new front and rear lights

[Pompey Princess]

Now the evenings are beginning to draw in, are there any front and rear lights that you guys would recommend?

Just bought a new commuter bike (don't ask where from...) and leaving my old bike (trusty, reliable, heavy duty bike - feel a bit disloyal actually!) and light fittings etc on it.

I guess I could just purchase 2 new light fitting brackets for my old lights set but if there was a bargain to be had, your advice/guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[John the Monkey]

Do you need to see with them, or are they for being seen?

As rears, I really like the Smart Superflash (cheap, flashing, bright), Torch 9x (cheap, several flashing patterns, includes a reflector) and the Blackburn Mars 4.0 (BRIGHT has a flashing pattern, good bracket that includes a rack mounting kit). The Smart superflash tend to be around £13, the Torch 9x was from my LBS for £9, and I bought the Blackburn for about £20, as I recall. I always run two lights (at least) in back, so that I can have one flashing (draws attention) and one steady (allows drivers to judge speed and distance more easily than a flashing light does).

In front, I use a Knog Toad (5 led, several flashing patterns, and attaches using its rubberised case, i.e. no brackets) and generally some kind of high power torch on a Twofish lockblock. The Toad runs in flahing mode, and the torch on steady.

As a seeing with light, if money were no object, I'd go for one of Busch and Muller's Ixon IQ range, which are superb lights, with a reflector making the beam suited for road use (i.e. will light up your path, but not dazzle oncoming road users).

 

[jonny jeez]

I use cateye front and rear. the rear has a multitude of flashing patterns (i just use the blink option) and the front has three settings.

both supa bright.

If it helps, I used to drive into town and stopped a guy at the lights on the old kent road to ask him what make his lights were as they stood out "head and shoulders" from the rest and were positivly dazzling (especially the front).

Needless to say, they were the cateye.

 

[Pompey Princess]

Cheers guys, will check them out

 

[HJ]

How much do you want to spend? I can thoroughly recommend the DiNotte Road Riders Experience , not cheap but worth every penny...

Failing that try your LBS, often at this time of year they start to do special deals (which end as soon as the clocks go back)...

 

[HJ]

I use cateye front and rear. the rear has a multitude of flashing patterns (i just use the blink option) and the front has three settings.

both supa bright.

If it helps, I used to drive into town and stopped a guy at the lights on the old kent road to ask him what make his lights were as they stood out "head and shoulders" from the rest and were positivly dazzling (especially the front).

Needless to say, they were the cateye.

Actually Cat Eye lights aren't that bright, there are far brighter cycle lights available but as they are also more expensive they are not commonly seen on the road...

The best deal currently available (off the top of head) is a Lupine Wilma 7 from the Edinburgh Bike Co-Op. There are of course cheaper deals available in the same sale, Cat Eye Light Set EL220/TL150 is probably more the sort of thing the OP is looking for...

 

[SimonC]

+1 on cateye, got front and rear on winter bike.

Soon be riding to work and back in the dark, nice! Sometimes feel a bit more visible riding at night with lights and reflective top than in broad daylight, strange as it may seem.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

+1 on cateye, got front and rear on winter bike.

Soon be riding to work and back in the dark, nice! Sometimes feel a bit more visible riding at night with lights and reflective top than in broad daylight, strange as it may seem.

Me too .. on both points!

Odd that second one, ain't it? I think - as per the various Christmas Tree threads last week - that the "what's that?" effect makes even the most unobservant moton take notice ..

 

[yashicamat]

I use this BikeHut front light (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_219900_langId_-1_categoryId_165636) which I bought a few years ago. Bright enough to see by (with a sensible beam pattern, unlike several "spotlight" lights which produce a digestive biscuit sized beam pattern at about 10ft!) and good to be seen. Mount seems solid (had it on my mountain bike on very rough trails and it's always stayed on and not moved). OK, so it's a Halfrauds product, but it seems good to me.

 

[Tynan]

I've used a lot over the years but the brihter the better is the thing I think, for the front

I spent silly (for me) on a 480 lumen front which I use on pulse in daylight and I noticed people noticing me at once

but anything at all beats the crap out of nothing