Show us your lights!!

[HJ]

I have found that super bright lights command respect on the roads, you get loads of room for the simple fact that other traffic can only see the lights and not you, this means it could be anything, car with only one light, motorbike, truck. If it registers in their moton brains that you are a bike the instant brain impulse is to disregard you as traffic.
If you angle the lights so as not to beam directly in the eyes there is no problem.

I agree with Tharg, I give you the DiNotte 400L Road Rider Experience...

 

[ron4322]

My riding is nearly all on well lit roads, so I only really need "to be seen" lights. I use:

A set by Oxford (9-LED "torch" on front and a 3-LED rear), the rear set to flashing. This set is normally £19:99 in Decathlon, but they were reduced to £9:99 a couple of months ago when I got mine. The front is (just about) adequate for the short amount of unlit blacktop I occasionally ride on, but only if I go very, very slowly. I only switch the "torch" on when I need to see, as I presume it will get through batteries quicker than the rest of the lights.

A set from Wilko (front and rear both 3-LED). These look as though they are the same design as a Smart 3-LED rear. As mentioned in the "bargain" thread, these are £6+ a set, with batteries, at Wilkinsons. The front is set to "steady", and the rear set to flashing.

The front light from an Aldi set of 2 No 3-LEDs. This is greenish and not very bright, and set to flashing. I'm looking to replace this with a brighter and whiter flashing light.

Finally, the rear 3-LED light from a set from Lidl (I do not use the front light which has a conventional bulb). This light only has a steady mode (no flashing option) and is marked BS6102/3 - My only "approved" light.

All the lights take the same size batteries - so I now expect to be making regular visits to my local poundland during the winter to get blister multi-packs of AAAs.

...and yes, I do carry some spare batteries, but no spare lights, except for the redundancy in the list above.

The three rear lights are mounted well apart (the steady light on the rear of a pannier rack, one flasher on the seatpost and the other flasher on the offside seatstay). The three front lights are all crammed together on the bars. Does anyone know if it is important to keep a flashing light and a steady light well apart - if they are too close, does one prevent the other being seen?

 

[Origamist]

Do you find that oncoming traffic weaves about the road as you approach due to being blind?

Hm! That looks as if it might be a little 'antisocial' for oncoming traffic?

The pic shows the light in turbo mode. I rarely use this extreme setting - medium or high provides plenty of light for most situations.

 

[SoulOnIce]

Out back - 1xMars 3.0 and 1xMar 4.0

Up front - 1x Vega Light and Motion plus a Tesco Cree torch in the really fast and dark parts of my commute

 

[HJ]

All the lights take the same size batteries - so I now expect to be making regular visits to my local poundland during the winter to get blister multi-packs of AAAs.

It would be a lot cheaper with rechargeable batteries, get your self one of these and some of these...

 

[ron4322]

It would be a lot cheaper with rechargeable batteries, get your self one of these and some of these...

If I was running one steady light front and rear, I probably would, but £1 for 12 AAAs make for fairly cheap running when flashing.

 

[Cubist]

Here's the rear setup on my commuter. On the trunkbag is a topeak 4 led jobbie. Very small and neat, which is set to flash. The QR beamrack has a tooltray which slides out. I have drilled holes in the rear panel and put two Tesco Micro-LED's shining throught the holes on either side of the reflector, which are set to strobe.
At the front I have a Tesco Micro-LED mounted onto an old reflector mounting with electrical tape, and use a bikehut 1 watt LED front light which has 3 settings. I ride with it on flash. If I'm going on Country roads I use a selection of Tesco 3 watt AA torches

 

[lady_rider]

Hope vision 2 up front. Knog skink, little cat-eye and a smart jobbie on the back

 

[panpipe]

I've got a Cateye set - EL520 on the front and LD610 on the back, which I have flashing. My commute is on main London roads so they are well streetlighted anyway, but I am looking for another set to add for non-commuting rides.

 

[fossyant]

Overkill.....

2 x Hope Vision 1, Knog Toad, Mars 3.0, 4.0 and a Smart Superflash....and two fibre flares on the rucksack....

 

[marinyork]

Overkill.....

2 x Hope Vision 1, Knog Toad, Mars 3.0, 4.0 and a Smart Superflash....and two fibre flares on the rucksack....

Ooh yes you've just reminded me about the fibre flares, must get some!

 

[rusky]

There was aguy in front on the way home last night with a really bright rear light, I couldn't be arsed to catch him (honest) as there was a nice girl in tight jeans in front!

I'm guessing it was a Smart 1/2W jobbie

 

[summerdays]

Overkill.....

2 x Hope Vision 1, Knog Toad, Mars 3.0, 4.0 and a Smart Superflash....and two fibre flares on the rucksack....

Where's the photo of this set up?

I have at the front either a Nano 1 or 9, and at the back, the options of Smart Superflash, BLT9, electron Backupz on helmet and optionally a fibre flare at the back.

I think that implies I cycle in town so don't need the road well lit up in front and I'm more worried about being seen from behind/side (fibre flare useful for that). I am toying with the Hope Vision 1 though.

 

[fossyant]

Where's the photo of this set up?

Ta Da..... (The Knog is matt black - it's there.....)

 

[Trevrev]

Front, 3 LED Halfords bikehut Light. Flashing.
Rear, 3 LED Halfords bikehut Light. Flashing