Recommend a front light for my commute, with low and high settings?

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Recommend a front light for my commute, with low and high settings?

23 posts & 10 voices | Started 2 years ago by Kojaklollipop | Latest reply from Kojaklollipop

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Kojaklollipop - Member

I know there's a lot about lights on here at the mo, I have searched and it can all get a bit mind numbing so thought I'd ask instead of trawling through lots of posts

My commute involves a bit of road, mostly cycle path and a bit of off road. The cycle path is only on one side, just away from a major road, and is used for both directions. So, ideally I'd like something that has a low power setting so I'm not blinding drivers but I can be seen, but then when I get to the unlit off road bits I'd like to be able to change it to a bright setting, is there such a thing, something with a remote thumb switch maybe as I don't want to be fumbling around for a small switch. Or would I be better off with 2 lights, one for the road and then switch on another one for the off road bits - again what can I use for the off road bits, any thing with an easy to use remote?

Oh, and cheap and cheerful, of course.

Thanks.

Posted 2 years ago #
fenix - Member

MTE P7 from Dealextreme. Get the one with the 2 settings - Low and High.

Low will be fine for the bikepath and use High on and offroad.

Posted 2 years ago #
fenix - Member

http://www.mtbbritain.co.uk/mountain_bike_lights_review_led.html

Posted 2 years ago #
soobalias - Member

niterider minewtx2 dual covers all bases at the moment.

small neat light, easy to move from commuter to mtb, high/low/strobe settings.
For proper offroad rides I really want a headlight as well, lamps on the bars can get a bit restrictive.

the usb charging ones seem a bit gimmicky to me.

Posted 2 years ago #
z1ppy - Member

fenix - Member
MTE P7 from Dealextreme. Get the one with the 2 settings - Low and High.

Low will be fine for the bikepath and use High on and offroad.

Well yes high would be fine on-road if you want to blind every car coming towards you, I'd recommend a 5 mode P7, using the mid level beam on road.

Posted 2 years ago #
fenix - Member

I point my P7 at the road - not at traffic ? I'd say car lights are far brighter than the P7s ?

5 mode would be fine - but dont you have to cycle thru all the modes all the time ?

Posted 2 years ago #
ooOOoo - Member

Is it a long enough ride to justify a dynamo hub? The LED lights from B&M are really usable now.

Posted 2 years ago #
z1ppy - Member

fenix, yes you do have to cycle through the modes, but it's hardly a major chore & can be done very quickly once you know the sequence (also you tend to get the right beam 1st time once you know the sequence), I find the beam is that wide that even pointed at the floor (again I point mine down when on the road) a fair about of overspill still blinds on-coming drivers.

You & I might think that fair enough as we are blinded by on-coming cars, but car drivers (remember they 'own the road ) get irrate about it....

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

Depends how long your commute is really. My commute is similar in that I have around 8 miles through traffic then 12 miles on a cycle path that runs alongside the country road but it's seperate from the road.

I have niterider minewt x2 duals and they're okay but not ideal. Run time isn't great and the flashing mode is way to mental for use in traffic. Plus they have no side visibility. I've been using them and a helmet mounted p7 for the dark bits and a cateye el530 and a teeny flasher for the urban bits. To be honest it's not an ideal set up. The main issues are run time and brightness - the minewts don't have enough run time to use on high for the dark stuff both ways so I need to use them on low and the p7 adds enough light.

I'm getting one of trouts lights which will mean I won't need a helmet light.

I just wish someone would design a light that could be used in proper darkness and had enough side visibilty for urban stuff. I suppose it's a pretty niche market.

My ideal light would have 3ish hour run time on mix of high/low, side visibility, dual flashing and constant modes (like the cateye tl1100 rear light), enough light for fast riding in pitch black - but I'm probably asking for too much.

I reckon with trouts light and one other flasher I may be there.

And I wouldn't use the hemlet mounted p7 for the urban bits.

Posted 2 years ago #
joemarshall - Member

Is it a long enough ride to justify a dynamo hub? The LED lights from B&M are really usable now.

Yes, they certainly are, at least for anything other than technical off road.

I just wish someone would design a light that could be used in proper darkness and had enough side visibilty for urban stuff. I suppose it's a pretty niche market.

If you mean on-road / on cyclepaths / canal towpaths etc. in pitch darkness, then a B&M cyo iq, plus a hub dynamo (Shimano DH-3N80 will do the job and is lightweight and very low drag), lets you ride at daytime speeds on roads, and has good visibility. It is very low drag (you don't notice it at all), and you have infinite runtime. If you mean for technical off road then you might want a bit more light, there are expensive dynamo lights that are a fair bit brighter (triple LED jobbies) which would probably do the job, but I haven't seen them in the flesh.

Joe

Posted 2 years ago #
oddjob - Member

Not exactly cheap, but my maxlite joystick is excellent for what you are describing

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

oddjob does the joystick give any side visibilty? Joe sounds good but no flashing mode and does it have different light levels?

Posted 2 years ago #
STATO - Member

I just wish someone would design a light that could be used in proper darkness and had enough side visibilty for urban stuff.

Lumicycle with a glowring?

They do Halogen, HID and now LED3 all with a glowring option. I use the halogen one and for side visability nothing out there beats its (apart from maybe torches mounted to point sideways!)

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

mmm must speak to trout to see if can come up with a glow ring option for his light.

Posted 2 years ago #
STATO - Member

I really want a glowring for the Joystick on my lid, that would make a spot on commute light! Might have to see if i can bodge one out of a film canister or somthing.

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

Would the fenix one not fit STATO?

Posted 2 years ago #
joemarshall - Member

oddjob does the joystick give any side visibilty? Joe sounds good but no flashing mode and does it have different light levels?

You don't need multiple light levels - it is designed for use on roads, like a car light, so it doesn't dazzle people, it just puts a load of light down onto the road / ground where you need it, by using a cunning shaped beam.

It doesn't flash, but I've never found that to be a problem - I guess it might mean people think you're a small motorbike rather than a bike.

Are you somewhere in Scotland? http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/cyo.shtml stock the Cyo, if you could make it to their shop in Glasgow, you could have a look at one in the flesh (and maybe they'd let you have a test ride or something).

Joe

Posted 2 years ago #
NikNak7890 - Member

I also got mine from Dealextreme.

The batteries are special 18650's so you also need a charger for them:

Torch:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12325

Batteries:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790

US-UK plug adapter:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2709

Charger:
http://www.flashlightz.com/product.php?product=171829

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

I work in the south side of Glasgow so I'll maybe take a trip over to kenetics Joe. Thanks.

Posted 2 years ago #
STATO - Member

fenix? tell me more

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_M - Member

This sort of thing stato - could be cut down to a ring

available here

Posted 2 years ago #
STATO - Member

Cool, might give that a shot. Better not get it delivered to work tho, could get some funny looks ;0)

Posted 2 years ago #
Kojaklollipop - Member

Interesting replies and gives me some more options to look at

My winter commute will be shorter than my summer route as I'm cheating and driving half way so only about half hour, but the bit going home when I'll need the lights runs alongside the wrong side of the road so I'm almost head-on into the traffic so really just want to be able to see the path and be seen - it's a shared foot/bike path - but not dazzle drivers, but then a couple of miles at the end is off road away from any lights so that's when I want the more powerful lights.

Hadn't even considered the dynamo idea, like it though, was musing on the idea of one of those to charge phone, gps, batteries, etc for touring a while ago?

So, I'm guessing that none of the proper bright off road lights have side visibility - apart from this glowring thing that's been mentioned?

Posted 2 years ago #