What's the Best Light

NW Postie
NW Postie Posts: 51
edited December 2010 in Road beginners
Wanting to start riding again at night, i want something which will boast good burn times but at the same time have a good power output. I have a budget of upto about £250.

What do you guys use and what seems to be best on the market?
MTB - Claud Butler Olympus XT
MTB - Cannondale Jekyll 3 2012
Road - Ribble Sportive Bianco/Ultegra 6800
TT - Retro 80's Argos steel Beast

Comments

  • jonmack
    jonmack Posts: 522
    Try checking out the bikeradar reviews section, for the last month or so they've been putting light reviews online every few days...

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/t ... ghts-28195
  • NW Postie
    NW Postie Posts: 51
    cheers will check the reviews out, just thought i'd pop a post in here to get actual user reviews :wink:
    MTB - Claud Butler Olympus XT
    MTB - Cannondale Jekyll 3 2012
    Road - Ribble Sportive Bianco/Ultegra 6800
    TT - Retro 80's Argos steel Beast
  • 45rpm
    45rpm Posts: 43
    try these BML75_spoke_sparx_blue_red.jpg
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Hope Vision 2 on the front.
    Great light output, bomb proof, excellent run times (2hrs+ on high beam, ages on low), excellent customer service.

    NiteRider Cherry Bomb on the rear.
    3LED, flashing or constant, built in reflector, 1 mile visibility. 40hrs run time on 2x AAA batteries.

    Been using the Hope for about 3 years now without a single issue.
    Been using the Niterider for about 2years with no issues either.

    Get a couple of the cheap single LED emergency lights (they've given them away with C+ before) as back up............ just in case !!
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    How long are your night rides going to be ?
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    any from the exposure range.
    i have the exposure race maxx 2 and its incredible. 3 hours burn on max, 10 hours middle and 24 hours dip. i trialled various lights but this one won hands down.

    on the rear, defo a blackburn mars 4.0. highly visible and great battery life (50 hours on steady, 150 on flashing)
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    If you don't mind spending under £100 the philips led bike light is as good as you are
    going to get for road use.
    http://www.xs4all.nl/~swhs/fiets/tests/ ... ex_en.html

    and you won't be dazzling other road users.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • buy_my_cookies
    buy_my_cookies Posts: 114
    if you are riding on any unlit road check out the advice of the guys on here http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16481184#16481184 idid and am very glad i did.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    supernova airstream.

    An Amazingly tidy little light. Excellent light output and very well made. Not too sure of the run time, but i'll easily get a couple of hours out of mine on full (then get bored and go home)
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • lemoncurd
    lemoncurd Posts: 1,428
    Exposure Toro on bars and Fenix LD20 torch on helmet.

    The torch is awesome.
  • motdoc
    motdoc Posts: 97
    Lumicycle LED,
    Awesome lights, bombproof, british and awesome customer service.
    Reccomend (as does bikeradar).
    Arrrrr I be in Devon.
  • bartimaeus
    bartimaeus Posts: 1,812
    buy_my_cookies wrote:
    if you are riding on any unlit road check out the advice of the guys on here http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16481184#16481184 idid and am very glad i did.

    The main thread isWhat Lights - backed up with the discussion threads.

    Most of the recommendations are 18650 cell torches - available very cheaply from Hong Kong or from UK re-sellers. For example a 300 lumen XPG torch will cost you about £12.50 though you will also have to buy the cells and a charger.
    Vitus Sentier VR+ (2018) GT Grade AL 105 (2016)
    Giant Anthem X4 (2010) GT Avalanche 1.0 (2010)
    Kingley Vale and QECP Trail Collective - QECP Trail Building
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    I've been riding with a set of these for the past two years. They really are excellent for commuting. The first time I road using the rear light, cars were leaving a noticeable distance as they pasted. I figured it was because they weren't sure what they were passing, they are really bright.
  • NW Postie
    NW Postie Posts: 51
    cougie wrote:
    How long are your night rides going to be ?

    Probably in region of 1hr 30 upto 2hrs to get some level of fitness back.

    Will go check some of these recommendations out, cheers folks 8)
    MTB - Claud Butler Olympus XT
    MTB - Cannondale Jekyll 3 2012
    Road - Ribble Sportive Bianco/Ultegra 6800
    TT - Retro 80's Argos steel Beast
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    I have to say I am impressed with the lights I got from dealextreme.
    I paid about £80 for front light which lasts 3 hours on full power so I bought spare battery pack for it also which I strap to top tube. It is equivalent to the lupine lights which cost well over £350. I also bought from the same site some small blue led rear light which are good and an even better rear light for £6 whith 3 rows of leds red/green and blue,
    The lights are so good cars slow down as I suspect they think I am motorbike or maybe even police motor bike with the blue lights :D
    Oh and before anyone says, police have seen me and said nothing, if they did I would just put the lights on my clothing as it is only illegal if on the bike !!
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY

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