Front Light

youngy81
youngy81 Posts: 42
edited September 2011 in Road beginners
Can anyone recommend a front light which would be good enough for evening club rides?

Comments

  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Depends on where you're riding. Do you need the light to see, or to be seen with ?

    I use my Hope Vision2 LED lights. I originally bought them for my MTB, but as my night riding tends to be on quieter, unlit roads, I like to be able to see where I'm riding. At the back, I have a niterider Cherry Bomb. It's probably too bright for group riding, I certainly wouldn't want to follow it closely.

    For group riding, the amount of light you have at the front isn't as important as that at the back, as you won't dazzle your riding buddies. You won't be popular with the guys following you if you're using a 1Watt LED at the rear !!
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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Search Cree XML on ebay - 1600 lumens for £36 incl shipping from China
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    This is definitely one that comes down to budget. Have a poke around using search because it does come up a lot. I totally agree with Matt's comments, no using blinky setting either if leading the group as it drives the followers mad.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    If money no object the the supernova airstream is a great little unit. Good run time and a great beam shape for roads. Bit underpowered for the money in comparison the the far eastern ones but the quality makes it more than worth in in my opinion.
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  • youngy81
    youngy81 Posts: 42
    The ride roads are apparently well lit, but i suppose the purpose would be a mixture of for being seen with and illuminating the road
  • RoadyForever
    RoadyForever Posts: 170
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Search Cree XML on ebay - 1600 lumens for £36 incl shipping from China
    Very interesting, some of those look suspiciously like Magic shine units, for that money I think I may have to try them.
  • fludey
    fludey Posts: 384
    The hope vision one gives a good light, I use this on road bike to be seen and also on mtb along old railway late at night in total darkness and unlike some it's a self contained unit no additional batt packs.
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  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    I use RSP Asteris for unlit lane riding. The retail about £70-£80 but can be found for about £40 if you are lucky. Neat little rechargable units - I believe similar power to the Hope 1 but much more compact (but then not hand made in the UK either). Very well made too. A pair does a pretty good job of seeing the way on unlit roads - one is OK as long as you don't mind controlling speed on descents.

    Mind you, the clumsier torch I got from Lidl for £7 (plus £7 for the amazingly crap Twofish Lockblock thingy to mount it - find something else, it really is poor!!) gives out yet more power! Will soon find out how it works on the bike......
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  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Don't you go dissing the Lockblock!

    OK, for a lump of rubber and 2 velcro straps it's a bit pricey, but mine has held my Fenix L2D torch on my bars for 3 years without ever slipping or the thing falling off.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    I've just gone for a Cree XML off ebay - 1600 lumens for £35 seems too good to miss, even if it comes in at less than that in reality. I did notice that it has the old battery pack that caused so much trouble with the magicshine, just as well I've already got one of the newer magicshine batteries, it seems to be a lot better.
    I'll post how well it goes in time.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    keef66 wrote:
    Don't you go dissing the Lockblock!

    OK, for a lump of rubber and 2 velcro straps it's a bit pricey, but mine has held my Fenix L2D torch on my bars for 3 years without ever slipping or the thing falling off.
    Same block, same torch, I don't think mine ever failed to slip until I taped duct tape over it.
  • Rodu
    Rodu Posts: 16
    fludey wrote:
    The hope vision one gives a good light, I use this on road bike to be seen and also on mtb along old railway late at night in total darkness and unlike some it's a self contained unit no additional batt packs.

    +1

    Hope Vision 1 has 4 brightness settings and 1 flashing mode. Its a bit expensive RRP £80, I got a 2nd hand one from Ebay at about £57.

    I can testify it does a good job in pitch black country lanes.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    bompington wrote:
    keef66 wrote:
    Don't you go dissing the Lockblock!

    OK, for a lump of rubber and 2 velcro straps it's a bit pricey, but mine has held my Fenix L2D torch on my bars for 3 years without ever slipping or the thing falling off.
    Same block, same torch, I don't think mine ever failed to slip until I taped duct tape over it.


    Blimey! Maybe my bars are made of unusually grippy stuff then!
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    keef66 wrote:
    Don't you go dissing the Lockblock!

    OK, for a lump of rubber and 2 velcro straps it's a bit pricey, but mine has held my Fenix L2D torch on my bars for 3 years without ever slipping or the thing falling off.

    The problem isn't slippage. The slots for the straps are far too large hence wobbly wobbleness - like the head of a Thunderbirds puppet! I've had to wedge a load of coffee stirrers into the slots to reduce the queasiness!
    Faster than a tent.......

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