by me) If it is bright enough i will use it for night vision when mountain biking, however this isnt a necessity.

Rear - Ive seen a rear light that i like as it has good side vision and also has 16 different light modes! it can flash and have a row on constantly also! (Cateye TL-LD1100)


Also... What is everyones opinion on flashing lights, and number of front/rear lights in use at once? (the only thing i worry about other than not being visible is being too distracting to drivers with loads of flashing and blinking etc)

I dont have a price limit, but the more i spend i would want a front light that i can use on mountain bike rides too. so cheaper is better overall i think.

Regards

N.S.E.R

daveydave43

Hope vision 1 for a front light; fantastic light output for a decent price. I think they can be got for about £70-80. Make sure you get some good batteries for them though.

Rear light: something that flashes, something on constant. Personally, i trust Cateye.

Have you thought about getting some reflectives as well? possibly not the whole hi-vis ultra yellow stuff, just patches on clothing or stickers on your frame etc. Make sure you have some side visibility aswell

bearfraser

"Smart" do some very hi-viz back flashing led lights(vizable for about a mile,in the dark up Speyside last winter)

glasgowbhoy

Just started using a smart lunar 35 front light that i got for £25 from Rutland Cycling.
I use it for the last part of my commute on a dark country lane for 4 miles and it lights the road very well for 2 x AA batteries. Can;t comment on run time yet but for the price it does a fatastic job.

ian.twin

Hi, I'm new to this form and all forums to be honest so please forgive me if I'm doing this in the wrong place. I too would like some advice on lights.

I have just bought a Madone 5.2 and my Cateye TL-LD1100 rear light won't fit onto the aero seat post (round clamp)

Does anyone have a solution to this. I'm happy to buy another light but the it needs to fit the Madone's seat post

Thanks

bendertherobot

I'm running a Hope Vision 1 at the front with a Smart Lunar R2 and Respro P15 Hump (rucksack cover) at the rear.

Every car now overtakes me on the OTHER side of the road.

Tom Butcher

I'd get the MagicShine from Deal Extreme - although you may think this is too bright - you could always angle it down. It's certainly a lot brighter than a Hope Vision 1 though the Hope may have other things going for it.

danowat

Magicshine, it does have some niggles, but for the price, you can't beat it IMO.

I just wish that it wasn't so sodding bright!!!, even on the lowest setting it can dazzle, but I guess thats the problem with really bright LED lights, but for unlit country roads, its a great light.

vorsprung

ian.twin wrote:

Hi, I'm new to this form and all forums to be honest so please forgive me if I'm doing this in the wrong place. I too would like some advice on lights.

I have just bought a Madone 5.2 and my Cateye TL-LD1100 rear light won't fit onto the aero seat post (round clamp)

Does anyone have a solution to this. I'm happy to buy another light but the it needs to fit the Madone's seat post

Thanks

I have a TL-LD1100 mounted on the seat stays. I am not using the seat stay sized bracket, cateye do lots of different ones

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mc/cycle/7/Cate ... _-_Spares/

ian.twin

is this down by the spokes or above the brake caliper?

sungod

the cateye tl-ld1100 is a great rear light, i've had one over a year, it went all through last winter's cold, snow, rain and salt spray with no problems

at the front i've got a b&m ixon iq, this is rechargeable, but will also take aa cells if required

it's easily bright enough to illuminate the road far enough ahead to be safe at 20-25mph

it has proper beam shaping, so it illuminates the road ahead, rather than just spraying a big cone of mostly wasted light around, and because of the beam shape it is visible from ahead without dazzling

it's about 70 euros (including recharger and cells) from bike24, they are reliable/efficient, no issue buying from uk

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;n ... oduct=6825

the supplied mount is for 'standard' bars, if you've got typical road bars you'll need to add the oversize mount

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;product=4198

father_jack

Wouldn't touch Cateyes again, had four, 3 of them are now broken faulty. Almost got killed because the rear cateyes went faulty. As for front, Hope Vision 2 should be plenty.

father_jack

Wouldn't touch Cateyes again, had four, 3 of them are now broken faulty. Almost got killed because the rear cateyes went faulty. As for front, Hope Vision 2 should be plenty.

amck111

Anybody tried the Electron 16 LED lights going cheap on Planet x? Would they be good enough for open road cycling? Seem good value!

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/LIE ... ght-system

kitsunegari

I've got a flashing led and a Fibre Flare as rear, still haven't yet decided on my front light.

The Flare is an incredible rear light.

Hoopdriver

For rear lights I like the Cateye 1100 - I've had mine for four years of hard use and it is going fine. Amazingly bright, and with side LEDs as well, useful for those intersections.

for front lights on dark unlit country lanes - I do a lot of night riding - I shelled out and bought a Lupine and I've never regretted the money one bit. superb lights. best you can get.

spasypaddy

can you afford exposure?

if so get a strada for the front.
and a flare for the rear.

expensive but worth every penny

roblings

My commute is 20 miles each way, mostly along unlit country lanes. I've got a Light & Motion Seca 400, which does the job pretty well.

£170 quid from Chain Reaction Cycles.

Squillinossett

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fenix-TK11-Waterp ... 43a1fe073e

Much, much better than any bike light you will get fo the money, better built as well.

I use this and its fantastic, was told last year to get this and a mount for my bars when I asked th same question as you, and im glad I did.

Soni

Father Jack wrote:

Wouldn't touch Cateyes again, had four, 3 of them are now broken faulty. Almost got killed because the rear cateyes went faulty. As for front, Hope Vision 2 should be plenty.

Agree entirely, i run the Hope Vision 2 on my road bike and its really nice and compact/small, looks perfectly suited to my road bike, and i ride through unlit lanes and it lights the whole lane up! However, make sure you angle it correctly, as otherwise it WILL dazzle drivers, point it slightly down and it will point out every pothole in the road for 2 miles ahead!

However, there is no side lighting on the Hope Vision 2, which you most probably will get from a commuter front light.....

kitsunegari

Soni, is there any chance you could do me a favour, and take a photograph of the light spread of the Vision 2?

lancejambo

this is alot for a back light but mint

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/search/cycle/7/ ... ue,Ny:True

bendertherobot

kitsunegari wrote:

Soni, is there any chance you could do me a favour, and take a photograph of the light spread of the Vision 2?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Front_Lights_Brightness/index.htm

themightyw

As of a few days ago I use a Hope 2 helmet mounted (incredibly powerful, but doesn't give you the spread of beam) and a Cateye EL530 (which is a wider beam commuter light). Absolutely fantastic - the EL530 is perfectly bright for almost all use, but the Hope 2 makes it more interesting as I can see for miles around, and can focus on potential potholes etc.

Great combo imho.

father_jack

Don't waste your money on Cateye EL5xx, the casing is really thin and brittle. Won't last long.

Soni

kitsunegari wrote:

Soni, is there any chance you could do me a favour, and take a photograph of the light spread of the Vision 2?

Hi mate, this is a good link provided by Bendertherobot, shows a good photograph of the way the Hope Vision 2 lights the dark non lit lanes up at night! Hover over the 'high' photograph, this is referring to the hightest setting on the light....

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Front_Lights_Br ... /index.htm

father_jack

oooo betty! :shock:

andrew_s

sungod wrote:

at the front i've got a b&m ixon iq, this is rechargeable, but will also take aa cells if required

it's easily bright enough to illuminate the road far enough ahead to be safe at 20-25mph

it has proper beam shaping, so it illuminates the road ahead, rather than just spraying a big cone of mostly wasted light around, and because of the beam shape it is visible from ahead without dazzling

it's about 70 euros (including recharger and cells) from bike24, they are reliable/efficient, no issue buying from uk

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;n ... oduct=6825

the supplied mount is for 'standard' bars, if you've got typical road bars you'll need to add the oversize mount

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;product=4198

+1 to the B+M Ixon IQ.
Because it's got a proper dipped headlight style cut off, it's the only light that's so far been mentioned that can be aimed far enough ahead to allow fast riding without also dazzling the oncoming traffic.

If you don't want to order from bike24 in Germany, dotbike are probably the best UK source. Bike24 will charge a bit more for post, take a bit longer, and I think DHL end up delivering it.

For a rear light. I'd recommend two lights, so if one packs in you aren't riding along unaware you have no lights. I use a smart 1/2W and a Cateye AU100BS to be legal with.

kitsunegari

Cheers for the link.

kitsunegari

Actually on this note, I've just gotten a Lenser P7. Can anyone recommend high quality AAA batteries, and an intelligent charger?