Lights??
Paul057
Posts: 167
Anyone got any recommendations for a decent set of lights? I've really noticed the nights are starting to close in and i suppose i'd better start thinking about lights 
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Paul057
Posts: 167
Paul057
Posts: 167
Posts
The Hopes are really off road lights, but most of my riding is on back roads, so the extra light is great. If I can ride at 25mph on wooded single track, there's plenty of light for the road. Also, they're so bright, other road users treat you with a little more respect. The Cherry Bomb is a 1W LED light and is incredibly bright !! Apparently visible for up to a mile (I can believe it !). I've not used it yet in a group, as I suspect it might be a bit bright for anyone sitting behind me.
I also use a couple of cheap single LED lights as back up, front and rear, just so that other road users can see me if my main lights fail.
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
Well I'm not going gentle into that good (winter) night. I'm getting a couple of sets of these ! :twisted:
as seen here
http://www2.cateye.com/uk/product_detail/626
Is he a borrower?
LOL
This lights are awesome! !
Nah! He just took it out with his rear photon torpedos.
{This is going to be a silly thread, isn't it?
Yes, I know - £180!
A lot of it depends on where you ride - if you commute mainly on lit streets in town, you do NOT need some incredibly expensive lightset. A good Cateye blinky front and rear light set it more than adequate. With good road-positioning and smart riding, you'll be fine with just those.
If however, you commute on country lanes, then yes something powerful is nice. Battery powered I use the Ixon IQ from B&M if I take the tandem or fixed out into the coutnryside at night. My main bike, I use a dynamo powered Cyo which is more than powerful enough for riding through the nights (just managed three nights on the trot on Paris-Brest-Paris). Both of these lights are lights to see where you are going with - not to be seen with (i.e. point them down towards the ground) - the big problem is people use super-bright lights and then have them pointing straight ahead, risking dazzling other road-users.
Good rear lights are far more important than front lights for cycling in towns - but you certainly don't need weapons-grade front lights anywhere other than riding unlit country lanes.
Just my thoughts really.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-hl-el320 ... light-set/
Failing that i think i'm going for the mad scientist/warlord laser look as above
For midweek blasts I just have little lights on the front (£20ish) and pick a well light route, but Thursday it is serious lights time. I use the Cateye EL610RC Single Shot Plus which cost £100 but just doesn't really last long enough (I squeeze about 2 hours out of it on full power and then go to low power for the last bit). I also have a EL-135 as standby in case of failure.
Hence, pick your usage and budget and then buy as appropriate.
Pros - amazing power to £ ratio
Cons - reliability record not great, the cheapest sources are hong kong etc. and notoriously hard to get customer service from.
I quite fancy the new MJ-872 (brighter but more diffuse) to go with my MJ-808, there are a couple of new battery packs out which might address the reliability issue.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=8749
Bright, light, unobtusive, ok-ish waterproofness - do the job.
Ride
Play
Sunny Days
Fun
I got caught out during an evening ride last year riding with two friends and returning later than expected. My Cat Eye which is normally OK for lit and semi-lit roads was worse than hopeless along the lanes.
I invested in a Hope Vision 1, some very powerful rechargable AA's and a high quality charger. Total cost around £140ish I think (£50 was for the charger). Very happy with my decision. Perfectly adequate for country lanes without being over the top stupidly bright (or expensive).
I went for the Hope as I wanted easy battery replacement and scope to carry spares. AA's and a good charger (that gets good use around the house) appealed more than a bespoke battery system.
If I did have loads of money to spend on lights I probably would have gone down the Ayup route.
I know what you mean, but...
There is a huge disparity between lights to be seen by and lights to see by. You can be seen for minimal expense. If you wish to light up a country lane sufficiently to ride along at 15+mph, you are looking at the the best part of £100 for a front light as a starting point.
In my post above I did spend nearly half again but I considered the charger a household investment (which it is). The problem I had with a previous light set I owned was that I would decide I had an opportunity to ride on a given evening, charging up my lights took 7 hours so I didn't ride. Next day I'd have them charged and couldn't ride for some reason or other. The result was little riding and very quickly knackered battery pack from lots of partial charges and very few full discharges.
If you don't ride dark lanes at night, you'll be fine for £20-£50 total. If you do ride unlit roads, one trip with basic lights will be sufficient to appreciate the need for good lights.
simply the best
This is just one potential source:
http://brchobbies.com/?page=shop&catego ... ght+Flying
Geoff