Bike lights advice

Following on from Mr Flowers's message. . .

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Thanks,
Sean

Yes 'anyone could' given your specification.

Half an inch of candle stuck on the bars. That's light and costs 5p.
Obviously a red candle for the back costs more.

--
PETER FOX Not the same since the submarine business went under
[email hidden]
www.eminent.demon.co.uk - Lots for cyclists

"Peter Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Following on from Mr Flowers's message. . .

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Thanks,
Sean

Yes 'anyone could' given your specification.

Half an inch of candle stuck on the bars. That's light and costs 5p.
Obviously a red candle for the back costs more.

Performance is definitely secondary there! Funnily enough, I thought of
writing candles too.

Mr Flowers said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Do you mean lighest or brighest? Lightest is probably a 4-AA cell light
with lithium batteries. Some rechargeable systems with Li-ion batteries
are pretty light too.

At Thu, 7 Jul 2005 13:22:33 +0100, message
<[email hidden]> was posted by "Mr Flowers"
<[email hidden]>, including some, all or none
of the following:

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Assuming this is for road use, look for something kitemarked to
BS6102/3.

Most bike shops sell a Cateye front & rear light set with a halogen
front and a TL-AU100 rear which meets that standard (albeit the wrong
version, but it would be outrageous for any court to quibble about
that).

The light afforded by the Cateye halogen front light is adequate, in
my view, for round-town riding and speeds up to around 10mph on dark
roads. For anything faster, you need a better light.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Assuming this is for road use, look for something kitemarked to

Quoted message said:

BS6102/3.

Most bike shops sell a Cateye front & rear light set with a halogen
front and a TL-AU100 rear which meets that standard (albeit the wrong
version, but it would be outrageous for any court to quibble about
that).

The light afforded by the Cateye halogen front light is adequate, in
my view, for round-town riding and speeds up to around 10mph on dark
roads. For anything faster, you need a better light.

Thanks for the advice but i think i prefer the candle option!

Anyone know a way to make it wind proof?

In article 42cd5585.0@entanet said:

Mr Flowers said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Do you mean lighest or brighest? Lightest is probably a 4-AA cell light
with lithium batteries.

There are plenty smaller than that.
http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19814
is 3xAAA, and the rear is even legal.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5360012821 and the
matching rear are even smaller.
Useless as a main front light anywhere that isn't well lit though.
I wouldn't encourage the OP to rely on it even in a streetlit area.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5360008744 might be
smaller still. The "Backupz" name is a clue its not intended to
be relied on on its own.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5360013825 is cheaper,
and still fairly light (2xAA).

Mr Flowers said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the
least amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a
secondary objective.

Assuming you want enough performance to be seen by, as opposed to useless
tokens, or a light to see by:

Front: Smart Polaris: just over 100 grams inc bracket & batteries
(2xAA), £11.99
- www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1389

Rear lights I'm not up to date with enough to make suggestions for
lightweight ones.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

Rear lights I'm not up to date with enough to make suggestions for
lightweight ones.

The Halfords Ultra Bright one is legal, has a reflector and takes 2 x
AAA. Use lithium batteries and you'd hardly know it was there.

Mr Flowers said:

Thanks for the advice but i think i prefer the candle option!

Anyone know a way to make it wind proof?

Stay in the bike shed.

http://snipurl.com/g3su
http://snipurl.com/7je6

Absolute smallest possible.

I have the white one up front - it works remarkably well and is very
conspicuous after dark.

(the little "ears" are what your wrap the bungee loop around.)

In case the picture doesn't give you an idea of size... they're a little
bigger than your thumbnail.

C.

"Mr Flowers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

Thanks,
Sean

Pete Biggs said:

Mr Flowers wrote:
Front: Smart Polaris: just over 100 grams inc bracket & batteries
(2xAA), £11.99
- www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1389

The Electron Extreme Micro 9 LED - £16.99
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5766
also looks interesting.

"Mr Flowers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the least
amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a secondary
objective.

The phrase
"Perfomance is really a secondary

Quoted message said:

objective." ..... sums up the average cyclists attitude to his obligations
perfectly.

Ian

"ian henden" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mr Flowers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Could anyone advise me on the lightest bike lights available for the
least amount of money? If this is possible? Perfomance is really a
secondary objective.

The phrase
"Perfomance is really a secondary

Quoted message said:

objective." ..... sums up the average cyclists attitude to his
obligations perfectly.

Ian

You really have got a big chip on your shoulder, I bet it makes you limp
like a gangster with an attitude.

"C.J.Patten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://snipurl.com/g3su
http://snipurl.com/7je6

Absolute smallest possible.

I have the white one up front - it works remarkably well and is very
conspicuous after dark.

(the little "ears" are what your wrap the bungee loop around.)

In case the picture doesn't give you an idea of size... they're a little
bigger than your thumbnail.

C

now i know i said performance is a secondary objective, but surely that
wouldn't be bright enough for me to see where i was going in the dark?

"stupot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pete Biggs said:

Mr Flowers wrote:
Front: Smart Polaris: just over 100 grams inc bracket & batteries
(2xAA), £11.99
- www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1389

The Electron Extreme Micro 9 LED - £16.99
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5766
also looks interesting.

i think ill go for the polaris. it looks good, has a resonable price and
doesnt weigh much. thanks

A full moon is brighter but in complete, pitch black darkness, these little
ones will project a beam in front of you.
You're better off with a 2 or 3 AA LED projector light though if you really
want to light your path while off-roading at night.

I LOVE these for night road riding though...

C.

"Mr Flowers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"C.J.Patten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://snipurl.com/g3su
http://snipurl.com/7je6

Absolute smallest possible.

I have the white one up front - it works remarkably well and is very
conspicuous after dark.

(the little "ears" are what your wrap the bungee loop around.)

In case the picture doesn't give you an idea of size... they're a little
bigger than your thumbnail.

C

now i know i said performance is a secondary objective, but surely that
wouldn't be bright enough for me to see where i was going in the dark?

Mr Flowers said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Front: Smart Polaris: just over 100 grams inc bracket & batteries
(2xAA), £11.99
- www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1389

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Electron Extreme Micro 9 LED - £16.99
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5766
also looks interesting.

i think ill go for the polaris. it looks good, has a resonable price
and doesnt weigh much. thanks

The Polaris is barely bright enough for you to see where you are going in
the dark. I only recommend it for BEING SEEN while riding on lit roads.

~PB

Mr Flowers said:

"C.J.Patten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://snipurl.com/g3su
http://snipurl.com/7je6

Absolute smallest possible.

I have the white one up front - it works remarkably well and is very
conspicuous after dark.

(the little "ears" are what your wrap the bungee loop around.)

In case the picture doesn't give you an idea of size... they're a
little bigger than your thumbnail.

now i know i said performance is a secondary objective, but surely
that wouldn't be bright enough for me to see where i was going in the
dark?

You didn't say you needed a bike light to see where you were going. A lot
of cyclists don't need one because street lights do the job instead.
You'll need something more powerful for country lanes, etc. Performance
might be secondary for you but it's still got to be pretty good to light
up your path, especially if your night rides are more than a few minutes
long.

What run time do you need?

~PB

Response to ian henden:

<Hendon>
Ian, you ignorant [censored], they're called "bike *luminaires*" At least try
to get the term right, or nobody will know what you're talking about.
</Hendon>

--
Mark, UK

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to
pause and reflect."