Need a set of lights for under £50

pinchez

Looking for recommendations on a set of lights for no more than £50, ideally they’ll be bright enough for occasional unlit country roads and small and easy enough to pack away in a saddle bag when not in use.

shiznit76

aldi have some on sale today with their cycling stuff, do the job and cheap as chips

Bottom briquettes

I bought 2 sets of the Aldi specials, they are superb, every bit as good as the Lezynes they copy, and 1/3 the price.

sloppyschleckonds

Bottom briquettes wrote:

I bought 2 sets of the Aldi specials, they are superb, every bit as good as the Lezynes they copy, and 1/3 the price.

Ditto

Ditto

cougie

Cheap 2led firestorm Cree lights for the front. Under £20 and bright enough for trails.

Get any two rear leds. Don't rely on just the one.

pinchez

Thanks guys I’ll see if they have any in my local Aldi tomorrow

apreading

These are awesome value - and the light comes with better mounts than most - the rubber strap is more substantial than others and it also comes with a garmin out front mount with gopro mount underneath and a gopro mount adapter for the light - making it much more stable and able to be centred in front of the stem, saving bar space.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

Only £40 and you can use it as a powerbank for your phone too.

Get 10% off with British Cycling and 20% off rear lights such as this: https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

marin_maniac

apreading wrote:

These are awesome value - and the light comes with better mounts than most - the rubber strap is more substantial than others and it also comes with a garmin out front mount with gopro mount underneath and a gopro mount adapter for the light - making it much more stable and able to be centred in front of the stem, saving bar space.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

Only £40 and you can use it as a powerbank for your phone too.

Get 10% off with British Cycling and 20% off rear lights such as this: https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

Blimey, they both look good!

photonic69

apreading wrote:

These are awesome value - and the light comes with better mounts than most - the rubber strap is more substantial than others and it also comes with a garmin out front mount with gopro mount underneath and a gopro mount adapter for the light - making it much more stable and able to be centred in front of the stem, saving bar space.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

Only £40 and you can use it as a powerbank for your phone too.

Get 10% off with British Cycling and 20% off rear lights such as this: https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-l ... bike-light

That does look very good.
Do you have one? Can I ask about the mounts? For commuting I need to remove and replace the lights twice a day. I fear that if it is held by a rubber strap then this will perish in time plus they a difficult to manage when wet and with cold fingers. (current Cateye Volt thing) How does it attach and remove from the garmin/go-pro mount? Is it from the thumb screw thing? Seems fiddly and potential to lose the captive nut etc.

slowbike

I've just ordered the 1600 lumens front light with remote control ... I was after a replacement front light now my trust Cateye Nanoshot+ battery has died ... I like the combined battery/light unit and whilst I don't need 1600 lumen on the road - that'll be handy off road - and with the multiple mounts - including GoPro style mounts - I can move it across my bikes easily.

photonic69

Slowbike wrote:

I've just ordered the 1600 lumens front light with remote control ...

Which was this? Can you provide a link please?

slowbike

search for "Bikehut 1600 Lumen Front Bike Light" and "Bikehut Remote Control"

I've no idea what it's like - but given I was going to spend a bit on an ebay special with remote battery pack - this seems a bit better - especially as it can use the GoPro mounts - even if the supplied one is no good I can get a k-edge one (ok, it's pricey, but let's face it - you want a good mount for camera and/or light.

photonic69

Slowbike wrote:

search for "Bikehut 1600 Lumen Front Bike Light" and "Bikehut Remote Control"

I've no idea what it's like - but given I was going to spend a bit on an ebay special with remote battery pack - this seems a bit better - especially as it can use the GoPro mounts - even if the supplied one is no good I can get a k-edge one (ok, it's pricey, but let's face it - you want a good mount for camera and/or light.

Like it!

perhaps you can describe the light mount to me. Does it only attach via the rubber band or does a mount attach by the band and the light attach to the mount (i.e. 2 separate parts)? Also how does the light detach from the garmin mount for recharging etc.

Thanks

slowbike

I've ordered it - I haven't got it yet ....

The photos show that you either run a band about your handlebars or you attach (I assume) a different mount and bolt it to the outfront GoPro/Garmin mount - like you would a GoPro. Looks like it could be a screw in mount for the rubber band or the gopro attachment - so not quick to change - but probably more solid.

Beyond that - No idea ... and even the above I'm just going by the pictures.

photonic69

Ah. Got ya! Maybe you can update when you receive the lights. Would be most useful.

Thanks

apreading

I dont understand what needs describing? Its all there in the pictures:





You can either screw on the gopro mount or the rubber band one. The rubber band one is more substantial than the thin O-rings on some of the chinese ones, so either is pretty solid.

photonic69

apreading wrote:

I dont understand what needs describing?

You can either screw on the gopro mount or the rubber band one. The rubber band one is more substantial than the thin O-rings on some of the chinese ones, so either is pretty solid.

..Both of which methods are a real faff if you regularly have to remove the lights (commuting) or for recharging etc. Some lights have mounts that you leave on the bars then then remove the lights from that etc. Also it wasn't clear if the Garmin mount was a quick release method either. If you have to screw/unscrew every time then that too is a faff. Probably a faff too far for me, and for that reason. I'm out.

slowbike

I'd say it is a bit more of a long winded process than the Cateye mounts - but it's £50 for the 1600 lumen - £5 for the remote - that's before your BC discount...

I'm fortunate that I leave my commute bike indoors at home & work and don't have to remove lights unless recharging - so it'll do me.

I suppose what you want is a clip release that you can use on either the band mount or the gopro mount - so quicker to fit on either system...

thistle_

Slowbike wrote:

I suppose what you want is a clip release that you can use on either the band mount or the gopro mount - so quicker to fit on either system...

Doesn't the band mount just go around the bars and hook on?
From the description, I took it that you screwed the block onto the light that holds the band but then the band just wraps around the bars.
Watch out for the screw working loose due to vibration (a problem I have with the magicshine lights - just check regularly and tighten up).

slowbike

yup - I think it does ...
I've not had a main front light that just clips around like that - I don't mind it for flashes - but for the main light I like to have it preset in a position. Due to the way I now work I can cope with that - but can understand the inconvenience of having to reset the mount every time.

timothyw

PhotoNic69 wrote:

apreading wrote:

I dont understand what needs describing?

You can either screw on the gopro mount or the rubber band one. The rubber band one is more substantial than the thin O-rings on some of the chinese ones, so either is pretty solid.

..Both of which methods are a real faff if you regularly have to remove the lights (commuting) or for recharging etc. Some lights have mounts that you leave on the bars then then remove the lights from that etc. Also it wasn't clear if the Garmin mount was a quick release method either. If you have to screw/unscrew every time then that too is a faff. Probably a faff too far for me, and for that reason. I'm out.

You really think those rubber band mounts are that much of a faff?

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I'd say they are about 10% more faff when fitting/removing from your bike, but about 3000% less faff when swapping from one bike to another bike......

This is a very good thing if you have more than a couple of bikes.

photonic69

TimothyW wrote:

You really think those rubber band mounts are that much of a faff?

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I'd say they are about 10% more faff when fitting/removing from your bike, but about 3000% less faff when swapping from one bike to another bike......

This is a very good thing if you have more than a couple of bikes.

Have you tried gripping a small bit of rubber band somewhere under your handle bar, in the maze of brake and gear cable outers, after a commute in the cold and wet when your fingers are aching? No, I guess not.

I agree, it's fine in the dry and warm when the light is good and you have time on your side. I have light mounts permanently attached to the bike's bars. I just clip the light off one mount and onto another - about 4000% less faff than rubber bands.

slowbike

TimothyW wrote:

PhotoNic69 wrote:

apreading wrote:

I dont understand what needs describing?

You can either screw on the gopro mount or the rubber band one. The rubber band one is more substantial than the thin O-rings on some of the chinese ones, so either is pretty solid.

..Both of which methods are a real faff if you regularly have to remove the lights (commuting) or for recharging etc. Some lights have mounts that you leave on the bars then then remove the lights from that etc. Also it wasn't clear if the Garmin mount was a quick release method either. If you have to screw/unscrew every time then that too is a faff. Probably a faff too far for me, and for that reason. I'm out.

You really think those rubber band mounts are that much of a faff?

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I'd say they are about 10% more faff when fitting/removing from your bike, but about 3000% less faff when swapping from one bike to another bike......

This is a very good thing if you have more than a couple of bikes.

I'm with PhotoNic on this one - pre-set mounts ala Cateye are brilliant for main front lights - not least because you don't want your main light pointing too high or too low - so just clip in and go. Its why I've stuck with Cateye for so long as I have several mounts on different bikes (mine and SWMBO's) - so just mount and ride ...

If I was commuting and leaving my bike out in a bike rack then I'd want a similar system - I take my lights off when doing a pub night too - so this one will be a bit of a faff - but I can live with that as it's not too often.

timothyw

Problem is bike light mounts are ugly when they aren't in use, so I'd have to take them off for the club run.... and buying extra mounts is, y'know, money that doesn't have to be spent.

And regular mounts often rotate from where you set them too (particularly in the act of sliding on or off the light...)

Yeah, honestly, having to use an old fashioned slidey mount would put me off a light.

As said, let's agree to disagree.

slowbike

TimothyW wrote:

Problem is bike light mounts are ugly when they aren't in use, so I'd have to take them off for the club run.... and buying extra mounts is, y'know, money that doesn't have to be spent.

I do take them off for the summer when they're really not needed, but otherwise - nah - they're fine. But then I'm not that bothered about looks ...

TimothyW wrote:

And regular mounts often rotate from where you set them too (particularly in the act of sliding on or off the light...)

Only really got experience of the Cateye ones - once done up in the right place they don't shift - only issue I have had is with Aero bars where they haven't seated correctly to start with - minor adjustment..

TimothyW wrote:

Yeah, honestly, having to use an old fashioned slidey mount would put me off a light.

As said, let's agree to disagree.

That's why there are lots of different options - and I'm trying one without the "old fashioned slidey mount" this time

slowbike

ok - got the light - not tried it in the dark - but a quick review on the outfront mount ...

it's crap ...

I've got a standard size bar - alloy - nothing complicated - you need the rubber insert in the clamp - the screw provided isn't long enough to get a grip on the nearly encapsulated nut- so I had to find a longer bolt to screw it down - it's quicker typing what I had to do than doing it... but hey - it's a 1 time operation - so a bit of pain isn't too bad..

Light fitting on - upside down - it's fiddly, not impossible, but fiddly - I'd say that's ok.
Garmin clicks straight in and feels solid enough.

Riding along - typical A road - surface ok, but plenty of little bumps - I can see the light & garmin vibrating - combination of the plastic mount and rubber insert mean that it's not a solid fit against the bars - so it's just going to vibrate the whole time - that's perhaps not too bad for flashy lights - but I hate vibration on the steady light and it certainly makes reading the garmin trickier - don't even bother thinking about using it for a camera.

Little bit of review on the light.
1 - switching - there's two buttons - one press & hold to turn on/off and the other changes the modes. I've not read the instructions yet - so there may be a way - but you can't go down then up through the modes - this is where my old Nanoshot+ was brilliant - ok, so it only had 2 modes - but that meant that you effectively had a beam and dip - if I'm riding on a main road at night (no street lights) I'm likely to want a good light - I may need to dim that light when a vehicle comes the other way - having to cycle through all the options isnt handy.
2 - remote switch - flimsly little thing - fits on standard bars ok though - no real feel to the switch so may be tricky to feel when wearing thick gloves - I certainly like the idea though - trying to fiddle with a light switch whilst riding isn't always the easiest. Only downside really is how it plugs in - the light has a waterproofing bung to protect the charging socket - this device plugs into that charging socket - and it's on the bottom of the light - so when you're using the outfront mount, the light is upside down and you plug into the now exposed charging socket ... handy in the rain!

I did a quick comparison between this and a Cateye Volt700 in the garden - this one is brighter, no significant hotspots like the cheap cree torches (yes, got one of those too).

I'll try the bar mount instead of the outfront - and look for a metal outfront I think ...

apreading

Interesting. My son got one and hasnt used the mount yet because he already had a Garmin combo mount with gopro mount on it. Its rock solid on that. So sounds like the biggest problem is either the mount flexing or it doesnt clamped to the/your bars well enough. Thats a shame because it was a cheap way to get a combo mount that I was going to fix to the commuter bikes rather than having to swap over my existing mount.

Personally, I have no desire for a remote switch and prefer not to have the extra wires & fuss going on my bars - I can see the value of being able to press a button and go to full beam in emergency - I think thats what remote switches do on other lights rather than cycle the modes but I am not sure as I dont use them. But its a design flaw if you have to expose the socket to the elements to use the remote - presumably the 'well' would fill up with water too so its not a good idea. This would be the same issue charging on the move too.

Works well as a powerbank - charges phone nicely.

And the beam is both bright and a really good shape - the complex lens structure seems to work really well.

I am going to order the £25 single beam version for me - I already have a Fenix BC30 and a Ravemen PR1200 so dont need another bike light but the bonus with these is that you can remove the bike mount and have a really good torch which is also a USB power bank - great for hiking.