# Lights for riding all night



## citybabe (7 Dec 2014)

I'm going to ride the Dunwich Dynamo next year and was wondering what front light would last me all through the night.
I use a Cree T6 for night time riding at the moment but I'm not sure that the battery would last me that long.

What other light could I use? It must also be a 'to see' light


----------



## Dogtrousers (7 Dec 2014)

Hope One lasts all night ok mostly on medium power with short spells on high.


----------



## SimonJKH (7 Dec 2014)

My cree T6 lasted the whole of last year's Dun Run, so you could stick with that. (Mine has proven unreliable since then, though, and has been replaced.)


----------



## winjim (7 Dec 2014)

Maybe just buy a spare battery pack?


----------



## HLaB (7 Dec 2014)

I've never used the two batteries I have but if I was doing any ride longer than 3-4 hours Id use my Cat Eye Volt 300 carry the second battery, it could be an option, a volt 300 with a spare battery or two.


----------



## wisdom (7 Dec 2014)

+1 for the volt.mine lasts for ages on the low and flash mode.Medium setting also lasts for hours.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (7 Dec 2014)

HLaB said:


> I've never used the two batteries I have but if I was doing any ride longer than 3-4 hours Id use my Cat Eye Volt 300 carry the second battery, it could be an option, a volt 300 with a spare battery or two.


I would recommend the volt 300 too. It lasts a decent time as is and a spare battery is easily carried. If you use a volt 50 rear as well then you're pretty well carrying a spare as they're interchangeable & the 50 draws a lot less power than the 300.


----------



## rualexander (7 Dec 2014)

Busch & Muller Ixon IQ lasts 5 hours on full power, carry a second set of 4 AA batteries and that'll get you 10 hours of great lighting, or go for the newer Ixon IQ Premium and get twice the light output on the same battery usage.
Around £45 from the German suppliers for the standard version or around £55 for the premium version, a bit more if you need the charger as well, but most folk have a AA charger already.


----------



## jefmcg (7 Dec 2014)

So the Dun Run is about 7 hours of darkness, with a full moon (probably - date is not confirmed). I'd be inclined to time your light to see how long your current lights last, and then make a call. I did it a couple of years ago with a Moon XP500 and a spare battery, but I am pretty sure I eked out enough charge for the whole ride from one battery, by keeping it on the lower settings unless I was burning down hill.

A second light is probably a good choice, you can switch from one to the other when the battery runs out, and if something goes wrong with one, you won't be stranded in the middle of nowhere without a light.


----------



## ComedyPilot (7 Dec 2014)

I use B&M Cyo IQ lights and haven't had to change the batteries in 15 months.


They're dynamo powered......


----------



## manalog (7 Dec 2014)

citybabe said:


> I'm going to ride the Dunwich Dynamo next year and was wondering what front light would last me all through the night.
> I use a Cree T6 for night time riding at the moment but I'm not sure that the battery would last me that long.
> 
> What other light could I use? It must also be a 'to see' light


I have done 3 DDs, I used a T6 Flashlight with 18650 and a 3T6 Cree with a separate battery. I use the 3T6 whenever I get separated and I am on my own and I use the T6 Flashlight most of the time, this has 24 hour run time. The 3T6 is not necessary just use a Magicshine or equivalent as the minimum power is more than enough.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1613...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L...?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item3399bde99a


----------



## mattobrien (7 Dec 2014)

For this years Dun Run I used an Exposure Axis on medium power. It hit red on the battery gauge, but lit the way all night long. Battery is supposed to last for 6 hours on medium. 

I used a secondary light to be seen with up to the point where I needed one to see with.

A number of other people I ride with have now blight the same light as it is rather good. Tired the cheap cree's but found the batteries not reliable.


----------



## steveindenmark (7 Dec 2014)

Surprised that nobody has mentioned fitting a dynamo.


----------



## Flying Dodo (7 Dec 2014)

steveindenmark said:


> Surprised that nobody has mentioned fitting a dynamo.





ComedyPilot said:


> I use B&M Cyo IQ lights and haven't had to change the batteries in 15 months.
> 
> 
> They're dynamo powered......



They have!


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (7 Dec 2014)

Flying Dodo said:


> They have!


Has anybody mentioned that a dynamo would indeed be very fitting?


----------



## ufkacbln (7 Dec 2014)

rualexander said:


> Busch & Muller Ixon IQ lasts 5 hours on full power, carry a second set of 4 AA batteries and that'll get you 10 hours of great lighting, or go for the newer Ixon IQ Premium and get twice the light output on the same battery usage.
> Around £45 from the German suppliers for the standard version or around £55 for the premium version, a bit more if you need the charger as well, but most folk have a AA charger already.




I use these, and the charger.

Allegedly the battery casing joint is a weak feature in the design, and the charger removes the need to open and close the case


----------



## Shut Up Legs (7 Dec 2014)

AyUps lights on medium setting will last a night.


----------



## jefmcg (7 Dec 2014)

victor said:


> AyUps lights on medium setting will last a night.


not that readily available in the uk


----------



## Shut Up Legs (7 Dec 2014)

jefmcg said:


> not that readily available in the uk


Their website says they do international shipping, so why do you say that?


----------



## jefmcg (7 Dec 2014)

I know about AyUps because my Aussie cycling buddy has a set and talks about the brand as if I should know it. Never been aware of them in UK


----------



## velovoice (8 Dec 2014)

jefmcg said:


> So the Dun Run is about 7 hours of darkness, with a full moon (probably - date is not confirmed).


Saturday, 4th July 2015 (two nights after the full moon)
Within a few weeks of finishing each DunRun, the date gets set pretty sharpish for the following year. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DunwichDynamo/ 


ETA: +1 Exposure lights. I use 2 mid-range Stradas plus any old Cateye with a blink mode. I use the blinky + 1 Strada on low-beam until clear of the streetlights, then add the other Strada on high beam. Then about 2am, I swap which Strada is on high beam and which is on low beam. Both end up on most of the night but neither on high beam for more than 3 hours. No danger of batteries dying on either one of them.


----------

