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Autumn round the corner What are people using, what's good and what's not?
1200 lumens available for £24 at Deal Extreme ATM....
here is on of those DX jobs. Very nice but not much spread,
I have stuck a "flood" lense in my old P7 unit which gives some nice illumination near the bike...
[url= http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6127253953_296c68db19.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/51529898@N08/6127253953/ ]100_2816[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/51529898@N08/ ]Dancake2010[/url], on Flickr
the 2 worked well together. Will try the new one on my helmet next
Depends what you're doing. I've got a Hope Vision One. Powerful enough for group night rides in the woods and lasts long enough to get you home.
[url= http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/214/eh2011313/blackburn-voyager-33-front-light.html ]Blackburn Voyager 3.3[/url]
Used it overnight at Mayhem as a main light.
I'm running Hope2s as spares with a Deal Extreme XML £30 jobbie as above on the bars and a chinese torch also with XML led on my helmet and its plenty enough for Lakeland night rides.
DX (allegedly) 1200lum jobbie, on the bike , with a Petzl headtorch on the lid. Works for me. Fine at 9.30pm in the woods last week, fire road stuff on low power, just up to max for the s/track.
Fenix L2D or LD20 (depends which one isn't being used elsewhere at the time), with Fenix MC10 on my helmet - fine on the road, but I need more light for popping down the woods, and I'm very tempted to add an Exposure Diablo Mk3 for that. I pretty much always have a Knog 'frog' F-light on the bike too for use in town / as an addition / emergency visibility aid - like in yesterdays foggy lunchtime ride!
Blackburn Mars 4 and a Knog 'gekko' on the back. Blackburn on my helmet, Knog on the seatpost (an' used the same was as the front Knog). There's usually my red glo-toob FX or some other kinda basic back light on my bag too.
Mini hijack but can people recommend a good deal extreme (or similar price range) combo, head and bars, not looking at spending mega bucks. Only ever done night riding on the road so have no idea.
@Kryton57, do you have a link to that light please, so many on the DX site having trouble finding.
^^as per TheBrick
😉
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/p7-water-resistant-ssc-p7-3-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82734
just ordered one of these, 29.94 posted.i will update when i get it.
its 1200 lumens claimed.
Exposure Enduro Maxx (720) on the bars with an Exposure Diablo (900) on my lid.
Plenty!
Vision 4 on bars and vision 2 on helmet spot on for me
Goldigger tripple cute on the bars (2960) Goldigger mini cute on the lid (1300) just about lights my way!!
Ay-Up Pair Lid and Bar combo, great lights weigh 55g each and work well.
4hrs from the 3 hr battery and 7/8 from the 6hr. Great value and now have a UK wharehouse.
Trout lighs all the way for me...I run a Liberater (1700 actual lumens)on the bar and the 825 lumen Tiger Light up top. However...I might start running the Tiger for road night time and get another one of Trouties to take it`s place for the stupid off road stuff. 😆
Depends on what i recon to the 2 demo prototype lights i`ll try this week. His Spider Eyes and the Cutie.......
Shuld be close to 4000 lumens..... 😯
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/riding-trouts-cutie
AYUPS here aswell brilliant light set and now with the option of 40% brighter. Not sure about uk warehouse my set last week came from Australia
Exposure MaxX D Mk IV here...
+1 for the Troute Liberator 3.0 here combined with an endurance battery off smudge. Quite literally lasts for days!
On my head I have a Cateye Double Shot Pro - good but starting to feel a bit dated with Troute power on the bars.
The new Hope [url= http://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG320 ]R4[/url] looks great. And comes with Hope reliability and service - winner.
You should all look at Goldigger's lights as he produces lights like Trouties but for less money and that very niche appeal as well. He did post info on this forum and you can view his work on mtbr forum in the diy lights section. A 2960 lumen bar light (tripple cute) cost £215 with smudges batteries, well worth the money as produces a massive flood completely lighting up the trail all in front of you, I leave my friends for dead at nights and they can't compete.
The new Hope 8's are supposed to be 2000 Lumen 😯
I'm running a Smudge XML unit on the bars and a Cateye Twinshot on the lid. Plenty for riding woods at night.
Not quite sure what I'll be using out of my bag-o-cheap-lights this winter. Got an XML DX light and also an XML torch, and 2 P7 torches, and a 4-battery pack for one of the torches.
The XML's have an odd light pattern, very bright spot but also a strong wider beam, which actually gives better light everywhere than my P7s but I think might not work quite as well since the wider beam, though bright, seems less bright by contrast with the central spot. The P7s more even, weaker light is easier to ride by at lower speeds but then they lack the throw of the XML.
So I'm thinking probably a P7 torch on the bars and maybe the XML torch as well, and the XML bike light on the helmet. (the XML torch is bulky and a little bit heavy for head use). That's much more light than I need of course but it's hard to find a reason not to do it.
Just about to try one of Troutie's mini's on my helmet (no s****ing!) tonight. I'll keep my old 2007 USE Enduro Turbo on the bars, but I think the Mini will become the light that actually lights the way as it were. Looking forward to it.
Just ordered a £30 deal extreme xml for use as a helmet light..
I'll possibly back it up with one of those new xpg 4 jobbies on the bars later down the line if neccessary..
Liberator is more than enough
[url= http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6209/6127934567_175540c460_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/6127934567/ ]bring on the night[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
Here is a home brew lighting setup form the past. Just checked my build and they still work :-).
I'll sort out some better pix soon.
http://www.mtbarena.com/2011/09/nights-drawing-build-recession-beating-mountain-bike-lights/
Apologies for brad ends, it was 2003.
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Shuld be close to 4000 lumens.....
Packing my lights away now! One for the whole group
I was wondering if anyone uses the lights that Torchy the Battery Boy sells?
I see his torches with handlebar mounts for £15. Any good for offroad?
Was thinking of getting two of them with the added benefit of having them for use as torches if I need them rather than the purely bike specific type available on DX and luminous off here. Those DX £30 efforts look too good to be true at that price. What I don't want to do is get something that works for a few weeks then the battery gives out or the internals suffer after a few rough rides or some rain. DIY electronic repairs may be ok for some gifted people but not me.
Sorry, I was going to post a new thread but a search shows dozens of these types of thread!
I reckon the torches would probably be ok - I was using Smart Halogen lights last year so I suppose anything would be an improvement.
Cheers
if you want something that's going to last maybe look at Trout/Lumnious, or even some of the secondhand stuff on classifieds. there is a Toro, a 6 Pack and my Hope 4 all up for grabs 😆
Thanks for the suggestion but lights are something I wouldn't go for secondhand to be honest.
Whats the lowest Lumens that is rideable? Because you see all these 1000+ lumens lights can I get away with a 500 lumen one?
yes of course, you'll have plenty fun with 500 lumens, you can get by fine on less, and there is an awful lot of willy waving/compensation when it comes to lumens.
can I get away with a 500 lumen one?
Yes. Until someone with a 1000 lumen light rides up behind you.
jam bo - Member
can I get away with a 500 lumen one?
Yes. Until someone with a 1000 lumen light rides up behind you.
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST
He's not wrong
I have a joystick and whiteeye and its plenty - until someone with maxx D or similar comes up behind then the bit of trail you most want to see goes dark
If you're riding in a group then it's an arms race
I have a Hope 4 LED but I'm looking to buy a new helmet light to go with it and will probably go for one of the 1,200 or 1,700 lumen offerings from Four4th. A couple of the lads I ride with use them and they seem to be pretty good. [url= http://four4th.co.uk/products/ ]Four4th[/url]
Although I may be able to make redthunders light I'm also after something that would be decent mainly for the road bike. Is the general consensus then to go for for smudge's [[url= http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/4.html ]Is this him?][/url]light as a single decent unit? I may well build another and have one on the helmet in the future but just want something for now.
Just had an email from DE saying my lights have now been shipped and they have given me a tracking number. Should I be worried that when I enter the tracking number and the verification code it doesn't recognise any of the information?! Hoping it's normal for the first 24 hours but you never know!
I got the tracking email yesterday at 3pm and it is now working...think it usually takes about 12 hours or so from getting the email.
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I thought it might've been the case, thanks Jamie. Not sure how useful the tracking is going to be helpful as I have no idea where the hell that place is!!
I love lights, the up light makes me even more good looking, I fancy that new 6-pack from Exposure, I currently run the 4d and twin helmet mounted joysticks. Think I'll fit down lighters this winter..Leave no shadow..
He who hath most light wins.
3 thou lumen yeah!
I thought it might've been the case, thanks Jamie. Not sure how useful the tracking is going to be helpful as I have no idea where the hell that place is!!
I usually forgot about them coming, and then it's a nice surprise when you get a box with an airmail stamp on it 8)
[i]can I get away with a 500 lumen one?
Yes. Until someone with a 1000 lumen light rides up behind you.
[/i]
Its like the arms race - happy with Joystick on my helmet and ebay P7 on the bars; then my riding buddy rides behind with his Hope 4...
Now I've a Toro on the bars as well 🙂
ok, update.
recieved my dx lights today,> http://www.dealextreme.com/p/p7-water-resistant-ssc-p7-3-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82734
look great, really bright, well made etc.
thought to myself, i will just make sure they are fully charged for tonight, so, plugged charger in, after 5 minutes noticed a smell of molten plastic.
it was the charger. so i have a charged set of lights, but no way of recharging once they are flat.
i guess you get what you pay for, although, even if i have to shell out a tenner for another charger its still cheap for what i have.
I have just got magicshine MJ 872 1600 lumen for £90
Great wide flood of light with no real hotspots. This paired to my other 1000 lumen light which has a good long distance beam, I think I have found a good combo for this years riding. So good I no longer ride with a headtorch these days...
Damn! That's a bit shit. I would get onto DX and have a replacement sent out.
I know you get what you pay for, but having ones house burn down is quite a price to pay.
*note to self: charger goes in metal biscuit tin*
you also need to make sure that your UK-US adapter is fused. Most of them coming from HK aren't.
Jamie - mine finally says Guang Zhou mailing centre too now.
you also need to make sure that your UK-US adapter is fused. Most of them coming from HK aren't.
Good call. Just picked one up off [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Travel-Adaptor-Plug-Worldwide-European/dp/B000P0FIUM ]Amazon for £1.20 all in.[/url]
have to remember this thread.
have to remember this thread.
Yes that's what I keep saying about the DIY head torch mount thread... Remembering is one thing, finding it again is another!
Hi guys. Never been night riding but it seems to me a common set up is p7 bars and xml on the head? If so how do you mount the lights?
ta
thanks jamie, mine turned up on friday and i was going to use the razor plug, no need now...
@jamie
i think i will just bite the bullet and pay the 26 quid and get one off smudge, he has a facebook page, i will have paid 56 quid in total, thats still pretty cheap for the light ive got.
ive been out for half an hour tonightwith it, and its plenty of light for me, my wife was going to get me a L&M stella 400, so the MINIMUM i have saved is £100, cant grumble at that.
i have emailed DX about the charger, but honestly, im not keen to plug another one in my house.
Marty,
Email me first and I will sort you out a charger for a small contribution to the STW fund 😉
Seems like youve had enough bad luck light wise via DX, so the least I can do to help.
Smudge [url=
Hmmm. I am thinking of preempting being burnt alive, by buying a charger off smudge.
Didn't even know he sold them....
he has a facebook page
...and that's probably why, as I am not a member.
lol, i only knew about it because someone on here mentioned it.
Jamie - is the tracking work for you at the moment?
Who sells 2x XM-L T6 2000 as on Torchie's site?
Taff - Website didn't work last night, but just checked now and it still seems to be in Guangzhou.
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Just managed to get on again. Mine is saying the same. I'd like to think that they aren't updating it that often...
Looks like we are embroiled in a race across the world, Taff. If you win, despite me having a day or so headstart, well....*shakes fist*
Oh and the loser gets a combustible battery charger 😉
flashes - I wondered the same myself. It appears to be made by a company in China called Inton. The only place I can find selling them is in New Zealand.
I mailed Torchy and he's going to be selling the 2x XM-L ones through his Ebay account very soon for £119.99 each. He's just waiting for them to arrive. I think they might be the XM-L U2 ones which have a claimed output of 2200 lumens.
Looking to get a xml torch for the helmet to go with the magicshine MJ 872 1600 lumen on the bars. Any suggestions? was looking at 1300 lumens with batteries and charger from ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160599499872?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 which i imagine should be a good pairing with the flood of the bar light. Is it going to be too "spotty" for other use (i.e. as a head torch)of should i go for something with more flood than teh xml for when not used as a bike light?
oh and use an old inner tube as a base to sit the torch on the helmet then a couple of velcro straps through the air wents to mount the torch, works a treat
I doubt it is 1300lumens but its seems fine. I think it's slightly better having a spot on the head providing the bar light is a flood. The only comlpaint I would make about that set is that the batteries get a very negative review and perhaps you should look at getting some Senybor 2400's as well. Also make sure that the charger has a fused UK plug or at least plugs into a fused UK adapter
neninja
Nice.....
Here's my new homemade lights. Still a few teething problems with the run times. Only getting 10yards before im in darkness but I'm getting there.
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Sweet. You might get better throw with some optics like these -
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And increased operating range with a large backpack mounted solar panel. This might render it useless at night but I don't think you'll notice the difference.
Also working on a helmet light bit I'm having a few problems with it. Can't get any brighter than one candlepower and it's not very waterproof. Plus if it's windy it tends to go out. Runtimes isn't bad depending what type of wax I use. 😀
Jamie - Has your arrived? Mine got here this morning. Slightly concerned that the box I've got states that the light is 900lumens and a SSC instruction manual where as my XML-T6 confirmation email says 1200lumen!! Pretty sure they've given me a P7!
although it is giving the correct SKU code so who know now!!! Christ its a small unit!
Taff that doesn't sound at all right, I'd get onto them asap.
If it come to it, they should depatch a replacement one, once you've sent proof of posting the old one back.
My Smudge XML is only slightly bigger than my original P7 bastid though.
what was the SKU code?
Just waiting for the live chat to come online. I can post back to their warehouse which luckily is in Portsmouth. The weird thing is the chinese instructions make reference to XML-T6 so now I have no idea!!!
Got a trout liberator. More than enough light in a single small unit, Chris is a top bloke and if ever there are any problems he only lives 40mins away!
I've just got a £28 1200 lumen jobbie from DX, and a flood lens off eBay and it's great, still bright but no hotspot, combined with a vision 2 on my helmet it's awesome
I charged it in the bathroom on the 110v toothbrush charger and it didn't melt either...
I have a 2011 Exposure Maxx-D for the bars and a Hope Vision 1 for my helmet. Works very well, into my second winter with them and can't see me upgrading until they brake.