Upgrading front light

[Kirpi]

I currently use SMART Polaris 5 white LED steady and a Topeak 3 white LED flashing. The setup is fine for street-lit roads. However, a new route I have to commute is unlit country lanes between unlit villages so I need a brighter light to see rather than to be visible.
I am looking at SMART Lunar 35 Lux with a brighter red light as part of the set.
Does anyone have this light and can recommend to pick up unlit roads?

 

[Jon2]

I've used this light on unlit roads, it wasn't long before I ordered something brighter and I was pretty amazed by the difference. Yes, you can do it with this light, but it's not much fun and is slow. Depending on your budget and whether you want to stick to a more well known brand or not there are several lights that will make you ride much more enjoyable.

For a known brand, I'd look at Lezyne. I recently bought the Power Drive, although I haven't had a chance to use it on unlit roads. It's many many times brighter than the Smart lunar lights though.

For cheaper lights, people will recommend magic shine lights and their clones. Search for either P7, T6 or U2 bike lights on ebay.

 

[HovR]

If you're on a bit of a budget (~£20) and don't mind waiting for shipping from HK I'd highly recommend the Cree T6 torch that I reviewed here. I haven't used the Smart light, but I suspect it's about as bright as the 3 (or 5) watt torch I used as a comparison in my review, which was just about bright enough to use at a very slow pace.

 

[Kirpi]

Thanks Jon 2. For the price, I would want the PowerDrive to have at least some side light. The SMART lights have clear side walls which gives me a bit more confidence on side street junctions - probably more imagined than real!

I think I'll be looking at the Cree T6 and use my current Smart Polaris as a second front light and backup if the T6 fades too much. I could put the Polaris into flashing mode so oncoming traffic know a cycle is around. I always have a red steady and a second red flashing for the same reason.

Impressive review pics.

 

[Kirpi]

I went for the Cree T6 using the link in the review. Thanks for the replies; really appreciate.

 

[HovR]

I went for the Cree T6 using the link in the review. Thanks for the replies; really appreciate.

It's a great value for money light. I've had mine a year and it's still going strong despite me dropping it a few times when using it as a torch! Since then I've bought a second one and many family members have also bought one, all of the same decent quality.

Just be careful how you angle the beam, keep it angled low and preferably on medium or low mode whilst there's traffic around, otherwise it can be quite dazzling!