Budget Lighting dilemma

I’m doing my first 24hour (Strathpuffer) at the weekend and I’m looking at lighting solutions. The dilemma I’ve got is I’ve only got £100 (absolute top) to spend on lights as I’m also saving for wedding and getting stern looks from my bride to be! Though I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want me riding around in the dark with no lights??!

I’ve got a Black Diamond Icon headtorch which is pretty good, and a pretty crap CatEye LED light for back-up.

I’ve seen the Hope Vision 1 (£75) reviews on Chain Reaction, and also the L&M Stella 120/130 reviews too. Others could be Electron Light System EHP325 twin 8-LED (£70) or anything you guys know of? I don’t really have the time for the Tesco torch mods so looking for off the shelf solution.

Really not sure which to buy so please help – any ideas? Cheers!!!

Why not borrow some lights? Or are you likely to use them again?

don’t get the electron ones!

no need to particularly mod a tesco torch – just zip tie to helmet and be done. pack some spare AA’s

a hope vision would be great, or a second hand lumi set up – there have been a few on the classifieds recently. or beg/borrow/rent from here… or a shop.

I’ve got one of the 700 lumen Airbike SL1 LED’s brant was doing.

used about half a dozen times, pretty reasonable run time on the lower settings if you’re racing through the night, clearly less on highest ones, tip-top condition, got the original box all fittings etc.
It’s the original style ones – as per the pic on this page – http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Airbike.html in black.

yours for £95 posted special delivery?

Thanks for the offer wwaswas, much appreciated but I think I might go for the Hope Vision 1, as I can get the light, battery charger (with in car adapter) and 8 x 2700mAh AA batteries for £100.

I think having looked at it I’ll get more light for my money going for the Vision-1 over the Stella’s – if I had a couple of hundred quid I think it’s be Ay-Ups definately!

Thanks for your help anyway!
cheers chub

you’d probably need more than two sets of AA batteries to get though the night, even if you were charging them. depending of course how fast your charger can charge!

cool thanks for the tip CP – I’ll see if I can get som epocket money for the 3rd set. The carger says it will charge 4No. 2700mAh AA cells in 3.5hours.

Thanks

Mountain Chub – I will be tehere supporting some riders and will have several different lights (home made) with me for spares / loan. want to borrow some look out for the Mlehworld posse

Sweet thanks TJ! I’ll keep a look out for you guys and pop over to say hi

Thanks
Dan

Hope Single LED is nowhere near enough light as a single light source. Beam is too narrow.
There was somewhere knocking out Hope HID’s for about £125…

IIRC last year the 2pure boys had sets for hire on site. Nightrider lights

halfords bikehut have cheap hope hids.

but you’d need to buy multiple spare batteries and it woudl blow his budget…

Why not buy a decent set off ebay then flog them again afterwards? That way you’ll only end up paying a bit of postage.

I’d sell you my DX moded ones

500 lumen, spot and flood,
runs off AA’s,
aprox 1 hour per 250lumen per AA (can take upto 8)
splash/shower proof, fully waterproof unless your being silly.

If anyone wants some i’ll do all the buying/building/modding if you offer a good price. Comes in 240lumen multimples

240 adequate for singletrack
480 scare wildlife shitless
720 comuication with ET?

but wouldnt be able to post for the weekend.

i got 2 trinewts and a set of minewt x2 duals 8)… il see you at the puffer in 3 days time!!!!!

Slightly sideways, but you still got airbike sl and happy to part with wwaswas? – can’t seem to get in touch except via this thread…