Any experience of cheap lights on ebay

ravenvrider

Summers going and i'm preparing my winter commuter bike, just looked on ebay for lights and was shocked at how cheap they are, i'm considering trying a couple...

I usually use a smart lunar 35 lux front and a smart lunar r2 rear on my pack and a cateye tl-ld610 rear on my bike. The cateye gave up from too much rain, only 6 months old, tried to get it replaced but apparently when led lights break its outside the warranty clauses so i'm slightly put off by cateye.

Anyway looked at those ones with the lasers creating your own lane as you go, but any experience with any lights would be useful, i will still be looking at 2 rear lights and 1 possibly 2 front, (Both smarts have been very good).

This will be for my 15 mile commute through urban well lit town roads, with about a mile stretch of quiet unlit dual carridgway.

Dmak

Had one of these for a while now and it's great. Very bright and fits well. The velco strap for the battery broke but it's actually better kept in a large drinks bottle in the holder.

Gizmodo

I've been using one of these for 2 winters. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L ... 0890128716

It includes rechargeable batteries and lasts for 2.5 hours on high, longer if you turn it down and is less than £32. I cycle on unlit country roads at 6:30am and it lasts until the sun comes up easily.

I also tried some cheaper (£7) torches that were supposedly brilliant - they weren't, they were just about useable. You do get what you pay for.

pinno

Hello!

Yep, try these. funfukintastic value for money:

I got two sets and have two front one's mounted on the H bars and a rear one on the seat post and one on the seat stay in flashing mode. Get the 35 lux (2.5 watt). They have a 'dip' and a 'main beam' !! Lasts about 8hrs (two AA batteries) on 'main beam' and 12 hrs on 'dip'. I get car drivers flashing their lights at me wanting me to dip my headlights. I have yet to replace the rear led lights in two winters use.

Add this:

and you are lit up like the Duracel bunny getting a jump start from Chernobyl

raymond82

I've been using one of these for 2 winters. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L ... 0890128716

I have the exact same and I'm quite happy with it, it provides enough light to ride on an otherwise unlit road. At some point I was afraid I might blind cars. When you use the flashing mode you can use it as a stroboscope in the disco too.

EDIT: You can find it for much cheaper than what I paid, these pictures also nicely show the cable and battery. I have to admit I've never used it in heavy rain, I'm not sure if that would work.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML ... 4d0ea256c5

turnerjohn

I went for the seperate battery type - brilliant light, good spread of light and very very bright, The original clamp was rubbish so modified a Hope mount to fit ...perfect ! Only issue I have once or twice was the plug coming un-done but that was partly me routing it badly (quickly !) highly recommended and at the price you can buy a few :-)

Unclemonty121

Like the others, I have a Cree or similar one, had it a few years, works great, the o-ring attachment isn't great, but there was a discussion a while back about another type of attachment.

you can get them here if you don't want to use ebay

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-bike-l ... Vzc29yaWVz

Dmak

All this talk of bike lights makes me want to go out and do 40 miles now.

Pro's
Very few cars
Can listen to music comfortably (know when a car is coming)
The night sky out in the sticks is beautiful

Cons
Hhhmmm I won't be in bed until 3am at least.

Fuck it I'm going out.

surfatwork

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/cree-t6- ... 78823.html
have one of these and lighting is great. havent tested how long the battery lasts. they look to be the same as the ebay CREE ones posted earlier.

gubber12345

Gizmodo wrote:

I've been using one of these for 2 winters. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L ... 0890128716

It includes rechargeable batteries and lasts for 2.5 hours on high, longer if you turn it down and is less than £32. I cycle on unlit country roads at 6:30am and it lasts until the sun comes up easily.

I also tried some cheaper (£7) torches that were supposedly brilliant - they weren't, they were just about useable. You do get what you pay for.

yeah using one of these as well and highly recommend them.

andyrr

surfatwork wrote:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/cree-t6-front-bike-light-with-headlight-kit00-lumens-id78823.html
I have one of these and lighting is great. havent tested how long the battery lasts. they look to be the same as the ebay CREE ones posted earlier.

I've one of these (or pretty much the same) - and that is a pretty good price for a Uk-based shop.
I'm currently torn between continuing with the lightsets with separate battery packs, such as that one, or switching to the torch lights as I have bene through 3 or 4 of these LED lights now with failure normally coming from the battery pack or charger and they do not, for me anyway, last much more than a couple of winters at best, somtimes a fair bit less.
Last one purchased was the even brighter triple T^ - http://www.lightmalls.com/3600-lumen-3t ... -light-kit - and after using it last winter it's charger now doesn't show that it is actually giving it any juice,light sits on green. It IS bright but the beam is relatively poor so a lot of it's output is wasted.

£25 is good though considering a torch plus couple of decent batteries plus decent charger will be more than that.

chris_bass

I think the problem with cheap lights is that they are great whilst they work, but they are much more unreliable than more expensive ones. Its a bit of the luck of the draw with if you get a 'good' one or not.

I have used cheap torches and lights for the past 2 winters with varying success.

Armyofangels

Magic Shines, so bright they hurt your eyes

diy

Anything with an XM-l2 T6 - U2 in you wont get anything better.

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650

They run on 18650 cells so you'll need a charger and an old laptop battery (and a chisel) if you don't have any.

I use 2 on medium or low. On full each will push 500+ Lumen, though the led can go to just over 1k lumen.

you can buy clamps or just use innertubes to attach to the drops.

The XM-L T6 is quite old now, but still good. Ideally you want the XM-L2

spearmint_wino

diy wrote:

Anything with an XM-l2 T6 - U2 in you wont get anything better.

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf- ... ch-1-18650

Commuted through last winter with one of these and a flasher on the bars side by side. Great brightness, I ran it on med power (mine only has hi med and strobe) and as the beam is more spot than wide aimed it up a little to get drver's attention without blinding them. Hi is a bit much in urban areas IMO and strobe is just insane and probably dangerous. Good light and good value too.

unixnerd

Cree XML-T6s are fantastic, I run a pair. If you find Torchy The Battery Boy's site he tests all the different types of 18650 battery to find the best, worth a look.