Any recommendations for a front light for commuting? Mostly lit roads but some are unlit. Ideally under £30. Must be waterproof and have a flashing mode.

Many thanks

Cateye EL600 is still available for £40 at Westbrook Cycles. It’s a fine commuting light and was a lot more when I bought mine. The more recent EL620 is also available for a little more.

Cateye El 340rc is on offer at £30 here.
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=24995&categoryID=105

Had a look at the Lezyne mini drive which looked well made and very small for a little more in Evans today.

http://www.evomtb.co.uk/cat-eye-lights

El35?

Lezyne Mini Drive?
(Don’t have one, but the reviews look good & price is discounted.)

That Cateye 340rc is huge; the battery indicator is hard to see and anyway doesn’t go red until there’s 20 mins or so left (so too short for my commute); and it takes all day (at least 6 hours) to recharge. If that doesn’t put you off you can have my little used one for £18 posted.

Lezyne mini drive for the money…No contest in my opinion.

Two Cateye EL 130s in flash mode:

– you can spread them to look slightly to each side so increasing the sphere over which they are visible
– flash is alternate (most of the time) and so gives a lot of horizontal movement to catch the eye
– light is not so bright as to dazzle drivers.

Works for me – cars sometimes pull out on me from side roads if I use one light, but never with the two flashing.

Lenzyne micro drive looks better to me – has some side visibility…

Rechargable Exposure Flash here. Tiny, bright enough to light unlit roads, just.

Many thanks. I’ve had a few Cateyes and while they’re good on batteries I always find they fall apart after a while. Hence the need for a new light. I like the look of the Lenzyne so I’ll give that a go.

Lezyne Mini Drive for £26 – no contest!

The only downside of it is 1hr run time on full power so mine needs plugging into USB frequently, but it’s kicking out 150 lumens, good for pitch black lanes. Better built than the Cateye and much better brackets too (two separate brackets in pack, for normal and o/s bars).

Micro Drive is £9 more at CRC with better battery life at the same output. It has a rubber bracket which doesn’t look as robust, though I’ve not tried one.