Front lights

[tallliman]

Thanks all for your replies so far, I'll have a look at the ones I'm less familiar with. Kinda tempted by the German light if I'm honest even though it's more than I wanted to spend.

 

[Blue Hills]

The ever popular Hope Vision 1 is on offer from Evans at the moment. Built like a tank. Fits fat or skinny handlebars. Lasts all night. A favourite of the Fridays.

Probably a bit expensive for the OP's requirement for a sub £30 backup light, but anyway....

£64 for the light alone https://www.evanscycles.com/hope-vision-1-led-front-light-EV181070
Or £76 with batteries and a charger.

Well pointed out. A great light. I see it is marked as clearance.
Is there going to be a new improved one?
Or is there a risk that Hope will bow to fashion and discontinue it?
If so, I had better buy one or two quick. As much light as I will ever need and as you say built like a tank. As battery technology improves that old light will get better and better on run times as built-in battery jobbies fade away, die, get junked, fill the marketing delartment's coffers.

 

[dim]

er, didn't the poster above say that they wanted something not super bright? And with internal batteries? Or was I mistaken/dazzled by your ****

OP, I would check out the Smart Lunar 60 (google for various stockists) run with rechargeable internal AAs. Can sometimes be had super cheap.

LOL .... my suggestion was a 'subtle' way to tell the OP that perhaps another Cree like I showed in the link is most probably the best suggestion as it costs less than £20 and can be used with the headband that is supplied with it. This will give you a much better solution as the light will not be mounted on the handlebars, and if you want to light up the road a bit further, you tilt your head up, or if you want more light closer to the bike, you tilt your head down .... same goes if you see a car approaching from the side, and you are uncertain that he/she has seen you.... all do do is look at them and the light shines in their direction .... you cannot do this with a light that is mounted onto the handlebars

I have commuted over 10 000 km since Jan 1st, and lots has been on unlit/dark cyclepaths/rural roads so I am speaking from experience, but suppose everyone has their own way at looking at things

 

[oldstrath]

Could you say how well this light might fit to an ovalized handlebar? Is the bracket rigid plastic or is it flexible? Thanks for the suggestion.

Not sure it would be happy on oval bars sadly. Mine is mounted on the fork crown, and the bar mount is rigid plastic.

 

[MrGrumpy]

LOL .... my suggestion was a 'subtle' way to tell the OP that perhaps another Cree like I showed in the link is most probably the best suggestion as it costs less than £20 and can be used with the headband that is supplied with it. This will give you a much better solution as the light will not be mounted on the handlebars, and if you want to light up the road a bit further, you tilt your head up, or if you want more light closer to the bike, you tilt your head down .... same goes if you see a car approaching from the side, and you are uncertain that he/she has seen you.... all do do is look at them and the light shines in their direction .... you cannot do this with a light that is mounted onto the handlebars

I have commuted over 10 000 km since Jan 1st, and lots has been on unlit/dark cyclepaths/rural roads so I am speaking from experience, but suppose everyone has their own way at looking at things

Like the idea of a head torch but not a 1200 lumen one blinding every f... on the road when looking at them, however great way of getting the attention of people

 

[hondated]

I have one of these that I bought for £13 off ebay last year .... worked flawlessly during winter last year, and still works perfect. I cycle on dark cycle lanes/roads daily and I use this light with the headstrap. I use it set to low (it has 3 settings), and on low, it's superbright (like a pair of Volvo bus headlights). By using it on the headband, I can look to the left or right if an oncoming car or cyclist is approaching, so as not to blind them

Me too. I cannot believe how good it is for such little money. Rode through lanes at 2am over to Beachy Head without a problem.

 

[hondated]

Me too. I cannot believe how good it is for such little money. Rode through lanes at 2am over to Beachy Head without a problem.

I have also and it is easy to do adapted a light from Poundland to fit in top of my cycling helmet which also helps. Not sure on coming motorists appreciate it but at least they are aware of me as they approach.

 

[Blue Hills]

Mm
How would you feel if the driver of a car said such a thing about you - a fellow road user?

 

[dim]

Mm
How would you feel if the driver of a car said such a thing about you - a fellow road user?

don't really care .... he/she sits in a 2 tonne 4x4 with 2 foot wide tyres, heated airconditioning and a stereo system (and an iphone in his/her hand facebooking or playing Pokemon.... and not really concentrating on what's ahead

I'm on a 7kg bike in pitch black darkness, with an icy headwind howling in my face and 1 inch tyres , trying to play dodgems with potholes as big as dustbin lids and hoping that I don't end up in intensive care in Addenbrooks hospital before I get home

so yea.... I use (and will always use) very bright bike lights

 

[Ajax Bay]

don't really care .... he/she sits in a 2 tonne 4x4 with 2 foot wide tyres, heated airconditioning and a stereo system [. . . ] .... and not really concentrating on what's ahead

As their headlights approach, you probably don't know what type of car it is, and it may be being driven by someone, perhaps drawing their pension, or not, who struggles with glare (eg caused by other road users not dipping their lights or having them maladjusted in the first place. I think blinding them (or any other road user) with a dazzling light Cree 1500lm light pointed straight at them would not be great for your safety. However I acknowledge you probably just give them a quick flash (fnaar).

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes, in my car driving days, whenever a car approached with lights on full beam i don't seem to remember thanking them for their contribution to our mutual safety. Rather I remember being dazzled, trying to keep a straight line (though of course the road might not actually be straight) and counting until the moment of blindness had passed and my eyes had recovered. And hopefully not run in the back of anyone on my own side of the road - car driver, cyclist, pedestrian.

 

[simongt]

It is worrying to see the number of road vehicles at night with badly adjusted headlights or with one out. On the occasions that I get a 'full beamer' is when I find the peak on my bash hat useful.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Could you say how well this light might fit to an ovalized handlebar? Is the bracket rigid plastic or is it flexible? Thanks for the suggestion.

Wrap some old inner tube around the handlebars and put the bracket half on the bar half on the tube.

 

[Ajax Bay]

This does not meet the OP's 'no external battery' criterion but I've just written this up as 'feedback' and thought it was worth sharing.



CREE XML XM-L T6 LED 1800 Lumens Cycle Bike Bicycle Rechargable Head Lights Lamp

Surepromise

This Magicshine MJ808 lookalike seems a pretty good copy (I bought it as a replacement for that - lost somewhere in the centre of Radstock). The price (~£12) is very competitive. The light unit seems right and the switch was positive and gave good feedback (the settings are: high, low, flashing and off). You have to go through 'off' to go from low to high, so plan ahead if about to start a sweeping downhill in trees after an open road with moonlight. My hope is that the connections inside are sound and stay that way after hours of night cycling, bouncing on poor road surfaces. Only time will tell. The supplied O-rings seem OK (two supplied: long and short). The colour scheme for battery state seemed to work well: when it goes red, you'd be well advised to stick on the low setting - if you keep it on high, expect it to shut off after a few minutes (hopefully you'll have another standby light to see the road/track ahead at the moment of shut off! - and see you home). The lead connector fits Magicshine batteries (qv). The battery is pretty poor and disappointed. Mine gave me only 110 minutes on high (tested three times) (as opposed to 3+ hours for the Magicshine batteries I'll be using it with - same nominal capacity 4400mAh). For commuting that would be OK but I shall not be using the supplied battery, which had very little in the form of protection round it and was in a cheap little bag with velcro straps (nevertheless, bag fit for purpose). So if you need a decent life, buy a Magicshine or other reputable battery. The mains charger supplied is rated 8.4v and 1000mA. Charging a 4400mAh battery at this speed will mean that the battery's life is reduced - your call: fast recharge or steady slowish but gentle on the battery. The charger I use pushes out 400mA and so the charge will take 10 hours (ish) - in fact it seems to take less. This speed of charge is good practice. Finally the headstrap works well and is better (more comfortable) than the Magicshine one. The headlight unit straps on securely and points in the right direction. I shall be using it for night orienteering this winter.
It arrived much more quickly than the pessimistic delivery time suggested - great. In time for the Exmouth Exodus (Bath to Exmouth - 100+ miles, staring at dusk).

 

[glasgowcyclist]

don't really care .... he/she sits in a 2 tonne 4x4 with 2 foot wide tyres, heated airconditioning and a stereo system (and an iphone in his/her hand facebooking or playing Pokemon.... and not really concentrating on what's ahead

It's always struck me as a monumentally daft idea to blind the oncoming driver of a 2-tonne vehicle...