Best lights for road bike

hanlonk

Anyone able to recommend decent lights for my road bike?

solsurf

I'd get something rechargeable that has the battery internal with at least 300 lumens for the front. It does depend on type of use, how much money. I have the TAZ 750 on the front and a knog blinder on the back and its been a good combination. there are loads of threads on here with advice, but the best advice is; you get what you pay for.

wishitwasallflat

Go over to the MTB Buying Section on this forum and the Supersonic recommended lights thread is spot on just check the mount will fit road bars.

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12660193

There is also the big lights thread which is very long and gets technical but is fab. You will get a great set up with 2 501 type Cree U3 LCD torches, one with Orange Peel reflector and rechargeable batteries etc for under £40 if you follow the advice from the MTB experts like DIY over there and order from Light Malls or similar.

You will pay £100s for similar light intensity and throw if you buy road bike branded.

y9y9

I got some similar to these from Tesco for £6. I only got them for if it starts to get dark when I'm out on the roads and to be honest they're very bright and seem just fine.

Obviously they're not the best ones but they do the job and are very easily removable.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... :t|adp:1o3

cesco

I used to have these:

Super cheap, really easy to remove without leaving some ugly mounting contraption on the bars. Nope, they didn't emit much, but were perfectly legal. I can't find them over here by the way, so maybe the British laws actually care about safety.

slowbike

I think the OP needs to expand on his original question ...

like - what time of day is he going to be riding? Is it full on night, dusk or just wanting them for a dull day?
Does he want them for "See me" purposes or does he want to see by them (front)

I have various lights for all the above - during the winter dark commutes I have 2-3 back lights and 2 front lights. On top of that I use reflective tape on the mudguards and have a suitable top. Only one light is really good enough for me to see by, the rest are there for me to be seen.

Kieran_Burns

As above:

To see? Or be seen?

I commute down unlit country lanes throughout Winter and have (some people say) gone completely overboard...

Front:
Magicshine Mj808e
Hope Vision 2

Rear:
Hope District 3
Cateye LD1100

Also have reflective ankle bands, scotch striped mudguards and spoke reflectors (which are great btw)

Pross

Depends what you want to spend and whether you are riding on dark, unlit country roads. I've used a Fenix L2D torch which is OK and just about copes with the unlit country lanes, a cheap eBay Ultrafire Q5 torch (which despite being rated at 600 lumens against the 180 of the Fenix didn't seem as bright) again it was just about good enough and ample when paired with the Fenix. Last year I decided to go for a cheap bike specific Magicshine copy on eBay - this lasted me a few months before packing up on a commute and leaving me with a small backup light that I use on flash mode and it wasn't fun.

After that I decided that as it is an important bit of safety kit I would buy a decent light and got myself an ex-demo Exposure Strada (2012 model). Whilst this doesn't have a high lumen rating compared to many out there it is perfect for me. It feels securely mounted on the bike, gives a good beam with the brightness where you need it (being designed for road use) rather than throwing out blindingly bright light in all directions, the battery lasts well and is integral, easy to charge and has several light settings to suit road conditions from well lit urban areas to dark country lanes including the option of one half on constant and the other on flash (the flash is also a sensible speed unlike many cheap lights that seem intent on causing photo sensitive epilepsy!).

Out of necessity I'm pretty tight when it comes to spending on cycling kit but if I needed to get a new light I would definitely be looking at getting another Strada (the new one has even more modes). No doubt the 'get as many lumens as possible' brigade will disagree but I prefer to have a light designed for the task in hand.

slowbike

My hi-beam front light is a Cateye Nano Shot +
Some may say it's overpriced for what it is and does - it's certainly more expensive than the Crees from ebay - but it is secure on the bars, integral battery with USB charging means I can charge at work &/or home and being a good branded unit I have confidence that it isn't going to break.
It is a bright light - I've had cars dip their headlights whilst still out of sight whilst running this.

Im considering a second hi-beam light for next winters commute - not sure whether to get a cheap Cree or a second Nano Shot +
The advantage of the Nano Shot is that the mounts are all the same - so I can use it on a number of bikes, the battery is integral - so no wires trailing around anywhere and it's proven reliable.
The advantage of the Cree is that it is cheap, probably higher power, but it has an external battery pack and mounting can be a little hit'n'miss (from what I've read) - it'll probably work fine ...

iPete

Purchased a Hope District over 2 years ago now. Great piece of kit that I run all year around. When winter comes I hook it up to a Hope 2 via the same battery.

styxd

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Go over to the MTB Buying Section on this forum and the Supersonic recommended lights thread is spot on just check the mount will fit road bars.

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12660193

There is also the big lights thread which is very long and gets technical but is fab. You will get a great set up with 2 501 type Cree U3 LCD torches, one with Orange Peel reflector and rechargeable batteries etc for under £40 if you follow the advice from the MTB experts like DIY over there and order from Light Malls or similar.

You will pay £100s for similar light intensity and throw if you buy road bike branded.

I think the best advice I can give you is ignore any advice from mountain bike riders suggesting loads of torches or 2000 lumen head lamps with massive battery packs cheap from China.

For road riding you need a proper bicycle light. The output doesnt have to be to much, look for something with around 500 lumens and a few different power settings i.e. low/mid/high. This should be a small, light, all in one unit.

Exposure do some nice ones, there's some cheaper ones knocking about though, and no doubt there'll be some new ones coming out soon.

styxd

FWIW I have used all sorts of light set ups over the years including torches/superbrightlightsfromchina/

The best (for road cycling at least) are the proper bicycle lights (like an exposure) that are small, light, easy to mount and very secure.

fatsmoker

I bought a Cree front light with the separate battery pack a few weeks back. It's a bit of a pain being two piece, but lights up the road like daytime. Great for unlit roads. How long it'll last is another matter! :?
hose little ones posted by Cesco are great on your helmet for looking at drivers who may otherwise pull out on you.

PaulieB85

I found the lezyne super and powerlights a good deal on wiggle they were 40-60% off. 450-600 lumens. Usb chargeable and decent battery life. I bought the box set as it came with an extra battery and mounts and worked out cheaper than buying separate.

RDW

This site has a pretty good overview of some of the better options:

http://www.bikelightsreview.com/

TooOldForThis

When I started commuting I had a Smart 35 Lux. It was fine for being seen but useless on the unlit NSL road I have to travel on. I could just about follow the white line at the side of the road but could only see potholes if a car happened to be overtaking at the time.

Today I have a Lezyne superdrive that is always on the bike. Even in the summer I have it in flash mode in the mornings.
In the winter I add an Ultrafire C8 which is directed about 6ft in front of the bike whilst the superdrive points into the distance. This gives a good spread without dazzling oncoming cars.

Both lights use standard 18650 batteries and the superdrive has a built in usb charger.

Mettan

I've recently got a Leyzyne Microdrive rear - ~ 70 lumens daylight mode amongst others - not the best wide-arc wise, but excellent straight-on (good for TT 'ing) - decent visibility in the daytime, more than adequate at night (obviously) - easy USB recharges after every ride - I wrap a little bit of electrical tape around mine for extra security - works perfect.

Monty Dog

For fast riding on unlit roads your really need to be looking at 600 lumens plus IMO. Whilst all lights use the same basic emitters (mostly from Korea) what you pay extra for is decent control circuitry, packaging and batteries. A light failing mid-way on a night ride can be pretty hairy too.

wishitwasallflat

styxd wrote:

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Go over to the MTB Buying Section on this forum and the Supersonic recommended lights thread is spot on just check the mount will fit road bars.

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12660193

There is also the big lights thread which is very long and gets technical but is fab. You will get a great set up with 2 501 type Cree U3 LCD torches, one with Orange Peel reflector and rechargeable batteries etc for under £40 if you follow the advice from the MTB experts like DIY over there and order from Light Malls or similar.

You will pay £100s for similar light intensity and throw if you buy road bike branded.

I think the best advice I can give you is ignore any advice from mountain bike riders suggesting loads of torches or 2000 lumen head lamps with massive battery packs cheap from China.

For road riding you need a proper bicycle light. The output doesnt have to be to much, look for something with around 500 lumens and a few different power settings i.e. low/mid/high. This should be a small, light, all in one unit.

Exposure do some nice ones, there's some cheaper ones knocking about though, and no doubt there'll be some new ones coming out soon.

I would agree re multiple emmiters, multiple torches and battery packs for MTB riding. They need to light up trails see hanging branches etc. We definitely don't need that set up for road riding but two simple 501b torches with single internal rechargeable batteries each and mounts can be got for about £20 and work really well to see with road riding. Angle them down onto the road and they won't dazzle anyone, having two lights give back up if one fails, set them on medium for longer battery life, carry a couple of charged batteries in your pack and set them on low when in lit areas to be seen by. I have used that set up on my 40 mile round trip commute - half is unlit country B roads and half lit town - with no problems at all.

My suggestion is for those who like me are on a tight budget - no problem with anyone buying road specific branded lights if they want to just offering the IME that it isn't really required there are alternatives.

slowbike

how long do the batteries last on these 501b torches?

wishitwasallflat

I get 60-70 minutes on high setting on both of mine without any noticeable change in light output - I've never tried it for longer as I use one battery on my run in to work and a fresh one to come home. There is more detail on the MTB big lights thread where people have tested voltage outputs etc.

slowbike

Ok. Ta . Actually an hour is fine as my commute is normally sub 40 mibs

beegee

For the road I use a philips led light because it has a nicely shaped beam with a sharp cut off so it means that I can light up a lot of the road ahead without dazzling other road users (e.g. cyclists on cycle path). It's expensive though (about £80).

http://www.philips.co.uk/c/Bicycle%20bu ... 0blx1/prd/

shimmyhill

Ive got a cree magic shine clone thing, dont like it as the wires and battery pack are a pain plus it has zero control over beam pattern so mostly blinds drivers coming at you on B roads at 60mph... i did get a replacement lens that made it loads better but it still lights up loads of the side of the road and got lots of flashes from dazzled drivers.

Yesterday i got a Lezyne powerdrive XL and tested it on my 1am commute home - loads better with a controlled beam and no blinded motorists - its 'only' rated at 400lumens but is a much better light for road use than the clone, no separate battery pack is a godsend and i charged it at work via usb with no concerns of it bursting into flames like the cheap Chinese 18650 packs!

I also run a smart light on flash mode and a smart lunar 1 at the rear, really pleased with the setup finally and would only change for the philips commuter light - will probably do that when they put a proper battery in it!

slowbike

Shimmyhill wrote:

I also run a smart light on flash mode and a smart lunar 1 at the rear, really pleased with the setup finally and would only change for the philips commuter light - will probably do that when they put a proper battery in it!

Do you use more than one light at the rear?

I've lost a rear light - it fell off after a bumpy section - and I've had another one fail - so dark commutes are done with more than one light on the back - just to be sure!

shimmyhill

Slowbike wrote:

Shimmyhill wrote:

I also run a smart light on flash mode and a smart lunar 1 at the rear, really pleased with the setup finally and would only change for the philips commuter light - will probably do that when they put a proper battery in it!

Do you use more than one light at the rear?

I've lost a rear light - it fell off after a bumpy section - and I've had another one fail - so dark commutes are done with more than one light on the back - just to be sure!

I have a second but the mount broke so i am getting another one, when i picked up the lezyne yesterday i was going to get another rear (good deal on light with British cycling 15% off in Halfords) but my store didnt stock anything decent

Looking on wiggle now, something cheap and small as it needs to fit on the post under saddle bag - the smart clips on the back of the saddlebag atm!

dee4life2005

Anyone got any experience of the Lezyne Power Drive and Exposure Diablo - or just the Exposure Diablo.

I already have the Lezyne Power Drive (400 lumen), which I used last winter for commuting a mixture of town and unlit rural roads. This light was a big step up in brightness to what I had used previously, but I felt that it was limiting the speed I felt safe travelling at due to it not giving that good a focal distance - which made it difficult to spot potholes in time when travelling over about 18mph. And on it's highest setting I was only getting about 1hr - 1hr 30 mins which meant I wouldn't get home on full power on one battery (20 mile commute - about 1hr 10m during winter months).

After reading reviews etc. I was thinking about getting an Exposure Diablo Mk4 (with ~ 1000 lumens) as it seems to have a more focused beam which would mean better viewing distance on unlit roads at full power. I would also then have the option of getting a "piggyback" power pack and have it plugged in to double the burn time meaning I wouldn't have to stop and change batteries over - not something that's ideal in the winter when it's sub-zero temperatures.

Are the Diablo Mk4's really as good as they say ?

drlodge

I've got the Leyzene Power Drive, I like it and its good enough for me up to about 30mph on unlit roads. I did take some time to get the light focused on just the right bit of road in front - not too far ahead and not to close. They were being sold at the time for £70 instead of £100 and I got a spare battery as well.