Why is it always ebay Cree lighting?

tangled_metal

I'm looking for a new front light (rear too if I'm tempted enough). So I've been reading threads on lighting recommendations. Why is it that cheap ebay or other marketplace Cree lights always get recommended and talked about? It seems to me they get a lot of the discussion too.

I only ask because I'm looking for a mainstream, lbs stocked front light for seeing by. To replace the cateye volt 300 I lost. I don't trust ebay or cheap internet lights from probably Chinese sources (it's not the source nation that bothers me just the no name aspect).

Just curious.

fat daddy

I dont trust ebay, chinese lights etc etc either ... especially with the stories of them setting fire, blowing up, killing cats etc etc.

despite that, I did buy one for a cheap solution to a weekend mountain bike night ride at a trail center.

Its out lived all the other lights I have bought and flood lit the red runs with such ferocity that I was made to ride at the front as when I was at might righful place at the back no one infront of me could see anthing due to the shadow cast.

its never failed, its works ... yet despite this I still dont trust it !

slowbike

£££ generally ...

fwiw - I have 4 key front lights (for the pair of us) - 2 Cateyes - Nanoshot+ and a Volt700 - solid, reliable, hold charge well - work whatever happens, good light spread (for the road)

From what I've seen, the Cree lights are bright - as bright as the mainstream ones - I've got 2 torches. One has basically failed as whenever I go over a bump it changes the light setting - I still can't fix it despite having had it apart, the other still works, although has it's moments. The only issue with these are really the beam pattern - they're not cycling lights so they're a bright center and lots of gradual bleed off. The other type have the external battery packs - they're fine - I just don't like external packs.

The huge advantage of the cree lights is that you can easily replace the battery and the batteries are not expensive - you can replace the battery on the Cateye volts - but they're expensive.. I've carried a spare battery for the cree torch on rides - must get some more really.

The Rookie

CREE make the LED emitters, nothing else, they are far and away the worlds biggest manufacturer.

The LED's are good, what they are then put into determines the actual amount and usability and reliability of the light package you are buying.

Ignore most Lumen claims, they are just adding up the maximum potential of the LED's ignoring that the maximum current from the battery or via the power electronics is the limiting factor. It's impossible to have a meaningful discussion if you call them 'CREE lights', its the same really as calling them 'LED lights'. With all due respect, Slowbike's comments are twaddle.

I commute on dark country lanes, about 300lumen is the minimum I would use and from preference about 550 (which is what I currently have).

slowbike

The Rookie wrote:

CREE make the LED emitters, nothing else, they are far and away the worlds biggest manufacturer.

<snip>
It's impossible to have a meaningful discussion if you call them 'CREE lights', its the same really as calling them 'LED lights'. With all due respect, Slowbike's comments are twaddle.

Similar to calling vehicle excise duty "Road Tax" ... Cree lights are a name used to group together the Non-branded lights containing Cree LED emitters ... nothing more. For example Google "Cree LED Torch" and you will not see a result from the branded lights for bikes - such as Knog, Cateye etc etc. If you want branded lights then (for example) you'd have to google Cree LED Cycle light.

So - which bit of my comments are twaddle? I clearly state I have 2 Cree TORCHES - referring to the generic non-branded kit - and also state that the advantage of these is it's cheap (relative to the branded lights) and easy to replace the batteries - which it is - a statement of fact, not opinion.

The Rookie

Because while one manufacturers LED torch may be fine, another may be rubbish (unreliable power electronics, assembly, lower power capacity, worse batteries etc).

You may as well say I have an exposure LED light and all LED lights will be as good!

slowbike

The Rookie wrote:

Because while one manufacturers LED torch may be fine, another may be rubbish (unreliable power electronics, assembly, lower power capacity, worse batteries etc).

You may as well say I have an exposure LED light and all LED lights will be as good!

Well - exactly ...

I haven't said they're all bad - just of the two unbranded torches I have - one works except for moments and the other is unusuable. Where as, the 2 branded lights I have do work and work reliably.

If I want reliable lights - then I'll get a branded one - as the QC is arguably better - so you're more likely to get a light that is reliable - and if it fails then you generally have good guarentee backup. That's not to say the unbranded ones are not reliable, but you just don't know - its more of a gamble.

When I wanted to increase my light power (nearly said Lumens ) on the front - I bought the unbranded Cree torch - because I already had a reliable light bright enough for most of the riding I did and I could afford to experiment with a low cost alternative which wasn't critical if it failed - which one has already.

Of course, the huge advantage of the cree torches I have is that I can swap low cost batteries out on the move - not possible on the Nanoshot+ and the Cateye volt is more expensive (just checked - £20+ for a battery - assuming it's a Cateye one) making the torch far more useful on longer rides.

matudavey

Tangled Metal wrote:

Why is it that cheap ebay or other marketplace Cree lights always get recommended and talked about?

sounds like it's because they work ok and are a cheaper than the LBS stocked lights.
why would anyone recommend something expensive if something cheap works?

Tangled Metal wrote:

I only ask because I'm looking for a mainstream, lbs stocked front light for seeing by. To replace the cateye volt 300 I lost.

It sounds like you don't really want/need recommendations... if you want a mainstream LBS stocked light, were happy with your old one, and don't seem to care that you could have something as good for a lower price...just go to the LBS and buy the most similar one.

tangled_metal

It was a comment about how lighting threads often end up with a discussion about Cree lighting (which IMHO refers to cheap, led lights that due to no branding of their own they use the branding of the led manufacturer / the model of led commonly called Cree - although that isn't accurate because there's more than one Cree led model). This migration to a Cree light discussion all end up in reliability discussions. IMHO if you end up arguing about reliability then it's a concern.

As a result of this concern over reliability that I have from reading such threads more mainstream brands interest me more. I have not decided what I do want for a light over than a branded one bought at a retailer with UK presence. I have or did have a volt 300 but it's no longer sold and tbh not sure it's the best option for me. No decision made about what I do want. If anyone has a good option in mind then please feel free to recommend. Just not ebay retailers or unknown brands of Cree led based lights.

I hope the above is clearer than my original post.

davesnothere

Volt 400, bought mine for £45 i think. I live out in the sticks so last 4/5 miles (at least, depending on route) unlit. Does the job perfectly, holds decent amount of charge.

I have a pair front/rear of Icon see sense that i use in order to be seen so generally Volt only goes on as i leave town. Icon front is ok as a back up light if the battery went down

slowbike

Ah - so you're looking for recommendation for a front light ...

you're going to need to be a little more forthcoming on the uses.

fwiw - if you couldn't guess though - when my Cateye Nanoshot+ gives up - which it must do somewhen - I'll be replacing with another Cateye - probably the Volt range - probably 1200 or 1600 - although if cash is tight then I'll go for the 800 (having ridden with a 700) - why more light? Because the 700 or nanoshot+ is enough most of the time - but I'd like the additional for the times when they're not enough without having to rely on the torch on the bar too.
Plus - having had Cateye lights for a while now, I've got a few mounts - which are compatible - so I can leave them on the various bikes and just swap the lights around - otherwise, if buying just for one bike then I'd consider alternative brands

apreading

You will find most/many of the brand name lights also use Cree LEDs. But because they are slower to bring new/updated products to market, they tend to use older generation LEDs. The chinese cheapo things are the first to come out with the latest tech because they adapt quickly. The issue is that they are unregulated, so the quality of the electronics which goes with them is more hit 7 miss. You generally find that if you read the forums like Candlepower etc, they strip down and check many of the chinese jobbies and when good/bad ones are found the community get good and recommending which ones to buy and from where. If you get a good one, the quality will be as close to, maybe as good as and maybe even better than the branded products, which sometimes come from the same factories... If the electronics/light unit are going to fail, they normally fail immediately or quickly - the quality control at the factories is poor - they let us do the testing for them.

If there is any part of the cheapo jobbies that would be more of a concern, it is the batteries/battery packs. Not a problem with the replaceable battery ones - just get batteries from a trusted source.

redbikejohn

Cost. Led stuff in mainstream shops is ridiculously expensive. Been using the eBay jobbies for years. Had some batteries fail due to getting wet and the contacts linking cells corroded. I bought a spare battery encased in a waterproof case on Amazon for less than a tenner. I cycle 25 miles home at night and the battery lasts in the middle of the three brightness levels or low setting if you have the flashing option setting instead of the three brightness modes (long press changes most Chinese led). You can get a six cell battery which last longer. I switch it up to full power on very dark and rutted lanes but you have to remember to switch it down or it'll run out. I've had one light fail in three year but they are so cheap to buy that does not put me off.
Same as led spots for my motorbike. I bought some from China for 20 quid each and they are fantastic. UK bike shop ones are silly money, like 175 or there abouts. No idea how they sell any.

tangled_metal

Saw an Alpkit bike light for £40 with 850 lumens. It's made out of solid aluminum body. Can be used as hand torch too. That seems a decent price. Lens isn't anything special but still it's might be worth getting. There is a supposedly 1000 lumens front light with rear and remote switch for £95. It can be helmet mounted front.

Anyone own an Alpkit bike light?

fenix

Not had an alpkit bike light but I have a few of their head torches. Never had a problem with any of their kit - I'll give the bike light a look next time I'm in the market.

tangled_metal

https://www.alpkit.com/products/boson

That's one of the bike lights. The other one is this.

https://www.alpkit.com/products/hadron

The second one is up to 2000 lumens. It also stops to 400 lumens and 120 lumens. I think it'll be too much for most commuters but the 400 lumens £40 light is certainly a good option.

pbassred

I have 2 bikes and a double Cree on each. Unless they are pointed at the floor, most Range Rover drivers hate them. The spread is quite wide and high. It has 4 settings; good, bright, stupid and flash-annoy. If you run it on stupid it gets hot, so I imagine that where some reliability issues come from. The biggest problem is the overstated battery life (cheap cells), but if you run on flash-annoy, I reckon that a 6 cell battery lasts 10 - 14 hours.

apreading

Dont run any of these on flash - just about all of them it is a fast strobe rather than a slow flash - its origins are from tactical lights mounted on guns to disorientate the enemy and that is precisely what it will do to oncoming drivers - it might even invoke an epileptic episode in someone driving right towards you in a worst case!

Normally medium is the one for the win.

I get a smaller, 'proper' bike light from moon or lezyne or something to have on flash because they have a proper flashing mode and are bright enough to be seen.

apreading

Having said that, the one exception was the Jexree Owl - a twin main beam, each with a ring light around them that flashed at a normal speed. I REALLY liked this light but I prefer the shaped beam of my current Feinx BC-30 (Raveman do a similar light).

tincaman

Cheap Chinese lights are often now powered by CREE led clones called Latticebright's. For a genuine CREE led you will need to buy branded items. They are not far behind genuine CREE in performance though, about 20% in brightness for an increase in current draw. Cheap lights with these Latticebright leds are being called CREE just for false marketing purposes

chewa

I think it's just cost. I ran Lumicycles for years and was very pleased with them.

Bought 2 ebay Cree lights as back ups (me and Mrs) and following battery failure of the Lumi's (after years of use) started using the Crees. Now have had them for 4 years and currently commute 11 miles each way daily. Only using lights in the morning

My cheap ebay light (4 battery version) lasts the whole week say 4 - 4.5 hours on a mix of fully bright (unlit areas) and lower setting (lit roads) without charge.

I use a beam spreader lens and it is very effective.

I hate to say it, but if these fail I'll probably look for another.

kirkee

Been using the cree LED ebay specials for about 3 to 4 years now. They're great value as said, I did have one fail on me though this week on way home, but I had a backup knog fitted. I buy the separate 4x cell battery units on ebay as the LED's always outlast the batteries. May one day blow a bit of money on some nice Exposure lights etc but cant really justify it as 2 cree's on the handlebars even work offroad for me.

seajays

apreading wrote:

If there is any part of the cheapo jobbies that would be more of a concern, it is the batteries/battery packs. Not a problem with the replaceable battery ones - just get batteries from a trusted source.

This. My cheapo CREE lights had an external battery pack. I parked the bike and removed the battery pack and light and put them in my rucksack. While locking the bike up I smelt something burning, and noticed my rucksack was spewing white smoke!

The wires in the battery pack had shorted and was smoking (thankfully it didn't actually set on fire!). It really got me concerned as if something similar had happened while I was charging it in the house, the results could have been very different. Battery packs are the weak link - and a serious fire risk!

I resolved not to buy the cheap unbranded stuff after that, and bought a Lezyne Deca Drive Front Light for my night commutes, and a pair of Lezyne Zecto Drive lights (front and back), all of which are working fine for me.

fenix

oxoman wrote:

What I will say about these LED lights is they are a million times better than the old eveready or pifco bike lights of yesteryear running on drycell batteries. In my mind they have been a game changer along with usb recharging and rear flashing lights.

This times a millllion.

God knows how we rode at all with them. Weak, heavy on the bike and heavy on juice. The difference was night and day when I just put my first LED torch on the bars - and now with the big set ups - it's so much better for night rides.

kingrollo

Tangled Metal wrote:

I'm looking for a new front light (rear too if I'm tempted enough). So I've been reading threads on lighting recommendations. Why is it that cheap ebay or other marketplace Cree lights always get recommended and talked about? It seems to me they get a lot of the discussion too.

I only ask because I'm looking for a mainstream, lbs stocked front light for seeing by. To replace the cateye volt 300 I lost. I don't trust ebay or cheap internet lights from probably Chinese sources (it's not the source nation that bothers me just the no name aspect).

Just curious.

I have that cateye - I would get another one of those. Sure it does have the retina burning brightness of e-bay cree ....
But it has bomb proof bracket, reasonable run times, and is reliable. - I will take less lumens because I can rely on the light....
Ive had the ebay cree when they work they are fantastic, - but it was unreliable and the charger overheated to extent that I wouldn't leave it on overnight charge.