Bike Lights help

[Viper5]

Can I have a recommendation for a decent set of lights plesse. I don't think the £15 ones being promoted by the young sales assistant are up for the job.

 

[Sharky]

Cat eye volt 300 for me on the front.

Use reflective slap bands on the ankle. Very effective as well.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Light to see or to be seen?
I'm a fan of the CatEye range myself.

 

[Viper5]

Good point I guess be seen but then also a good visibility.

Just been looking at the Bontrager ion 700 . I'll look at the cats eye.

What's best for the rear?

Thanks

 

[MartinQ]

I run a smart 700 (~£30) on the front and a smart R2 lunar (~£14) on the rear. Both good.

 

[Sharky]

Good point I guess be seen but then also a good visibility.

Just been looking at the Bontrager ion 700 . I'll look at the cats eye.

What's best for the rear?

Thanks

If you have an iPad or similar, there is a nifty Cateye Beam App to show the different models. Also available as a PDF.

 

[Viper5]

If you have an iPad or similar, there is a nifty Cateye Beam App to show the different models. Also available as a PDF.

Awesome App..volt 700 looks pretty dam bright

 

[mjr]

Get GVolt rather than volt IMO. Or go dynamo.

 

[biking_fox]

Reelights - perfect 'be seen' always on, fit and forget. I've been very impressed by them.

To see where you're going. A chinese import cree 500lm is the best value for money. But they take a while to arrive, and don't necessarily come with uk plugs etc. They were the only ones I've found that came with a robust metal bracket, again permanent mount. ALl the much more expensive cateyes etc break after a year or so as the plastic snaps. I don't like the current fashion for rubber band mounts either.

 

[mjr]

To see where you're going. A chinese import cree 500lm is the best value for money.

Not really, as if you point them high enough to illuminate the full road width a decent distance ahead, the top of the bright spot is too high and dazzling other road users, which is illegal, so you need to buy a decent lens as well as a uk plugs, possibly better battery and so on... which means you're quickly approaching the price of a decent StVZO light and have wasted a lot more time assembling it all. Lumens are bunk if they're directed at the wrong place.

ALl the much more expensive cateyes etc break after a year or so as the plastic snaps.

Not necessarily, but all plastic clip-on/clip-off things seem to get a bit brittle when it's really cold. DAMHIK At least cateye mounts are usually available as spares, which is better than many manufacturers, although they're annoyingly expensive and there are many incompatible types.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Dunno: I have 3 front CatEyes, used across 4 bikes.
The older mount is about 4 years old, still going strong.
I also like the fact that the mounts fit all CatEye models (front).
On saying that, I have lost a rear Nano that was fixed only with a rubber band.

 

[mjr]

I also like the fact that the mounts fit all CatEye models (front).

That is not generally true. There are at least two incompatible front mounts and I suspect there's three but two lights are currently in use so I can't really check

 

[Pat "5mph"]

That is not generally true. There are at least two incompatible front mounts and I suspect there's three but two lights are currently in use so I can't really check

Well, they do fit across the Opticube and Volt models, I think the Volt range is the most popular at the moment.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got a B & M Ixon IQ Premium from Rose recently (link). Very impressed with it as it puts out lots of light in a wide, flat-top beam pattern just like dipped beam on a car, so it's not dazzling to other road users. Ideal for my country lane evening commute.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I got a B & M Ixon IQ Premium from Rose recently (link). Very impressed with it as it puts out lots of light in a wide, flat-top beam pattern just like dipped beam on a car, so it's not dazzling to other road users. Ideal for my country lane evening commute.

What do they mean "charging socket for optional charger"? Does it mean it can be usb charged as well as battery powered?