Can anyone recommend me a bike light?

BicycleBear

I need a bright new rechargeable front road bike light. This is mainly for London night-riding, but also occasionally for pitch-black country roads. Desired features are:

1) Faffless recharging (So USB..) 2) NO separate mounting bracket that stays on your bar the whole time. I despise the look of those ugly cheap-looking made-in-China plastic things. In practice this probably means using the "thick rubber band" mounting method. 3) Battery level indicator. 4) Option for helmet mounting. 5) Not too narrow/focussed a beam, but not too wide either. 6) Preferably an attractive design rather than something that looks like it was designed by a retard in 1993 like Cateye lights. 7) Under £150, preferably closer to £100.

I don't know of any light that has all of these features. I'm bewildred by the number of brands and models out there. It shoud be simple but it's so hard.
So far my favourite option is Gemini Duo (2-cell), but this doesn't have a battery indicator.

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Monty Dog

Gemini does have a battery indicator - the on/off button changes colour. Recently acquired an Olympia 2100 which is more than adequate for high-speed singletracking. No USB charger though.

slowbike

BicycleBear wrote:

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Tip - try not to be offensive when asking for advice.

neilo23

Slowbike wrote:

BicycleBear wrote:

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Tip - try not to be offensive when asking for advice.

Que??

kennygalbraith

I have one of these, excellent light. Very bright, spread out, making it easy to see in the pitch dark.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torchy-BK500-lu ... B00GEDHNSE

Bobbinogs

Not quite in budget but not far off...Exposure Diablo. Simply a fantastic product and comes with battery indicator, choice of decent programmes, relatively quick charging and helmet/bar mount. Costs about £170 though but it is stupidly lightweight.

I use it for night riding in the Cotswolds and get about 3 hours safe riding at a decent pace in pitch black, much more in partially lit areas where I can dim.

craker

£17 gets you a cree Led with rechargeable battery pack. (Ebay). Mains recharger though. I've replaced the rubber band with a proper clamp that means I can swap it between bikes easily. I've never used it on full power, this time of year I use it a few hours a week and recharge it before it tells me to.

Wirral_paul

Bobbinogs wrote:

Not quite in budget but not far off...Exposure Diablo. Simply a fantastic product and comes with battery indicator, choice of decent programmes, relatively quick charging and helmet/bar mount. Costs about £170 though but it is stupidly lightweight.

This one Bobbinogs?? If so then its in budget from Shinybikes atm.

http://www.shinybikes.com/exposure-diablo-mk5-front-light-2014.html?gclid=CK_xocfErr0CFcfKtAodJFoANw

ForumNewbie

oxoman wrote:

Moon XP300 or 500 usb easily timetable as on slide type base, good battery life with several lighting levels and doesn't look cheap and nasty. Comes with head mount as well.

+1 - I've got a Moon XP300 and it's been a really good buy.

slowbike

neilo23 wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

BicycleBear wrote:

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Tip - try not to be offensive when asking for advice.

Que??

6

larkim

neilo23 wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

BicycleBear wrote:

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Tip - try not to be offensive when asking for advice.

Que??

I think "designed by a retard" is not considered to be an acceptable paraphrase for "designed by an idiot" or "designed badly". Though "retard" (pron. "reetard") is still apparently acceptable by those folks across the sea that see fit to butcher the mother tongue.

slowbike

larkim wrote:

neilo23 wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

BicycleBear wrote:

Any tips appreciated! Thanks very much

Tip - try not to be offensive when asking for advice.

Que??

I think "designed by a retard" is not considered to be an acceptable paraphrase for "designed by an idiot" or "designed badly". Though "retard" (pron. "reetard") is still apparently acceptable by those folks across the sea that see fit to butcher the mother tongue.

It is sad that ppl still need educating on this ...

retarded
rɪˈtɑːdɪd/
adjective
adjective: retarded

1.
less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one's age.
"the child is badly retarded"

It is a description of a symptom suffered by too many.

Unfortunately a few idiots also use it as an insult to those not technically retarded.

I know what the OP means, but I hope he realises that the term is insulting to some and should not be used in the manner that he did.

I'd rather be in the company of those who are retarded rather than those who seek to use the term as an insult.

Ringpeace

I was kind of thinking WTF are people complaining about.

Then I read the OP fully...

Come on - there is no need for that. The word doesn't actually offend me. Then again, not many do. But it is offensive in the context of your request for help. Unnecessary.

You should have said some nuct Cateye. Similar. Overrated beyond belief so I think I get where you were coming from.

Still, at least you were polite, in a round about way - which is more than can be said for some who DEMAND help!

I use a Moon XP 300 - picked up for £40 from Amazon, Merlin or Tredz - more than enough for commuting and built up areas.

TBH ***ktards that don't use any lights or MTB lights on the road offend me much more than people mistakenly using ***ttard on the internet!

****stick ****end ****arding ****ts!!!!

- Not sure why those last 2 words have been starred out? Regar ding - idiots - eh?