Front Lights

[paulw1969]

Hi folks,
i need your help/advice on some front lights as i am going round in circles trying to decide what to plumb for, i have read a few of the reviews on the forum.
I will be commuting early mornings and evenings on urban roads some of which are not particularly well lit. I also plan to get out on the bike during proper hours of darkness.
I have noticed quite a few cyclists round this area with totally inadequate lighting (quite a few ninja's as well), could the inadequate lighting seem that way because of the streetlinghts i wonder.
Backwards facing is not a problem I'm looking at getting two lunar rear lights in either 1/2 or 1 watt version, one for the seat post the other for my rucksack, sorted.

In regard to the front however I want to see by the lights (i'd rather see the next pothole coming) rather than just be seen. I'm looking at either something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluxient-...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item46000fd47f this has its own battery pack and is not reliant on the smaller sized batteries which will need charging more often, i also like the idea of a "proper" mount for the light rather than just O rings.
The alternative is to get a (or even two) flashlight types of light like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xtar-B01-...ing_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item1c22748582, with a holster type fixing rather than o rings. These take the smaller type (single batteries) which i suspect will require charging more often.
The above links are for comparison, i suspect the Fluxient type might be harder to take off the bike and replace when parking up. I guess some might say the 1000 lumen version would be overkill for urban roads, and would need to be pointed downwards so as not to cause glare for oncoming traffic.

your thoughts would be appreciated, help me make my mind up

 

[cyberknight]

Be aware that the torch does not come with batteries or a charger so you need to factor in those costs when buying .Torches tend to have a narrower beam pattern lighting up less of the road.

I have heard a few reports of faulty xml t6 , although whether this is the truth or just whinging is open for debate (runs and hides ).I have been running a magicshine p7 for around 14 months and it is still going strong and is plenty bright enough to cycle at full speed on unlit roads, i modded mine with a cheap bike light bracket to make it easy to get on and off .
Most of the adverts for lights claiming XXX lumens are for best case scenarios so take them all with a pinch of salt ,the lights listed might achive that power but in reality they are about 75 % of the stated output .

Both of the lights you listed will use the same battery but the t6 has a 4 pack so it should last longer, around 3 hours on max power is about the average running time for these lights .

This is the light i use , i got it a bit cheaper but it was on import and took over a month to come so here you pay a premium for speedy delivery, it has a sealed battery pack to stop water damage and a screen to let you know charge state ........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magicshin...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item3cc0b32380

 

[paulw1969]

Hi Cyberknight,
thanks for the reply.
Yes i was aware of the need for a battery and charger for the torch which again bumps up the price of the whole package.
Yes lumens seem to be over stated a lot when advertising torches/lamps, although i not seeking the "the blindingly most powerful" just something i can trust to do the job and keep doing it for at least 2-3 hours just in case i decide i want to take longer trips than my commute. And if just commuting, not having to charge batteries every night

The main diffence i think is overspill of the lamp as opposed to a torches narrower beam, i think it may well help being seen having the lamp because of the overspill, so long as it is pointed downwards. An added bonus which has just occured to me would be turning/bends might be a little safer due to having a wider beam.

My main sticking point i suppose is the fact that with the lamps aren't exactly compact when taking the battery pack wires etc into account compared to the more compact torch type setup. But if the option of quick removal once getting to work/home is possible then i guess this shouldn't be a worry.

The TL6 version wasn't actually the one i was looking at on the site i quoted it was the slightly cheaper CREE X3 Q5 version......but this seems to have dropped off the site at the moment so i used the TL6 as an example.

Thanks for the link, i also note that they do a package with a fixing bracket now as well .

 

[wiggydiggy]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-TWIN-CR...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item4ab2a1d00d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXTREME-1...rElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item5ad2a88e62

I've been running those 2 x torches since early Dec with those batteries, I've been pleased with them so far for the price and the life has been good. Certainly I've not been caught out by them, I have charged them once since purchase when I noticed them dimming. The seller I listed will also send you the extenstions for the 82650 batteries which if your going to use the lights on beam rather than flashing I'd recommend. The beam can be focused and only a lack of horizontal rotation stops me from saying they are the best. For my £32ish though (inc batteries), I'm very happy.

I'd google for 'Torchy the Battery' boy to get an idea of good lights and battery performance, he has a Ebay shop as well but annoyingly his name is something different, perhaps some kindly soul will share it with us?

 

[ushills]

B&M cyo and either a Dymotec 6 or dynamo front wheel, B&M seculite on the back completes the package.

Never worry about checking batteries, just get out and go. I had battery lights before but when the battery died on my last set part way through a ride due to age I decided to get some proper lighting.

Reckon mine cost about £120 all in from rosebikes and Bike24

 

[cyberknight]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-TWIN-CR...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item4ab2a1d00d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXTREME-1...rElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item5ad2a88e62

I've been running those 2 x torches since early Dec with those batteries, I've been pleased with them so far for the price and the life has been good. Certainly I've not been caught out by them, I have charged them once since purchase when I noticed them dimming. The seller I listed will also send you the extenstions for the 82650 batteries which if your going to use the lights on beam rather than flashing I'd recommend. The beam can be focused and only a lack of horizontal rotation stops me from saying they are the best. For my £32ish though (inc batteries), I'm very happy.

I'd google for 'Torchy the Battery' boy to get an idea of good lights and battery performance, he has a Ebay shop as well but annoyingly his name is something different, perhaps some kindly soul will share it with us?

Those torches are good but there is no way they outshine a 900 lumen torch

cree q 5 come in at about 120 lumens each max !, heres the spec sheet .....
http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/xlamp7090xr-e.pdf

So the sellers claims that they outshine a 900 lumen torch are a trifle " overrated "

 

[GrasB]

You don't need near 1000 lumen to see perfectly well on unlit roads even with cars coming towards you with main beams on. Problem is with these super-bright torches is they throw most of their light where it's useless (I actually find these lights more of a problem than main-beam headlights). So something like a B&M IXON IQ (Speed) does the job & doesn't aggravate other road users.

 

[paulw1969]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-TWIN-CR...isure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item4ab2a1d00d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXTREME-1...rElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item5ad2a88e62

I've been running those 2 x torches since early Dec with those batteries, I've been pleased with them so far for the price and the life has been good. Certainly I've not been caught out by them, I have charged them once since purchase when I noticed them dimming. The seller I listed will also send you the extenstions for the 82650 batteries which if your going to use the lights on beam rather than flashing I'd recommend. The beam can be focused and only a lack of horizontal rotation stops me from saying they are the best. For my £32ish though (inc batteries), I'm very happy.

I'd google for 'Torchy the Battery' boy to get an idea of good lights and battery performance, he has a Ebay shop as well but annoyingly his name is something different, perhaps some kindly soul will share it with us?

thanks for that i was aware of the torches you linked and was tempted, suspect i will go for something along the lines of a remote battery pack. Torcheys site is the one i have linked in my first post Quite a handy blog.

 

[paulw1969]

B&M cyo and either a Dymotec 6 or dynamo front wheel, B&M seculite on the back completes the package.

Never worry about checking batteries, just get out and go. I had battery lights before but when the battery died on my last set part way through a ride due to age I decided to get some proper lighting.

Reckon mine cost about £120 all in from rosebikes and Bike24

Not the route i want to go really, but thanks for pointing the option out to me

 

[paulw1969]

You don't need near 1000 lumen to see perfectly well on unlit roads even with cars coming towards you with main beams on. Problem is with these super-bright torches is they throw most of their light where it's useless (I actually find these lights more of a problem than main-beam headlights). So something like a B&M IXON IQ (Speed) does the job & doesn't aggravate other road users.

Yes i hear where you are coming from in regards to these lights being perhaps a little overkill, but is it the same problem on lit roads with the beams angled downwards?
I have passed a cyclist a few weeks ago and obviously had a powerful front light (he also had a powerful rear light) and it was almost painful in the rear view mirror....however ii could see it wasn't angled downwards at all.
£ for £ we are looking at roughly the same price (amazon) for the Ixon IQ.......mmmm might be an option......but i reckon less value than a set up with 18650 batteries??

 

[GrasB]

Depends on what you mean by 'value' I picked up my IXON IQ for £50 delivered which gives me illumination for a 45-50mph descent without drivers feeling the need to show their annoyance by putting main beams on. Not only that but it runs off 4 AA batteries giving me a ready supply of extra power at any service station etc. That for me is better value than a £20 torch.

 

[wiggydiggy]

You don't need near 1000 lumen to see perfectly well on unlit roads even with cars coming towards you with main beams on. Problem is with these super-bright torches is they throw most of their light where it's useless (I actually find these lights more of a problem than main-beam headlights). So something like a B&M IXON IQ (Speed) does the job & doesn't aggravate other road users.

I can focus the beam from a small spot to a large spread but..... I kind of want to aggravate other road users or at least make damn sure they see me. I had two right hooks in a week in early Nov that prompted the change to these, both times it was dark and despite two 'normal' style LED (a Bikehut and a Smart) both times they claimed SMIDSY. So I bought these and tend to run on them on full spread even in urban areas.

In roughly 30+ commutes and another 10 or so trips on top of that, I've only had one driver (a bus) flash and that could have been flashing at anyone. So er apoligies if that seems a little selfish, but I do value my safety and making sure I'm seen.

 

[Norm]

In roughly 30+ commutes and another 10 or so trips on top of that, I've only had one driver (a bus) flash and that could have been flashing at anyone. So er apoligies if that seems a little selfish, but I do value my safety and making sure I'm seen.

You should get a head torch. You can light up exactly what you want to light up and you are much less likely to annoy every other road user.

 

[GrasB]

wiggydiggy, by your argument I need to fit multi-100W HID lights to my Lotus & Alfa as in both of those I've experienced SMIDSYs in both of those cars. See the problem... you simply turn everything into an arms race. The biggest issue with bike lights not so much their brightness, it's their relatively small surface area. Lights like the IXON IQ have a much larger surface area which is emitting light than even a multi-LED light so is more clearly visible despite being not as bright.

 

[wiggydiggy]

You should get a head torch. You can light up exactly what you want to light up and you are much less likely to annoy every other road user.

I do see the value in HTs but personally I dont want to use one, if I was commuting off road/in pitch black I would probably reconsider that as I can see their 'point and illuminate' value . Each to their own and that

wiggydiggy, by your argument I need to fit multi-100W HID lights to my Lotus & Alfa as in both of those I've experienced SMIDSYs in both of those cars. See the problem... you simply turn everything into an arms race. The biggest issue with bike lights not so much their brightness, it's their relatively small surface area. Lights like the IXON IQ have a much larger surface area which is emitting light than even a multi-LED light so is more clearly visible despite being not as bright.

I see your point I do and I'm not trying to turn my commute into an arms race, but the £30 I spent on those lights was what I could afford to make me feel safe and be better than what I was perceiving (and being told by two drivers) as being innadequate. 2 x Ixon IQ (as I would want 2 fronts in case of failure of 1) would have set me back £80-100 and I simply didnt have that.