Front light?

porker33
porker33 Posts: 636
edited August 2011 in Road buying advice
Apologies for the title...
I did run a search, but came up with everything from "nanolight" to "light wheels" I couldn't find what I needed in the first 5 pages I viewed!

I am looking for a decent handlebar mounted battery powered white front light to complement my rear Mars 5, which I am happy with.

I stated handlebar mounted, but are helmet lights actually the answer???

Is there anything in particular that stands out, I am not looking to spend a fortune, but need something better than my small flashing led.

Cheers!

Comments

  • zn533
    zn533 Posts: 66
    What kind of riding are you doing?

    I have a Cateye Uno and I think it's great for city commuting. Very bright, very waterproof. Takes a single AA battery. Simple. Get one.

    However, would it cut the mustard on a country lane? Not a snowball's chance in hell.

    As for your helmet light dilemma, I don't do it because I reckon my lights are bright enough on their own. It will just be another thing to look after. Less is more!
  • lemoncurd
    lemoncurd Posts: 1,428
    Helmet mounted lights are awesome, so much better than a handlebar light.
  • tigerben
    tigerben Posts: 233
    As said above depends on where you are riding.... i ride on unlit country lanes so currently have a wide beam Exposure Diablo on the bars and a smaller more focused exposure joystick on my lid. works great for me - but OTT for urban riding...
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    If you're on a budget then the dealextreme lights are the best brightness for your buck, them beam patterns are pretty floody though. Can't really see the point of helmet-mounted lights on-road (I use one when MTBing), you'll end up dazzling on-coming traffic etc. and you won't normally being going around corners so tight a handlebar light can't illuminate it properly.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    A helmet light alone wont be road legal. So if you were to have an accident - you could lose out.

    Dealextreme are good as are the Fenix Torches.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I'm still using the Fenix L2D torch I got 3 yrs ago. Cos it runs on rechargeable AA's I can go out with a pocket full of spares. Bombproof / waterproof / handy as a torch off the bike.

    It may be my imagination, but I don't think it's as bright as it was when new (do LED's deteriorate over time?) It still occasionally gets me flashed by motorists; more I suspect beacuse of the beam pattern than it's absolute brightness.
  • porker33
    porker33 Posts: 636
    Guys tks for the responses, I think I will get one of the cateye unos for now, just so it is flashing and then see how I get on from a vision point of view.

    They have them at Ribble, I will order if they ever get any chains in again...AAaaaGggHhh!!!

    Cheers.
  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703
    Just bought this....

    http://www.dealextreme.com/p/p7-waterpr ... -set-82509

    and this....

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Super-Bri ... 264&sr=8-1

    and these...

    http://www.dealextreme.com/p/bike-bar-e ... ag10-55370

    Less than £40 for the lot.......BARGAIN!
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • andy46
    andy46 Posts: 1,666
    I use a Hope vision one led. Flash mode in built up areas and also has another 4 brightness modes, which on full power is good enough for unlit roads.
    2019 Ribble CGR SL

    2015 Specialized Roubaix Sport sl4

    2014 Specialized Allez Sport
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    I've been having a similar dilemma. After getting through a front light every year for 3 years (first one fell off, second one failed, 3rd one failed), I've decided to get something that will hopefully outlast me commuting. Next pay packet I'll be ordering some of the Ay-up lights. Hopefully they will do the lit commute, on low power, then a lap or two of unlit Richmond Park on a higher setting. And not break after 4 months.

    Expensive but then again I've spent almost £100 on lights in the first 3 years of commuting and all I have to show are 3 broken lights.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • tigger123
    tigger123 Posts: 60
    Exposure Maxx-d for me. It's chuffing bright and even cars now dip their headlights even before they come around corners on unlit lanes at night. I use it during the day in the flashing mode as it is also permanently on as well as flashing and the number of SMIDSY's I have had has dropped significantly. It's quite expensive though.
  • Thelittlesthobo
    Thelittlesthobo Posts: 184
    Thankfully my mtb past has seen fit to fix me up with a nice light setup.

    I use a Dinotte 200l (AA). Give nearly 3hrs on full light from my pack of 4 rechargeables and is either bar or head mountable. TBH i will only be using it as bar because i dont see the point in a head torch on the road. Unlike my mtb i dont spend much time looking around for different lines, around berms or whatever. I tend to look ahead in a patch which my 200l will happily cover.

    If i did have a need for a head torch i would use my P7 torch but i really cant see the point other than to annoy other motorists. Maybe even blinding them enough to crash into me wouldnt be a good idea.

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