cree 5w led bike light set

[okeydokey79]

Hi every1 last night my bike was parked at work and got the back light broke( my fault not taking it off) so have been looking for a new set of lights(already have front cateye but want get extra1 to be seen)i have seen this on ebay front light and rear light for £10 it says it runs on 3 'AAA' but how long would i expect it to last running on these approx? i am looking for a new set of lights only to be seen as all my riding is on dimly lit roads so if any1 has any reccomendations dont want pay more than £30 for front and back.

thanks matt

 

[fossyant]

They aren't going to last that long - maybe an hour on max, but get some re-chargeable AAA's

 

[okeydokey79]

didnt think that they would last that long really so may go for something that will last bit longer lol

 

[okeydokey79]

seen the rsp rx1 at james cycles at £13 so may be goin for them!!!1

 

[Hacienda71]

I have a cree 5w as a backup, I used to use it as a main light but needed something a bit brighter for my unlit commute. It probably lasts circa 2 hours with good alkaline batteries. As Fossy says though, best to invest in some decent rechargeables. As a to be seen by it is fine and you can see with it on unlit roads although it is not a patch on the newer lights available over the internet for circa £25 to £30 look for the threads on Magicshines and P7 lights.
If you need to get a decent rear light go for a half watt or better. I like Smart rear lights, I have a couple but some people say they are to prone to water ingress, although I haven't had this problem.

 

[HovR]

I have the same light as Hacienda. The front light will be bright enough to see by for around 2 hours (on high), and after that becomes more of a "To be seen by" light. The rear light is nice and bright, however I have had issues with the bracket.. (It snapped in half, although that was partly my fault!) - Thankfully I just needed the clip attachment to attach it to my saddle bag.

Just buy 8 rechargables, then you have three for the front light, three as spares for the front light, and two for the rear.

 

[GentleBenn]

This is my post from another thread! £35.39 posted free! I know its a bit more than you wanted to spend but it's a good light.

I've just bought this ...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fashi...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item23169caf33

..delivered in 4 days , looks well made and very, very bright . Comes with a charger and 3 pin plug to plug the charger into(2Pin) a normal battery powered rear light a helmet strap and for some reason a compass, saves waiting for 6 weeks from dealextreme!

 

[Svendo]

I have one of the q5 torches like this, which I chose for the illuminated disk for side visibility. First change was a bit of tape to mask the disk from above, which works fine. I found the battery life not quite enough, but like the light so got a extension to allow me to use 18650 batteries (lots of sellers and chargers on ebay, 7dayshop etc.). It is brighter due to the higher voltage and should last more than twice as long (not used it enough to drain first battery yet).

 

[cyberknight]

AAA on this sort of torch are going to last 2-3 hours max , i use one very similar as a back up front flasher and i have to recharge every week or after 5-6 hours on flash .

 

[The Jogger]

This is my post from another thread! £35.39 posted free! I know its a bit more than you wanted to spend but it's a good light.

I've just bought this ...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fashi...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item23169caf33

..delivered in 4 days , looks well made and very, very bright . Comes with a charger and 3 pin plug to plug the charger into(2Pin) a normal battery powered rear light a helmet strap and for some reason a compass, saves waiting for 6 weeks from dealextreme!

G Benn could you let us know the battery life before a recharge, I think I'll get one of these, should be ok for unlit country roads.......

 

[cyberknight]

G Benn could you let us know the battery life before a recharge, I think I'll get one of these, should be ok for unlit country roads.......

Most of these lights are rated for around 3 hours on max power.

 

[The Jogger]

Cheers CK, they sound like excellent value and might be up to the standard of magicshine?

 

[Milo]

Not exactly I use one as a backup to a hope vision 1. The beam pattern of the hope is far more car friendly.

 

[Svendo]

Not exactly I use one as a backup to a hope vision 1. The beam pattern of the hope is far more car friendly.

Ha, Snap! I find, on unlit roads, I use the Hope 1 on level 2 for throw and the 5W on dim for spread up to around 20 mph, have the 5W on full if faster and both full and the 5W tighten up a bit for descents. OK for top speed (45 mphish) on unlit roads, albeit where I know the surface well.

 

[TwoPosts]

.....but like the light so got a extension to allow me to use 18650 batteries (lots of sellers and chargers on ebay, 7dayshop etc.)...

Svendo,

Thank you, I did not know such a thing existed, looks like it will work with the recently purchased (as a helmet light) Aldi Torch.

Are there any reputable 18650 chargers? I really want the battery life that these cells will afford (at least three times what 3xAAAs can deliver), but have also seen some pretty nasty screen shots of what happens when they fail.