What Battery LED Front Light?

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Crepello

Active Member
Hello guys and gals

I'd like to get myself a medium powered front LED battery light and am weighing up the options. I won't need a bank breaking, sportsl pitch flooding jobby, so I'm considering the B+M Ixon or one (or two?) Fenix torches.

It will be used mainly on unlit roads and lanes, although I would get a mount for the 2nd (MT) bike as well. I like the light spread of the Ixon I've had as a dynamo light, but is the construction rugged enough for some occasional off road tracks?

The Fenix style torches get good reviews, but is their beam focussed enough to create a bright enough spot of light on the road (rather than a wash that can get lost in adverse conditions) and also not distract on coming road users. I think I'd want to stick with AA battery models too.
 
Hi,

Is it the ixon IQ your thinking of? I've got one of these and did a comparison of it with a hope 1 here. I too like the spread of light. However, as I cycle on unlit roads I also run a the Hope 1 LED as well.

As for rugged, I tested that the other night. I had a problem with my bike, and I took the light off to help look at it. Further down the road I hit a bumpy downhill section and as I hadn't clicked the light in properly it came flying off and tumbled down the road. I feared the worst, and once I found it (pitch black, but I had my hope 1), I pressed the on button and it worked again first time :biggrin:.

I'd highly recommend it.
 
OP
OP
C

Crepello

Active Member
magnatom said:
Hi,

Is it the ixon IQ your thinking of? I've got one of these and did a comparison of it with a hope 1 here. I too like the spread of light. However, as I cycle on unlit roads I also run a the Hope 1 LED as well.

As for rugged, I tested that the other night. I had a problem with my bike, and I took the light off to help look at it. Further down the road I hit a bumpy downhill section and as I hadn't clicked the light in properly it came flying off and tumbled down the road. I feared the worst, and once I found it (pitch black, but I had my hope 1), I pressed the on button and it worked again first time :laugh:.

I'd highly recommend it.
Yeah, the IQ's the one. I have been concerned about the reliability as I had a dynamo version which had the extraordinary failure of the LED popping out of it's seating, whilst bombing down hill. Oh boy! How it came loose I don't know, but it's a sealed unit so unserviceable. However, it was still under guarantee and so I decided that I would take the opportunity to upgrade to the Cyo. Not worth the extra cost for the extra light I'd say, though I'm hoping that build quality may be better.

Still, it's good to know that your light survived it's crash landing - it's so easy to forget to 'think click!' as the old seatbelt commercial guy used to say.
 

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
the Ixon claims 5 hours for high beam and 20 hours for 'eco/city', whereas the Hope claims three hours.

On the other hand I've seen the Hope run for at least six hours. The slightly cheaper Cateye EL530 will provide sufficient light for two or three all night rides, but it's not as bright as the Ixon or the Hope.
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
A Fenix LD20 (2xAA) gives a similar beam to the Hope 1, but not quite as bright. That doesn't matter too much as I rarely use full power on either.
The Ixon IQ has a better shape of beam for road cycling (IMO). It's the same as the IQ Fly dynamo light.

The Fenix LD20 doesn't come with a bike mount so you've got to buy one or bodge one. Options are lockblocks (rubber & velcro), the rattly Fenix mount, zip tying on a spare QR bar mount from some other light, or an O-ring/thick rubber band.

The Hope mount remains attached to the light which means you've got to re-aim it every time you fit it (some people moan about this). You also get a small O-ring that goes between the light and the bar clamp. If you fail to fit it, you'll have problems with the mount coming loose.

Several people I've heard of have dropped their Ixon IQ by failing to clip it on fully. One problem I've had with my dynamo version is that of overhanging branches suddenly appearing over the top of the beam.
 

GilesM

Legendary Member
Location
East Lothian
I've been using the Hope 1 for a couple of years now, fantastic for dark lanes and okay for some off road stuff, (not idle for serious single track off road) if you use the high capacity rechargeable AA batteries, go for 2800mhA then the runtime is very good, and you never really need the highest power setting. I had two cars flash me last night, I think asking me to dip my lights, not much chance of a SMIDSY.
 
OP
OP
C

Crepello

Active Member
andrew_s said:
One problem I've had with my dynamo version is that of overhanging branches suddenly appearing over the top of the beam.
I'm a little confused. Did you mean real overhanging branches, or something happens to the optics that causes shadows like overhanging branches to appear?
 

threefingerjoe

Über Member
I, too, use the Ixon IQ. I'm very pleased with the performance.
 
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