Lights, front mainly, for country lane commute

Rykard

Hi,
My neice is after some lights for her country lane commute. The lughrs are to see with rather than to be seen. Her budget is around £50, is this doable?
What are the current deals atm?

oxoman

Moon xpower 300 upwards various sizes all reliable with usb charging or niterider lumina again various sizes in budget. The higher the number the brighter the light. You can get cheaper ebay specials but I prefer to buy quality items that I dont have to worry about failing.

slowbike

well - if you're happy to chip in extra - I'd get a Cateye Volt 800 - currently on sale at that rather well known online shop for £69.
I quite like my Knog blinder on the rear - but also have one of the Smart R2 lights as a secondary.

Ok - that's a bit over budget - but commute lights is not one of those areas I'd skimp on.

Rykard

we are working on getting the fund up to £100

oxoman

Try and get 2 of each as a back up for front and back. I currently run my moon xpower with a niterider lumina one on flash the other on solid on the front and smart r2,s on the back.

slowbike

Rykard wrote:

we are working on getting the fund up to £100

excellent ...

definately 2 back lights - both to be on during the commute - as you won't notice straight away if one fails.
preferably 2 front lights - but I do skimp on the second one - I use a cheap cree torch off ebay as my backup - apart from anything else, it's handy if I have a mechanical as it's a torch ..

slowbike

hmm - don't think Oxoman and I are badgering you in anyway shape or form ....

bendertherobot

Has she popped into Aldi. Two of the nebula clones to take care of the rear.

Rykard

we're trying to 'work on her' - educate - minimum 2 lights front/rear - 1 solid and 1 flashing, 1 to see with and 1 to be seen by. She says she has the 'to be seen' lights, so we're 'only' looking for the front to see light..

it's her birthday soon - so she has asked for them for her birthday

oxoman

Without badgering one of the best Aldi/Lidl buys was some reflective spoke straws, just a few quid for about 20. Have put a block of 5 on each wheel of my road bikes and they light the whole wheel up when lights hit them. Absolutely brilliant.

fenix

No need for £100

Something like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26215211 ... 750&crdt=0

Then a torch with a lock block as backup.

Then two LED's for the back - £10 each ?

Less than £50 and you're good to go.

Any extra buy some reflectives - feet and legs will show her up as a cyclist more than anywhere else.

Rykard

good point oxoman, i will mention these

The Rookie

I like my Lezyne Macro drive up front, right amount of light, nice beam pattern, compact and fairly light.

Out back the Moon Shield 60 is still hard to beat for retina searing light (similar to a car brake light).

andyh01

I guess the Country lane is unlit? How far/fast is it/she?? I'm thinking battery life requirements and if need to change mid ride, so something either with external batteries &/or USB charging depending if commuting early in morning as well so will need in morning and on way home>? . Generally faster cycling means brighter light required so can see further ahead to give time. Factor in bad weather in foggy heavy rain, my Moon XP500 doesn't seem bright enough at approx 20/25 mph compared to dry dark nights. The issue with cheaper ones is reliability, beam cut off, and beam pattern/shape, don't want be blinding on coming traffic and beam pattern. After going through various lights over the years by far my best experience ha been the Moon XP500 that I got as a set on offer 1/2 price they do a 850 luman one for £75 no experience of this;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moon-Power-850 ... B00FSI71GA

Rykard

i don't think see is that quick, and she reckons she will be out for about 'an hour'. I've been looking at my old magicshine, are the new ones any good?

andyh01

Never used a torch type front light so couldn't help with Magicshine, I've always been concerned with the blinding on coming traffic with torch type lights, though I understand you may be able to a get a diffuser or use some electric tape to cut the top beam off if required, but somehow seems too much messing esp if using tape as won't be long before the tape peals off and would need re doing. Likewise with the mounting/fitting to the bike...
An hour each way?
To clarify my 20/25 mph is down hill so again if any down hills that she's free wheeling down may mean a suitable brighter light is required which as said above will reduce further in bad weather

andyh01

Sorry likewise the beam pattern may be off a torch can give a spot light type effect which be like a tunnel need something to throw light out to the side as well. Look around on here or use the search function loads of info, somewhere there is a review of loads of different lights (mainly above your budget) but has good pics of beam patterns which is useful.

roger_merriman

Rykard wrote:

i don't think see is that quick, and she reckons she will be out for about 'an hour'. I've been looking at my old magicshine, are the new ones any good?

I have a new one the MJ-858 its very powerful light, it lights up reflective at least a mile away, has a nice wide angle with a decent throw forward.

But it's beam shape is unfriendly! for my self I commute in dark royal parks where meeting another is rare, and also use it for winter dark MTBing.

Rykard

wow this is turning into a bit of a mission. lol

slowbike

Nobody mentioned dynamo lights yet then?
Hour each way in the dark and you're starting to get into dynamo territory ... my friend has one (but then he does Audax - they only stop for earthquakes and .... no I think that's it .. ) - and it's as good as my Cateye Nanoshot+ - cost a lot more though ...

Rykard

we are hoping to see her at the weekend and will get more info then..

Quins

Another one looking for a light for rural unlit roads, 40-45 min commute, 16-18mph. Just discovered my knog blinders only last 30 min max on full power then switch back to economy mode. Was looking at the smart 700 lumen that was £29 up to the point I was going to buy it...now £37 to £50.... any one u got any experience of this light?

chewa

I've been using one of the ebay Cree X-ML lights for the last couple of years, together with a Knog USB charged flasher at the front,and 4 rear lights (flashing led on back of helmet, Cateye LD 600 on rack, Fenderbot mudguard light -on solid, and a Smart 1/2w light on outer pannier). I tend to use 3 at any one time.

My commute is currently from Fife to the south side of Edinburgh - about 16 miles and is a mix of road, lit and unlit path.

I initially found the Cree light bright, but dazzling to others, so fitted it with a beam diffuser (also from ebay), which flattens and widens the beam.

I average about 15-16mph so am sitting at 20mph a fair bit of the time (as I have a lot of start stop in town - bringing my average down), with top bits at 30 mph, and find the light on brightest is fine for all of it. In town or in well lit areas I switch it to low power and sometimes on segregated parts (e.g the Forth Road Bridge) just use the Knog flasher.

The 4 battery pack allows me to do easily manage the commute on full all the time if needed. I charge the Knog at the office and I fitted the Cree battery into a water bottle so charging is easy.

Over 20 odd years of commuting this is the best combo I have had.