Aldi 3W Cree Head Torch 24/08

[beatlejuice]

Aldi are selling a head torch with a 3W front light and a red rear light for £7.99. Does anyone use such a device? I think it could be useful for commuting and riding in town.

 

[srw]

...if you want to dazzle drivers coming towards you. Lights belong on the bike, not on the head, unless they're pretty dim.

 

[ColinJ]

...if you want to dazzle drivers coming towards you. Lights belong on the bike, not on the head, unless they're pretty dim.

Point it down at the road?

On the few occasions that I rode at night, I found a head torch was good for getting daft drivers to dip their headlights. I had the head torch pointing at the road but when oncoming drivers didn't dip their lights, I found a quick blast back at them, and flicking the beam down to my nearside soon got the message across - every single one of them dipped their lights immediately!

 

[srw]

If you can keep your head in a position such that a light is always pointing at the road, you're a better acrobat than me. I am dazzled by far too many ill-controlled head torches in my commute across well-lit London. Sooner or later one of them is going to cause a pile-up.

A 3W cree LED isn't a head-torch, it's a torture device.

 

[jack smith]

Head torches are fine you should be looking at the road anyway. Unless slooking behind of course but thats a good warning to drivers

 

[brand]

...if you want to dazzle drivers coming towards you. Lights belong on the bike, not on the head, unless they're pretty dim.

Agreed.
Not sure how you can look behind you with out dazzling drivers or at your mirror if you have one. Most handle bar lights have some movement in them so you can point them at car drivers who don't dip. Not sure I would be happy with a rigid stare ahead when a car is coming towards me. Prefer to be able to look behind and not dazzle the car driver behind me.

 

[ColinJ]

If you can keep your head in a position such that a light is always pointing at the road, you're a better acrobat than me. I am dazzled by far too many ill-controlled head torches in my commute across well-lit London. Sooner or later one of them is going to cause a pile-up.

A 3W cree LED isn't a head-torch, it's a torture device.

I had my bike light pointed well ahead of me, and I had the head torch angled down just in front of the bike to fill in the dark patch. If I tilted my head back a bit, the beam from the head torch overlapped that of the bike light, still on the road.

To flip the torch beam at dazzling drivers, I had to tip my head back to an angle that I normally wouldn't. None of the drivers reacted to me until I did that, so I assume that they were not having a problem with the light. A very brief flick of the light was all it took for them to get the message. I put my thumb up in front of the torch after they dipped to thank them and several of them gave a quick flash of their lights back to acknowledge it.

 

[brand]

Aldi are selling a head torch with a 3W front light and a red rear light for £7.99. Does anyone use such a device? I think it could be useful for commuting and riding in town.

I definitely wouldn't use it in town. I would want to look all round me not just in front. There maybe a tasty bird who wants to be dazzled by your personality and looks not your lights!

 

[beatlejuice]

Thanks for the comments. I will buy one but not for bike use. Maybe it would be better just to buy one from a the local pound shop, less chance of blinding on coming motorists.

 

[brand]

Thanks for the comments. I will buy one but not for bike use. Maybe it would be better just to buy one from a the local pound shop, less chance of blinding on coming motorists.

Good for repairing punctures in the dark. Although not necessarily that bright!

 

[smokeysmoo]

FWIW I have one of these CREE head torches.



It was supplied by my work but I'd never use it on the road TBH, it's just too bright.

It has three settings, full, dim and flashing, but even on the dim setting I think it's still to bright for road use.

[EDIT] I agree with zacklaws that they can be very useful tools, but just not the stupidly bright ones like I've got.

 

[zacklaws]

Nothing wrong with using a headlight whilst cycling and at times more usefull than the fixed light on the bike. Does the light fixed to your bike point in the direction your turning? but with a headlight you can look in the direction that your turning and see those potholes etc well before they become illuminated by your fixed light and at the last moment possibly.

Can you read route directions on your map board with a fixed light? With a head torch you can.

You can make your presence known to a car driver by just looking at a them, hopefully, which may be pulling out of a side street your passing and the driver may not have seen you.

Try fixing a puncture with a fixed light, far easier with a headlight.

If your dazzled by an oncoming car, is it safer to just look at the car with the headlight and keep both hands on the bars or try messing about with your fixed light to point it at the oncoming car whilst dazzled

And its as Colin says, no need to have your head at an obscure angle when you use one as most good headlights have a tilt.

This weekend, I'll be riding through the night, and I'll certainly have a headlight on.

And beside 3W is not as powerfull as most lights which are usually 5w or more

A headlight is a very versatile tool when cycling

 

[ColinJ]

I forgot to mention that my head torch is on a swivel mount so I can look straight ahead, with the torch angled anywhere from slightly upwards to vertically downwards.

Apart from lighting the road, and warning drivers, I also found it useful for looking at my unlit GPS screen, reading road signs, and fixing a puncture in the dark.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

For the same money (at the time of posting) you could have this and this from On One.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Good for repairing punctures in the dark. Although not necessarily that bright!

^this.

Winter time I have a small headtorch strapped to my helmet for just that purpose. But I don't turn it on whilst on the move.