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Michael86

Active Member
The lights I'm going to buy for my bike are 35 lumens bright. I was just wondering how bright that is, all I need them for is in city commuting. Cheers for any help.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
I run a 25 lumen one for commuting (a Smart Lunar light) and it works, but that's in a well-lit route.
 

annirak

Veteran
Location
Cambridge, UK
It depends whether you are riding where it is well lit or not. If you need to ride in the dark, you will probably need more.

The brightness you need depends on the speed you ride. To ride at 25mph, on unlit roads you will need more than 100 lumens.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
there are two main types of riding, if you are riding in and around traffic, or you are riding around dark roads.

Both, in my opinion, require more punch that 35 lumens.

In the busy traffic environment, you are in and around cars often, where there lighting is much brighter than yours. You want something that makes you stand out when you are next to a car, both front and rear. I think that is more than 35 lumens.

On the dark roads you need something to see. A decent light with a good lens could get you by with 500 lumens.
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
What would you recommend in and around traffic. The roads will be well lit
The problem, until recently, was that decent lumens were expensive. As a result, you could accept using street lighting to see where you are going leaving the high lumen lights for the unlit roads . I propose that with modern led systems, you can afford a powerful front light. The lights will ensure you are seen and less likely to be ignored. Look at the Cree systems on Amazon - for around £20 you can get a decent amount of lumens.
 
OP
OP
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Michael86

Active Member
I am thinking of going for 2 x 200 lumen front lights
 

annirak

Veteran
Location
Cambridge, UK
The problem, until recently, was that decent lumens were expensive. As a result, you could accept using street lighting to see where you are going leaving the high lumen lights for the unlit roads . I propose that with modern led systems, you can afford a powerful front light. The lights will ensure you are seen and less likely to be ignored. Look at the Cree systems on Amazon - for around £20 you can get a decent amount of lumens.

My biggest concern about the cheap ebay lights is that they have terrible optics. They throw light everywhere and they dazzle other road users.
 

runner

Guru
Location
Bristol
I bought from Edinburgh cycles a few weeks ago a cateye nano shot+ which has a supposedly 600 lumens output. I just have to remember to keep the light at an angle so as not to blind all my good fellow cyclists on the morning commute....but spring is almost here and soon lights will locked away for a few months..hurrah!
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
My biggest concern about the cheap ebay lights is that they have terrible optics. They throw light everywhere and they dazzle other road users.
Bit of a sweeping statement there; do a search for Cree on Amazon and look at the options. You don't need to be shining at the cars to give a decent amount of light out that will ensure you are noticed.
 

shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
I'm a fan of the Cateye volt lights. The volt 300 is bright enough to be seen and to see by, Smart have brought out a very good 700 lumen light for £30-35. Both are visible from a good distance and are easily set not to blind or inconvenience other road users.

I've also got a smart lunar 25 on another bike - the 25 here can't possibly be the output in lumens as it is very strong and will strobe reflective stuff back at you for 100 yards or so on flash mode. It is not up there with the other 2 as a to see by light though.

The thing to consider on well lit, busier urban roads is how you'll stand out from so much ambient light.

If you go down the route of a magicshine/cree t6 Unit with an external battery pack, these throw out a heck of a lot of light over a wide cone, I would.consider a fresnel lens (£5 amazon, c&b seen) to flatten and widen the throw of light - makes it better for you with more side illumination and less dazzling for oncoming vehicles even with the light's brightest area set a bit further up the road.
 

Dirk

If 6 Was 9
Location
Watchet
Have a look at the Lezyne Power Drive. I used one when I was commuting along some unlit roads. Excellent bit of kit. Good lights generally don't come cheap.
 
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