Recommend a VERY bright light for on the canal paths.

[TheDoctor]

Riding fast, in the dark, on towpaths, alongside water...
What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Drago]

Riding fast, in the dark, on towpaths, alongside water...
What could possibly go wrong?

Ha ha! What a pranny! I love the way he tries to remount while still half drowning.

 

[lazyfatgit]

https://ayup-lights.com/

Note: they use an external battery pack. I use them on my commuter and road bikes, because they're very reliable, and have fairly good brightness (but not excessive).

I use these as there is little or no street lighting in the places I ride when it gets dark. I considered them a bit exensive when I bought them, but i got a cheap upgrade to higher power LED's when i returned my originals and the 2 battery packs are still functioning for longer than my typical rides. First set purchased in 2009 and second set in 2010 (when I upgraded original light). Very light, well sealed and very good value when you consider the age of them.

I run the intermediate beam, one on the handlebar and sometimes one on helmet. They're also used for fishing, camping, general DIY in the loft, etc

 

[MontyVeda]

Have you considered retaining your current lights and just cycling a bit slower on the unlit towpaths ? Please !

If the OP only has 'be seen with' lights, they're useless on unlit roads/paths.

 

[Drago]

Cheap Chinese 2000 lumen job, but either fit a proper lens to give the beam a horizontal pattern, or cover the top quadrant of the lens in tape and make sure its pointed at the ground and not in peoples faces.

 

[hoopdriver]

Cheap Chinese 2000 lumen jobs tend to have dodgy batteries, dodgy circuitry and short field lives...

 

[Drago]

They can, and can not, as the example from 2008 I'm still using proves. Its outlived my Hope, and I could have bought 8 for the price of the Hope.

 

[jefmcg]

Riding fast, in the dark, on towpaths, alongside water...
What could possibly go wrong?

With the canals around London, it's not the getting water itself that worries me, it's the factory waste, bird flu, effluent soup that scares me.

View: https://youtu.be/ZackeB9vQNM?t=39

 

[gaijintendo]

Cheap Chinese 2000 lumen jobs tend to have dodgy batteries, dodgy circuitry and short field lives...

^^^^
I had a lithium cell fire in my home as the result of an overcharging Chinese light. It destroyed a TV, the wall, some IKEA units skirting board and flooring - and probably made me inhale a bit too much in the way of lithium oxides.

And the pain continues to haunt me on account of me being too lazy to replace the flooring and skirting boards. If the IKEA rug isn't at 90degrees, my shame is exposed.

 

[Drago]

People have had fires because of premium iPhone chargers.

Common sense and caution should be exercised when charging such batteries.

I have a heavy metal toolbox with a grommeted hole in one end through which to pass the lead. A small thermonuclear device could go off in there and I'd be none the wiser.

 

[al78]

Hope Vision 1

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/hope_v...V55PtCh08WwIzEAQYASABEgJ0pfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Should be more than adequate for a towpath, you won't need the highest setting. I have used this for commuting on unlit country lanes and it is fine for 20-25 mph on power level 2 out of 4. You won't want to go fast on a towpath anyway as pedestrians, dogs and dumped rubbish are difficult to see with no ambient light, even with a good front light.

 

[Tin Pot]

I am ok and sorted for road lights.

It is currently getting dark around 8pm. By December it will be dark around 4.30pm.

If I go on my usual rides in the late afternoon, there is a good chance I will be returning home along the canal paths after the sun has gone down.Some sections of the route have no lighting & it is very dark.

I want to get a very bright (preferably wide beamed) front light. Which do you recommend?

I use a Lezyne Power Drive 900XL , I only need to use the highest when alone on country roads, in pitch black, under tree cover. If you need more than 900 lumens, there is something wrong with you.

 

[gaijintendo]

Wouldnt your house insurance cover the cost of tradesperson repairs?

I checked, and I definitely mentioned being too lazy. Kicking the rug is easier, despite the torment.

 

[machew]

 

[Randy Butternubs]

B + m lumotec iq cyo premium t senso plus.
80 lux is more than enough to light up the trail ahead but the cut off won't blind every Tom, Dick and Harriet. This also means they won't show up till the very last second so you'd have to watch the speed.
There's a battery version of the light but I'm damned if I can find it. But, as a night cycler, you'll save a few pennies running a dynamo anyway.

+1. 80 lux doesn't sound like a lot but beam shape is far more important than power. I have one and it's brilliant for unlit roads. Gives a decent wide spread for corners and lets me see far enough ahead that cycling at 20mph, maybe 30mph is fine. The cut-off prevents shining it into people's eyes if you angle it right.

The battery version is the 'Ixon IQ premium'.

Please don't get a high power light with a torch-like symmetrical beam (ie. almost all of them). I get blinded by every cyclist I pass at night. The reason they make them that way is that powerful LEDs are cheap but good lenses are expensive. Plus you can put an impressive lux figure on the packet.