Bright lights with a long burn time

catbaier

I'm doing a long ride in a few weeks time, and quite a bit of it will be in the dead of night in the middle of Wales. As such I'm looking for a front light system which has a good 8hrs of burn time (I'll be stopping for a lie-down from time to time!) and a rear light which will be sufficiently bright to ensure country lanes (especially the corners) are well lit behind me. I've done the usual google searches but come up with very little for less than a gazillion pounds, given that this is not the norm for me, I'd rather avoid the re-mortgaging the house option! Any thoughts?

unixnerd

At night I run a pair of Cree XML-T6 torches and a small head torch. They're easily bright enough to ride at 30+mph downhill with. I like having two in case of a problem and I point one into the distance and the other closer in. On high beam I get 2.5 hours. I could get by with one torch if I had too or if it wasn't pitch dark. Carry some spare 18650 batteries and you're sorted.

Not all batteries are born the same. Go to someone like Torchy the Battery Boy's site and see what he recommends these days.

djm501

Brian Chapman Memorial is it?

marcusjb

Ixon IQ is a reasonably priced battery light with reasonable run-time (5 or so hours off 4 AA). It was what I started with when first audaxing. The beam pattern is (very) good (like almost every Busch & Muller light as they are designed under German regulations with some restrictions on the beam going places where most other lights go (into driver's eyes etc.)) and it's plenty bright enough. That and a handful of spare batteries and you'll get through the night.

You'll pick one up for around £65-70.

diy

Go for something with an XML or xml2 in, see my sig for details. A couple of 18650 powered 501b lights will do and then take some spare 18650s with you to swap over during stops. There really isn't anything that can compete. Have a look in MTB buying for the massive thread on lights

Hoopdriver

Not cheap, but you can get those sorts of burn times with Lupine. I av a Lupine Betty and I love it. Brilliant, long burn times, nice beam pattern and light colour, utterly reliable and beautifully built and engineered. I do a lot of riding in the dark so for me it was well worth while to pay the money and get a really fine light. As I say, nit cheap but you do get what you ay for

pkripper

Lumicycle - great kit

diy

7dayshop now do the lupine clones:
http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-super- ... head-light

Personally I'd get 2 or 3 of these: at £9.20, charger, some mounts and some spare cells (break open an old laptop bat). You'll probably find you can run them on low and get about 8-10hr run time, med for about 3 hours. High about 1.5 hours.
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650

XM-L2 is the brightest/most efficient LED you can get right now.