Unlucky matey. I have x3 cheap Chinese of various types all still going strong, the oldest:- a P7 DX light is over 3 years old!

I have 3 at 3,2 and 1 years old. Regular use over winter, neglected over summer. They still work perfectly and the oldest still has most of its original burn time.

^^^+1^^^
Six sets in the family, all working perfectly, oldest 3 yrs in Nov, none cost more than £23.

@bikeind - are you a trader that only sells high end lights?

2 year old Chinese thing working well, 2 year old Joystick keeps changing power level of its own accord.

Mine make the trail "come alive" 😆

Bought low and mid price lights from UK and have 1 still working out of 7 in the last 4 years so lights in this country are not reliable IMHO. Most the lights bought here were probably made in China or Taiwan anyway!

Even if they are more unreliable, £25ish every six to twelve months Is easier to manage for most people than two to eight hundred quid in one pop..
And from what I've seen even expensive lights break..

Not sure if trolling!!

I've got several sets all years old, all going strong. Hope are great if you want to spend 300 quid!

Yep I have a an old p7 light from 4 years ago still going strong, a few xml lights that are 2 years old still going strong, and because they're so cheap I even bought a couple of the solar storms, which are unbelievably good for the money! Tbh you have to be pretty stupid to spend more than £50 on a light set these days. 8)

I only use 650b lights these days.
They make the dark feel alive.

singlespeedstu - Member
I only use 650b lights these days.
They make the dark feel alive.

Which is why I'm sticking to 26" ones, I get scared when the dark feels alive!!

As above, does it really matter if cheap lights only last a year when they're a fraction of the cost of high end lights? Both my sets are going strong, but if one goes caput on a ride I still have the other as back up ( bar mounted P7, helmet mounted T6).
I'd rather have 2x Exposures but just can't justify the cost for the limited use they'd get. If someone were to bring out a cheap wire-free Exposure 'clone' I'd be very tempted. Personally if I was spending £££ on premium lights I wouldn't want separate head unit/battery packs (though I appreciate some people do 4+ hr plus night rides and may want to carry spare batteries)

That's why I only stick with my Exposures
Or Hope

So you're commenting on a product you've never used in terms of reliability?

@bikeind - are you a trader that only sells high end lights?

My thoughts too

Bikeinds post are getting a little tiresome... All very well having a viewpoint and fine if you also have a business - not sure I like the potential for mixing the two. People like Loco et al I don't have a problem with (in fact to the contrary I think they are great), they don't seem to start threads for sales and give great advice for free.

@bikeind - are you a trader that only sells high end lights?

Or a Chinese light trader using the forum to prove the quality is better than it used to be. 😕

(Dons tin foil hat to avoid double bluff scenarios).

People aren't stupid. They're not going to use expensive lights because 'the Bike Industry' says they should. Remember a lot of riders (me included) are irritated about the way that wheel size change has been forced upon us, and are a lot less inclined to support the 'conventional' industry channels than a few years ago.

My Chinese lights are fantastic, btw. If they ever do break I'll buy some more and I'll still have spent less than half as much as a useable set from UK sellers.

[quote=cruzcampo ]Not sure if trolling!!
Really?

Really?

Innit.

It's beyond parody now, and yet people still bite.

Not sure this is a troll but someone not happy who works or owns a shop and cant compete.

I had far more issues with my hope ones than my 20 quid Chinese jobs

Can you get'enduro specific' lights?
Preferably expensive.

So we had the "wheel size, trail come alive post" and now the "Chinese lights" post, I wonder what will be next from bikeind? 🙄

My Chinese lights have been brilliant. No exploding batteries here. My only failure is a 4 year P7 which is now about as bright as a birthday cake candle.

Great food, cheap lights. What's not to like about the Chinese!

To be fair, I've bought 3 Chinese lights so far. One lasted six months before it started randomly switching off. One never worked out of the box. The other is still running OK.

I've also had two chargers. The first one blew up.

I'd still buy them. Especially now I have charger and batteries. Purely because of their affordability. You don't always have a couple of hundred quid to pull out of your pocket. And when there's a valid alternative for a tenner...well it's hard not to be tempted. But, at the same time, when riding fast in the pitch black, reliability is pretty important...

clearly none of you have studied statistics....

I've bought a couple of the '900' lumen CandB seen torches with handlebar mounts. They seem pretty bright and certainly good enough for the dark evening-early morning towpath and cycle path runs that I fit in around 'proper' rides.

Anyone got experience of this model in particular?

clearly none of you have studied statistics....

"88.2% of Statistics are made up on the spot"

felt - Member
So we had the "wheel size, trail come alive post" and now the "Chinese lights" post, I wonder what will be next from bikeind?

I heard the next big thing is going out in the dark, with your £300 Hopes, without the battery, chainless. Thats what I heard 😆 😛

Naaa, the next big thing is going out without a bike, just some handlebars and a helmet light..
But you'll need specific grips to do it..

clearly none of you have studied statistics....

khani - Member
Naaa, the next big thing is going out without a bike, just some handlebars and a helmet light..
But you'll need specific grips to do it..

Genuine close encounter with coffee and keyboard 😆

I've seen the light and gonna buy a Chinese, no not chicken foo yueng bt some lights, any recommendations on which model to get, brighter the better???

bikeind!? - is the clue in the name . . . maybe the OP is the voice of the bike industry . . . would check their other posts to see if they are all 650b related . . . .if i could be bothered

Chinese lights around here as they give most lumens for least money and i really can't afford to kit the whole family out at exposure prices

Can't go wrong with these Heavyman http://bit.ly/W3Kksf

One of my MJ872s is now 3 years old I think, the other a year, both been used more than most. If I'd bought a Hope (one Hope, because that'd still cost more than both of my equivalent/slightly superior lights), it'd probably have broken its cable by now.

People buy the cheapest of tat and are surprised when it's cheap tat but the chinese lights cover almost all the bases that expensive lights do, and more. If you wrote Lupine on the side of a Fluxient or similiar people'd happily several times more (and weirdly they'd also stop complaining about the absolutely identical mounts- it seems to be OK to use that sustem on a £300 light but not a £20 light)

I wonder why Bikeind would want people to buy expensive lights? It is a mystery.

My oldest P7 light is nearly 5 years old , the battery only lasts an hour on full power but on half still works ok for nearly 3. There's just no good reason I can think of to spend £200+ on a high end light.

i've had a bad chinese light and an exposure joystick that performs faultlessly.

The facts are clear....... 😉

[img] [/img]

I have two sets of magicshines and they are still working after nearly 3 years. The only thing is the battery the light comes with. It constantly needs charging for the small amount of times the lights are used but they are well sealed at least. Might upgrade to the more powerful batteries (cost more than the lights).

I have one light that is over 3000 lumens (claimed) and it's awesome (don't use it on the roads though as it dazzles drivers - although some deserve it).

I was going to put a new post about lights but I may as well put it here!

I'm currently contemplating a new light. My current 1100 lumens Cateye light makes night riding possible but it just isn't enough when flying down through the woods, even if it does create a sense of Russian roulette RE tree routes etc!

I want something ultra bright but want to spend as little as possible, preferably under £50.

Does anyone have any recommendations please. Thanks in advance!

Type in SSC- P7 in eBay and choose the best price of the model that suits your preferences helmet/ bars etc.... I've had 3 for 2 years awesome..... Just got a new one

Check out the solarstorm x2 very en vogue right now

Or if you want even cheaper look for a t6 led light

Stay safe and use the proper brands please

Ok. But only 'cos you told me to.

i really can't afford to kit the whole family out at exposure prices

Someone will be along soon, to point out that if [i]you[/i] can't afford decent lights you shouldn't be riding etc.
Think of the children's faces etc.

An [url= http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-wf-501b-cree-xm-l2-5-modes-led-flashlight-torch-1-18650 ]XM-L2 501b[/url] torch is £8... I've got four XML-T6/XM-L2 501b lights as well as an XML-U3 C8 and they are all good, though it's worth greasing the threads and tightening the tailcap internals.