LIGHTS

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tel123

Active Member
Location
Norfolk
Found out last night that the dynamo (AXA HR traction dynamo) on my bike does not work!!
Thinking of stripping it down and going for battery lights!! But which ones?
Around where I live is very very dark, no road lighting. Would be nice to be able to be seen!!
Appreciate your help/advice
TC
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Modern lights are incredible. After years of "Never Ready" lights with heavy "D" cell batteries moved to a Cateye with AA batteries. Really impressed, then upgraded to a later model, impressed again. Then moved to a cat eye Volt 300 and it blew my mind. Just like riding in daylight. And I think the Volt 300 is now obsolete!

So many to choose from and they are all good. Just need to decide if USB rechargeable lights are for you, with their limited range. Or ones with standard batteries where you can carry spares with you.

Good luck
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
I've got a Cateye 400 on my Brommie and it really is excellent.
It's rechargeable with a micro USB connector at the rear under a rubber cover. I have just checked to see if it is possible to have the light on while charging but the beam turns off when charging.
I also have a USB light set that I got from Amazon a couple of years ago, cost me about a tenner and is surprisingly good. This does keep the beam on whilst charging.
I've just plugged my USB power analyser between the light and one of those lipstick sized rechargeable power banks. It is drawing 320Ma while charging and 510Ma with the beam on full power, 420Ma on low power.
That combination would make quite a compact unit, the little power bank is rated at 2200Mah which is an extra four hours run time on top of the existing battery life, and of course a bigger capacity power bank would extend that further.
 

shingwell

Senior Member
On my non-folder bike I use standard fixed dynamo lights (modern LED) with a USB battery pack replacing the dynamo. Dynamo lights are nominally 6 volts, USB is 5V, but I have found the good quality makes work fine, not even dimmer, although I did have one cheap Chinese one that worked at 6V but not 5V. The pattery pack lasts ages between recharges.

To connect to the USB battery pack I took a USB charging cable and cut one end off. Of the wires inside, a red and black pair is + and - 5V.

On my non-folder the power pack lives in a little bar bag, and I carry a fully-charged spare in my winter coat pocket just in case I accidentally leave the lights on (but they will last all day anyway). I haven't replaced the dynamo on my Brompton yet - I think the main problem will be where/how to mount the USB power pack on the Brompton without affecting the fold. But the battery packs are smaller than a dynamo so shouldn't be impossible. (Old on-wheel type dynamo.)
 

Kell

Veteran
I have two Lezyne 300XLs on the front (I mistakenly posted in another thread that they were 400XL). I think they're about at the lower limit for what I would consider acceptable to light up the road. In very bright mode, there's no problem with brightness, but I've never ridden very far with them in this mode, as almost as soon as you put them on, the red light comes on to say that they're running low on power.

The next two levels of brightness seem OK, but I never have to ride anywhere truly dark.

As someone mentioned above, I run two as it makes them a bit more idiot-proof if you forget to charge them.

My only gripe with almost all modern lights is that the rubberised mounting straps seem next to useless. One little bump and they're either pointing straight down or straight up.

I bought two Hope mounts for mine to make them more secure. They stay put and are easy to remove when parking your bike or for charging.

https://www.cyclesdepot.co.uk/cycling/hope-universal-handlebar-mount-black-light-mounts.html

On the rear I run two also.

One that tucks up in the seat rails and is motion activated so it gets brighter when you slow down.


View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GYBBXC7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


This is the second one I've had (multiple bikes) and the latest one is brighter. Seems really well made for the price and lasts for ages.

The other one I got from Planet X, but they don't seem to do it any more.
 

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
If you've got a 2016 or newer bike, the tiny Cateye mini rear lights are great to attach to the seat, and small enough to carry a spare. My cateye 400 for the front, didn't last so well, but the 800 I got to fit on the same mount works great, and the battery from the 400 still works well on the 800 as a spare. Never use the 800 on full power, as just never needed that much light, even in the darkest lanes, so had it work on lower power continuous on overnight rides in mid-summer. Even had Police in Wales comment how good my lights were. Think I was back on main road and on pulse at that point. But they made of point of saying, "great lights, butt"
 
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