Lights - the commuting version

[presta]

I used Cateye lights and still use them. Their brackets are consistent and were the same over several generations of lights.

I like my Cateye EL320 (now obsolete), it's a good lamp but I had to make my own bracket for it, because the one that it comes with is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[Alex321]

I like my Cateye EL320 (now obsolete), it's a good lamp but I had to make my own bracket for it, because the one that it comes with is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Come on now. You can at least eat a chocolate teapot

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I like my Cateye EL320 (now obsolete), it's a good lamp but I had to make my own bracket for it, because the one that it comes with is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Good for making hot chocolate on cold days

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

The last commuting set I bought was just before the first 2020 UK covid lockdown, something like ~£8 from Lidl, which I still use today on rides near sunset on the ebike along with a redudancy set (Lidl Moon Comet? front and Moon Nebula rear) . The front is great and looks like it complies with German StVZO regs plus has a handy charge indicator, while the rear "shield" is very lightweight yet effective.

These days I'm out of the loop, but Cateye AMPP front lights have been on sale this year, ~£15 for the 200 and ~£40 for the 900 a few months back.

 

[winjim]

I've just ordered a Cateye set, mainly because you can get all sorts of mounts to put them in proper places on the bike, rather than having to use silly rubber straps. I can put mounts on both bikes and swap the lights between them as required. USB rechargable so that's convenient.

That said, I'm not really a fan of lights for urban commuting. They're often far too bright with a silly beam pattern which just dazzles and confuses, doesn't make anyone safer, and they're unnecessary if you've got proper reflectors, which to my eye are more dynamic and better identify a cyclist and their position and direction.

So my advice is to get the dimmest light you can find, angle it so it's not dazzling and make sure you have decent reflectors on the bike.

 

[presta]

angle it so it's not dazzling

That was the problem with the mount on mine: it was self-dipping. By the time the bike had been over a few bumps it ended up pointing at the ground.

 

[winjim]

That was the problem with the mount on mine: it was self-dipping. By the time the bike had been over a few bumps it ended up pointing at the ground.

I've ordered this fork mount although it does look like it could have that problem. Might need to glue that bolt to stop it rotating.

 

[presta]

I've ordered this fork mount although it does look like it could have that problem. Might need to glue that bolt to stop it rotating.

View attachment 792830

I think that'll be fine, the one mine came with was totally different: a handlebar clamp that was, in effect, a plastic jubilee clip. It was tightened with a thumb-nut which rotated on a plastic split-pin, and as it began to pull up tight the pin would start rotating with the nut and jam the mechanism, preventing it from going tight enough. It also attached under the rear of the light not under the centre of gravity like yours, so the weight of the lamp was forcing the inadequately tightened mount to rotate. As I said above, it was a daft design that was as much use as a chocolate teapot (which spoilt what was otherwise a nice lamp).

 

[fossyant]

The Magicshine Hori 1300 is doing a great job. Spot light useful for the unlit farm track - more than enough light. Dipped headlamp is great on the shared paths so not to dazzle other users. I've actually got two because Magicshine identified a potential error in the 'software' of my early version where it could drain power in power save mode. I've not had any issues as I'm using the original purchase on the commute, and the new spare is used as a day flasher.

 

[winjim]

Cateye lights have arrived and the rear one is a bit disappointing in terms of patterns. I had hoped there would be a steady mode lighting all three LEDs dimly, but the only steady mode is the single centre LED. Looks like I'll be keeping it in group ride mode, which is the side LEDs doing a sort of twinkle.

 

[fossyant]

I like the look of that, I've been trying to think of a way of making more space on the bars and mounting it below my GPS would be good.

Does this look legit, it's cheaper than the magishine site and I prefer this mount as it's tiltable.

Magicshine Hori 1300

It's Ali-express so usually cheaper. The magicshine mount is tiltable. - Just hold off as there will be a black friday sales on them - I didn't pay full price. Ordered from Magicshine though

 

[froze]

Taillights you need the brightest you can find that will have a high-quality battery. I have two NiteRider taillights, an Aero 260 and an Omega 250 now called Omega 300. The Aero 260 is fantastic as a helmet light, it has very bright side lighting that can be on either solid rear and sides or flashing mode in several different eye-catching patterns. The only downfall to this light is that it uses COBB LEDs, and cobbs while intense looking at night get washed out in direct sunlight if you want to use it during the day as well. Enter the Omega 250, this thing is extremely bright, and it can easily be seen from over a mile away even if the sun is directly on it.

UPDATE: This update is based on new information I have gleaned from Co-Pilot.

I got a bit pissed when my NR Omega 250 failed after just 2 years. I started to investigate and found out that almost all the taillights on the market use cheap Chinese OEM batteries, these will only last 2 to 4 years, then you have to throw away the light that has LEDs good for 30,000 hours but a battery that is good for 500 hours. Japanese and Korean batteies will last 8 to 10 years, but very few lights use these batteries due to costs. And almost no taillight will use a replaceable battery. The one that I found that used both, a Japanese or Korean battery and you can send it back for a battery replacement was the Exposure line of lights.

The Exposure line has several different taillights with different brightness levels and battery run times. Their lumen ratings are actually higher than the number would lead you to believe.

 

[HLaB]

When I was rural commuting I'd run this https://www.220triathlon.com/gear/b...hts/lezyne-micro-drive-800-front-light-review. I pressed it back into service for last night's Dunwich Dynamo. and was happy with it, especially being able to charge it on the go. For urban commuting I use this https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/a...-light/niterider-swift-500-front-light-review and have done for about 5 years. Both have what I would go for in a light an integrated rubber strap bracket so I can quickly mount/ un mount the unit in any place I want on the bike.