Front light up to £200?

[si_c]

If you want a good battery powered light, I'd quite happily recommend the Fenix BC30 or BC30r, the latter being usb rechargeable version of the former.

It's a really bright light, up to 1200lm for about an hour, or 500 for 2-2.5 hrs, although performance does drop a bit with temperature, though that's to be expected. You'll get a bit more if you run 3400mah batteries, as I'm only using 2600mah. The biggest plus for me is the swappable batteries, which makes it really flexible, however you will need to get batteries and a dedicated charger on top.

I regularly do an extended 40-50km commute home with this light, mostly along country roads or offroad paths, and do that off one charge.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I don't mind someone knowing I'm a bike ... I don't travel at the same speeds as other traffic when the road is clear (which is more likely at night) and I'm more squidgy than a vehicle so I'd rather that they treated me differently ... I'd go with taking more care around me would be my aim.

You'd hope that would be the case but my experience locally is that, for a large number of drivers, as soon as you're identified as being on a bicycle, they disregard your safety in the usual ways: left-hooking, pulling across your path when they see the whites of your eyes etc. Decent drivers will take sufficient care whether they identify you correctly or not.

My preference is to keep the bad drivers doubtful as long as possible.

 

[summerdays]

You'd hope that would be the case but my experience locally is that, for a large number of drivers, as soon as you're identified as being on a bicycle, they disregard your safety in the usual ways: left-hooking, pulling across your path when they see the whites of your eyes etc. Decent drivers will take sufficient care whether they identify you correctly or not.

My preference is to keep the bad drivers doubtful as long as possible.

Do I want them to give me more space/respect because I'm on a bike? If so I need to tell them I'm on a bike! (Is the way I work)

Yes there are lots of examples of poor driving but also lots of good driving too, I get far more space regularly on the road than I used to I think. Still get the occasional close pass that really leaves an impression, but it isn't the norm.

 

[mjr]

I don't mind someone knowing I'm a bike ... I don't travel at the same speeds as other traffic when the road is clear (which is more likely at night) and I'm more squidgy than a vehicle so I'd rather that they treated me differently ... I'd go with taking more care around me would be my aim.

I believe the drivers who are hazardous to cyclists take less care once they realise you're squidgy and unlikely to seriously damage their car or injure them - and this manifests as things like not dipping for you - and such drivers slightly outnumber those likely to misjudge the speed of a moving solid tail light, but as I wrote, this may be one of the great divides. I doubt there's data on which group are bigger because few motorists will admit either problem simply.

 

[mjr]

Do I want them to give me more space/respect because I'm on a bike? If so I need to tell them I'm on a bike! (Is the way I work)

I don't want more space or respect - I'll settle for as much space as a small car or motorbike and similar respect, such as dipping their flaming headlights.

Yes there are lots of examples of poor driving but also lots of good driving too, I get far more space regularly on the road than I used to I think. Still get the occasional close pass that really leaves an impression, but it isn't the norm.

Aye, cycling is basically safe and does seem to be improving in many places. We're probably discussing a fraction of a percent.

 

[summerdays]

I don't want more space or respect - I'll settle for as much space as a small car or motorbike and similar respect, such as dipping their flaming headlights.

But cars pass each other leaving hardly any space, I want more than that.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Do I want them to give me more space/respect because I'm on a bike? If so I need to tell them I'm on a bike! (Is the way I work)

If that works for you in your area, go for it but where I ride I'd find that too risky a strategy.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 5067891, member: 9609"]if you don't want to be identified as a cyclist what would you rather appear to be ?[/QUOTE]
Moped or parked car with one side light out, at least until they're close enough to see the pedal reflectors. Anything that'll make them lift off the gas because they think it'll dent their precious, basically, which they don't for cyclists.

 

[Milzy]

30% off at Evans until midnight

https://www.evanscycles.com/offers/black-friday_c/exposure-brand/bike-accessories-category

Damn I missed this

 

[And]

Wiggle have the Cateye 1200 at a good price: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-volt-1200-front-light/
I have one and I'm very happy with it on mixed routes of back roads, tow path, single track and town/city runs.