- This topic has 25 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 5 years ago by Leku.
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£200 bike lights?
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LekuFree MemberPosted 5 years ago
I’m looking to replace my ageing Hope 4 lights. I’ve had them 8 years and even with a new battery they can’t complete with the others I ride with.
Budget of £200 (ish). Really prefer a manufacture I recognise. Hope have always been great and I’ve had smaller Exposure lights in the past. Handlebar mounted.
So far I’m thinking;
Lupine Piko £250 True 1500l but a bit over budget
Hope R4+ 1500l £180
Exposure Race 1900l £210 – ok for off road with a helmet light?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
onewheelgoodFull MemberPosted 5 years agoGloworm x2 – £225, 1700 genuine lumens, 3hrs on full. Or save loads and get a Lumenator17 – similar numbers.
LekuFree MemberPosted 5 years agoThanks brassneck.
I’ll add Lumicycle Summit Enduro Pack £248 1650l to the list
YetimanFree MemberPosted 5 years agoFour4th as well.
My 9 year old Genesis helmet light is still working as well as it did when new and the latest version is 2000 Lumen. £195. Our group bought around 10 of them and they are still all in use as far as I am aware, which says a lot about their quality.
Prices jump to £275 for their 4600L & 5200L lights.
medoramasFree MemberPosted 5 years agoI was looking at Light and Motion Taz 2000 few weeks ago. Actually I was in the middle of completing the order on Cyclestore, while got an email with offers from CRC with the Lezyne Deca 1500i reduced to £95… I decided to give it a go (less than half a price!) and so far I’ve been very impressed with it! The “Infinite” battery pack is a great thing.
nedrapierFull MemberPosted 5 years agoI’d go all in one, which is Exposure really. Plugs and cables introduce huge potential for points of failure.
If I was buying now, I’d get a Race or Toro and a couple of spare mounts for other bikes.
But I’ve got a Lumenator from mtb batteries/mark/smudge which is a lovely light to ride by, even more so when mounted to a CandBseen clamp. It’s given up a few times, due to electrical contact point issues in the plugs or cables, getting less frequent the more care I take in handling them, plugging them in, how I have the cables wrapped round stems, bars, frames.
But if when there’s a problem, it’s still cheaper to send them to smudge and get them repaired than splash £200 on a new light,
fasthaggisFull MemberPosted 5 years agoLuminator on the bars and a Joystick on the helmet.
Had the Luminator for 4 winters and it gets used for all my dark commuting and night rides.
I like the beam that it gives out,and it works well for the speed that I do on road and trails.
escrsFree MemberPosted 5 years agoPersonally id go with the Exposures
I run a Six pack on the bars and a Diablo on my helmet
If you can get along to the bike show this year Exposure normally have a stand with discounted lights
joebristolFull MemberPosted 5 years agoIt might be a bit too expensive, but I’ve fancied getting a Gemini Titan for a while but can’t justify the cost. Saw someone with one last winter and it looked like he had car headlights on his bike with the amount of light it was putting out. Silly epic.
ijl1969Free MemberPosted 5 years agoApologies for stealth ad but I’ve got a Light and Motion Secs 2500 Enduro light, highly rated as below
Bought on a bit of a whim, as new as only had a brief test ride, complete with box, all accessories, PM if interested, looking for £160 posted
lawman91Full MemberPosted 5 years agoExposure every day of the week. My Maxx-D and Joystick are some of the best things I’ve ever bought. Race with a helmet light will be fine, but stretching to a Toro or Maxx-D would be even better. They are seriously good and the back up from Exposure is excellent as well. A former work colleague had an old Joystick and the button broke. They told him to post it in and they repaired it for £13 inc. postage back to him. Nothing comes close IMO, they’re just ace!
vincienupFree MemberPosted 5 years agoMy ancient 1600Lm MaxxD still does the biz and has yet to disappoint in any way with a relatively old 450Lm Joystick on the helmet. I have a more modern Sirius and TraceR combo for less off-road situations.
The only real Exposure downside in my experience is that if you want to upgrade you can’t rely on broken kit as an excuse… I’d have no hesitation recommending it to someone wanting quality lighting without remote batteries.
LekuFree MemberPosted 5 years agoCurrently seeing if I can do a deal on the Lumicycle lights in classified.
If not, I’ll most likely go for the Exposure Race. I have a Diablo which I’ve just worked out is 7 years old and still going strong.
andrewhFree MemberPosted 5 years agoI recently got an Exposure Sixpack, Mk9 I think it was, (the one previous to current) off fleabay for a little over £200. Same price as a new Race but loads better 🙂
Maybe keep an eye out for used MaxxD or Sixpack?
dissonanceFull MemberPosted 5 years agoPersonally I would make sure I can cover two lights. Never like riding with just one.
I have taken the same approach as some others. Lumenator on the bars and a exposure joystick as a helmet light. Neither are insanely powerful but still more than capable and having started cycling with ever ready d cell lights still feels like cheating. I also have an exposure strada which I got when i was commuting and normally take out on rides. Means for the road bits I can drop down to just that and not risk blinding people/
LekuFree MemberPosted 5 years agoSo, I’ve just bought a new Exposure Toro Mark 9 for £220.
Happy with that. Thanks for all the advice.
BadlyWiredDogFull MemberPosted 5 years agoI’ve been using Lumicycle stuff for around 20 years now. First the yellow glowing halogens, then one of their HIDs and now a pair of the second generation LEDs and they’ve been brilliant for me. I’ve never had issues with connectors and I like being able to carry a back-up battery on longer rides. Plus the way the switching works means you can toggle up and down on light levels instead of having to cycle through brighter levels to get back to the start of the cycle if what you actually want is less light rather than more. Snudge at mtb-batteries will make you a competitively priced battery too.
I’m an Exposure fan also, mostly for helmet lights but I also have a Strada for road use, but while I really like them, my experience is that the switch always wears out, then it’s a back-to-base service option. Ditto if/when the battery starts to get tired. It’s worth remembering that you can run a back-up battery with Exposure if you want more burn time than standard, though they’re a bit pricey for what they are, though if you do, you can’t also use the smartport, so no remote switch.
Lumicycle on the bars / Joystick or similar on the helmet is my favoured combo fwiw, though I guess it’s outside your budget.
nealgloverFree MemberPosted 5 years agoLeku, if you want to sell your old Hope R4 give me a shout. Looking for something like that for winter commuting on unlit country lanes.
Cheers.
deadkennyFree MemberPosted 5 years ago+1 Four4th.
Based in Aldershot. Excellent quality and robust, durable for British weather.
LekuFree MemberPosted 5 years agoIt’s a Mark 9 rather than the new Mark 10. Looks like I may have got the last one…
I’ve had the order confirmed but not dispatched.
https://www.certini.co.uk/45054/products/exposure-toro-mk9-front-bicycle-light.aspx
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