Front lights

Yeoer

Just a couple of quick pics to show how bright that 1300 Lumen tourch is...

Test set up... not tech at all but hey are they ever lol..

Bike parked outside my house looking down the side, the brick path is wet so not very refective and ends 15 mtrs away with a stone wall. To put the brightness into persective the outside light is on, its an 11W energy saver (ie 60W traditional bulb). The camera is in manual and i've taken the exposure to balance what your eye see's. For the Techies 1/60 sec F1.8 ISO6400.



The light on my bike... note the refector is WIP


1. The Red tourch 270 lumen (new batteries), which is bright enough to ride with on its own!


2. Big Tourch 1300 lumen low power, the light is not as blue and the smaller tourch.


3. Big Tourch 1300 lumen medium power


4. Big Tourch 1300 lumen full power (no refector)


5. Now with refector


6. Both together


Best £20 i've spent for a while!

gentlegreen

Good to see you've at least made an attempt at a dipped beam.

People need to take into account the varying conditions on their route home.

Horrible blinding lights ruin my winter commutes on the Bristol to Bath railway path ... worst of all pointlessly strobing ones- and multi-watt lamps aimed horizontally when there's all sorts of crud on the path that might be of interest.
Handlebar-mounted lamps are problematic per se.

Given the pedestrians rarely even bother with hi-vis, I almost don't mind the ninjas.

I get nostalgic for the old two-cell Never-readies ...

Bordersroadie

Yeoer,

I have to be honest, even after all I wrote about Exposure, I'm impressed.

:shock:

gosport_commuter

Bordersroadie wrote:

Yeoer,

I have to be honest, even after all I wrote about Exposure, I'm impressed.

:shock:

I cannot see the above pictures for some reason, but speaking from experience of my 1300 (supposedly, prolly closer to 900) lumen torch over the last 4 weeks - it is an UNBELIEVABLE amount of light for so little cost. for £35 I got the torch, 2 batteries (I carry one as an emergency spare) a smart charger for said batteries, and one of the best handlebar mounts I have ever seen - better than any bike specific one I have had. (I went for the most expensive available - a whole £5!) ALL from UK suppliers too! could have had it all cheaper if I was more patient.

I will admit that I needed to put a couple of wraps of electric tape around the battery to stop it rattling about in the torch, but aside from that it's now perfect *touch wood*

plus added bonus, I can release the quick release mount from the torch and use it to walk with/find things under desks/etc etc.

beverick

Just a contra argument for the Cateye HL-EL320. Yes it's bulky when compared with recent units and the bracket can snap if you bounce it around doing a lot of off-road work but it puts an adequate pool of light on the road about 30-50m in front of you. I suppose it all depends what you're looking for and how much of the surrouding scenery you want to illuminate.

I've used one for the last three winters and I do 2-3 miles off road and dark trails and it's been ok. Sure, I wouldn't want to be doing 40mph using it but for an average 18-20mph commute it does the trick.

Two sets of batteries last me the whole winter (commuting 3 days a week on average - 40 mins each way) so, as such, it offers reasonable value for money.

True, it doesn't offer anything like the 30w of light I used to get out of the Lumicycle lights (which was like riding in daylight) but neither does it cost £300.

Bob

cougie

Rode in the pitch black this morning with this http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-501 ... ht-1-18650

I reckon you could get the torch, holder, batteries and charger for under £30. (27.42 by my reckoning !)

Ridiculous amounts of light - blows my Fenix away, and that in turn blew my cateye away.

CantonasCollar

gosport_commuter wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

Yeoer,

I have to be honest, even after all I wrote about Exposure, I'm impressed.

:shock:

I cannot see the above pictures for some reason, but speaking from experience of my 1300 (supposedly, prolly closer to 900) lumen torch over the last 4 weeks - it is an UNBELIEVABLE amount of light for so little cost. for £35 I got the torch, 2 batteries (I carry one as an emergency spare) a smart charger for said batteries, and one of the best handlebar mounts I have ever seen - better than any bike specific one I have had. (I went for the most expensive available - a whole £5!) ALL from UK suppliers too! could have had it all cheaper if I was more patient.

I will admit that I needed to put a couple of wraps of electric tape around the battery to stop it rattling about in the torch, but aside from that it's now perfect *touch wood*

plus added bonus, I can release the quick release mount from the torch and use it to walk with/find things under desks/etc etc.

Have you got links to the above items please mate?

Many Thanks,

CC

gosport_commuter

CantonasCollar wrote:

Have you got links to the above items please mate?

Many Thanks,

CC

1200 Lumen torch:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250913253592? ... 1497.l2649

This was the mount:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180730587137? ... 182wt_1163

And I bought the following charger and batteries:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18650-battery ... 515wt_1396

The charger and batteries are more than I remember, but you can get cheaper alternatives if you search on ebay.

Hope this helps.

Yeoer

Bordersroadie wrote:

Yeoer,

I have to be honest, even after all I wrote about Exposure, I'm impressed.

:shock:

A friend of mine has an exposure, not sure on the model, it pretty chuncky, 3 LEDs in, it gives out a lot of light with the beam being larger(wider) than mine and more even, its not as bright and the light reach is quite bit shorter but its probably better suited as a cycle light (haven't seen him trying to make a reflector yet ), the down side is its way out of my budget.

Bordersroadie

Yeoer wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

Yeoer,

I have to be honest, even after all I wrote about Exposure, I'm impressed.

:shock:

A friend of mine has an exposure, not sure on the model, it pretty chuncky, 3 LEDs in, it gives out a lot of light with the beam being larger(wider) than mine and more even, its not as bright and the light reach is quite bit shorter but its probably better suited as a cycle light (haven't seen him trying to make a reflector yet ), the down side is its way out of my budget.

That's interesting to hear you say that, it's the first informative (and honest!) comparison between an Exposure and a low-cost alternative! It sounds like your buddy has the Toro, the same one that I have.

The only disadvantage I've found with it (apart from the eye-watering cost) is that when climbing, out of the saddle, you can get dazzled by the upward part of the beam. As someone noted a while back, the Toro is really an MTB light where tree branches and overhead stuff need to be illuminated, not a necessary part of the beam pattern on road. It does seem to have a very nice even, wide light flood.

Mettan

Here's 2 photos from my pair of 502b's on the front of my road bike - (taken from the conservatory looking down the garden - conserv. floor's about 1.5 ft higher than the garden - the shed's about 60 ft away).





Our camera's crap, so excuse the poor photo quality. The 2nd picture looks a bit sharper. I need to lower the torch angles somewhat - currently, one is set up slightly lower then the other one (but they both need to face down more).

supersonic

If on a budget nothing beats the torch route, or the MagicShine clones at £30. You are looking at 1000 lumens of light for your money, and in very well made packages now. Compare to the Vision 1 at 240 lumens and £70, or the Joystick at a ridiculous £130 for about 325 lumens. The MS and torches blow them away. And the build quality is very good.

esspeebee

Just to go against the trend, I went with the Chinese torch route, and found it to be brilliant ... up until I hit a bumpy patch of road, and it started flickering on and off. Not what I wanted to happen when I was using it to see by. Lately I've been borrowing my brother's Vision 1, and am almost certainly going to get one of my own in the near future. I don't trust the torch any more.

gosport_commuter

esspeebee wrote:

Just to go against the trend, I went with the Chinese torch route, and found it to be brilliant ... up until I hit a bumpy patch of road, and it started flickering on and off..

That is what happened to mine, the wrapping of a few lengths of electric tape around the battery to stop it rattling, solved this issue for me.

symo

My chinese torch failed miserably today, now left with the low mode working only and that cuts out after a random period to OFF!!!! Luckily I had my knog frog strobing away on my lid, however having the light go out on an unlit road then having to cycle through the 3 modes hi(which flashed brightly then died) to low, then through off and hi; ruined my ride home.

It was one of these.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/aurora-ak- ... 8650-32590

I am now looking at getting a vision 1 or an exposure spark. I hear bad things though about the current Vision 1 build quality. Anyone else have any comments (reviews were the latest on CRC website)?

Edit: also this ruins my budget for the month now, and that means I can't take advantage of an offer on Native Instruments website. Sh!te Chinese manufacturing.

Yeoer

symo wrote:

My chinese torch failed miserably today, now left with the low mode working only and that cuts out after a random period to OFF!!!! Luckily I had my knog frog strobing away on my lid, however having the light go out on an unlit road then having to cycle through the 3 modes hi(which flashed brightly then died) to low, then through off and hi; ruined my ride home.

It was one of these.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/aurora-ak- ... 8650-32590

I am now looking at getting a vision 1 or an exposure spark. I hear bad things though about the current Vision 1 build quality. Anyone else have any comments (reviews were the latest on CRC website)?

Edit: also this ruins my budget for the month now, and that means I can't take advantage of an offer on Native Instruments website. Sh!te Chinese manufacturing.

It'll be the battery either not holding charge, battery connection or its just gone flat! they work by automatically dropping to the next level of brightness and not like a conventional tourch gradually get dim, the first time it happend to me i thought the thing was shot. Thats why you need a spare battery in your bag (good pratice anyway).

supersonic

Some of the chinese torches are better than others, afterall, are about 150 to choose from, with about 8 brands. A lot of it is good - see links in the MTB section for common choices. Hope's internals are all far east sourced and the Vision 1 not particularly well built.

Exposure need to start using the latest LEDs - they are a generation behind now which is why the Chinese bike lamps are beating them on brightness, runtimes, and with good build too.

If in doubt buy the MagicShine from the UK which comes with better back up. This should be hitting our shores mid December, at a projected £130:

http://www.magicshine.com/product_view.asp?id=103

fossyant

symo wrote:

My chinese torch failed miserably today, now left with the low mode working only and that cuts out after a random period to OFF!!!!
I am now looking at getting a vision 1 or an exposure spark. I hear bad things though about the current Vision 1 build quality. Anyone else have any comments (reviews were the latest on CRC website)?

I know loads of people who use Vision 1's for commuting and they are fine. Had my two for nearly 3 years - one had a faulty switch, but was replaced by wiggle, but not had an ounce of trouble with both of mine. Hope customer service is great as I got new rubber grippers off them FOC recently.

symo

Yeoer wrote:

It'll be the battery either not holding charge, battery connection or its just gone flat! they work by automatically dropping to the next level of brightness and not like a conventional tourch gradually get dim, the first time it happend to me i thought the thing was shot. Thats why you need a spare battery in your bag (good pratice anyway).

Err no, I arrived at work and I knew the battery needed charging. So into the trustfire tr001 for 10 hours. Poped it in at the bike stand, ride home. Light goes off from low mode without warning, Flick button to off and it to Hi, which did not flick until the switch was switched to the low mode where it briefly flashed. Then it went into low mode, where it did the same pattern 12-15 times on my ride home. Bobbins.

Don't care if the Vision 1 is behind or the exposure is either. Want something that I only have to buy once every 5 years.

supersonic

But that might not be the case. I know of so many Vision 1s failing that they have a worse rep amongst some groups than even the cheapest chinese torch. And Exposure hardly have the best record.

symo

supersonic wrote:

But that might not be the case. I know of so many Vision 1s failing that they have a worse rep amongst some groups than even the cheapest chinese torch.

Cite your source

supersonic wrote:

And Exposure hardly have the best record.

Again, cite your source

supersonic

Plenty on these forums have had multiple faults with both, especially chargers with the Exposures. And plenty on Singletrack forum to name another. Both have had bad batches of lights. Also I have worked in the cycle trade since 1996, seen enough returns to know it is not isolated.

Basically just because it is a Hope or any other brand does not mean it is infallible. They do sometimes have faults too and I think people need to be aware of this.

In the end it is up to the rider of course to weigh up the pros and cons of each light and what they bring to the table. But it is very hard to ignore the new UF501b XML torches at the price.

desweller

Ahem. Dynamo + Schmidt Edelux. Not the brightest, but bombproof!

DrLex

I'll tip the Philips LED front light - single unit, solid device with a bright, wide beam & two settings (standard & high). Rechargeable but takes AA batteries, so if one forgets to recharge, a quick shop/gadget strip gets it going.

sexysi

Just got hold of one of these, which at the moment I can't fault.
MAGICSHINE MJ-872 LED LIGHT 1600 LUMEN BIKE LIGHT TORCH

Bought off ebay for £88.00 and i love it.

I use it for commuting, 25-50% power through London and 75-100% power through the country lanes, unless a car comes the other way and then i switch it down, which is easy even with gloves on.

Off road managed a 2 hr off road ride with BigFoot CC at between 50-100% power and the battery got me round, still with a lot of power left in it.
I am running a series 3 battery with 4400mh power, ie: the smallest battery they supply and it needs charging everyother day, as my commute is 1 1/4hrs either way in the dark.

Nicely made, robust casing, no real single beam, but gives a massive wash and you can be doing 30mph on a road bike and still see all things on the floor ahead. I have added the 1m extension cable and therefore hold the battery in a seat bag behind my seat, even the o rings hold the light unit in place very well.
Also a very good price.

If you want a good light for on and off road, I would recommend this lamp.

I have also just ordered the new 2000lumen model, due in in December.

si

bails87

Si, i've got that too. I never go over 'level 2' on unlit roads, the lowest level is enough for all but the fastest descents. It helps that I know the roads well though I guess.

sexysi

I suppose on my country lanes there are very few cars, so I like using the full power, if you got it,why not use it lol.
Be interesting to compare this lamp to the new
Magicshine MJ-880 LED Bike Light Torch MASSIVE 2000 LUMENS

I will be using my free helmet mount for the 872, and using the 880 on the bike.

I have had a couple of cars really slowing down when i come down the road, I think a lot of people don't actually know what is coming.
The way i look at it, if they slow down then at least they won't hit me as fast.

si

bails87

Yeah, I'd just be wary of dazzling them. I've driven/ridden past a couple of cyclists with blindingly bright lights, which mean you can't see what's ahead of you for a couple of seconds, and it is annoying/dangerous. I ride down a mix of suburban roads, open country roads and narrow lanes. On the country roads and lanes I'll wait until the car approaching me dips it's headlights, then turn mine down to 1 and direct it down at the ground, on the narrow lanes I tend to shield the driver from the glare of the light with my hand, once the car has slowed down. On the suburban roads, there's plenty of ambient light anyway, so the bike light isn't so dazzling, and it'll only be on 1.

I can't actually tell all that much difference between levels 2 and 4, certainly not compared to the jump from 1 to 2, so I'll use 2 as a max, as it means I get double battery life.

symo

'Despite' my reticence bout to press go on this :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-T6-U ... 523wt_1025

At least i can track him via eBay if it goes tits up in less than a year. Saves me £30 quid i guess.

sexysi

Just make sure the battery case is waterproof, the magicshine ones are Waterproofing - •IPX7 rated weatherproofing.

IPX7=
Immersion up to 1 m Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion). Test duration: 30 minutes
Immersion at depth of 1m

Simon