Best Bike light in the world

VTech

Ive been reading up on lights for a while and having read many reviews I decided on the Fluxient XM-L U2 1100 Lumens unit. I had seen many reviews but the YouTube reviews swung it for me.
Anyway, it arrived today and I took a quick spin down the drive and the whole road was lit up like I was in the car using the xenon's. I could see everything, so much so I had to drop the unit otherwise on the main road it could blind oncoming traffic.
Anyway, here are a few pics which really dont do it justice but anyway...

Bike on garden


Bike on garden with light on


Light on Handlebar



To answer the questions before they inevitably arrive...

Yes I do.

Again, im actually cycling over 100m/week and have now managed several 30+ road mile rides which also cover several journeys too and from work.

smoggysteve

You do know a light can be classed as too bright. If it dazzles oncoming drivers police can pull you over and fine you.

wellbeloved747

GO PRO 3 stem mount! Where do i get one !!

Gabbo

What wheels are they?

cat_with_no_tail

You've colour co-ordinated your radiators with your bike? Now THAT'S commitment!

Looks exactly like one of the magicshine lights. I've got something similar.

Does yours have the newer, properly sealed battery pack, or is it one of the old style shrink-wrapped packs in a fabric bag?

If the latter, careful using it in the wet, those packs were an absolute cnut for letting in water and frying the cells.

Great lights though, and you WILL find you get flashed by drivers to dip them on the road.

VTech

GoPro stem mount (very high quality and works a treat);
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoPro-Aluminu ... 3f17f931fd

The unit I have is the sealed waterproof item, see it here;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261193966495? ... 1439.l2649

Wheels are Carbon units from China.

Im not worried about people getting annoyed, a typical HID gives 3200 lumens, its all to do with beam direction, if you point forward and slightly left you will be fine.

imposter2.0

good to see that the frame bag has finally gone...

smoggysteve

VTech wrote:

GoPro stem mount (very high quality and works a treat);
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoPro-Aluminu ... 3f17f931fd

The unit I have is the sealed waterproof item, see it here;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261193966495? ... 1439.l2649

Wheels are Carbon units from China.

Im not worried about people getting annoyed, a typical HID gives 3200 lumens, its all to do with beam direction, if you point forward and slightly left you will be fine.

You mount the light on your handle bars meaning you cannot guarantee it is always pointing down and to the left. Think cyclists get a bad enough name without having bike lights like that. I can tell you now, You will annoy people. That middle pic looks like a car headlight on main beam. Way too wide and bright. I have Xenon headlights on my car and they dont shine as far wide as that.

VTech

SmoggySteve wrote:

VTech wrote:

GoPro stem mount (very high quality and works a treat);
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoPro-Aluminu ... 3f17f931fd

The unit I have is the sealed waterproof item, see it here;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261193966495? ... 1439.l2649

Wheels are Carbon units from China.

Im not worried about people getting annoyed, a typical HID gives 3200 lumens, its all to do with beam direction, if you point forward and slightly left you will be fine.

You mount the light on your handle bars meaning you cannot guarantee it is always pointing down and to the left. Think cyclists get a bad enough name without having bike lights like that. I can tell you now, You will annoy people. That middle pic looks like a car headlight on main beam. Way too wide and bright. I have Xenon headlights on my car and they dont shine as far wide as that.

Sorry, I didnt wish to offend anyone.

smoggysteve

No offence taken, just trying to make sure you are legal. BTW, even with this you still aint on that bike cos you have no reflectors.

sloppyschleckonds

VTech wrote:

Im not worried about people getting annoyed,

What about a car driver being dazzled and hitting you?

VTech

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

VTech wrote:

Im not worried about people getting annoyed,

What about a car driver being dazzled and hitting you?

You have a point, maybe I should ride in the dark.

imposter2.0

VTech wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

VTech wrote:

Im not worried about people getting annoyed,

What about a car driver being dazzled and hitting you?

You have a point, maybe I should ride in the dark.

to be fair - the lights would be a bit unnecessary in daylight...

sloppyschleckonds

VTech wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

VTech wrote:

Im not worried about people getting annoyed,

What about a car driver being dazzled and hitting you?

You have a point, maybe I should ride in the dark.

Your life pal

bsc8180

If its the same unit as i have there a 3 levels of brightness. On roads with streetlights medium is fine if pointed down and left. I also cycle on unlit country lanes where the high setting is useful to light the way when doing 20mph in the dark, obviously dim it to medium when traffic comes.

cat_with_no_tail

Ah yes, that's almost identical to mine, but with the o-ring mount instead of the screw on one I have. Good lights, I use mine on the communter and on the MTB. Great lights, especially for the money.

I've used mine for around 2 years now, and have not been pulled over, sent to jail, or mowed down by a dazzled driver yet. As previously stated, I dip the lights onto the lowest setting around town, or when cars are approaching, and I aim the light down, so the brightest spot is about 4ft in front of the wheel. I can then raise the beam once I'm out of town (most of my riding is quite rural, and "proper" lights are essential).

I've also never been pulled over for having no pedal reflectors, nor do I know anyone who has. It's one of those ancient laws that is never enforced by anyone, anywhere, ever. A relic, from the time when people were using 1 candlepower carbide lamps.

smoggysteve

Pedal reflectors is one thing, none at all is another.

VTech

I'm not sure who the reflector comments are being made too but I grew wholeheartedly and would. It be happy without them myself. My Mavic Titanium pedals have front and rear reflectors and the front an rear lights also have reflecting properties so 3 forward and 3 rear.

cat_with_no_tail

SmoggySteve wrote:

Pedal reflectors is one thing, none at all is another.

No it isn't. I have no reflectors n any of my bikes. Why? because they take up space which would be better used by another light.

As long as you've got a front and rear light which is bright enough for the conditions, reflectors are surplus to requirement and no copper in their right mind would ever bother to try and argue otherwise.

I could be "legal" with a crappy front light, a front reflector, pedal reflectors and a rear reflector.
OR
I could be SAFE by using a good front light, a god rear light on constant, and another not as bright on on flashing.
Add into that the fact that most cycle specific clothing now incorporates reflective materials too and I think it's pretty well covered.

As I've already said, this whole thing with reflectors is an archaic law that would never be enforced in real life assuming you are lit up in a fashion commensurate with your surroundings.

Octopus1

Aye up's and Magicshine on the front, two cateyes on the back. No reflectors on any bike. Never been stopped but let's be honest who sees coppers out and about now

The Aye Up's and the Magicshine are for the dark rural roads, where they really are needed. Dim setting on the Aye Up's in town is fine. Full brightness on the back roads, if angled correctly then shouldn't be a problem. I'd rather be seen and have the numpty driver slow down and wonder what I am, than not be able to see anything and hit a massive pothole.

Magicshine batteries are rubbish however, try and get the sealed battery pack which is much better.

bazzer2

Cat With No Tail wrote:

No it isn't. I have no reflectors n any of my bikes. Why? because they take up space which would be better used by another light.

As long as you've got a front and rear light which is bright enough for the conditions, reflectors are surplus to requirement and no copper in their right mind would ever bother to try and argue otherwise.

With respect - you're wrong. If you think a light can be as bright and obvious as a reflector to a person driving a car you've never been in that position. A proper reflector will show up much, much brighter than a light when it's hit by a car headlight *from a close point of view* (so, *my* car headlights, not the one in front or behind)

smoggysteve

Cat With No Tail wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

Pedal reflectors is one thing, none at all is another.

No it isn't. I have no reflectors n any of my bikes. Why? because they take up space which would be better used by another light.

As long as you've got a front and rear light which is bright enough for the conditions, reflectors are surplus to requirement and no copper in their right mind would ever bother to try and argue otherwise.

I could be "legal" with a crappy front light, a front reflector, pedal reflectors and a rear reflector.
OR
I could be SAFE by using a good front light, a god rear light on constant, and another not as bright on on flashing.
Add into that the fact that most cycle specific clothing now incorporates reflective materials too and I think it's pretty well covered.

As I've already said, this whole thing with reflectors is an archaic law that would never be enforced in real life assuming you are lit up in a fashion commensurate with your surroundings.

OK , Scenario

You get knocked off your bike and end up with a bad injury. You are off work for weeks or even months recovering. You try and sue the driver for loss of earnings after the accident. He gets a half decent lawyer who says you were not conforming to these rules http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

He can say he didn't see you are were not lit up right. Maybe your light malfunctioned or something and there was no reflector to show you up in the dark.

YOU WOULD GET SWEET FA. Your life, your risk. I only want people out on the roads to be safe. Not just for themselves but for all road users. If you think you can go on with an attitude of I dont need them, then you are a selfish ignorant person.

apreading

I never understand why, for some people, the first thing they do to a new bike is remove all the reflectors. They may not be necessary but they dont do any harm, so why remove them?

There is no real weight to them and little aero cost, especially if you are happy to have light, gps & Gopro mounted - so why remove wheel reflectors, pedal reflectors etc?

Main reason I can see for not having them is if you dont have space. If your bars are crowded on a disk bike then the front one might be removed for a reason (obviously one that could be debated) but if you have rim brakes, you can get one that mounts onto the brake bolt. If you dont have space on your seatpost and it is either/or a light then you might prioritise the light - I have done this on the kids bikes in the past while they have the saddle right down, until it is high enough to have both - although my son (who is the only one of them likely to ride at night) also has a seatstay mounted reflector.

I get the point that they may not add much to a light, which is more effective, but unless you have 2 lights front and rear then you can find that the rear stops working without you even realising and they are a valuable backup. Either way, I cant see justification for going out of your way to remove them. I am not campaigning to say that you are wrong not to have them, I just cant see why you wouldnt.

rolf_f

Then there is reflective tape which adds fractions of a gram of weight. There's usually somewhere that will fit.

pkripper

erm, the reflectors thing may be an archaic law, but it's there. My understanding is that it's a law that's valid and technically enforceable, and potentially an insurer could seek to limit their exposure by arguing something like contributory negligence (not sure whether that's the correct term) on the cyclists part. Not as far fetched as it may sound.

As for lights, it's not an arms race.

VTech

I find it increasingly hard on this forum to get into the mindset of the "average" user.
For the sake of continuity I will try to explain.

I first posted a pic of my bike on this forum and was slated for leaving the handlebar reflector on, now it's a sin as I removed it.

I'm slated for having no reflectors on this bike yet I have already explained, there are reflectors on the fro t and rear of the pedals and within the front and rear light structures. Also on my Sidi shoes, trousers, tshirt and jacket as well as helmet.

People are arguing with the fact that if you got k Ickes off the bike you could not claim injury if you didn't have reflectors yet last week I left the mainstream of this very forum due to trying to argue the same thing in reference to counterfeit frames.

I expect more backlash for what I have just written but its no real issue as the last thread I was involved with sadly took my amusement away from me for this forum.
Of course we all have opinions and some argue simply for the sake of it but I don't see the point myself. For me, the forum was to find out things I didn't k ow, ask questions to those who have been there and done that and offer advise on subjects I know. I thought it was a simple package.

Anyway, if your after a super light for your bike get the above, if you worried about being thrown in jail for 12 months or getting knocked off the bike and killed I'd suggest you stick on front and rear reflectors and be done with it.

sloppyschleckonds

VTech wrote:

I find it increasingly hard on this forum to get into the mindset of the "average" user.
For the sake of continuity I will try to explain.

I first posted a pic of my bike on this forum and was slated for leaving the handlebar reflector on, now it's a sin as I removed it.

I'm slated for having no reflectors on this bike yet I have already explained, there are reflectors on the fro t and rear of the pedals and within the front and rear light structures. Also on my Sidi shoes, trousers, tshirt and jacket as well as helmet.

People are arguing with the fact that if you got k Ickes off the bike you could not claim injury if you didn't have reflectors yet last week I left the mainstream of this very forum due to trying to argue the same thing in reference to counterfeit frames.

I expect more backlash for what I have just written but its no real issue as the last thread I was involved with sadly took my amusement away from me for this forum.
Of course we all have opinions and some argue simply for the sake of it but I don't see the point myself. For me, the forum was to find out things I didn't k ow, ask questions to those who have been there and done that and offer advise on subjects I know. I thought it was a simple package.

Anyway, if your after a super light for your bike get the above, if you worried about being thrown in jail for 12 months or getting knocked off the bike and killed I'd suggest you stick on front and rear reflectors and be done with it.

Nodder rage LOL

apreading

VTech wrote:

I first posted a pic of my bike on this forum and was slated for leaving the handlebar reflector on, now it's a sin as I removed it.

You should have told those people to get lost - its THEIR attitude that I cant understand - what is their problem? If you removed it purely because they slated you then I dont understand that either.

VTech wrote:

I'm slated for having no reflectors on this bike yet I have already explained, there are reflectors on the fro t and rear of the pedals and within the front and rear light structures. Also on my Sidi shoes, trousers, tshirt and jacket as well as helmet.

No - there is no reflector in the front light structure - dont know about the rear.

As I said, I dont argue that you need them, just dont understand why anyone would deliberately remove them (and this may not be you, you may have bought the bike/parts that came without them fitted to start).

VTech wrote:

People are arguing with the fact that if you got k Ickes off the bike you could not claim injury if you didn't have reflectors yet last week I left the mainstream of this very forum due to trying to argue the same thing in reference to counterfeit frames.

Dont know anything about the counterfeit frame thread you refer to, but I dont think counterfeit frames are illegal to ride - so a quite different argument on the face of it.

I think the diversion to reflectors started off light heartedly, but then once the issue had been raised some debateable opinions were voiced, which have subsequently been commented on. Its normal practice for threads to go off-topic on a forum and this is no different from a conversation in a pub to be honest - you are allowed to digress in any normal conversation. Doesnt always help the original poster, whose purpose of posting may get lost, but its normal human behaviour.

smoggysteve

VTech

I have nothing against the lights you are using, so long as you do so with other road users consideration. As this is an open forum you have to realise that anything you post is open to argument and interpretation. If you go posting something (not saying this is you) and it has legal or safety aspects to it I feel it is only responsible to make sure people stay within the law and most importantly safe on the roads. Too many people die or are seriously hurt every year. I wouldnt want any more SMIDSY deaths all because their bikes were not correctly marked up at night. Think we owe it to each other to look out for one another dont you?

supermurph09

Have you given up with Strava Vtech?

cat_with_no_tail

bazzer2 wrote:

Cat With No Tail wrote:

No it isn't. I have no reflectors n any of my bikes. Why? because they take up space which would be better used by another light.

As long as you've got a front and rear light which is bright enough for the conditions, reflectors are surplus to requirement and no copper in their right mind would ever bother to try and argue otherwise.

With respect - you're wrong. If you think a light can be as bright and obvious as a reflector to a person driving a car you've never been in that position. A proper reflector will show up much, much brighter than a light when it's hit by a car headlight *from a close point of view* (so, *my* car headlights, not the one in front or behind)

With respect, no, I'm not.

Ok, a PROPER reflector does a reasonable job if light hits it at the right angle to fully utilize the reflective surfaces but for you to suggest that it is brighter or more visible than my Smart Lunar 2 shows you've clearly not got a scooby what you're on about. Most of the reflectors bike manufacturers supply with bikes are crap. They only supply them because they have to, same deal with a bell, and no, I don't have one of those on my bike either.

As I've already said, I'd much rather rely on 2 good quality rear lights, 1 constant, 1 flashing, and some reflective kit, than to have a stock reflector and a supermarket rear light. The latter is the "legal" version, but I know who'd stand out more to traffic.