Nights are drawing in, need a new front light. Looking at the Moon Storm pro 1700 lumen and Cateye Ampp 1100 lumen both around the £65 mark. Leaning towards the Moon I think. Anyone used these or got other recommendations or ones to avoid?

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-lights/halfords-advanced-1600-lumen-front-bike-light-253334.html these . a right load of good light for the money

Bikehut 1600 Light

Big fan of Exposure lights. The Sirius, which is what I use, is a bit over budget.

How about one of these, https://exposurelights.com/catalog/product/view/id/679/category/83/

Especially as you can mount it under a computer on a combo mount. (K-Edge XL combo user!)

Unless you really need it for night riding on road, in which case, the Moon wins on light, budget, mountings and spares. Good kit.

I’ve got the Halfords / Bikehut light – that’s a lot of light for road cycling. You’d definitely blind car drivers on almost every setting it has. Brilliant off-road combined with some kind of small helmet mounted light though.

Moon are a make I like and I use a Vortex Pro on my helmet for off road night riding and have a couple of lights on my road bike for commuting. I’ve got a Meteor auto x and a Vortex. I run the vortex on its pulse setting where it’s got a constantly on light dim, with a bright pulse through it. I then run the Meteor on solid light on its lowest setting. If you have a bit off road / on a cycle path etc where you’re away from traffic either the Meteor or Vortex have got more than enough light for that.

You don’t generally need or want big lumens for road riding.

Someone will be along soon to recommend the exposure which has a road focused beam, some German market lights that have a road focused beam and also dynamo lights. All making good points to be fair – but mostly over your budget or requiring some commitment (Dynamo).

I’ve got the Moon Storm Pro and have used it for the last 2 winters on-road. Gets used for a weekly club night ride, as well as commuting a couple of times a week.

I hang it upside down from my GPS mount, and then have the wired remote on my bars to switch between settings

Usually run it on about 3/5 during club runs, and it easily lasts a 2 hour ride with about 50% charge left. Battery is replaceable too, when it eventually dies.

It’s been great for road riding. Battery life would probably be a bit limited for regular off-road use, but I knew that when I bought it.

for road use get one with a proper beam pattern that is actually legal. None of those suggested are actually legal for road use and dazzle horrendously

B&M make some great lights that are not antisocial

https://www.bumm.de/en/products/akku-scheinwerfer.html

Battery? Something that is actually a road light with wide, far spread and a decent cutoff beam.

Really happy with the Ravemen PR900. Cost me £60 From Tredz. It also has a dual emitter, so can ‘flash’ road-users or switch to ‘high beam’ from either the unit or a remote switch (I mount the switch by my thumb)

Also works as a power-bank. Road-specific emitter/lens is a very useful beam, slightly warm in colour, works like a motorcycle light. Shows imperfections in the road a good way ahead. Does gravel on main beam. 5500mah battery lasts 21 hrs low, 3.5 high. Couple of useful medium modes and a pulse mode. ‘High beam’ also activates second emitter which is more of a floody spot. Useful offroad or unlit sections at speed. Or as mentioned – for alerting other road-users.

It has a red led battery indicator screen on top, displaying in approx hrs remaining (per mode). The build quality is amazing for the price. Solid kit.

If search the forum there are a couple of mini reviews. I know I wrote one. Still chuffed with it and use it all the time.

Fenix do something similar but I think more expensive. Don’t quite understand the widespread use of unfocused dazzling cycle-lights on UK roads. We’re way behind. I’m guilty as the next for having switched late to road-specific, but really glad that I did. Also returned a Moon Meteor Storm Dual. Not only was it faulty (flickering/intermittent emitter ) but it was just another round/floody glarey beam, yet with a weird array of superfluous and difficult to remember modes.

*Edit link:

Road bike front lights; DIY dip deflectors

I’ve commuted 20 miles in the dark, 10 of which are unlit country a road. I use a moon lx360 it has a removable battery (still fine after 2 years) a remote switch, to undazzle cars and seems enough for me.
I fancy something properly bright but them I don’t need it.

Gemini Atlas 500? Under £40 from CRC. It’s a rebranded from the Far East, but decent road beam and also run-time.

As people have said for road riding at night you don’t need mega lumens, you’ll just piss car drivers off. I Have the Exposure Switch on the commuter and that works fine for the road commute, which is in the dark in the winter and contains a mixture of street lit town riding, unlit country lanes and unlit canal path.

I wouldn’t go for the bikehut 1600 as it’s too floody. On road you really need a spot that throws down the road, as a) you are usually going much faster and need to see further, and b) you are actually better off not illuminating all the trees and hedges close to you as it makes it harder to see down the road.

The 500 is much better for road, it’s lighter and bounces less on the out in front mount.

Not sure about the 1000 as embarrassingly I can’t say for sure if I own one or not.

2nd on the Ravemen lights that Malvern Rider mentioned.
I’ve got the pr1600, which is over your budget but there are several in the range to choose from.

Great info, glad I asked. My usual loop is half a mile of dual carriageway before turning onto completely unlit country lanes. There isn’t much traffic but regardless hate dazzling car drivers and so end up holding a hand in front of the light to deflect it away from them. The Ravemens look absolutely ideal with the remote button to flick high on and off, only question is whether it’s worth the extra for the 1600 over the 1200 or even the 900?

only question is whether it’s worth the extra for the 1600 over the 1200 or even the 900?

1600 lumens is easily 1100 lumens more than you need for riding on the road.

DON’T get MTB lights for use on the road, you need something with at least an “eyebrow” to stopdazzlking other user, preferably something with properly directed beam

I use this, been great

https://www.candb-seen.co.uk/product-front-light.html

1600 has wireless remote, 1200 is wired. Hmmm

1600 lumens is easily 1100 lumens more than you need for riding on the road.

Looks like they have a separate emitter for the road beam so as road lights the 1600/1200 are 800/600lm respectively.

you need something with at least an “eyebrow” to stopdazzlking other user

Those things don’t do anything to prevent dazzling. Maybe if you have the light pointed at your front hub…

I have an older version of the dual cell Moon thing with the wired remote, think mine is only 1200 lumen max, never run it at more than about 800 even on unlit roads.

For short rides in town I just use their tiny Meteor which uses the same bracket and is truly pocket sized.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jCgJK1]Moon Meteors[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Busch and Muller all the way, proper shaped beam for seeing out front without dazzling other road users and the Ixxon Core (maybe all of their models?) also lets out a bit of side light so you can be seen side-on.

https://www.bikester.co.uk/busch-mueller-ixon-core-ixxi-bike-light-set-grey-black-364216.html?_cid=21_1_-1_9_225_364216_201642850999_pla&ef_id=CjwKCAjw4rf6BRAvEiwAn2Q76ttjpw2Oz374j6SY625Pv95KcUxQS735bQHZGTAYP4tMRBRI_TlskRoChXMQAvD_BwE:G:s&campaign_detail=shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw4rf6BRAvEiwAn2Q76ttjpw2Oz374j6SY625Pv95KcUxQS735bQHZGTAYP4tMRBRI_TlskRoChXMQAvD_BwE

The Ravemens look absolutely ideal with the remote button to flick high on and off, only question is whether it’s worth the extra for the 1600 over the 1200 or even the 900?

Depends. IME the 900 is pretty much perfect for the road. I’d like either of the others for gravel but tbh the 900 is fine for that too and more.

I think the higher lumen ones also allow the internal battery to be charged from an aux power bank while in use. You’d need to check the spec. That could be great for endurance events/unsupported tours without the expense of a dynamo hub.

As it is I tend to use med/low and pulse settings with occasional boost on lit/unlit roads and never worry about the unit running low. Full charge shows 21hrs available at low (!) 15 hrs at med/low

Wireless remote would be a nice luxury, I use the wired one often when hooning at speed into a dark unlit descent (on tarmac or gravel) where an unseen obstacle/hole could be life-changing.

Yet at some point the (watch-type?) battery in a wireless will give it’s last breath and the only way you’ll know that is the next time you need it and it doesn’t respond. Small risk but a risk nonetheless.

The wired remote doesn’t have this risk. The cable is about 31-32cm and I tidy it to the bars with a little velcro strap. The light would be fine without a remote but it’s a minor game changer to have one.

(Ixxon Core) also lets out a bit of side light so you can be seen side-on.

This is the only ‘flaw’ that I can find in the Ravemen PR. As it is, I rely on ankle-reflectors and the odd bit of reflective tape here and there.

DON’T get MTB lights for use on the road,

Agree. Problem is a lot of lights (especially in the UK) are just sold as ‘bike lights’ yet the beam is not onlt too bright entirely unsuitable for the road, even dangerous. You end up dialling them down with either a dim dazzle/glare pointing at driver’s eyes or a bright glare pointed at your wheel.

you need something with at least an “eyebrow” to stopdazzlking other user, preferably something with properly directed beam

I’d echo what someone else stated, an ‘eyebrow’ isn’t a cuttoff-beam and it says nothing about the actual beam shape and spread. It’s normally to stop top-glare for the rider, or else a sales/design gimmick. I say this not knowing what the CandBseen beam-pattern actually is. That would be down to the emitter/lens/reflector design.

I’ve been using a Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL for nearly a year. Bang on your budget, rechargeable with decent battery life, decent beam pattern, a daylight flash mode that seems to get noticed, and a reasonable size and weight

I’ve listed a ITUO Wiz-20 in the classifieds. It’s a very good 1,500 Lumen light. Cost £90+ new and looking for £50 including spare batteries.

Cheers all. Just ordered a Ravemen PR1600 for £96. That £60 budget didn’t last long! Bloody place…..

did say the 900 is pretty much perfect…😎

But congrats, enjoy 👍🏼

Yeah, I know but the wireless remote and powerbank ability swung it for me, didn’t fancy the cable plug hanging out under the tape when not using the light. I also know what I’m like, if I’d got the 900 or 1200 I’d always be thinking “this is good, but….”

On a related note, does anyone know where / if you can get a gopro mount for a Smart bike light (their 700lmn one). Googling Smart bike light predictably is less than helpful!

I also could do with a moon go pro mount – they seem to be out of stock everywhere. Don’t look immediately 3d printable either. Any suggestions? I’ve ordered an out in front mount for the bike computer which has a go pro nut underneath (i needed a wahoo one so it’s on the slow boat from China!).