by the end of the month I’ll probably be cycling home from work in the dark. A couple of miles of my commute is along unlit footpaths – mainly tarmac and hardpack. So I’ll need some decent lighting, but it’s not like I’ll be needing to pick a line through rooty singletrack.

What kind of lighting would people go for? Reckon I can get away with spending less than £50?

Apologies for yet another winter commuting question. Seems to be the season for it…

A cheap XML Chinese jobbie on low power setting should do. Just be careful of dipping it down enough not to blind other people.

Since you’d be walking you wouldn’t need anything too powerful…

😉

Here??

got one of these the other year. its very good for the money. I use it off road, so it would be more than good enough for your needs1

Since you’d be walking you wouldn’t need anything too powerful…

heh.

Come to think of it, I have no idea as to the legal status of the paths. On one path, the council encourages cycling although apparently local bylaws prohibit it. (Good old councils). On another, nobody seems to know although everybody cycles along it anyway….

Last night I was heading to the trails around twilight with my Diablo on flash. Overkill or so I thought but it was the only light I had with me and I wanted people to see me coming, not do the whole, jumping scared thing at the last second.

Despite the 300 lumen flash I was surprised just how many people, either daydreaming, looking at their phones/dogs etc just didn’t notice me. I came up behind two girls jogging, and despite my light well, lighting them up and casting a shadow/flash all around them they were completely oblivious to me despite shouting, their earphones were set to deafening levels so I had to get passed them only to scare them out of their skin 🙄

Then of course I get a jogger putting both hands up over his face to let me know my light was too f’ing bright. I just waved. It’s been a long time since I jogged but I seem to remember being able to look away from things I didn’t wish to look at and still jog.

I use one of these for my canal towpath commute. Does the job fine, though you will need battery and charger

that C&B Seen webpage really is a remarkable thing. I wonder if web designers look on it like I’d look at a 1994 Kilauea 🙂

I’ve got one of the torchy bk500 ands it’s rather nice….I really like the mount sort rubbery thing you leave on bike and just squeeze light into and the usb charging not cheap at £50 but it’s not a farf to put on before you set off.

I’ve used the chineese lights and there not bad but fiddly with the battery packs.

don’t really get the pricing of the more upmarket stuff tbh this budget stuff is pretty good.

thanks for the tips – much appreciated. Been out of the loop on this stuff for a while – all this talk of ‘chinese’, ‘CREE’ and ‘XML’ is giving me plenty of stuff to look up!

Solarstorm X2, on e-bay for about £20. Job done. Good enough for offroad and has 3 power settings. No flash, but I tend to supplement it with a battery powered flasher to to be on the safe side on the roads.

If other people use the path to cycle on I’d avoid virtually everything suggested above as it blinds everyone else on the path even on low. For what you’re describing you really don’t need a very bright light at all.

I’m using a Cateye Volt 300 which has a slightly more focused beam than most above but still isn’t ideal. On low it’s bright enough for me to do what sounds like an almost identical commute but even on high it’s still not too dazzling.

Moon Meteor 200 for me in similar situation. £30 and USB charging at my desk.

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/lights-lights-front-moon-meteor-200-front-light/moonligh200

but even on high it’s still not too dazzling.

Well thats what you think 🙂

TBH you cant really win on the dazzling front…theres always someone ready to complain.

My boss has one of the cheap Chinese jobbies and I’m sure that would be more than adequate here. He always bangs on about having a CREE bike light and how it’s brighter than the headlight on a Mini Cooper – an oddly specific comparison – and what awesome value it is.

A couple of weeks ago he asked if I had a soldering iron he could borrow as the wires had come off, and he promptly fcuked the light up by short circuiting something 😀

Overcomplicationg things here. Just get a good head torch, all you’re going to need it for is avoiding dog shit anyway.

These are great, rechargeable and easily fit on your helmet.

LED Lenser

Well thats what you think

a fair point! When I got it I did take it off and prop it up pointing back at me to see what it looked like. So long as it’s not pointed at your face it’s bright but you can still see where you’re going absolutely fine.

@Bigyinn

My Solarstorm flashes. Hold the button for a few seconds. It’s like a strobe rave though, too much for the road.

update:

I plumped for the Cateye Volt 300 in the end. Very happy with it, especially after the big thread about how the ebay specials will burn down your house! Nicely built, feels solid.

Seems to do the job fine; I wouldn’t want it on the low setting, but maybe that’s just a case of getting used to riding in the dark again…