[Closed] Why spend 100's of £ on lights!

spock, what bike do you ride............

Well... the Q5 is all of 228 lumens. I'd need 13 of them.

I made one out of a house alarm battery, some plumbing fittings, a halogen bulb and an old saddle bag. Not light or pretty, but pretty effective. And cheap. Oh yes, cheap. That's me!

It't pretty satisfying to DIY it as well.

spock, bike?????????????????????

"Why spend 100's of £ on lights"

So all you DealExtreme boys can feel smug!

5thElefant - Member

Well... the Q5 is all of 228 lumens. I'd need 13 of them.

You NEED 2964 lumens? where do you ride ,down a coal mine. Crikey it can't be that much fun it must be like riding in full sun 😉

spock, bike?????????????????????

ton - it doesn't matter what bike you've got if its dark and you can't see where you're going.

which one

a real nice one what difference does it make, we're talking about lights

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/dx-customer-service-issues ]Buy cheap, buy twice.[/url]

which one......... 😀

enjoy your dx lights spock, they are good value and performance for the price... but they are not amazing, they dont like water and can break down like anything else... there are much better quality and brighter and lighter lights available... eg trout lights 😉

i suspect he may suggest you could ride the trails adequately on a cheaper bike.

I think most people pay more for reliability.
PS would like to see the shadow TON casts riding behind him

what do yoou ride ton???

trout lights 8)

Ton.... I think his new lights cost more than his Kona..thats why he didnt spend £100's on lights 😆 be worth more than the bike.

dano - Member

what do yoou ride ton???

Doesn't that change on a weekly basis. 😉

Explosion In a Spaghetti Factory - Member

dano - Member

what do yoou ride ton???

Doesn't that change on a weekly basis.

changed a hour ago................. 8)

Ton.... I think his new lights cost more than his Kona..thats why he didnt spend £100's on lights be worth more than the bike.

Id like to say your wrong ,its a kona shred frame (i know its a dj frame but it was cheap and is nice and beefy). With lx, hayes,merlin handmade shimano/mavic wheels (£65 for the set :wink:) and some dieing fox's up front

😯 **** me changing your bike hourly 's a bit much mate. 😉

Paying more doesn't always = reliability; from what I've read on here at various times Lupine lights have reliability issues, and they ain't cheap. DX lights just exist in larger numbers, so there's always going to be a percentage of shonky ones show up. I've got three DX torches and a DX Bike light, and all have been fine so far over the last year or so. As was pointed out in the linked thread, the cheap ones are so cheap you can buy a replacement and either get a refund, or better still get a replacement so you've always got a charged backup.

I bought a Hope 4. Why?

Because I wanted one.

i went to the marin trail today with 2 other guys... one on a yeti and one on a santa cruz... both stopping every 5 seconds to adjust their shock pressures, wind up their air pressure adjustable seat post, adjust the u turn fork travels, tyres, pro pedals... me on the old hardtail givin it sm and up the front all day...amazing really...

AnD wEt... 🙄

I bought a Hope 4 - why?

Because I wanted one.

show us your new bike ton!!!!! ❗

some stuff is dear, some is cheap, buy what you want.............
but don't have a go at people who buy dear or cheap...............

buying dear lights ........madness, i think not
riding a cheap bike ........madness, i think not. 8)

spock - Member

I bought a Hope 4 - why?

Because I wanted one.

To be honest if i could i would

Thereby with a little help from me, you've answered your original question.

There's more to it than just wanting expensive lights though; quality and customer service have a bearing too.

" DX lights just exist in larger numbers, so there's always going to be a percentage of shonky ones show up"

I fear the world is not being overrun with DX lights just because the STW massive has engaged in a buying frenzy, and on the evidence of past threads if its wet the batteries expire and if dry the chargers burst into flames.

I'll take my Maxx-D any day cheers

I don't know how many hours I have on my 2 Dealextreme torches... Couple of hundred probably, in all conditions (other than sunlight 😉 ) They've been flawless,and produce more light than most "proper" bike lights. So it's pretty much a massive and unequivocal win.

But I still want a troutlight.

Talking of reliabilty vs price, does anybody remember how many Exposure lights went wrong in the first couple of years?

I do. I knew of lots of them in use and all apart from one went wrong. I sent mine back and got a refund the third time they packed up and our LBS refused to sell them any more. They were total crap.

Because after years and years of building them then modifying Lumicycle ones I needed something that didn't need fixing before the start of every winter. 3/4 winters on L&M Hids which died in December last year so i needed new then and bought a LED L&M. I also require a UK warranty and one preferably supplied via my local shop so any breakdowns will be sorted quickly and I can borrow test lights if necessary.

Approx £100 a year is worth my sanity thanks.

cos we like bling and we are blokes.................end

I do. I knew of lots of them in use and all apart from one went wrong. I sent mine back and got a refund the third time they packed up and our LBS refused to sell them any more. They were total crap.

My Maxx D is great.

Night riding is over rated and i'm just not prepared to pay more than my bike is worth (04 Spesh enduro) to get a set of proper lights, its just not practical. Night running however is a different story, £40 gets you a decent enough light to feel safe running anywhere.

Yes the new stuff is. But it's the 3rd generation. The first 2 generation Exposures were garbage. Which is why I wrote "the first couple of years"
The reason yours is so good is precisely beacase mine were so crap. They learned their lesson. Everyone is keen to slag off the DX but in the usual STW style, they've glossed over the EXPENSIVE rubbish because it's easy to pick on cheap rubbish.

Ring Mountain Trax in Wokingham and ask Chris about all the time he spent sending exposures back if you don't believe me.....

I spent the money for primarily for reliability, then ease of use and a decent, cable-free design. The former is the most important as I do between 20 and 50 miles a day on unlit country lanes. It breaks down then I'm faced with a long, very dark ride home / to the station. Cars have a tendency to bomb along the roads in the dark and if they can't see your lights they're going to be in the middle of the road likely as not.

It's the reason I sold my old home-built halogens (1st set) and then my HIDs in turn (generic make then Lupines) - after being stranded for the third time when a cable / ballast / bulb went I got them repaired, flogged them and went for decent LEDs with a company that I know has decent customer service.

My 2009 Maxx-D has seen 4000+ miles of use. Even in the summer it's on low to help traffic see me. Hasn't missed a beat - the battery power was waning a little so it went back for a (free) tune-up. Came back good as new. My Enduro-Maxx has been faultless

If I could afford to risk DealExtreme then I would have - just that amidst the rave reviews there were too many stories of failures (and I can't wait weeks whilst they get sent back and replaced).

Just my 2p's worth.

[i]a real nice one what difference does it make, we're talking about lights[/i]

Why don't you ride a £50 bike from Asda?

If I could afford to risk DealExtreme then I would have - just that amidst the rave reviews there were too many stories of failures (and I can't wait weeks whilst they get sent back and replaced).
Just my 2p's worth.

How can you afford not to? Just buy 2. One in head one on bars. There's just as much chance of expensive kit failing and then the only thing that matters is if you have a back up or not.

If you don't like riding in the dark,don't do it.
Ian

How can you afford not to? Just buy 2. One in head one on bars. There's just as much chance of expensive kit failing and then the only thing that matters is if you have a back up or not.

When I say 'afford' I mean it in the sense of I can't afford the risk of getting killed by some eejit driving his 4x4 at 60mph along country lanes at 4:30 in the morning. Yes, expensive lights fail but there is a huge difference in waterproofing etc between the Exposure lights and Dealextremes. Also, with all my previous lights, HIDs or Halogens, often a point of failure is the cabling, don't have that with either my Maxx-D or Exposure-Maxx (my backup).

Horses for courses, I'd just rather pay extra for what I perceive to be more peace of mind...

If you don't like riding in the dark,don't do it.

If this is directed at me - don't have a great deal of choice if I want to cycle to work. Have to be in the office and at my desk by 6:30am so it's going to be dark for 8 or 9 months of the year.

Peregrine - Member
Night riding is over rated and i'm just not prepared to pay more than my bike is worth (04 Spesh enduro) to get a set of proper lights, its just not practical. Night running however is a different story, £40 gets you a decent enough light to feel safe running anywhere.

What makes you say night riding is over rated? Do you think mountain biking's over rated too?

Running's just shit full stop.

Each to their own though.

[i]Night riding is over rated[/i]

I do see it as any different to riding during the day. If I want to still get the miles in in winter then there isn't another option. 160 miles so far this week - all in the dark. More a necessity than 'over rated'.

Well I need bringing up to date. I spent £100 plus so I could have near on 1000 lumens and not have to change the battery during a 24 hour solo. Also a single light that I could run down and top up to my hearts content without buggering it up (one set did though!) waterproof, reliable, helmet and bar mounted and easily turn off and onable.
All of what I take as the minimum requirements for a regular biker. So what's on offer from £0.00 > £100.00 that'll do that?

Oldgit, after reading your post I think I need bringing up to date! What light have you got that pumps out ~1000 lumens long enough to last a 24hr solo without a battery change? Lupine Wilma 10?

I bought two of the DX torches for night riding. They've been fantastic for the money. They are very reliable and extreamly waterproof which we tested after droping them switched on into the ice bucket full of water for 20 minutes at a drunken party. Both bone dry and functioning perfectly afterwards.

Ok, the rubber lock blocks are a rudementary mounting, and they're a little heavy for helmet mounting. You have to pay the same attention to charging the cells as you "should" give any batterys, and you may have to change the cell after a couple of hours rididng, so there not ideal, but the cost of a product that mitigates these reletivley small inconvieniances is unjustifiable in many minds.

Yes I'm a bloke and I'd love a blingly hope4, or something more purpose built, but for the money you just cant compare the products. Certainly as an introduction into night riding before you splash out serious amounts of cash.

Would I trade my dx lights in for something like a hope or lumicycle if I could afford it? Hell yea

"Why don't you ride a £50 bike from Asda?"

Because a £50 BSO from Asda is terrible. But a £50 light from Dealextreme is very good.

The trouble here is that so many people are so keen to hold an opinion on something they have no actual experience of. I don't meen "here" as in this post or this thread, but here as in this entire planet, but in this particular case it's more obvious than usual.

huge difference in waterproofing etc between the Exposure lights and Dealextremes

Hahahahaa!
It was water and crap sealing that finally killed my Enduro Turbo. A light 20 minute shower to be precise

I got a refund after that and bought some Lumis.

Paging tthew would love to see the result of your DIY lights using the parts yoiu mention, any tips, pics or instructions available?

Sum
1000 on max, but 11 hours on a useable low so ideal for 12 and 24s it meant I didn't have to keep an eye on the time I used my batteries for.
In fact I've never used max power unless it was to be silly.
Niteflux Photon Max LED

So just to check, one of the reasons you spent more was that it can output 1000 lumens, but you don't use full power anyway?

(I spent £100 plus so I could have near on 1000 lumens)
(1000 on max... In fact I've never used max power unless it was to be silly.)

I have one of the deal extreme lights that I use for commuting, it is bright enough to go off road without any problems but I also have some ay ups that I use for off roading. Why the more expensive ones - because I want the reliabilty and durability of the Ay ups for endurance racing, also sometimes my night rides last for 3 - 4 hours and I dont want to be bothered with switching batteries near the end of my ride. Also when it comes down to it I just [i]like[/i] the whole Ay Up setup, so dont mind that they cost more.

Anyway - does it really matter what lights other people have? If you are happy with more expensive lights then they are for you, if you are happy with the less expensive lights then all good.

[i]The trouble here is that so many people are so keen to hold an opinion on something they have no actual experience of[/i]

I bought a dx torch last year, it's fine for the money. I've also tried the fenix torch route.

But I bought a troutlight this year and it's well worth spending the extra money. I'm fairly sure the majority of people who start with the torch route will move onto something that works far better.

Aye, and that's fine- it's the people who declare them to be rubbish or unreliable I was having a poke at there. From what I've seen most people who assume they're bad are actually riding around with something worse- Hope 2, old Ayups etc- which are better made and have great guarantees and all but don't actually work very well as lights.

I'd like a Troutlight too, mind 🙂

it's the people who declare them to be rubbish or unreliable I was having a poke at there

I've bought one but it would cease working after any length of time in the rain. It certainly wasn't waterproof so it's now in the car glovebox as an emergency torch.

I'd rather stick with my Exposure lights. Might try mounting one of my Fenix torches on my helmet to see how it measures up against my old joystick though...

well I threw my DX torch in a tank of beer . Guess what, its still working, it was working after I pumped out the tank, and 1 month later its still working.

why?

because I got a great deal on some AyUps where I got 2 lights 3 batteries 2 chargers 5 mounts and a head torch strap for £200.

warranty (even top notch from Oz

6-8 hrs of run time

I can run 1 and let my gf use the other one for chilled out rides

I can double my weeks riding

they work

Sounded like a good deal to me.