Front light recommendations - £60 budget

[Shaun]

I'm doing the Northern FNRttC and need a new front light.

The one I've got is fine for riding in town - lets drivers see me and all that - but turns into a pale dot once I get out of town onto the unlit country roads.

My budget is around £60 (left over birthday money) so what do you think would suite me best?

Thanks,
Shaun

 

[theclaud]

I'm doing the Northern FNRttC and need a new front light.

The one I've got is fine for riding in town - lets drivers see me and all that - but turns into a pale dot once I get out of town onto the unlit country roads.

My budget is around £60 (left over birthday money) so what do you think would suite me best?

Thanks,
Shaun

Very fond of my Fenix torch. It's not the brightest light on the FNRttC, but it's more than bright enough, with several settings so that you can boost it through the dark lanes. Tiny, robust and light, waterproof, with a brilliantly simple twofish "lockblock" bracket that fits on any bar. I've got a P2D, which no longer seems to exist - runs for ages on a single Energizer lithium battery. They do AA and AAA ones too. Only downside is the lack of warning when the battery is about to go.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

Light and Motion Vega? £62.50 from Wiggle (120 lumens)
£60 is a difficult budget - it will get you an excellent light for town use but not enough for 'real' off-road riding (500 lumens+), so may be a bit hit-and-miss for dark country lanes.

 

[ChrisKH]

You can pick up a Hope 1 Vision for just a little bit above that if you shop carefully.

 

[potsy]

You can pick up a Hope 1 Vision for just a little bit above that if you shop carefully.

Yeah up your budget a few quid and get a Hope,you won't regret it.

 

[GrahamG]

I'd say the Hope is worth the extra money over the Fenix torch. I've go the fenix for occasional use on the bike (normally use dynamo set up), but know several people with Hope's that really put it in the shade... (sorry).

 

[ianrauk]

+1 for the Hope.. well worth the money,

 

[ChrisKH]

It's my b'day coming up and that's what I'm getting, HOPEfully before the Fnrttc. Fnaar, fnaar.

 

[Aperitif]

Hope springs eternal on the FNRttC...I wouldn't like being hopeless.

 

[Davidc]

The best I've seen is the Hope Vision 1. Don't use one myself because I have dynamo and a CYO 60, but the Hopes are even brighter than it is.

£67 at tredz including postage.

 

[style over speed]

Busch + Müller IXON IQ LED Front Light, pretty decent light, maybe a bit fragile and doesn't have a flashing mode but I'm quite happy with mine. The lower power setting is even bright enough for unlit roads and its cheapest from http://www.bike24.com €55 without the charger... so pay the extra €14

 

[summerdays]

I like my Hope 1 but then I haven't tried using it on that sort of trip... however it takes AA's so you can easily swap in a spare set of batteries. Mine was a smidge over your £60 budget but only by a couple of pounds. If you do go down the Hope route it may be worth running your existing light too as when the batteries go they literally just switch off.

 

[slowmotion]

Yes, Hope Vision 1. It is well worth getting some re-chargeable AAs for it. Eneloops are good.

 

[potsy]

Quick point on the Hope- you also need to cost in some decent re-chargeable batteries as they don't come with the light,I'd say maybe £10 should get you 4.Oh and you'll get about 8 hours on level 2(medium) setting which is decently bright.

 

[redjedi]

+ whatever we're up to for the Hope.

I've used mine on a few FNRttC and it hasn't failed yet. I always put a fresh set (non-rechargeable) in on the night and they last through the rest of the month for commuting on flash mode.

Setting 2 is more than adequate for dark country lanes, setting 3 if I'm having to light the way for someone with just a little flasher.

I used to use 2 Cateye lights (EL-520 + El-530) and it out does both of those combined.