Sanny
New Member
- Location
- Carnoustie
Lights
- Thread starter Sanny
- Start date
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It won't be 200 lumens, nowhere near. It might be okay but you can do loads better for not much more. Also, I wouldn't buy from a Hong Kong eBay seller (not again, got sent the wrong item, had to return it for an exchange, they refused to refund my postage, buyer protection does not include postage! I'm sure most sales would be fine, but when it goes wrong you're stuffed).
I recommend a Fenix L2 D CE Q5 (£37.95 post free) with a Twofish Lockblock mount. It is a better emitter than the ebay one (the Q5 is the most efficient/brightest LED generally available at the moment), and the light is incredibly bright, I have commuted on 10 miles of completely unlit cycle path through the winter and it is very bright. Lasts for 4.5 hours on high (which is plenty) or 2 hours on turbo.
You need rechargeables (NiMH not Nicad) to get the best performance from it, alkaline output falls rapidly with LED lights. I recommend Vapextech 2900mah NiMH AA rechargeables, 4 for £5.50 post free, and a smart charger like the Vapextech LCD,WORLD (110v/240v) ,ULTRA FAST 1 HOUR CHARGER £14.55 post free.
Both the Photon Shop and Vapextech are very reliable UK based shops that I have used several times and always had perfect service with next day delivery.
The Fenix uses 2 AA's so that setup will give you 9 hours of high power use.
The quality of the Fenix lights is superb, and they provide more battery life and brightness than anything else this side of £120 - I upgraded from a Dinotte which cost me £100, has half the battery life, uses twice as many batteries, and is significantly less bright.
There - problem solved
I recommend a Fenix L2 D CE Q5 (£37.95 post free) with a Twofish Lockblock mount. It is a better emitter than the ebay one (the Q5 is the most efficient/brightest LED generally available at the moment), and the light is incredibly bright, I have commuted on 10 miles of completely unlit cycle path through the winter and it is very bright. Lasts for 4.5 hours on high (which is plenty) or 2 hours on turbo.
You need rechargeables (NiMH not Nicad) to get the best performance from it, alkaline output falls rapidly with LED lights. I recommend Vapextech 2900mah NiMH AA rechargeables, 4 for £5.50 post free, and a smart charger like the Vapextech LCD,WORLD (110v/240v) ,ULTRA FAST 1 HOUR CHARGER £14.55 post free.
Both the Photon Shop and Vapextech are very reliable UK based shops that I have used several times and always had perfect service with next day delivery.
The Fenix uses 2 AA's so that setup will give you 9 hours of high power use.
The quality of the Fenix lights is superb, and they provide more battery life and brightness than anything else this side of £120 - I upgraded from a Dinotte which cost me £100, has half the battery life, uses twice as many batteries, and is significantly less bright.
There - problem solved
CopperBrompton
Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
- Location
- London
The Fenix (which is a Cree) is 180 lumens; Dinotte is 200.alfablue said:
Ben
The new Dinotte 200L may be 200 lumens (hence the 200L name), the Dinotte 5w Ultra that I bought (the previous model) is clearly less bright than the Fenix. But lumens ratings cannot be taken definitively as there are different approaches to measuring output in lumens, real world experience is more reliable than manufacturer's specs. I have posted some comparison shots somewhere on this site before.Ben Lovejoy said:
Even with the 200L model, the Fenix still wins on price (£37.95 versus £99.99), number of batteries (2 rather than 4), weight (about 100g less), ease of use (easier bar mount, easier battery replacement), and form (one thing to mount rather than lamp and battery box). Run times are probably comparable with the 200L. That said, the Dinotte is a great light for the price, just I could run 2 Fenix for less money and have twice the illumination (maybe one on a helmet mount) - seems like a no brainer to me.
Yes, you can get a red filter for £3.25 posted. For a rear light the L1 D CE might be an option, it takes 1 AA battery so is shorter, and provides a claimed 120 rather than 180 lumens. It will take the red filter. Costs £35.95 delivered.
That said, I use a Smart Superflash 1/2 watt rear light, which takes 2 x AAA, runs for 30hrs and is very very bright, costs around £11. For extra "imposition" you could fit two. I think the Fenix beam might be a bit narrow for the best rearward visibility.
On second thoughts, fit 1 Superflash, and 1 Smart 7 LED rear light (around £8). The 7 LED light is less bright but has some sideways facing LED's so gives greater all round visibility.
That said, I use a Smart Superflash 1/2 watt rear light, which takes 2 x AAA, runs for 30hrs and is very very bright, costs around £11. For extra "imposition" you could fit two. I think the Fenix beam might be a bit narrow for the best rearward visibility.
On second thoughts, fit 1 Superflash, and 1 Smart 7 LED rear light (around £8). The 7 LED light is less bright but has some sideways facing LED's so gives greater all round visibility.
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
I have a very similar set of lights to those (same body, different lens).
It is plausable that they are 200 lumens. Well, they're noticably brighter than the budget led offerings from the likes of Cateye / smart.
The BIG downside to mine is the lens. I get a tiny very bright central spot then a rather dull outer halo. If that adjsutable lens is any good then they'll be a great set of lights.
I would also look at smarts 1 watt led
It's nowhere near as bright as the 200lumen lights but a much better lens (than the one i've got) means it's actually lights up more of the road.
It is plausable that they are 200 lumens. Well, they're noticably brighter than the budget led offerings from the likes of Cateye / smart.
The BIG downside to mine is the lens. I get a tiny very bright central spot then a rather dull outer halo. If that adjsutable lens is any good then they'll be a great set of lights.
I would also look at smarts 1 watt led
It's nowhere near as bright as the 200lumen lights but a much better lens (than the one i've got) means it's actually lights up more of the road.
dantheman
Veteran
- Location
- Hitchin, Hertfordshire
alfablue said:
i use that smart set, the 1/2 watt rear is great.... the 1 watt front is not great, but i find it adequate on the unlit roads i use, but wouldnt want to use unknown roads at high speed with it. ok but not great, but the beam does have a good spread to it, as redbike says..
great for the price..
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
Good point.
The Smart is rather feable; but then again so are most £20 LED lights.
I suppose a lot depends on what you've got used to.
I used to use the Smart for a small section of unlit country road on my commute. At the time having just 'upgraded' from cheap dynamo lights I thought it was magic. Having just dug it back out again i'm now not so sure. I suppose it's about the minimum you can get away with.
I now use a high end HID on the bars and one of those Cheap Crees on my helmet. I wouldn't want to be stuck with just the Cree; and thats noticably brighter than the Smart!
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
There's a few videos on youtube.
Here's the Fenix compared against a Cateye.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHidJoRElaM&feature=related
It looks fantastic in this video, really bright.
Now here's the same light with someone riding with it.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF_wkY2WiJg&feature=related
It looks rather rubbish towards the the end on the unlit sections. Doesn't show up under the white streetlamps / couldn't see that pedestrian until the last minute.
Here's the Fenix compared against a Cateye.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHidJoRElaM&feature=related
It looks fantastic in this video, really bright.
Now here's the same light with someone riding with it.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF_wkY2WiJg&feature=related
It looks rather rubbish towards the the end on the unlit sections. Doesn't show up under the white streetlamps / couldn't see that pedestrian until the last minute.
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
OP
OP
Sanny
New Member
- Location
- Carnoustie
Thanks for all the info and links
Hairy Jock I'm going on nightshift in a few weeks and I'm thinking about taken my bike.
Hairy Jock I'm going on nightshift in a few weeks and I'm thinking about taken my bike.
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
I remember when I was living in Aberdeen a few years ago going out to Balmedie (so we were away from the city lights) to see the Perseids meteor storm only to find that it never really got dark enough, but then again it was dark enough to need cycle lights to be seen by.