Battery versus Rechargeable lights.

[Saracenlad]

What is the consensus on this. My wife and I both have lights of both types ( I agree that we should go one way or tother) My own opinion is to go battery as a couple of spare's take up very little room. Are you guys on here allowed to give your opinion of best brands. I would appreciate that info.

 

[NotAsGoodAsMyBike]

I use both. Rechargeable Exposure lights front and back for sheer lighting impact, but always ride with cateye or Lezyne battery lights too as back up (and occasionally use both when it’s really rubbish weather and I’m feeling the need to be seen)

 

[RoubaixCube]

I prefer batteries as they can be swapped out when they no longer hold their charge - With USB rechargeables - the moment the soldered in battery no longer holds charge its game over, especially if its not under warranty.

I mainly use a Moon Vortex/Meteor Pro lights as you can swap batteries out quite quickly. The only downside to this is they are proprietary batteries, cost more than one good Panasonic/Samsung/Sanyo branded 18650 and sometimes can be hard to source even directly from moon themselves if youre willing to pay the silly shipping charges as it comes from hong kong.

I also have Fluxient U2 that runs on 18650s but that doesnt see much use anymore due to me preferring the Moon. Dont know what happened to Fluxient but you cant really get their stuff anymore. If you can its either second hand or really really old stock that someone has found at the back of their warehouse. I keep the Fluxient as backup when i can no longer source batteries for my moon.

 

[wafter]

I prefer dedicated bike lights with separate rechargeable standard-size batteries for a number of reasons:

- A spare set can be carried so you're not screwed if you run out of charge
- The unit isn't dead if the battery fails
- No need to remove the unit / locate it near the charging method
- No need for a separate USB charger (didn't have any other compatable devices at the time of purchase)

Unfortunately units of this type seem to be increasingly hard to find; replaced by usb-charged alternatives with propriatory internal batteries.

For the rear I have a Moon Pulsar; a nicely designed and versatile little unit that takes two AAA's:

For the front I either have a dynamo driven unit on the town bike or an LED Lenser headtorch (with 3x rechargeable AAA batteries). I carry three spares so I can replace the batteries in one unit should they die while out

 

[lane]

I have battery rear and USB rechargeable front. Rear lasts ages with battery but a bright front light wouldn't. I used to have a Hope one front light and it's performance was very poor with rechargeables, especially if it was cold. I then purchased the best rechargeables you can get (Enverloop?) and they were slightly oversize and did not go in very easily. Put me off rechargeable batteries altogether.

 

[lane]

I prefer batteries as they can be swapped out when they no longer hold their charge - With USB rechargeables - the moment the soldered in battery no longer holds charge its game over, especially if its not under warranty.

I mainly use a Moon Vortex/Meteor Pro lights as you can swap batteries out quite quickly. The only downside to this is they are proprietary batteries, cost more than one good Panasonic/Samsung/Sanyo branded 18650 and sometimes can be hard to source even directly from moon themselves if youre willing to pay the silly shipping charges as it comes from hong kong.

I also have Fluxient U2 that runs on 18650s but that doesnt see much use anymore due to me preferring the Moon. Dont know what happened to Fluxient but you cant really get their stuff anymore. If you can its either second hand or really really old stock that someone has found at the back of their warehouse. I keep the Fluxient as backup when i can no longer source batteries for my moon.

I can get a replacement battery for my volt if required.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I've got a set of Lidl's Crivit USB lights plus a £2 eBay battery rear flasher as a back-up. In fact I was so impressed with the Lidl jobs I recently bought a new spare set when they were back in stock on a cycling special promo. You cant go wrong for £12.99!

 

[RoubaixCube]

I can get a replacement battery for my volt if required.

Speaking of cateye, Im sure that i used to own a Volt 300 or something a while back. I think i sold it on here or gave it to a friend.

 

[Blue Hills]

I've got a set of Lidl's Crivit USB lights plus a £2 eBay battery rear flasher as a back-up. In fact I was so impressed with the Lidl jobs I recently bought a new spare set when they were back in stock on a cycling special promo. You cant go wrong for £12.99!

+1 to the lidl. Have ridden through the night with it and its lidl AA battery one.

 

[MichaelW2]

For every day urban utility bike, hub dynamo is they way to go. No faffing around removing or fitting yet more accessories at every lockup. Fit, forget,ride.

 

[taximan]

However did we manage😊

 

[Blue Hills]

However did we manage😊

View attachment 533844

We didn't with those.

 

[andrew_s]

However did we manage😊

View attachment 533844

There were far fewer cars about, and your eyes got used to the dark.
Out in the countryside, it's possible to ride without any lights by starlight, and it's easy if there's more than half a moon.

 

[classic33]

There were far fewer cars about, and your eyes got used to the dark.
Out in the countryside, it's possible to ride without any lights by starlight, and it's easy if there's more than half a moon.

And if you're not travelling in and out of lit up areas

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

There were far fewer cars about

You'd have to go back a long time to find a period when there weren't a lot of cars on the road. Private car ownership has been the norm since the 1970's and has probably flatlined since reaching saturation point.
Night time cycling is not something I have ever witnessed much of in my lifetime. Most commuter and recreational cycling has always been a daytime activity. Only a small minority of workers doing shifts tended to ride at night, and almost no-one at all would do a recreational ride after dark, unless you include riding home from the pub!