Lighting!

[hopless500]

I swear by my Cree front light. Brilliant for our dark, muddy, potholed lanes and manic blind drivers. Back light is a bolted on double Cateye which is also fab. Spare front and rear Moon Comet for emergencies.
Mr Hop paid the price of an old car a few years ago for a Hope front light. My Cree completely out-performed it. When his Hope started to fail, he ummed and erred... and then gave in and bought two Crees. Which he rather likes. As does a friend of his who has also now bought one

 

[RoubaixCube]

I've seen a few riders with two front lights, one angled at the road. Catches the eye rather, especially with spoke reflectors.

This is certainly what i do. The light i use to light up my path is always angled a little at the ground so i can see all those nasty potholes. My helmet light helps a little but its obviously not that powerful

 

[BlackPanther]

Or, just a suggestion, aim it at the road surface ahead of the bike and not in people's faces.

The thing about wide angle lenses is that they focus a narrow beam, just like a cars headlights. You get a nice bright light, which lights up the road, without dazzling others. A powerful light without a wide angle lens spills light up and blinds people, or down and is wasted. Maybe not a prob with the less powerful lights, but if you use a Magicshine type powered light, and ride on unlit A-roads, you want to light up a good 20 yards in front, without getting flashed by oncoming vehicles.

 

[united4ever]

Try the Lezyne 400XL mentioned earlier, although it's gone up to £36 now.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/lezyne-micro-drive-400xl-front-light/lezyligh326

Bought this today. 29.99 at rutland cycles now. Got evans to price match. Looking forward to trying it out.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/316950/products/lezyne-micro-drive-400xl-front-bike-light.aspx

 

[400bhp]

Bit more confused than when i started this thread now. I am after a front light for commuting on an unlit canal towpath but will mainly be doing it at dusk at worst (i'll probably get the tram in december and january). So what is the best for under 30 or even 20 quid. I am a bit confused about these cree ones...are these the chinese ones or what? Whats the cstch exactly? Fire risk? Thanks all

Do me a favour - don't run a cree one on the high setting and angle the light downwards on the Stretford canal path. I'm sure you're aware but there are a few cyclists along there that run lights that blind anyone they face.

 

[tincaman]

Bought this today. 29.99 at rutland cycles now. Got evans to price match. Looking forward to trying it out.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/316950/products/lezyne-micro-drive-400xl-front-bike-light.aspx

Actually have sold mine and gone for the 600XL as the quoted run time of 1 hour on full of the 400XL was not enough for me. The 600XL will give me 3 hours on the same setting. My commute can be over the hour so I need a bit more margin. I ran it on full this morning and it lasted the full quoted hour, and it's certainly bright enough for a speedy pitch dark ride.

 

[Cyphrex]

I like the idea of 2 lights as one is on the road, the other is to be seen. being seen was my primary concern since I ride the same streets in my neighborhood and know them fairly well.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I like the idea of 2 lights as one is on the road, the other is to be seen. being seen was my primary concern since I ride the same streets in my neighborhood and know them fairly well.

Or you could be a bit of a loose cannon and use four lights!

 

[RoubaixCube]

Got these mini Cree lights in (finally)

1200lm that was stated in the auction is questionable. but Ive done a little research and 14500 batteries should be brighter because they provide more power. So far they're no much different than my other two Cree lights. I bought some 18500 batteries to test in my older cree lights and so far neither are that much different when it comes to power (or maybe im just doing something wrong??)

Its a nice torch, throws a narrow but powerful beam due to its size even with the Duracell Plus Power that I am currently using to test it with. There are no brightness settings, the torch is either on or off thats it.

The bar mount itself could be a bit better designed but it works. I hate the way it kind of props it up off the bar rather than be at the front of the bike like the mounts for the normal sized cree lights...

Normal Cree

Mini Cree

Im going to see if i can pickup an alternative mounting clip from somewhere,

Will revise this mini overview when the new batteries come in.

 

[Gert Lush]

Got these mini Cree lights in (finally)

1200lm that was stated in the auction is questionable. but Ive done a little research and 14500 batteries should be brighter because they provide more power. So far they're no much different than my other two Cree lights. I bought some 18500 batteries to test in my older cree lights and so far neither are that much different when it comes to power (or maybe im just doing something wrong??)

Its a nice torch, throws a narrow but powerful beam due to its size even with the Duracell Plus Power that I am currently using to test it with. There are no brightness settings, the torch is either on or off thats it.

Mini Cree

Im going to see if i can pickup an alternative mounting clip from somewhere,

Will revise this mini overview when the new batteries come in.

Do you think this would be any good for a cheap helmet light or maybe some under the handlebar front lights? Kind of like this but one direction http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lezyne/macro-drive-duo-combined-f-r-headlight-ec068663

 

[simongt]

On the point of lighting, one thing that puzzles me is the number of folk who ride round in the dark with only a back light fitted. You will be in the headlights of any vehicle coming up behind you, but when approaching a junction or roundabout when vehicle lights will at best, be at an obtuse angle to you, then the chances of being seen in time without a front light are small. I would thus surmise that if you choose to only fit one light, the front is more important - ?
Observations please - !

 

[summerdays]

On the point of lighting, one thing that puzzles me is the number of folk who ride round in the dark with only a back light fitted. You will be in the headlights of any vehicle coming up behind you, but when approaching a junction or roundabout when vehicle lights will at best, be at an obtuse angle to you, then the chances of being seen in time without a front light are small. I would thus surmise that if you choose to only fit one light, the front is more important - ?
Observations please - !

Personally if I was only to have one I think I'd want a back light, as I could always slow down at junctions and try to see if they were looking like they had seen me. At least that's what I've contemplated when I've seen cyclists with one light. Somehow not having a rear light makes me feel vulnerable. I don't think I'd do a roundabout in the dark without a front light, I'd have to walk that bit I suspect.

 

[simongt]

Reminds me of an occasion MANY years ago when I pal and I were out in the wilds of Norfolk one late Autumn and we'd stayed out longer than anticipated. Now, I had lights, my pal didn't. so, what seemed a sensible answer was to whip the front light off my bike and put it on his and with my back light; an EverReady 'torpedo' type - which was bolted on anyway - staying on mine. Thus with him in front and me behind, we though it a good expedient and got back to his house without any problems.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Do you think this would be any good for a cheap helmet light or maybe some under the handlebar front lights? Kind of like this but one direction http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lezyne/macro-drive-duo-combined-f-r-headlight-ec068663

That Lezyne doesnt look too bad for a helmet light or under handlebar light. The overall battery life might be an issue though. You might find yourself needing to charge it every 2-3 trips depending on how long your commute is.

As i stated in my earlier posts, I have a small Lezyne Micro Drive that I purchased with the intention of using it as a helmet light. due to the battery life and looks when it was helmet mounted, I ended up using it as a flasher on my bar next to my bigger Cree Q5.

If you wish for a cheaper solution then I have this set mounted on my helmet and has worked superbly. the rear blinker is pretty bright. the front is pretty bright too but i usually turn it on only when theres a massive pile up ahead that i need to filter through and that i feel that i need to be seen as there are some drivers that simply have no idea. how to use their mirrors (Private hire vehicle drivers are probably some of the worst) - Or if its just too damn dark outside which is on occasion since i do commute on well lit roads.

the front light from that set will last a fair few rides if you keep it low or medium. If youre commute is mainly urban like mine then there is honestly no real need to run it above medium unless you want to blind zombies pedestrians who unseemingly somehow manage to wander onto the main road while checking their likewhoring on bookface

 

[biking_fox]

On my commuter I run Reelights plus a bolt on chinese 500lm cree thing, (i'm really impressed with it, even if I had to waterproof the battery). And then I have a selection of rubber band attached LED back-ups I carry. Currently two Lenzyme micros, a pair of freebees from Provision and Moonlight rear. These go on the single speed when I feel like riding it in the dark, or else supplement the others.

So I could have up to 4 front and back on the commuter, or two front/3 rear of the SS, but generally ensure I have at least 2 on if I think I need to have lights on. The SS I only ride in lit roads so it just needs flashers, but the commuter does some pitch black off road paths, that need a bit more light.