Light recommendations

"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>
> Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need
> lights
> which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country road (Not so
> much at the moment, but come mid october I'll be leaving work in the
> dark).
>
> I do have an old set of Topeak NiteBuster 1001S light system (SLA battery,
> 6W bulb) but the battery isn't holding it's charge now (its at least 6
> years old) and I was never keen on the beam pattern as the lamp had a lens
> on the front which gave shadow patches on the beam.
>
> I've got a couple of rear LED lights, so I just need something for the
> front.
>
> Have seen the following:
>
> Smart 10w/2.4w Twin Rechargeable Headlight: £45
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360009575
>
> Electron 5W And 10W Double Ni-Mh Lighting System: £50
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5360013644
>
> Cateye HL-RC230 Dual Front: £60
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=4000000322
>
> Any other recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> --
> Brian


Chainreaction are cheaper for some of the models you've listed (free P&P
also).

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com

Brian wrote:

> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.

> Have seen the following:
>
> Smart 10w/2.4w Twin Rechargeable Headlight: £45
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360009575
>
> Electron 5W And 10W Double Ni-Mh Lighting System: £50
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5360013644
>
> Cateye HL-RC230 Dual Front: £60
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=4000000322
>
> Any other recommendations?

Real Cyclists (TM) use dynamos. Seriously, there's no discernible drag
and you don't have to rememebr to charge the batteries.

On 26 Sep 2004 19:42:27 GMT, Brian <[email protected]>
wrote in message <[email protected]>:

>Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need lights
>which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country road

I am a commuter, and my old route was on country roads (still is FTM,
but these days I can omit the really dark bits by hopping on the
train).

I use hub dynamos, for "always there" reliability. I have never once
regretted this, even though the dynamo on the recumbent cost over £120
plus a wheel build.

I also have a Petzl head torch (a set of 4 x C cells lasted a whole
winter). The current setup is: SON hub dynamo, Busch & Muller Lumotec
light, SON E6 light in series with shorting switch inna 12V stylee.

To save Actual Cash go for the Shimano Nexus hub dynamo and unswitched
Lumotec headlight (only get the oval ones, the round ones are Not As
Good). I also have a micro maglite and spare lamps (bulbs to you) in
the bag for justin.

I tried rechargeable lights, and found that (a) they didn't last long
enough if I decided to add some miles on the way home and (b) I
constantly forgot to charge them. The optics were also less
satisfactory than the B&M or Schmidt lamps (lights to you).

The B&M 4D Toplight rear light is also spiffing, and available with
light sensor if you don't get the Nexus hub (which has a
light-sensitive switch).

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

On 26/9/04 8:42 pm, in article [email protected],
"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>
> Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need lights
> which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country road (Not so
> much at the moment, but come mid october I'll be leaving work in the dark).
>
> I do have an old set of Topeak NiteBuster 1001S light system (SLA battery,
> 6W bulb) but the battery isn't holding it's charge now (its at least 6
> years old) and I was never keen on the beam pattern as the lamp had a lens
> on the front which gave shadow patches on the beam.
>
> I've got a couple of rear LED lights, so I just need something for the
> front.
>
> Have seen the following:
>
> Smart 10w/2.4w Twin Rechargeable Headlight: £45

I've been using these for a long time. Excellent light for the money (except
that the 25 quid Knightriders in EBC sale just top that..) Durable, good
beam pattern and bright enough for 30mph descents on road.

heavy battery may be seen as a disadvantage, but mine is still going after
6-7 years.

...d

"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.

In my experience you can cycle comfortably along a country lane with
relatively little light. Mounting lights low (on the forks) means that you
will light the road better.

The newer sort of LED lights (e.g. Cateye HL-EL300 or Cateye HL-EL400) are
fine. (Personally I mount a EL400 on the left fork so it shows up the
kerb/verge better and have another light on the handle bars).

The problem comes when Johnny Plonker in his BMW comes the other way,
refuses to dip and you can see SFA. For this you need sufficient light to
force the ******* to dip. Petty much any of the high powered units you
mention would be OK.

The Smart is OK -- but has a lead acid battery that weighs a tonne (or at
least, my version has). Try to go for the best battery you can get.

A cheap alternative would be to replace the battery on your old system.
Maplin could almost certainly provide something suitable.

T

Brian wrote:
> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>
> Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need
> lights which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country
> road (Not so much at the moment, but come mid october I'll be leaving
> work in the dark).
>
> I do have an old set of Topeak NiteBuster 1001S light system (SLA
> battery, 6W bulb) but the battery isn't holding it's charge now (its
> at least 6 years old) and I was never keen on the beam pattern as the
> lamp had a lens on the front which gave shadow patches on the beam.

Dismantle the SLA battery, and replace the internals with modern NiMH cells?

"Doki" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:


>
> Dismantle the SLA battery, and replace the internals with modern NiMH
> cells?
>
>
>

Could do, but as I said I dislike the beam pattern given by the lamp, so
I'd need to buy a new lamp too......

--
Brian

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> On 26 Sep 2004 19:42:27 GMT, Brian <[email protected]>
> wrote in message <[email protected]>:
>
>>Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>>Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need
>>lights which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country road
>
> I am a commuter, and my old route was on country roads (still is FTM,
> but these days I can omit the really dark bits by hopping on the
> train).
>
> I use hub dynamos, for "always there" reliability. I have never once
> regretted this, even though the dynamo on the recumbent cost over £120
> plus a wheel build.

I'm not willing to rebuild the wheels with a hub dynamo -I'd also lose the
option to add disk brakes (mu current hubs are disk brake ready, as is the
frame)

>
> I also have a Petzl head torch (a set of 4 x C cells lasted a whole
> winter). The current setup is: SON hub dynamo, Busch & Muller Lumotec
> light, SON E6 light in series with shorting switch inna 12V stylee.
>


Thanks for the suggestions, but I don't feel that hub dynamos are practical
for what I want. Good idea about the petzl head torch - I have an old
petzl zoom halogen.

--
Brian

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 21:38:00 +0100,
Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:

> I also have a Petzl head torch (a set of 4 x C cells lasted a whole
> winter).

Aren't 4 C cells quite heavy for a head torch?

I am glad I've got a no-name head torch that takes 3 AAA cells although
I do change them over winter (to get a brighter light - not because they
have completely run down).

--
Andy Leighton => [email protected]
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_

On 27 Sep 2004 08:41:45 GMT, Andy Leighton <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 21:38:00 +0100,
> Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I also have a Petzl head torch (a set of 4 x C cells lasted a whole
>> winter).
>
> Aren't 4 C cells quite heavy for a head torch?

They are worn in a pouch which can be attached to a belp or stuck in a
backpack. Head torches from the likes of Petzl and Silva come with this
option. The bigger batteries gives a longer life and shifts weight off the
head.

Colin

In article <[email protected]>, Brian wrote:
>"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>
>> I use hub dynamos, for "always there" reliability. I have never once
>> regretted this, even though the dynamo on the recumbent cost over £120
>> plus a wheel build.
>
>I'm not willing to rebuild the wheels with a hub dynamo -I'd also lose the
>option to add disk brakes (mu current hubs are disk brake ready, as is the
>frame)

You could have a complete new wheel for winter and keep the one you
don't want to rebuild for summer, and disk brake compatible hub dynamos
do exist. This is not a cheap answer, but nor are long lasting bright
lightweight rechargable batteries.
http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/son_hub_dynamo.shtml
http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/shimano_hubs.html

Brian wrote:

> I'm not willing to rebuild the wheels with a hub dynamo -I'd also
> lose the option to add disk brakes (mu current hubs are disk brake
> ready, as is the frame)

Step forward the disc-compatible SON ;-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington
University

in message <[email protected]>, Brian
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Just wondering what sort of lights are recommended by uk.rec.cyclers.
>
> Hopefully going to commute to work by bike once a week, but I'd need
> lights which I can see with as part of the route is unlit country road
> (Not so much at the moment, but come mid october I'll be leaving work
> in the dark).
>
> I do have an old set of Topeak NiteBuster 1001S light system (SLA
> battery, 6W bulb) but the battery isn't holding it's charge now (its
> at least 6 years old) and I was never keen on the beam pattern as the
> lamp had a lens on the front which gave shadow patches on the beam.
>
> I've got a couple of rear LED lights, so I just need something for the
> front.
>
> Have seen the following:
>
> Smart 10w/2.4w Twin Rechargeable Headlight: £45
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360009575
>
> Electron 5W And 10W Double Ni-Mh Lighting System: £50
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5360013644
>
> Cateye HL-RC230 Dual Front: £60
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=4000000322
>
> Any other recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance

Juliette's Fireballs are in my opinion much better put together than my
Lumicycles, if that's any help. I'd recommend either, but the Fireballs
are better.


--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; making jokes about dyslexia isn't big, it isn't clever and
;; it isn't furry.

Brian <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Have seen the following:
>
> Smart 10w/2.4w Twin Rechargeable Headlight: £45

Used 1 for 2 years. Good basic light but look for it on special offer
for £25-£30.
> Any other recommendations?
>

Now using Cateye ABS 10 at £66. It's far superior. Better quality
connections. Better beam pattern and around 1/2 the weight due to NiMh
battery. Also has smart charger so you don't need to worry about
overcharging degrading the battery as you do with the lead acid Smart
10w/2.4w.
Iain

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 15:05:03 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Juliette's Fireballs are in my opinion much better put together than my
>Lumicycles,

<carry-on mode> Ooh, Matron! </carry-on mode>
Hope you get better soon. ;-)

I hope you are referring to lighting systems. Do you know of any web
links for these, so that I can investigate?
Yours, in the dark, Ian.

In message <[email protected]>, Ian
<[email protected]> writes
>On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 15:05:03 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>Juliette's Fireballs are in my opinion much better put together than my
>>Lumicycles,
>
>
>I hope you are referring to lighting systems. Do you know of any web
>links for these, so that I can investigate?

<http://www.powerlights.co.uk/>
--
Chris French, Leeds

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I'm going to opt for a rechargable system, probably something
using a cheap and cheerfull (and heavy!) sealed lead acid battery - these
systems seem to have the best run time per price.

Going to try Edinburgh Bikes on friday, and see what they have.

--
Brian

Brian Innes <[email protected]> wrote in
news[email protected]:

> Thanks for all the replies.
>
> I think I'm going to opt for a rechargable system, probably something
> using a cheap and cheerfull (and heavy!) sealed lead acid battery - these
> systems seem to have the best run time per price.
>
> Going to try Edinburgh Bikes on friday, and see what they have.
>

However, a bit of pondering last night - perhaps I'd be better to go for
something with a better battery?

Have seen the Vista Light NS5 Set for £39.99 at Biketrax, which used Nicad
battery pack, although I believe these have been discontinued by
vistalight?

Or there is the Electron Light System Twin 5w-10w NiMH for £44.99 at
chainreactioncycles.com

Any thoughts?

--
Brian