Lights....you paid how much?

[PaulSecteur]

Some sales shopping and canny ebaying...

I don't wanna count the cost.


All exposure. Diablo, Strada, flash, flare, blaze and trace-r (Flash and Trace-r in saddle rail mounts.)

Shared over 2 bikes, and in varies states of use and charge to make sure one set is always ready. Not shown: some cateyes with spare batteries... Just in case, not yet needed.

 

[MontyVeda]

I'm a cheapskate.... a couple of £3 9xLED mini torches on the front to be seen with, plus a £20 Chinese Cree for seeing on the unlit lanes, and a couple of rear bike lights on the back, which cost no more than a fiver.

 

[gaz]

My current set up is

Exposure Strada
Exposure Joystick
Exposure Axis
Dinotte 400R
2x Fibre Flare

That alone is worth over £700.
I've got some more lights on order, that is another £200.

I've spent loads on lights over the years (some stolen, others broken, others just useless) Had dinotte 1200L+, hope vision 1, magic shine 808, magic shine 818, seen and b seen setups, cateye lights, blackburn mars lights. the list goes on...

 

[crazyjoe101]

Some of these set ups cost more than my bike and everything on it!

Chinese T6 with a diffuser ~ £20
Moon Gem 2.0 ~ £25
Moon Gem 1.0 ~ £12
Knog Frog Rear ~ £6
x3 ALDI red LED srips ~ £6
Old rear light ~ Found it in the garage.

About £75 then, built over time. It's certainly not the brightest or the 'best' but I can't possibly justify any more with the riding I do.

 

[JoeSoap76]

All in, my lighting setup comes in a little over £500 (more than I paid for the bike six years ago). Although I commute through the city there are a couple of stretches where the road surface is poor, the cars fast and the trees block the street lights so at this time of year they're worth every penny.

Front:
Exposure Strada Mk5
Supernova E3 Pro 2 (hooked up to a Shimano Nexus DH-3N80 dynamo hub)

Rear:
Cateye TL-LD1100 100 CD
Supernova E3 Dynamo Tail Light 2

Head:
Topeak Headlux

 

[lip03]

ebay (fake) cree q5's bright as hell and going strong after months now £12.99
and doubled up on smart rear flashers bought years ago but also going strong and in the £10-£15 range.... I think 600 is a little excessive but each to there own, I don't like to let my riding become a money pit!

 

[lip03]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-CREE-Q...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item1e7e9fe8df these are cheap cheerful and bright as hell! the rear one that comes free is a bit of a chocolate teapot but for 12 quid id highly recommend! even if just for spares to throw in a locker/drawer at work!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

My current set up is

Exposure Strada
Exposure Joystick
Exposure Axis
Dinotte 400R
2x Fibre Flare

That alone is worth over £700.
I've got some more lights on order, that is another £200.

I've spent loads on lights over the years (some stolen, others broken, others just useless) Had dinotte 1200L+, hope vision 1, magic shine 808, magic shine 818, seen and b seen setups, cateye lights, blackburn mars lights. the list goes on...

Since you seem familiar with the brand, I was wondering: have you heard about the Exposure Mk4 Six Pack 2014? Despite it's hefty price tag, I was considering getting one. I'm still wiping drool off my keyboard after reading its specs .

 

[gaz]

Since you seem familiar with the brand, I was wondering: have you heard about the Exposure Mk4 Six Pack 2014? Despite it's hefty price tag, I was considering getting one. I'm still wiping drool off my keyboard after reading its specs .

Oh yes, a great light!

 

[andrew_s]

£lots:
3 x SON+Edelux, plus assorted ordinary back lights (Seculite or Smart mostly).
The first SON was in 1997 (iirc), then I got another after about 6 years / 50,000km in anticipation of sending the first back for an overhaul (which still hasn't happened), and the 3rd when I got a disc brake bike that obviously needed another. The 3rd Edelux was a mark 2 version, in the way of an upgrade rather than out of need (I normally only have 2 bikes running at once).
100% reliability, even under the provocation of having the light running underwater on one occasion (it was daylight and I forgot about lighting until I looked down and saw the glow where the senso had turned it on). The only problem I've ever had was when someone turned it off when parked, and I was so used to the senso that I forgot about the switch until after I'd made a 5 minute inspection of all the wiring.

 

[Crankarm]

x2 Exposure Max D Mk5 front lights 1600 Lumens each. x1 Red Eye rear 80 lumens all with triple cell batteries, plus a Cateye TDLR 1000 rear light as well if I feel it's needed which isn't often. Look up the prices yourselves.

 

[slowmotion]

Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful.
Thank you.

Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful.
Thank you.

Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.

not sure what the Exposure Spark 3 + Flare is like (225 lumens plus a rear light as well) but it may be enough for what you want... £49.99 at the moment at RutlandCycles. http://www.rutlandcycling.com/19864...s-flare--qr-mount--lanyard--and--charger.aspx
I have the Exposure Joystick mk 7 (which can be had for £64.99 at the moment for the version with no mounts (if you already had exposure stuff mounts would not be necessary) or £74.99 with mounts) and that certainly would have done what you needed even running on low power on AMS mode 2 which would equate to roughly the same lumens. http://www.rutlandcycling.com/15399...stick-mk-7-front-bike-light-plus-lanyard.aspx

Edit: I just ride with the 1 exposure joystick - full beam on unlit country lanes at night dipping to a lower level when oncoming cars, and running on low the rest of the time. It is more than enough to see all of the potholes around here (except on one or two seriously fast descents (+30mph), but I hold back on those in the dark)

 

[totallyfixed]

Hope Vision One on the front, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 on the back. I added a Lezyne Micro Drive to the back a couple of days ago. It's really bright. For London, that seems OK, but out on the dark lanes, I need more on the front. I was on a night ride last year, away from the crowd, and going down a hill quite quickly. Faster than I could react, a quite large pothole appeared right on the centre-line. It scared the Hell out of me. If anybody can recommend another front light for less than about £40 that might serve as a road illuminator, I would be really grateful.
Thank you.

Edit " away from the crowd" means left behind, not out in front, alas.

I like the last bit .
On the subject of not being able to see with a Hope Vision One, I agree that peripheral lighting is poor with that beam but straight ahead I find it ok, I don't believe I have ever had it on full except to see what it looked like, even at high speeds. It just goes to show the difference in our own vision versus others. How we managed in the past I have no idea, but we did without too much of a problem. I only ever have one light on at a time on the front and where I ride it is very dark. I believe folks are seduced by the lumens blurb [which has little meaning or accuracy for that matter]. Some of the power listed for front lights on here is unbelievable, maybe an opticians appointment would be more useful .

 

[fossyant]

If you have two Hope 1's you can angle the lights, so one picks up the sides of the roads better. Used mine on unlit roads, and level 2 is sufficient for full speed (when using two).