Front light for seeing with?

[Crankarm]

Or perhaps a light that's as bright as current top end lights, with a proper beam pattern suited to the road, and a proper dip switch/cutoff for the high beam. Far fetched, right? These £300 MTB lights we are marketed really aren't properly suited to the road.



Yup, mine tick those boxes.

Mine is fine. I can dip it. I see numerous MAMILS thrashing away on road bikes with front and rear lights very poorly directed. They don't dip their Cateye or similar make of front lights whose only function I can make out seems to be to p155 off those approaching them as they are too weak for their riders to see where they are going but strong enough to dazzle those looking straight at them. And don't get me started on the inconsiderate to$$ers that have them on flashing, their rear lights as well, on the GBW where there is absolutely no traffic to encounter. Morons. I agree LED lights are a nuisance and positively dangerous when switched to flashing at night. They should be banned.

 

[biggs682]

I picked up the Smart 35 lux for £20 or so; didn't expect much but I was very pleased with its illumination levels for the price and I do a reasonable amount of riding on unlit country lanes. I do tend to have second (weaker smart Polaris) on flashing alongside, wheter or not it helps

just ordered said unit above as i had already looked at them a while back so will give it a test when it arrives on my unlit cycle path route home

 

[HovR]

Mine is fine. I can dip it.

Oh come on, you know what I mean. I can physically dip my light too, however re-angling and changing modes on the front light is inconvenient at best*. I'm referring to the kind of dipped/high beam we see in automobiles and motorbikes. Flick a switch or press a button and it does it all for you.


On a slightly unrelated note, I'm yet to see a Cateye light bright enough to dazzle me.

*This is also the reason I have two KE1's. Press a button to turn on the high beam, press the same button to turn it off again. No dazzling cars/peds, and no re-angling lights or changing modes. I certainly wouldn't want to buy two £300 lights to be able to do this!

 

[Crankarm]

Oh come on, you know what I mean. I can physically dip my light too, however re-angling and changing modes on the front light is inconvenient at best*. I'm referring to the kind of dipped/high beam we see in automobiles and motorbikes. Flick a switch or press a button and it does it all for you.

Yep, mine has a switch to do this. You should try one.


On a slightly unrelated note, I'm yet to see a Cateye light bright enough to dazzle me.





*This is also the reason I have two KE1's. Press a button to turn on the high beam, press the same button to turn it off again. No dazzling cars/peds, and no re-angling lights or changing modes. I certainly wouldn't want to buy two £300 lights to be able to do this!

 

[Andrew_P]

Well I have gone from mid range Cateye's to a Moon Meteor set, and so far I am chuffed. I have not had one Cateye not fail on me after around 8-12 months, always the switch. This set was not much more and it is at least twice as good and a much smaller handlebar footprint.

 

[HovR]

Yep, mine has a switch to do this. You should try one.

I looked through the Maxx D web page on Exposure's site and I don't see anything about a mode/switch/button that changes the beam angle/cutoff, like on a car or motorbike? I'd have thought that would be a well advertised feature as I've never seen it on another light. If you know of a video of this feature in operation I'd quite like to see it.

I'd quite happily try one if I could find someone willing to lend me a model where such features as I have described exist, although it would still take a lot for me to drop £300 on a light which could be spent elsewhere.

I think we'll just have to agree that whilst some people are able and willing to spend this sort of money on a light, for others a quality lower cost model such as the one I use will more than suffice. Low cost doesn't always mean low quality or low performance.

 

[Nebulous]

I do a fairly short commute in busy traffic and wanted to venture into some night riding on unlit country roads. I went round and round the what light thing. The cheap lights never appealed, I didn't want external battery packs and I didn't want a 90 minute runtime. I also didn't want to pay hundreds for a light. As a halfway house I bought this. A light with a cutoff beam at the top to meet German regulations. Clever use of reflectors and a big battery gives 6 hours on the brightest setting. I've only used it a few times so far, but I'm really pleased with it. I got it for around £75 delivered from a German company.

 

[albion]

Maplin are doing the Magicshine at £20.

They quote 900 lumen. I'd imagine that ia real reading, tested by Maplin.

 

[potsy]

Maplin are doing the Magicshine at £20.

They quote 900 lumen. I'd imagine that ia real reading, tested by Maplin.

Are you sure?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/magicshine-900-lumen-bike-light-647089

 

[compo]

Maplin are doing the Magicshine at £20.

They quote 900 lumen. I'd imagine that ia real reading, tested by Maplin.

I think you mean £20 off the price, and going by the sales email I had from them today it is for today only.

 

[Crankarm]

I think you mean £20 off the price, and going by the sales email I had from them today it is for today only.

In the above link it is £49.99. Does this include £20 off or is there a voucher code you need to enter?

 

[Crankarm]

Maplin are doing the Magicshine at £20.

They quote 900 lumen. I'd imagine that ia real reading, tested by Maplin.

I doubt it. They will only quote what the manufacturer - Magic Shine or who ever make it have quoted.

Reviewer Danny says,

Fantastic lights the beam is narrow, but there is a lens available on ebay to spread the beam

 

[Crankarm]

I looked through the Maxx D web page on Exposure's site and I don't see anything about a mode/switch/button that changes the beam angle/cutoff, like on a car or motorbike? I'd have thought that would be a well advertised feature as I've never seen it on another light. If you know of a video of this feature in operation I'd quite like to see it.

I'd quite happily try one if I could find someone willing to lend me a model where such features as I have described exist, although it would still take a lot for me to drop £300 on a light which could be spent elsewhere.

I think we'll just have to agree that whilst some people are able and willing to spend this sort of money on a light, for others a quality lower cost model such as the one I use will more than suffice. Low cost doesn't always mean low quality or low performance.

What makes you think I spent £300 on my Max D light?

 

[HovR]

What makes you think I spent £300 on my Max D light?

This is what makes me think it costs £300.

 

[Crankarm]

This is what makes me think it costs £300.

I paid a lot less than £310.46. Wiggle are very expensive.