Bicycle lights

[Reynard]

If that's your riding you need something way better than blinkies.

The Wilkinson lights I have are somewhat better than basic blinkies - on their own, they'd be fine for urban night riding. I use them mainly as blinkies, but the front one provides additional illumination when needed. My main front light (Cygolite Dart) is adequate enough, but it does have its shortcomings, which is why I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone here and looking for something a bit better / different.

I'd recommend this:

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy...MI9p3kyfGX5wIVwbTtCh1SUA9MEAQYASABEgKSKfD_BwE

Uses AAs. It's excellent and I have ridden through nights with it.

Comes up as USB chargeable, not battery-powered unfortunately. Which isn't what I'm looking for.

 

[Blue Hills]

Comes up as USB chargeable, not battery-powered unfortunately. Which isn't what I'm looking for.

Not sure where you find the B&M as USB - it uses AAs (4 of them) as myself and mcwobble say.
I'd use rechargeables - good ones - can recommend the ones from IKEA.

The beam pattern is really very good.

Beam pattern is more important than sheer output.

 

[Reynard]

It's the small print in the posted link which says they are USB chargeable, not battery powered, and have a life of about 5 hours on max output. Would be great if I wanted a USB one, but I don't.

Looks like what you have is no longer available.

I'm angling towards one of the assorted Cateye ones, as I love the 610 rear light I have on my hybrid.

 

[Blue Hills]

It's the small print in the posted link which says they are USB chargeable, not battery powered, and have a life of about 5 hours on max output. Would be great if I wanted a USB one, but I don't.

Looks like what you have is no longer available.

I'm angling towards one of the assorted Cateye ones, as I love the 610 rear light I have on my hybrid.

I think you have found reference to the fact that the batteries CAN be recharged in the light with a usb lead via a suitable charger.

I wouldn't do that though.

Trust us (2 of us) - it does take removable rechargeable AAs.

Yes it is still available.

You said you were after a front light to light dark lanes that ran off AAs.

I am not aware of any cateye light that really does that (they seem to have generrally embraced the world of USB). Are you?

The reference to the 610 makes little sense to me - yes a good light but there's little in common between a dark lane front light and a rear flasher.

 

[Reynard]

Fair game Serves me right to read stuff quickly when I'm tired...

Am sure I said AAA, as thats what my back lights run off. No sense in toting two different kinds of batteries...

 

[Blue Hills]

Fair game Serves me right to read stuff quickly when I'm tired...

Am sure I said AAA, as thats what my back lights run off. No sense in toting two different kinds of batteries...

Ah you did.
You aren't going to find a decent dark lane lighter running of AAAs though.
And cateye very definitely do no such thing.

 

[Reynard]

Hmmm... Looks like it's either AA or USB then if I want something brighter than just a "be seen". Cateye do do AAA front lights, but going on what you say, they won't have enough "oomph".

Shall bear in mind the one you linked, and will see what else is out there, then.

 

[icowden]

Cateye only have one battery operated front light left in their range which is 150 candlepower. With USB you can go up to 1700 lumens on the Volt range....

 

[Nigelnightmare]

Hope Vision one (discontinued) runs on AA batteries.
I've just bought one off eBay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hope-1-L...hash=item288865bcae:m:mwfW-kYPyRj0Yj_yDFMVUUQ
a set of 4 AA batteries and a charger
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hope-Tec...615750&hash=item547131f37a:g:RSgAAOSwc~ddy7ho

Made in England.
Well the light is.
The batteries & charger are German (Ansmann).
The charger does AA & AAA.
They come up second hand on eBay
HTH