# Lights....you paid how much?



## ComedyPilot (22 Jan 2014)

I like my lights.

There I said it.

I get many a complimentary remark from people about having good lights. I see lights on my bike as an investment in my pastime.

At the moment I would estimate my lighting to be valued in the region of £600.00, which includes a few LED fronts and rears along with a SON Schmidt dyno hub and B&M front and rear lights on the Audax bike.

Anyone else a bit 'kit' orientated? Or do you make do with some £7.99 Aldi specials?


----------



## inkd (22 Jan 2014)

Online bike retailers and e-bay is my friend when it comes to lights. 90% of my cycling is night riding, mostly on unlit roads. So far it`s been hit and miss with lights but im more than happy with my current set up which is estimated £43.


----------



## Moodyman (22 Jan 2014)

£15-£20 range for me normally. I don't do any off-roading so a mid-range cateye single shot plus does me well on the rare occasions I ride unlit roads. It was £70-£100 range when I bought it.


----------



## Peteaud (22 Jan 2014)

£50 approx for my lights.

But more and more i will not buy cheap, as i would rather better quality, longer lasting.

That is not to say there is anything wrong with some cheap stuff, my sports direct £6 wicking tops are and have been great.


----------



## SatNavSaysStraightOn (22 Jan 2014)

We have 2 Exposure Joystick lights each* (RRP £150 each, but we have never paid more than £75 a light) because we ride/commute unlit country lanes and also because I do not trust British drivers (of any vehicle type). There are 3 Cateye TL-LD 1100 rear lights between our 6 bikes at £35 each and then the 2 tourers have Schmidt SON 28 dynamo hubs (£150 each 3 years ago) and Schmidt Edelux High Power LED headlight which were £125 each when we purchased them 3 years ago. So I guess I probably fall into the same category...

*Why 2 each, because it was cheaper than a piggy back battery, easier & less restrictive and my commute to my parents' home in winter takes 3.5-4 hours round trip - usually in total darkness, and the battery life is not long enough even dipping when in towns/lit areas or for oncoming vehicles. Also getting a 2nd one each meant that we had extra chargers around because the original charger broke...


----------



## MarkF (22 Jan 2014)

Have about £5's worth of lighting on my bike and I commute in winter. I have and wear assorted arm and leg LED bands given away free at cycling events. I see CA magazine has a review of £150 lights in it's Feb issue, I've only three times spent more than that on bicycles!

(My commute is well lit, mostly, busy A roads)


----------



## Moodyman (22 Jan 2014)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> We have 2 Exposure Joystick lights each* (RRP £150 each, but we have never paid more than £75 a light)



The Cateye I mentioned above was bought from you before you went on your world tour. It's still going strong.


----------



## glenn forger (22 Jan 2014)

Six quid in Wilkos:


----------



## Pat "5mph" (22 Jan 2014)

A medium range Cat Eye for seeing potholes and for when the street lights are off - stingy Glasgow City Council  
An assortment of back and front light to be seen, dinamo back and front on my main commuter.
Probably £ 120 worth between 3 bikes, including lots still in their boxes, excluding the dinamo set up, came with the bike so don't know how much they cost.


----------



## Roadrider48 (22 Jan 2014)

A pair of Cateyes from Evans 3 months ago....£45.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (22 Jan 2014)

awaits @fossyant


----------



## Pat "5mph" (22 Jan 2014)

Supersuperleeds said:


> awaits @fossyant


Don't forget @potsy !


----------



## derrick (22 Jan 2014)

Been using cat eye on commuter for years, good reliable light Cree on the road bike for evening rides plus flashing arm and leg bands, about £50 over a few years.


----------



## MikeW-71 (22 Jan 2014)

Normal commute lights: 2x Cateye 135's on the front, 2x LD150's on the back.

For unlit roads, a Nano Shot Plus and a 220 go on the front.


----------



## fossyant (22 Jan 2014)

Supersuperleeds said:


> awaits @fossyant


Whoops..

Too many. Got loads. Gone through a few rear lights, either the brackets snapping or the clips on the lights.


----------



## Ladep Rewop (22 Jan 2014)

At the front a Schmidt SON 28 dynamo hub powering an Edelux LED headlight and a Lezyne SuperDrive XL, if I have a mechanical or puncture I can use the Lezyne as a torch. At the back a Smart Lunar RL317R 1 Watt rear light together with a Cateye TL-LD600 Superbright 5 LED.


----------



## Dragonwight (22 Jan 2014)

Hope 1 which is still good after 5 years worth of use and a Smart LED for the rear light also about 4 years old. Both working as new about £100 in total when bought.


----------



## Dave 123 (22 Jan 2014)

A tea light in a jam jar is all I need.


----------



## PpPete (22 Jan 2014)

Shimano DH-3N80 dyno hub £60
Philips Safe Ride £70
Ebay XML-U2 Torch £9.99
(+ £25 of UK sourced batteries and charger)
Couple of Smart 1/2 watts on the back £10/each

I also own a Hope V1 but the ebay torch is so much better: monstrously more powerful, similar battery life, well sealed against water ingress, perfect beam shape, just 3 modes to cycle through. 

+ Small headtorch for mechanicals and route sheet reading if long night section anticipated. 

£250 total


----------



## raleighnut (22 Jan 2014)

Electron double 8 LED with rechargeable sealed battery pack and 2 Cateye 5 LED on front
1 double row 10 LED one bar 5 LED and one 3 LED (all Cateye) on rear
Mind you I did then clear out the local bike shops supply of spare brackets so that they fit all my bikes without faffing around total around £450 ish a few years back


----------



## fossyant (22 Jan 2014)

Righty. Between me and my lad/family....

Two Hope 1s, had at least 4 years.
Magicshine 808e
Magicshine 818 x 2 (rear)
Generic t6 clone
Triple T6 off road light
Yinding Twin U2
Solarstorm twin U2
Mini U2 with side halo x2 (winter commutes)
4 x Decathlon v100 USB backups
2x C&B Seen 500 rear lights (about 200 lumen)

4 x Planet X Phaart 3w front lights
3 x Planet X Phaart rear lights

Mars 3.0
Mars 4.0
4 x Smart super flash (R1)
2 x Smart R2 (version2)
1 x RSP Astrum (broke two others)
1x RSP twin led (crap and not even slightly shower proof)

And other little backup lights.

As to how much, lots.


----------



## fossyant (22 Jan 2014)

Have I got light OCD ?


----------



## wiggydiggy (22 Jan 2014)

£50?

Not certain to be honest.... more research is better than more ££££ IMHO


----------



## glenn forger (22 Jan 2014)

This is me arriving at home:


----------



## Sara_H (22 Jan 2014)

I have one of this cree torch things from china, it was about £20 and is excellent for lighting up unlit roads. I also have a couple of Phaart stretchy led lights fron and rear which I think I got in a special offer for about a pound each, and I have a phaart beep on the back which is quite bright compared to all the other rear lights I've got.


----------



## JoeyB (22 Jan 2014)

I've spent about £40 on all my lighting. I don't do enough night riding to put them through their paces to determine if they are actually any good lol. I did get flashed by a bus from about a mile away though, so they don't lack brightness!


----------



## summerdays (22 Jan 2014)

fossyant said:


> Have I got light OCD ?


I like lights but I have managed to curb it better than you!

I have 2x hope 1
2 or 3 electron nano
Lots of smart half watts
Little backup lights
Couple of cat eye ones rear ones mostly
And various others including a couple of flare ones.

Even though I try to limit my spending - completely successful this winter, I can't help looking at others lights when we pass, or even when I'm a passenger in a car, trying to work out which ones I like. Problem is the brighter they are, the harder it is to see the actual light. I've even been known to ask someone whilst waiting at a junction what their light is.

I think it is good to have more than one of a light that you like as then you can have the same brackets on multiple bikes, and if you misplace a light (which I often do), then it's easy to grab another one. Also good to have identical lights for kids to borrow too.


----------



## Matt1705 (22 Jan 2014)

I had what u thought was an ok light on the front ( £20ish from halfords). Then I bought a cree t6 and it's amazing!!
Similarly I had a phart rear light from planetx, great light and lasted a while but did fall apart in the end. Now I've got a led one from the same place I got the front one from. 

In total probably about £80 spent. :-D


----------



## Silver Fox (22 Jan 2014)

I've got an Exposure Diablo, helmet mounted with a piggy back battery for added burn time and a Maxx D on the handlebars.

I've fitted my old Joystick into a headband which comes in very useful as a hands free head torch. Good kit Exposure stuff.


----------



## totallyfixed (22 Jan 2014)

We do a lot of night riding on narrow lanes. typically 60 miles per week for me and well over 100 miles for dr_pink. In the wet as it was tonight you need the best, a light that will throw a wide beam to see the road edges when descending on twisty roads yet far enough, about 30 m to see any hazards yet not blinding any other vehicle that could be travelling fast towards you, this is essential. I run a Supernova Airstream with Hope Vision 1 as back up and dr_pink has an Exposure Strada [never seen anything better], incredible run times.


----------



## potsy (22 Jan 2014)

2 Hope vision 1's
1 Moon 500
1 Lezyne 500
1 Cree T6
1 Solarstorm (twin u2)
2 Smart 25 lux

Rear

3 Smart 1/2 watts
1 Lunar R1 (was 2 but I lost one the other night) 
A few cheopo Tesco specials

Not as bad as fossy but not far off


----------



## fossyant (22 Jan 2014)

Lightweight.


----------



## Kies (22 Jan 2014)

2 x generic cree T6 lights 
2 x moon comet rear (red)
1 x moon comet front (white)
4 low end cateye's 

Total cost around £130


----------



## Pat "5mph" (23 Jan 2014)

potsy said:


> 1 Lunar R1 (was 2 but I lost one the other night)


I lost my rear Cat Eye Nima on Saturday


----------



## Accy cyclist (23 Jan 2014)

I don't commute or do enough night time riding to justify spending hundreds on lights,so i have a 20 quid front light. It's bright enough for oncoming motorists or pedestrians to see me,and i wear reflective clothing as well as having spoke reflectors etc so i can be seen from the side and back as well as from the front!


----------



## jessculter (23 Jan 2014)

I spend more than half my time night commuting so I figured spending a bit of cash on lights is money well spent. I have 3 bikes I might add, these are not on one bike,

Full beam front light £140 down from £400, cracking light and bought before the Chinese Cree revolution,
A couple of cheap cateyes front and rear, £20
Cateye Solar/ hybrid front light, £15 down from £50
2 smart 1/2 rears, a tenner each.
Knog rear blinder £20

And that concludes my lights stash but I'm a sucker for a good light in the sale.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (23 Jan 2014)

Brompton: approx £100 worth of cateye volt front & rear, a T6 magicshine clone front & solid reflector/light fixed combo rear borrowed from my cannondale.

Cannondale: about the same £100 factory fitted shimano hub dynamo powering b&m IQ fly & a cheapy flashy thing at the front, a smart half watt, a JOS mudguard mounted solid on LED/ reflector unit & a bag mounted aldi flashy one on the rear.

Coppi: same again. smart lunar 25 & mount for the volt 300 on the front. 5 led flashy one on the frame and cheapy aldi one mounted on whatever saddlepack I'm using.

Helmet when I wear it has a Cateye 5 LED front light and smart half watt rear.

All in all about £300's worth with various unused torches I've trialled and cheapy ones where the bracket or mounts have snapped lying about too.


----------



## totallyfixed (23 Jan 2014)

Pat "5mph" said:


> I lost my rear Cat Eye Nima on Saturday





potsy said:


> 1 Lunar R1 (was 2 but I lost one the other night)


Are you two going to get married?

Just asking .

[Can't wait to see the meet up on Colin's ride if I am around]


----------



## gbb (23 Jan 2014)

My front is a twin Cree homebrew.
Had it maybe 3 or 4 years, last year a lady stopped me at a junction and asked..'where did you get those lights and how much were they, they';re lovely and bright'
Mine cost IRO £40 -£60 to make, including a 14v L-Ion battery and charger (lovely, compact and lightweight, compared to those awful heavy lead acid things we had years ago)
The batteries still going strong, several hours run time out of a single charge.
I saw her blanch as i explained how much, then she brightened and said, for that brightness...i'm going to invest some money on mine i think.


----------



## VamP (23 Jan 2014)

These Chinese lights are so good, I struggle to justify anything else these days. £18 a pop. Come-on!


----------



## Beebo (23 Jan 2014)

VamP said:


> These Chinese lights are so good, I struggle to justify anything else these days. £18 a pop. Come-on!


 I'm with you on that.
I have two cree torches on the front, bought from the 7-day shop. £4.99 each and plenty good enough for my needs. Stick brand new duracells in them and they will do a full Fnrttc no problem, down some very dark lanes.
On the back I have two Smart rear lights, One was £15 the other £8.
So all in all my lights cost £35.
If they break or fall off I wont cry about it.(one of my rears fell off last week)
Also I dont have to worry about leaving the lights on the bike when I park it up, if I had expensive lights I would have to faff around taking them off every time.


----------



## glasgowcyclist (23 Jan 2014)

I got fed up with the poor performance of various Cateyes (front) and fitted a SON dynamo with B&M IQ Cyo R Senso+, the best move I ever made, and the same dynamo powers a B&M Toplight Brake rear. For unlit areas of my ride I also have a Magicshine 816.

I have other rear lights as backups: Phaart Bleep Dual 0.5 Watt LED, and a B&M IX-Red senso diode rear light, or for use in fog or very low sun: a Magicshine MJ818.

Total cost of that lot was about £340 (although the SON dynamo and IQ Cyo were Christmas gifts).

GC


----------



## Frood42 (23 Jan 2014)

Waiting on these lights from a Kickstarter project (delivered Feb hopefully).
I have gone for the INTENSE Intelligent Front (200) and Rear (120) Lights.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670187625/seesense-the-intelligent-bike-light-with-road-sens

Currently I have:

Hope 1 front £90
Light Output: 215 measured lumens, 300 generated lumens
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/hope-vision-1-led-front-light/

Moon Guard rear £40
Up to 60 lumens light output
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/moon-shield-60-rechargeable-rear-light/

Smart 7 LED rear (on both rear stays) £8.49
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/smart-7-led-rear-light/rp-prod42801
-- these will be spares when the See.Sense turn up
.


----------



## Buzzinonbikes (23 Jan 2014)

Front - Exposure Trace and Magicshine 808-E
Rear - Cateye Rapid 5 and Philips Safe ride. 

Probably about £140 in total but they are all excellent lights imho.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (23 Jan 2014)

Frood42 said:


> Waiting on these lights from a Kickstarter project (delivered Feb hopefully).
> I have gone for the INTENSE Intelligent Front (200) and Rear (120) Lights.
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670187625/seesense-the-intelligent-bike-light-with-road-sens
> 
> ...



Those See Sense lights look interesting, you'll have to do a review when you get them.


----------



## Frood42 (23 Jan 2014)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Those See Sense lights look interesting, you'll have to do a review when you get them.



Will do 
.


----------



## HLaB (23 Jan 2014)

Quick sums

Commuting Lights Smart 2 Super flash or 7 led rear circa £25 and 2 smart 25 lux (£8 in a sale), sub £40; in the past ive commuted with other front light s maybe bringing the total to £50

On the bike I use for out of town night riding Mars Flea (£5 iirc) Mars 3 (£18iirc), at least one of the superflashes (circa £12), 35 lux (£15 iirc) Cateye Volt 300 (£45iirc), circa £95 total.


----------



## Somebuddy (23 Jan 2014)

I have heard a lot of praise for the cree T6 lights, how great they are and what a bargain etc etc. My question is can anyone tell me if I'm barking up the wrong tree with this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-...d=100033&prg=7839&rk=1&rkt=4&sd=380522513812&

It appears to work off of two batteries! Will a super powerful light such as this drain two batteries real quick.
I don't like the idea of the separate battery pack, but if its on my tourer, I could put the battery pack in my bar bag.

Any thoughts?


----------



## Smurfy (23 Jan 2014)

fossyant said:


> Righty. Between me and my lad/family....
> 
> Two Hope 1s, had at least 4 years.
> Magicshine 808e
> ...


Christmas Tree?


----------



## TheJDog (23 Jan 2014)

I've seen plenty of people riding with very powerful lights on night rides, and IMO they are as anti-social as the HID (?) lights you see some cars with. I've been blinded following people who appear to have fog lamps full on the back of their bikes, and been unable to do shoulder checks with some people blinding me from the rear. I'm all for see and be seen, but unless you're in a cave, and on your own, this sort of light escalation is no good for anyone.


----------



## gbb (24 Jan 2014)

Somebuddy said:


> I have heard a lot of praise for the cree T6 lights, how great they are and what a bargain etc etc. My question is can anyone tell me if I'm barking up the wrong tree with this one
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L-T6-1800-LM-LED-Cycling-Bike-Bicycle-Head-Light-HeadLamp-HeadLight/380522513812?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid=111000&algo=REC.CURRENT&ao=1&asc=16581&meid=4323955305218565892&pid=100033&prg=7839&rk=1&rkt=4&sd=380522513812&
> 
> It appears to work off of two batteries! Will a super powerful light such as this drain two batteries real quick.
> ...


The batteries are 18650s, theyre larger than AAs and have quite a capacity. I reclaim mine out of laptop batteries, even older reclaimed ones last really quite well. Theyre 3.75v each dont forget, not 1.5...I suspect they'll be fine.


----------



## palinurus (24 Jan 2014)

I reckon about £200 for the commuter setup, IQ Cyo/ Shimano hub/ B&M Toplight but that includes a rim, some spokes and wheelbuilding so pretty reasonable, especially since I've been running that setup for six years (haven't touched the hub in that time either). Also use an additional Dinotte rear, esp. in heavy rain/ fog- £120 at the time but also a fair few years old.


----------



## stu9000 (25 Jan 2014)

I probably would not have spent £££ on lights but was given some for fundraising. Exposure flare. They are v bright and just pop off if I need to leave the bike. If they were lost or broken I would be prepared to blow £100 to replace and feel safe.
.
I put a fibre flare on my back pack which gives a nice bar of high up light.

Recently I got A tikka xp2 head torch for £40. It is good to be able to look in the direction of a car coming up from the side (though I'm careful not to dazzle and have it on flash unless its really black).

I've also got a cateye on my phone mount . it gives some good side visibility at the front. 

I'm surprised to find it all comes to £180 ish. Seems a lot but I do ride at night in urban areas


----------



## I like Skol (25 Jan 2014)

Lol @fossyant and @potsy

When I started cycle commuting I bought a cheap Reebok branded LED light set from ebay for about £10-12. The rear light was pants and soon filled with water and died so I replaced that with a Smart 3 or 4 LED light for about £4. I have since added a Smart 1/2 Watt which was on offer at about £5-6. 3 winters later the front light is still going strong despite being bounced down the road at speed once when I failed to clip it in properly. People have commented on how effective it is as a be seen light (You really notice this when riding towards reflective street signs and they are flashing back at you when still over 100yds away). I run all these with AAA Eneloop rechargeable batteries so in total even including the Eneloops I have spent less than £30 and have a set of lights that are more than adequate for an urban commute. When it costs this little to get a set of lights I really struggle to understand why anyone would do without or try and manage with pish poor lights?

EDIT: I didn't need to add a second rear light, just the one was bright enough but I agree with the theory that 2 lights is good in case one fails. I would see if my front light went out but wouldn't know the back one had conked until I reached my destination, by which time it might be too late!


----------



## fossyant (25 Jan 2014)

If there is ever a power cut I'll be alright. LOL


----------



## HLaB (25 Jan 2014)

fossyant said:


> If there is ever a power cut I'll be alright. LOL


I've been glad a few times I was a cyclist and fuses have tripped :-)


----------



## AlanW (25 Jan 2014)

Front - Twin Lumicycle Apex lights and 5.2Ah bottle battery @ £439.95

Rear - Exposure Flare, Lezyne Micro Drive and 2 x Fibre Flares @ £142.93

Oh..... and a Petzl MYO XPO head torch @ £75 for those "puncture" moments


----------



## Easytigers (26 Jan 2014)

I'm happy with my set up...sub £40.
Front:
Cree t6 £20
Smart Lunar £4 (pricing cock-up at halfords)

Rear:
Phaart light £3 (first one died when it rained so second one is wrapped with electrical tape and has survived monsoon-like weather!)
Random Trek rear light £5 (picked up in a bargain bucket at the LBS)


----------



## stu9000 (26 Jan 2014)

Somebuddy said:


> I have heard a lot of praise for the cree T6 lights, how great they are and what a bargain etc etc. My question is can anyone tell me if I'm barking up the wrong tree with this one
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L-T6-1800-LM-LED-Cycling-Bike-Bicycle-Head-Light-HeadLamp-HeadLight/380522513812?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid=111000&algo=REC.CURRENT&ao=1&asc=16581&meid=4323955305218565892&pid=100033&prg=7839&rk=1&rkt=4&sd=380522513812&
> 
> It appears to work off of two batteries! Will a super powerful light such as this drain two batteries real quick.
> ...



Not sure about the seller. I know with large volumes you always get some feedback but even so.


----------



## alans (26 Jan 2014)

I have an extensive collection of lights individually costing from a few £ to approx £100 each & collectively have accounted for the loss of approx £500 of my very best GBP


----------



## PaulSecteur (26 Jan 2014)

Some sales shopping and canny ebaying...

I don't wanna count the cost.




All exposure. Diablo, Strada, flash, flare, blaze and trace-r (Flash and Trace-r in saddle rail mounts.)

Shared over 2 bikes, and in varies states of use and charge to make sure one set is always ready. Not shown: some cateyes with spare batteries... Just in case, not yet needed.


----------



## MontyVeda (26 Jan 2014)

I'm a cheapskate.... a couple of £3 9xLED mini torches on the front to be seen with, plus a £20 Chinese Cree for seeing on the unlit lanes, and a couple of rear bike lights on the back, which cost no more than a fiver.


----------



## gaz (26 Jan 2014)

My current set up is

Exposure Strada 
Exposure Joystick 
Exposure Axis 
Dinotte 400R 
2x Fibre Flare 

That alone is worth over £700.
I've got some more lights on order, that is another £200.

I've spent loads on lights over the years (some stolen, others broken, others just useless) Had dinotte 1200L+, hope vision 1, magic shine 808, magic shine 818, seen and b seen setups, cateye lights, blackburn mars lights. the list goes on...


----------



## crazyjoe101 (26 Jan 2014)

Some of these set ups cost more than my bike and everything on it!

Chinese T6 with a diffuser ~ £20
Moon Gem 2.0 ~ £25
Moon Gem 1.0 ~ £12
Knog Frog Rear ~ £6
x3 ALDI red LED srips ~ £6
Old rear light ~ Found it in the garage.

About £75 then, built over time. It's certainly not the brightest or the 'best' but I can't possibly justify any more with the riding I do.


----------



## JoeSoap76 (26 Jan 2014)

All in, my lighting setup comes in a little over £500 (more than I paid for the bike six years ago). Although I commute through the city there are a couple of stretches where the road surface is poor, the cars fast and the trees block the street lights so at this time of year they're worth every penny. 

Front:
Exposure Strada Mk5
Supernova E3 Pro 2 (hooked up to a Shimano Nexus DH-3N80 dynamo hub)

Rear: 
Cateye TL-LD1100 100 CD
Supernova E3 Dynamo Tail Light 2

Head:
Topeak Headlux


----------



## lip03 (27 Jan 2014)

ebay (fake) cree q5's bright as hell and going strong after months now £12.99
and doubled up on smart rear flashers bought years ago but also going strong and in the £10-£15 range.... I think 600 is a little excessive but each to there own, I don't like to let my riding become a money pit!


----------



## lip03 (27 Jan 2014)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-CREE-Q...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item1e7e9fe8df these are cheap cheerful and bright as hell! the rear one that comes free is a bit of a chocolate teapot but for 12 quid id highly recommend! even if just for spares to throw in a locker/drawer at work!


----------



## Shut Up Legs (27 Jan 2014)

gaz said:


> My current set up is
> 
> Exposure Strada
> Exposure Joystick
> ...


Since you seem familiar with the brand, I was wondering: have you heard about the Exposure Mk4 Six Pack 2014? Despite it's hefty price tag, I was considering getting one. I'm still wiping drool off my keyboard after reading its specs .


----------



## gaz (27 Jan 2014)

victor said:


> Since you seem familiar with the brand, I was wondering: have you heard about the Exposure Mk4 Six Pack 2014? Despite it's hefty price tag, I was considering getting one. I'm still wiping drool off my keyboard after reading its specs .


Oh yes, a great light!


----------



## andrew_s (27 Jan 2014)

£lots:
3 x SON+Edelux, plus assorted ordinary back lights (Seculite or Smart mostly).
The first SON was in 1997 (iirc), then I got another after about 6 years / 50,000km in anticipation of sending the first back for an overhaul (which still hasn't happened), and the 3rd when I got a disc brake bike that obviously needed another. The 3rd Edelux was a mark 2 version, in the way of an upgrade rather than out of need (I normally only have 2 bikes running at once).
100% reliability, even under the provocation of having the light running underwater on one occasion (it was daylight and I forgot about lighting until I looked down and saw the glow where the senso had turned it on). The only problem I've ever had was when someone turned it off when parked, and I was so used to the senso that I forgot about the switch until after I'd made a 5 minute inspection of all the wiring.


----------



## Crankarm (27 Jan 2014)

x2 Exposure Max D Mk5 front lights 1600 Lumens each. x1 Red Eye rear 80 lumens all with triple cell batteries, plus a Cateye TDLR 1000 rear light as well if I feel it's needed which isn't often. Look up the prices yourselves.


----------



## slowmotion (28 Jan 2014)

Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful. 
Thank you.

Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.


----------



## SatNavSaysStraightOn (28 Jan 2014)

slowmotion said:


> Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful.
> Thank you.
> 
> Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.


not sure what the Exposure Spark 3 + Flare is like (225 lumens plus a rear light as well) but it may be enough for what you want... £49.99 at the moment at RutlandCycles. http://www.rutlandcycling.com/19864...s-flare--qr-mount--lanyard--and--charger.aspx
I have the Exposure Joystick mk 7 (which can be had for £64.99 at the moment for the version with no mounts (if you already had exposure stuff mounts would not be necessary) or £74.99 with mounts) and that certainly would have done what you needed even running on low power on AMS mode 2 which would equate to roughly the same lumens. http://www.rutlandcycling.com/15399...stick-mk-7-front-bike-light-plus-lanyard.aspx

Edit: I just ride with the 1 exposure joystick - full beam on unlit country lanes at night dipping to a lower level when oncoming cars, and running on low the rest of the time. It is more than enough to see all of the potholes around here (except on one or two seriously fast descents (+30mph), but I hold back on those in the dark)


----------



## totallyfixed (28 Jan 2014)

slowmotion said:


> Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful.
> Thank you.
> 
> Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.


I like the last bit .
On the subject of not being able to see with a Hope Vision One, I agree that peripheral lighting is poor with that beam but straight ahead I find it ok, I don't believe I have ever had it on full except to see what it looked like, even at high speeds. It just goes to show the difference in our own vision versus others. How we managed in the past I have no idea, but we did without too much of a problem. I only ever have one light on at a time on the front and where I ride it is very dark. I believe folks are seduced by the lumens blurb [which has little meaning or accuracy for that matter]. Some of the power listed for front lights on here is unbelievable, maybe an opticians appointment would be more useful .


----------



## fossyant (28 Jan 2014)

If you have two Hope 1's you can angle the lights, so one picks up the sides of the roads better. Used mine on unlit roads, and level 2 is sufficient for full speed (when using two).


----------



## totallyfixed (28 Jan 2014)

fossyant said:


> If you have two Hope 1's you can angle the lights, so one picks up the sides of the roads better. Used mine on unlit roads, and level 2 is sufficient for full speed (when using two).


Yes, agreed. I only had a problem when descending on bendy lanes but rather than having 2 which is too much clutter for me [very minimalist set up] I now have one light that has a much wider spread and keep the Hope as a back up. On the rear, the darker it is, the fewer lights you need, odd but true.


----------



## summerdays (28 Jan 2014)

totallyfixed said:


> Yes, agreed. I only had a problem when descending on bendy lanes but rather than having 2 which is too much clutter for me [very minimalist set up] I now have one light that has a much wider spread and keep the Hope as a back up. On the rear, the darker it is, the fewer lights you need, odd but true.


It's always worth having two.... as I discovered on Friday, (luckily in the gloom rather than the dark), that my rear light looked fine when I put it on the bike, but at the far end it was off (stupidly!!! I didn't actually think to see that it was off rather than batteries ran out, just assumed I had failed to turn it on), on the return journey I made sure it was on as I set off and sure enough it was off at the other end. At least this has now reminded me to go and replace the batteries which I failed to do on Friday!!!


----------



## totallyfixed (28 Jan 2014)

summerdays said:


> It's always worth having two.... as I discovered on Friday, (luckily in the gloom rather than the dark), that my rear light looked fine when I put it on the bike, but at the far end it was off (stupidly!!! I didn't actually think to see that it was off rather than batteries ran out, just assumed I had failed to turn it on), on the return journey I made sure it was on as I set off and sure enough it was off at the other end. At least this has now reminded me to go and replace the batteries which I failed to do on Friday!!!


Yes, I agree. I carry the spare ones in my pocket. Actually I am probably going to be selling my Hope because it is a bit heavy and bulky.


----------



## potsy (28 Jan 2014)

totallyfixed said:


> Some of the power listed for front lights on here is unbelievable, maybe an opticians appointment would be more useful .


But you have something in Rutland that the rest of us don't, smooth pot-hole free roads


----------



## totallyfixed (28 Jan 2014)

potsy said:


> But you have something in Rutland that the rest of us don't, smooth pot-hole free roads


Things are deteriorating round here, found a pothole the other day, very miffed, and it took the Council 2 whole days to repair it. Standards are not what they used to be.


----------

