For all round riding, but spending a lot of time on unlit roads. What’s decent?

I have a couple of Chinese torches, which are phenomenally bright for the cash, but not greatly reliable. So don’t mind spending a few more notes…without going ridiculous.

Shimano 3N72/3N80/XT dyno hub with a B&M Cyo/Luxos. Once you try a dyno, you’ll never want a battery again.

I actually really like the idea of a dynamo. I just don’t think I’m ready for the hassle.

Another thing I really like though, is the dynamo fork mounted style lights. I don’t see why more manufacturers are not sensible enough to put lights on the forks, and I very rarely have space on the bars….so fork mounted is a bonus.

Niterider Lumina 500 for £75 on ebay

Hassle? They’re so much less hassle than battery lights. Fit and forget: you simply never have to think about lights ever again.

That Lumina 500 looks nice, but no side lights on it 😕

my plan, buy a B&M lumotec IQ cyo, then run it from batteries for now and get a new front wheel built up with a dyno at some point.

So don’t discount the dyno route totally.

http://mccraw.co.uk/iq-cyo-dynamo-headlight-review/

Got an e-mail from Cyclestore UK today.

This offer looks pretty good for a decent light set:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=12483&categoryID=108

I use a pair of Fenix LD20 torches.

Not particularly cheap, but very reliable and waterproof. Decent capacity AA batteries get around 2 hours of full brightness.

Hassle? They’re so much less hassle than battery lights. Fit and forget: you simply never have to think about lights ever again.

Unless you want to use the same light on a different bike.

I think you’ll get a lot of light for your money with these.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-T6-LED-Bike-Light-Rechargeable-Bicycle-Front-Lamp-Set-Blue-Gold-/350797000097?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item51ad216da1

HTTP404 – Member

I think you’ll get a lot of light for your money with these.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-T6-LED-Bike-Light-Rechargeable-Bicycle-Front-Lamp-Set-Blue-Gold-/350797000097?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item51ad216da1

Don’t bother, especially for road use.

There are very few lights that have a proper beam for road riding, so you end up dazzling everyone coming in the opposite direction.

I’m looking at B&M, Philips saferide or maybe the Exposure strada if I can stretch the budget.

Dynamo is too much hassle as I swap my lights between bikes.

Sure I saw somewhere that you can get covers or replacement lenses that change the beam pattern to make them more road friendly. Possible? Just use an exposure joystick at the moment but mostly on quiet country lanes.

Lumenator from Smudge, so far it’s been faultless, appart from 4fourth sponsor the Trolls so everyone has those and they’re bonkers bright. you know things are getting silly when you can see your shadown in a theoretical 2000lumen light!

Don’t bother, especially for road use.

Just wondering – why not?

Try asking on a road forum, then you won’t get people suggesting 2000 lumen lights with a 5kg battery pack that you have to balance on your top tube.

Mmmmm… it has four power settings, a battery pack the size of 4 AAs and a free customizable option to tilt downwards to the road – rather than upward at cars 🙂

😀

All for under a tenner aswell! How do they do it?>

Wherever they’re made – it Keeps the kids off the streets.

PMSL

These days they seem expensive but I have used the lumicycle road lights for the last couple of years for all my winter training. Lots of hours in all weathers fast road riding and they have been faultless. The beam pattern is better than any of the other lights I have used. Some lights maybe because of the colour or rings in the beam pattern can make things a bit confusing but the lumicycle is perfect.

Sure I saw somewhere that you can get covers or replacement lenses that change the beam pattern to make them more road friendly

Yep, I got a late incarnation of the “Bastid” light of old and got a new lense cover from ebay, think it was about a fiver (do a search on Magicshine lense or similar). It changes the normal, spot beam into a bar that illuminates a fair old chunk of the road without spilling too much up to eye level. If you tilt the light down a touch then it is very similar to a dipped beam on a car.

Exposure Revo and SP dyno-hub.

Cateye Nano shot EL620 for £40 is a good light with a proper beam, The 625 is more powerful and may be more suited to unlit roads.

For more money, I also use an Exposure Strada, not a lot brighter but has better peripheral lighting which is helpful

I also have a Joystick, mounted on the bars and pointing down. Small and effective. I have yet to put it on my helmet with the Redeye.

If funds are tight, get the Cateye.

I use my Joystick on a bar mount on the road, and one of those 1W smart jobs on the back. If I’m going out for a spin on proper dark country roads I swop the Joystick for my Maxx D. Offroad the Joystick goes on the lid with a redeye.

L&M Seca 1700 on the bars, L&M Vis 180 rear, L&M Vis 360+ helmet mounted.
15 miles of narrow unlit country lanes and shift work, you can’t have too much light.

you can’t have too much light.

Apart from when you’re cycling on the roads.

.so fork mounted is a bonus.

I use a Lezayne minidrive on the bars, then two knogs, one on each fork leg. Most knogs are very easily attached to almost any part of the bike with their wrap around rubber strap thingy

…Philips saferide…

I have both dynamo (60 lux) and battery (80 lux) versions for seeing lights; great lights but the former is only just powerful enough for unlit roads at a reasonable speed and the latter has rarely given me 2 hours at full power, despite using 2450mAh batteries. Buy from ze Germans to get the best price.

I actually really like the idea of a dynamo. I just don’t think I’m ready for the hassle.

Dynamo is expensive because you need a new hub or wheel, but if you only need it on one bike, zero hassle.

Fitting is a roughly similar amount of hassle to changing a tyre + putting a light mount for any old light on.

I fitted the front light to my commuter in 2008. No maintenance yet. Compared to expensive and powerful battery lights where I had to charge them most days for a long commute, and even then the battery got older over time, it is night and day.

fork mounted is a bonus

Home made crown-bracket for my Revo:

Made from a spare brake adaptor cut in half, and chunk of aluminium plate I had spare.
Additional wires are from the dynamo to the Kemo USB charger in the frame bag, and from the Kemo to the light. And there’s also the cable from the smartplug to the Redeye on the back.

you can’t have too much light.
Apart from when you’re cycling on the roads.

At half eight at night in the middle of winter traveling at 45+ MPH coming down off the Quantocks (on the road) you can’t have too much light.

At half eight at night in the middle of winter traveling at 45+ MPH coming down off the Quantocks (on the road) you can’t have too much light.

You can if you have a car coming the other way 😉

I use the cree ebay lights on my road bike, they’re fine. Lights on the bars battery under the stem. Nice and bright and quite vivid in flash mode (I’m in the you can’t have too bright a light camp)

Managed a 29.5kph average over 50 miles of sandy, pot holed, Suffolk farm roads using an Exposure Diablo with single piggyback battery.

I know they seem poor value compared to the imports but I do think they make a really good product and IME provide good service should it be needed

Probably go for a Strada next time there money in the bike fund.

I have a couple of the cheap chinese high lumen lights on my bike for off road use , but on roads they come in handy for the occasions when the local chavs/sales reps forget to dip their hid lights. Other than that ive got an old cateye to see with, and a couple of fleas to be seen by on my road bike.

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