Lights

tantalus2002

Hi, can anyone recommend a front light powerful enough for commuting along an unlit country road and cycle track? i'm totally confused with the various specs in adverts, and would just like to know what other people use?! Thanks all!

bungalballs

http://www.candb-seen.co.uk/bikehead-li ... r-kit.html

Maybe overkill, but cant beat the price.

Pigtail

You have just asked one of the most complicated questions around for cyclists and one I've been wrestling with for a couple of weeks.

Lights can be divided into several different categories. The first choice really is lights to be seen by, or lights to see with? You have already decided on lights to see with. These again come in different categories. The top end lights are designed for mountain biking in the dark, and can cost more than most bikes. They also need judicious use to avoid blinding oncoming traffic on the road.

Then you get the cheaper variations of these that again provide a huge amount of light but have variable build quality,joints, batteries, mounts etc. They generally have separate batteries that need to be mounted on your bike, with cables. They often have quite short runtimes, maybe less than 2 hours on full power.

Germany has different laws on bike lights, requiring the beam to be cut off, a bit like a dipped headlight on a car, to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.

My criteria was:- I want a light to be self-contained, no separate battery. I want longer run time - most of my rides are well over two hours. I want something to see with in the dark, but also suitable to use in an urban environment, without blinding other people.

I agonised over it for ever, and eventually bought this.http://road.cc/content/review/47688-trelock-ls-950-ecopower-control-front-light I've no idea what it's like, as it only arrived today, but I'm ridiculously pleased with it so far. Run time on high is over 6 hours. I've no doubt I'll be saying how well I can see with it in the dark before long!

craker

Cree 900 lumen led for £29 (though this looks like the version without waterproof batteries). Loads of brightness, 2 1/2 hour runtime on brightest. Get 2 or 3 if you're worried about runtime or reliability (I'm on my 3rd winter & 2nd battery pack).

cooper.michael1

I've had a Hope vision one for about 2 years, the previous version of this: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/hope-vision-1-led-front-light/

A well made light, made out of a solid piece of aluminium. Because of this is it much more durable than the countless Cateye top end models i've gone through in the last ten years (which seem to die after about a year)

On medium setting it gives enough light to see with on a unlit road/track riding at 15-20mph. With a set of Duracell Ultra Power Batteries, I get 6-7hours on medium setting (you need to buy good batteries). I love the fact it is a self contained unit with no battery pack, and you can simply carry an extra set of standard AA batteries with you if you are on a multi-day tour etc... and not worry about finding a place to charge the light.

Finally the bracket attaches to the light not the handlebar. This is great if you've got several bikes, as you don't have to buy multiple brackets and attach them to each of your bikes.

northpole

Another thumbs up for Hope.
I had a relatively expensive Cateye model which had a built in rechargeable battery which was heavy and quite clumpy. The problem which proved terminal was that the mounting bracket was nowhere near man enough for the task of securely attaching the light. Mine flew off twice, the second time ending up under a car wheel travelling in the other direction!
The shop kindly offered a refund or discount on a Hope 2 which I accepted. This has worked flawlessly for the last 2 or 3 years with no visible sign of deterioration.
I actually think the separate battery pack is a plus point. It greatly reduces the pressure on the mounting bracket for the light and, being fixed by velcro strap, it is very easy to remove from the bike for charging if a power point isn't within reach of the bike. I also like the idea of the battery being physically detached from the light unit - batteries are easily replaced (I've not had to change mine yet) and if anything goes wrong with the battery, there is much reduced potential for it to damage the light.
I've been so impressed with Hope that I recently upgraded to the Hope R4 front and District rear lights. There are brighter units out there - Exposure springs to mind - but I think the R4 would make for a smashing all round town/ out of town unit, if the price isn't too off putting. After my experience with the Vision 2, my expectation is that the lights will last many years to come.

Peter

unixnerd

I do a lot of cycling after work on unlit roads. I use two Cree XML-T6 torches and an AA-Maglite with an LED upgrade for a head torch using a NiteIze headband.

Two main torches means that if one dies I'm not blind. I point one ahead of the other and I get a great spread of light, visibility never slows me down. Recently got a pair of these with all the bits at a price of 30 quid on ebay for my friend.

Head torch is nice, if you look directly at someone they WILL see you! It doesn't need to be as bright as the main lights. Handy for working on the bike too or looking at your speedo.

wishitwasallflat

+1 for two cree torches - 501b or similar with T6 or U2 LEDs - check out the MTB Buying Advice thread on here for the definitive word - find posts from a member called DIY and check the links in his signature. If you are prepared to order from China or Hong Kong you can get two torches, batteries, charger and mounts for £25 or so - ordering from Chinese suppliers with UK stock from UK probably more like £50 but still more than enough light for seriously cheap money.

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12660193

Just watch out for the mounts they fit MTB bars not road - these are better used with a cable tie instead of the supplied bolts -

http://www.bestofferbuy.com/Bike-Bicycl ... n=gbase_uk

not reccomending that site just first link I could find these mounts are avaialble all over the place

unixnerd

http://www.bestofferbuy.com/Bike-Bicycl ... n=gbase_uk

I've found those are fine on my mtb and two of my road bikes and I've not had to use cable ties. But my Roubaix has outsize diameter bars and I had to get larger ones to fit it.

carrock

We go out 5 times a week on unlit roads. I have had Cateye cheap lights, and Light and Vega mid price lights, but you can't beat Exposure lights for quality. Don't think you can beat the Diablo- weighs 100 grams and chucks out 1100 lumens. Waterproof, reliable etc. The price is a bit steep when you consider the emitters cost about 50p each, but best on the market by far.

unixnerd

I bought an individual SSC P7 LED 18 months ago for an upgrade on an existing light, think it cost me 7.50 + shipping. Of course they'll be less in volume buy 50p is optimistic.

The 18650 batteries are dear too. I imagine good ones in bulk are five or six quid.

The current LED technology is amazing. I studied semiconductor design at uni in the late 80s and this stuff is just fantastic.

ilm_zero7

I have just swapped to a Cateye Nano shot - small lightweight and super bright - love it