Lights?????

[florencethnurse]

newbie, new bike got most of the kit but lights seem like a bit of a minefield so many different types any recommendations for me and the OH he is a road cyclist and is more Likley to be cycling at night than me but obviously to be safe we both want lights he has a ribble sportive road bike and I have a trek fx3 he is on here he is @tom73

 

[vickster]

I use smart brand USB chargeable at the rear and a Moon at the front. But it’s not dark where I ride, they are more be seen than see lights

It’s not only about safety, you’re legally obliged to use lights when it’s dark

What’s your budget?

 

[MontyVeda]

You can get decent lights for a few quid from Wilko's which are fine. If you're riding unlit country lanes at night, you might want something brighter to light your path, but any old inexpensive lights will do for roads/paths with lighting.

 

[Slick]

This is my front light. I used to use the matching strip light on the rear but now relegated as a spare as I have one of those rear facing cameras that also double as a light.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...aKzLs4DKCgbBUt0u5J1Y-Su8u-oPe0owaAjMFEALw_wcB

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

I got a oxylight set the front light charges via usb and it has 3 positions so the first one is great for city traffic or good street with working street light andthe second and third position are great for those dark alleys and so on

 

[MartinQ]

Plenty of options, something like
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMEG1/smart-egg-1-watt-front-light-white
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart-bleep-dual-05-watt-led-rear-light
would give you some decent, bright lights for ~£13 per person.

 

[dantheman]

Plenty of options, something like
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMEG1/smart-egg-1-watt-front-light-white
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart-bleep-dual-05-watt-led-rear-light
would give you some decent, bright lights for ~£13 per person.

I haven't used that front light, I have a cheap Chinese led one (xml2 led based)..
But I whole heartedly recommend the phaart bleep rear light - they're such a bargain at that price and well bright enough.... I'd recommend fitting 2 rear lights, cause if it fails you may not notice... I wrap a little electrical tape around the join as an extra waterbarrier also - well worth doing IMO.

Edit - I think I used to use an older version of the smart egg, looks the same and had a 1w led.. - it was bright enough to be seen from the front and was fine if the road had some Street lights, but for completely unlit roads I found it not enough, especially if the road wasn't well known (ie you didn't know where all the potholes etc were)

 

[NorthernDave]

Don't spend any more than a quid on a rear light - Poundland's 5 LED rear light is as bright as anything you'll pay ten or more times the price for.

I've got one that's done two winters with nothing more than an occasional wipe over and one change of batteries.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Keep an eye out for the Aldi specials

 

[DRM]

Keep an eye out for the Aldi specials

This in spades, I got an Aldi version of the Lezyne Zecto front & rear light, very much a be seen light, and visually indistinguishable from the Lezyne, also a version of what looks like the Bontrager ion 350R, which gives a good spread of light that illuminates the road, without being so stupidly over bright that it dazzles oncoming road users, both are usb rechargeable, and were nowhere near as expensive as the branded version, but work really well.

 

[ColinJ]

Keep an eye out for the Aldi specials

And Lidl specials!

I got a pair of small Lidl 'Be seen by***' LED lights for less than £2. When I got them home I thought they were so good for the money that I went back and bought another pair. They are mounted using integrated stretch straps. It only takes a couple of seconds to put them on a bike or take them off so they are ideal for evening shopping trips. Lock up your bike up, whip off the lights and stick them in a pocket. Come out and reattach them.

*** Bright enough to be seen by other road users, but not bright enough to see where you are going without street lighting.

Ah, the deal is finished but I found a description HERE. Many Lidl (and Aldi) deals come back round again within a year.

 

[RoubaixCube]

This in spades, I got an Aldi version of the Lezyne Zecto front & rear light, very much a be seen light, and visually indistinguishable from the Lezyne, also a version of what looks like the Bontrager ion 350R, which gives a good spread of light that illuminates the road, without being so stupidly over bright that it dazzles oncoming road users, both are usb rechargeable, and were nowhere near as expensive as the branded version, but work really well.

I got the Moon Nebula Aldi set. I dont use the front light so much anymore but the tail light is always on my messenger bag when i go out.