[Closed] Which sub £100 trail lights?

Deal Exteme have a UK warehouse now:

http://club.dealextreme.com/forums/Forums.dx/threadid.954315

eg this is the MJ-808 DX light that lots of us have (and I'd recommend) from a UK warehouse

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mj-808-ha-iii-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-bike-light-set-904444459

Oh, though I notice it's currently out of stock 🙁

Magicshine.

Been using my MJ-808 for nearly a year and have been very impressed. Works fine on its own and i've been very impressed by Magicshine's service & delivery times.

http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/

How about a light from smudge, who frequents this site & does batteries, lights etc....?

http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/4.html

If I had £100 to spend, I would get this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magicshine-MJ-872-Front-Cycle-Light-Huge-1600-Lumens-/130579422135?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item1e6723dbb7

There's a review here:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/another-dx-light-option-a-mini-review-and-beamshots

I had the Terra 2 was very good 🙂

As per AlexSimon, if I didn't already have light's, I'd be split between Smudge's (MTB Batteries) XM-L unit or the 1600lumen 4x Cree LED units (MJ872/MJ856's) on ebay.
Friend has one on order, so will test/compare them soon (I have a Smudge XML)

I've just bought a set from DE but if I can't source a suitable head torch and I like the DE light then I may buy Smudge's version rather than wait a few weeks. Emailed him for advice the other day and he was very helpful and also has a very good reputation on here.

What's the consensus for the best cheapish headtorch?

stumpy01 - Member
How about a light from smudge, who frequents this site & does batteries, lights etc....?

http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/4.html
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I have just got one of these and it is very well made and bright and smudges service couldn't be better.

can the MJ-808 DX light be completely helmet mounted (battery and light)? is 900 lumens considered enough? I don't need to light a footy pitch, but do need to see the trail 🙂

sorry for my noobie questions

The MJ808 is plenty bright enough - it's at least twice as bright as what was considered useable about 5 years ago...

thanks. it looks similar to the 'headtorch' light - has anyone actually lid mounted that?

The basic P7 light with battery bag sold for £40 across ebay works well and manages 2h40m on full power, although that hasn't stopped me now spending far too much on an another Exposure light to match up with my helmet mounted Joystick...

not far eastern and not a torch, but I am a big fan of niterider stuff. My Halogen light lasted 12 yrs and only died as I neglected the battery. Got a 150 lumen Minewt USB which is plenty bright enough to get around SITS with no issues, and CRC are doing it in brighter variants for comfortably less than a ton

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=54535

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=70834

quick charge, long life, well made. Ive no idea why people need 1000 lumens, I happily rode with a 15W halogen helmet mount on all sorts of trails (and my night laps were quicker than my day laps at MM/SITS).

MJ-872 here. Very impressed.

£90 off ebay from magicshineuk

Iv'e just bought a jetbeam pa40 from flashaholics. Its 468 lumens. Use it on my helmet and have been very pleased. It cost £70 and uses 4 AA's so quite versitile. I didn't know about the ebay light though, so may have gone for that.

Just did my first ride with a new Magicshine XML light... very spotlighty, but the power of the beam is ridiculous, makes my older P7s seem dull. The pattern's not ideal- the main beam is very bright then there's a less bright (but still well lit) halo, but because of the sheer power of the centre spot and the hard cutouff it still seems dull. I'm pretty sure that the overall useful spread and fill is better than my P7s, but it doesn't feel like it when riding.

Still, it's a fantastic head light. Wouldn't put it on the bars.

Still, it's a fantastic head light. Wouldn't put it on the bars

Not what I'm wanting to hear!!

Sorry dude! You might find your results vary, I've not got great night vision so the high contrasts might give me more trouble than normal people.

Did I mention it's a fantastic head light? It really is... Weighs very little too.

IIRC there were some issues with the batteries not being very well sealed on some earlier models. How do the new ones compare? Some of the newer variants have a battery with a display on them, are these any good?

I'd b looking a5 psiring one of these with my DIY hammond box light on either bars or lid depending.

I wrote up the 4*xpg mj-872 review mentioned up above.

I can only add that I'm a fan of cheap lights and tend to buy one each year (which makes them not so cheap!) I've owned an original P7 bastid, a mickey mouse and and XML before I got the mj-872.

I dont quiet know how to put this - but similar to Northwind - the XML's hotspot overwhelms my eye (or minds eye) : if that makes sense.

When in the woods at night the XML has a small fantastically lit and well defined hot spot. On the other hand it is very difficult to tell where the centre of the mj-872's beam is. It's that "wide" in use. But it is a lot more expensive.

stayhigh - the later batteries are much much better sealed. The one with the display is so sealed could probably be used outside a submarine. But as someone pointed out - they are heavier than the recent non-display ones.

I use Terra 2s for unlit b roads and canals. Got them because I prefer the charging system to aa bats. They have been fine in wet conditions and the charge lasts well.

See another thread where I got a reflector out of a p7 and put it in the XML in order to make the beam a flood. The reflectors cost around £9 if you don't have a spare already.
AFAIK Smudge's light already includes a orange peel reflector, but I don't know how this compares.

It's a shame the XML manufacturers didn't just do a little more research before producing. If it had been floodier then it would have been a perfect budget light.
I'll be keeping my eye open to see if the specs on DX change.

Ging back to batteries it would seem that only the more expensive lights on DX have the new style LED battery. I'll have atrawl over flea bay and see what that turns up.

If nothing useful then I may go for the Smudge light on the premise that he knows more about these things then me lol

That and it will get here sooner rather then the DX lottery post 😉

See another thread where I got a reflector out of a p7 and put it in the XML in order to make the beam a flood. The reflectors cost around £9 if you don't have a spare already.

So that's all it takes to change it to a flood then?! Have you got a before and after beam shot on that other thread?

Sorry Taff, no - I should do one I suppose!

Anyone know where the best price can be had for the MJ-872.

Looks like the best value for money performance light out there.

Looking to have my first off road rides this winter. 😀

nick5

that jetbeam one (xm-l but using AA's looks exactly what I'm after). Run times look ok and I'm keen to use my stock of rechargeable AAs and good charger rather than invest in a whole new set up of 18650's.

How do you mount it (I have a lockblock for my current fenix)?

Is it light enough to wear on the helmet though in your experience? Or are you quickly developing the neck muscles of an F1 driver?

Note just weighed 4 x AA = 100g so plus torch is 285g....not sure what people think of that on the

Stevewhyte: no experience of the seller but off-hand [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAGICSHINE-MJ-872-LED-LIGHT-1600-LUMEN-BIKE-LIGHT-TORCH-/270822550692?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item3f0e482ca4 ]these[/url] are seemingly the cheapest

I’m chuffed to bits this topic had popped up. Been racking my brain for what light to get Mrs S’eater that didn’t cost the earth. Didn’t realise there was so much choice.

Where can one obtain a floody reflector for the latest XML lights for £9? I've just bought one and it does seem a bit spotlighty.

[b]failedengineer [/b] I saw them here, but this isn't the route I went down so can't guarantee it's the same (although it should be).
http://www.magicshinebikelights.co.uk/magicshine-mj-808-silver-reflector-cup.php?it=56&ca=12&p=1&so=0#

I think I might have seen them on ebay too, but can't be sure.

Thanks Alex.

Just want to put in a quick +1 for smudge at mtbbatteries.co.uk

Got a light off him this week, and so far seems good - though I need to test it in anger still. I will say his customer service is *fantastic* though. Good comms before buying, he posted promptly so it would arrive when it suited me, and there was a problem with my head unit but he had a new one in the post as soon as I told him - couldn't be happier with the service. And he even threw in a rear light for my trouble.

I'll do a full write up of the light once I've had a change to test it properly. I'm pretty sure I made the right choice though. Comes with a decent bar and helmet mount, though it'd be a battery in the back pocket job.

Wow thanks for all the replies that's a lot of info to consider!

So what is the difference between the Magicshine MJ-808 ([url= http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/products/Magicshine-bike-light-set-MJ-808LSET ]Link[/url]) and the light from mtbbatteries.co.uk ([url= http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/4.html ]Link[/url])? Is one better than the other?

Thanks

Smudge/MTBbatteries will actually back up his product unlike MagicshineUK? 😉
They look to be very very similar, the MS even has the orange peel reflector as has Smudges, unlike most of the DX ones.
Though as Smudge has posted before, his are not MS units, to the point they have different connections.

No personal experience MS-UK, as I thought them extremely over-priced, compared to DX when they 1st started up, but some posts suggest their warrenty support isn't the greatest.

Thanks for that z1ppy.

Also, what would be the equivalent light from DealExtreme?

May or may not be biased, but http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/p/magicshine.html puts me off magicshine a bit - then again the guy that runs that site still sells MS lights on ebay..so...*shrug*

I went with MTBB for the uk service/backup, and I'm glad I did. Obviously I don't have an MJ808 here to look at, but I do have a MTBB one, so if you've any questions about it/accessories I can try answer them/take some pics. I was going to do some beam shots at some point, but dunno if i'll get out this weekend at night, then i'm away for work next week.

IA - How long have you had the light? Bar or helmet mount? Are you happy with it off-road?

Thanks

I've just taken the plunge via MTBBatteries site and will report back on due course

Just had it 2 days! So not tried it in anger yet.

I have been off-roading at night since 2003 though, and I can tell you already it's far brighter than anything I've used previously (and that includes for 24hr races etc). I can't see me being unhappy with it.

I'll probably go with helmet mount at first, though with a light on the bars too, as I find just a lid-light "flattens" the trail as it doesn't cast shadows you can see on bumps etc. So as it's brighter than anything else I have, for this reason it may end up on the bars.

Though where you put most of your light depends where you ride. I mostly night ride in open hills (pentlands) at the moment, where a bar light is no issue. But when it was twisty-woody singletrack (Ashton Court) then a head light makes a lot more sense.

z1ppy - Member
Stevewhyte: no experience of the seller but off-hand these are seemingly the cheapest

Cheers, will report back on how i get on.

I'm close to ordering from mtbbatteries for a bar mount light and might go for torch like this to mount on helmet [url= http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-wf-501b-ssc-p7-csxo-3-mode-900-lumen-memory-led-flashlight-with-strap-1-18650-1-17670-904436356 ]WF-501B[/url]

Anyone else using this set up? Is there a way to attach a torch to a helmet?

Ta