front light recommendations

[rothers]

On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:22:20 +0100, Andrew Price <[email protected]> wrote:

>The Ixon puts out very good light, but has serious design faults. The
>mounting is conceived in such a way that the weight of the unit is not
>equally balanced on both sides of the handlebar clamp, with the
>inevitable result that vibration from uneven surfaces will affect the
>alignment of the lamp. No amount of hand tightening is enough to cure
>this.
>
>The electronics are also temperamental - if the power supply is cut
>due to faulty battery contacts (as supplied, the spring contacts are
>loose and need to be bent by hand to remove slack), the lamp will not
>restart immediately on pressing the "on" button, but only after a
>delay of a minute or so, which means that a stop is almost
>unavoidable. That's not fun when it happens in traffic on an unlit
>road.
>
>From what I have read on the German cycling group <de.rec.fahrrad>,
>the newer model Ixon (with the black housing) has improved light
>output and focus, but still has the mechanical and electronics
>problems.

Having just returned an Ixon IQ for these very reasons, yes the light output is
excellent but the design is rubbish especially with regard to the battery
connections, could anyone recommend a good mid range high output LED front
light?

I'm after something suitable for unlit county lanes but without getting into the
£100+ area. Ideally something with internal rechargeable batteries.

Cheers

Neil

 

[dabac]

...I've had a look at the batteries and on the + end only the raised 'nipple' is metal - the rest of the surface is non conductive. I'm wandering if that's partly to blame.

Well, the metal part that is the - end is actually a metal can that's all one-piece with the side of the battery. The + end is that nipple you're talking about set in the middle of a non-conductive button which then is crimped in place to seal the battery. Peel off the (usually) colorful shrink-wrap and you're dangerously close to accidentally shorting the battery out.

 

[David Martin]

On Jan 31, 11:31 am, rothers <[email protected]> wrote:

> I'm after something suitable for unlit county lanes but without getting into the
> £100+ area. Ideally something with internal rechargeable batteries.

Having had the second EL530 bite the dust with terminal effect this
season, I am now seriously tempted by the Ay Up which, whilst coming
in at just over £100 for the cheapest kit, can be got for less if you
just get the parts you want. Details at http://www.ayup.com.au and
their UK distributor comes on line on Monday, allegedly.

I'm thinking that these will prove to be better value in the long term
than cheaper lights.

..d

 

[Ekul Namsob]

TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:

> > On the bright side, they are Very bright
>
>
> A hi vis waistcaot (eg £1-50) and ankle bands are very effective
> also and I leave the reflectors on my bikes or add more. They are like
> free lights.

No, they're not. As soon as you move out of the beam of a car's
headlights, you could wear all the hi-vis you like and still be
invisible. Many road users, perfectly legally, carry no lights.

Cheers,
Luke

--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

 

[TerryJ]

On 31 Jan, 18:16, [email protected] (Ekul
Namsob) wrote:
> TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > On the bright side, they are Very bright
>
> > A hi vis waistcaot (eg £1-50) and ankle bands are very effective
> > also and I leave the reflectors on my bikes or add more. They are like
> > free lights.
>
> No, they're not. As soon as you move out of the beam of a car's
> headlights, you could wear all the hi-vis you like and still be
> invisible. Many road users, perfectly legally, carry no lights.

Oh yes they are.

 

[Ekul Namsob]

TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 31 Jan, 18:16, [email protected] (Ekul
> Namsob) wrote:
> > TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > > On the bright side, they are Very bright
> >
> > > A hi vis waistcaot (eg £1-50) and ankle bands are very effective
> > > also and I leave the reflectors on my bikes or add more. They are like
> > > free lights.
> >
> > No, they're not. As soon as you move out of the beam of a car's
> > headlights, you could wear all the hi-vis you like and still be
> > invisible. Many road users, perfectly legally, carry no lights.
>
> Oh yes they are.

Please don't be so tedious as to think that a simple (and ungrammatical)
'Oh yes they are' is a means of engaging in rational debate.

In what way does your hi-vis work then? How does it emit light in the
darkness?

Cheers,
Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, TerryJ wrote:
>
>> On the bright side, they are Very bright
>
>A hi vis waistcaot (eg £1-50) and ankle bands are very effective
>also and I leave the reflectors on my bikes or add more. They are like
>free lights.

Reflectors are excellent value for money and weight at making you visible
in car headlights. Bugger all use for actually seeing where you are going
in the dark though, so not a substitute for actual lights if you are going
to cycle in the dark (or just want to be legal in a street lit area).

 

[Martin Dann]

Ekul Namsob wrote:
>
> Please don't be so tedious as to think that a simple (and ungrammatical)
> 'Oh yes they are' is a means of engaging in rational debate.

Oh yes they are.

IMHO a hi-vis jacket (or equivalent) at night is as good at making you
visible as a standard set of blinkies. They do provide a large area for
the eye to lock onto, making it easier to see where they are than a
point light source. Also they tend to be higher than most bike lights,
apart from cyclists pretending to be Daleks.

Of course a hi-vis or pretending to be a Dalek is no substitute for
having lits on your bike.

> In what way does your hi-vis work then? How does it emit light in the
> darkness?

If there is any UV around, then the hi-vis will fluoresce.

My major gripe with hi-vis jackets is the price some cycle shops sell
them at e.g. 20+ukp, when a diy shop 200 yards away is selling them for
3 quid.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, Martin Dann
[email protected] says...

> My major gripe with hi-vis jackets is the price some cycle shops sell
> them at e.g. 20+ukp, when a diy shop 200 yards away is selling them for
> 3 quid.
>
ISTR Tesco has them for a couple of quid ATM.

 

[[email protected]]

In message <[email protected]>
Rob Morley <[email protected]> wrote:

>> My major gripe with hi-vis jackets

is that they are another layer to don/doff.

So, what Hi-Viz merino layers are there, that can be covered in
cold/wet weather with a light Hi-Viz breathable waterproof breathing
outer layer?


--
Charles
Brompton P6R-Plus; CarryFreedom -YL, in Motspur Park
LCC; CTC.

 

[Ekul Namsob]

Martin Dann <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ekul Namsob wrote:
> >
> > Please don't be so tedious as to think that a simple (and ungrammatical)
> > 'Oh yes they are' is a means of engaging in rational debate.
>
> Oh yes they are.
>
> IMHO a hi-vis jacket (or equivalent) at night is as good at making you
> visible as a standard set of blinkies. They do provide a large area for
> the eye to lock onto, making it easier to see where they are than a
> point light source. Also they tend to be higher than most bike lights,
> apart from cyclists pretending to be Daleks.
>
> Of course a hi-vis or pretending to be a Dalek is no substitute for
> having lits on your bike.

Indeed. That is very different from Terry's point.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

 

[[email protected]]

Exscusez moi:-

>> having lits on your bike

It is important to stay alert - "ne pas dormez" or something, occurs

--
Charles
Brompton P6R-Plus; CarryFreedom -YL, in Motspur Park
LCC; CTC.

 

[TerryJ]

>
> Indeed. That is very different from Terry's point.
>

Oh no it's not.

And I am shortly to refresh my supply of this stuff, which adorns
several of my windproofs, waterproofs , mudguards, shoes,
helmets......

http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?products_id=142

http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?cPath=33_42&products_id=88

and allow me to point out ,for those who need to be told, that this
stuff is not bulletproof, does not help you see in the dark, has no
nutritional value and the use of it does not preclude the use of
lights .

After this thread started I was driving to work in the pitch dark when
across my path 50yds ahead went 4 tiny glittering things which turned
out to be the only visible sign of a 'paper boy on his dark bike
against a black background. I do not approve of his lack of lights (in
case you were wondering) but his wheel reflectors were better than
nothing.

TerryJ

 

[Ekul Namsob]

TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:

> >
> > Indeed. That is very different from Terry's point.
> >
>
> Oh no it's not.

Please, leave enough of the previous message in your reply for your
response to make sense.
>
> And I am shortly to refresh my supply of this stuff, which adorns several
> of my windproofs, waterproofs , mudguards, shoes, helmets......
>
> http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?products_id=142
>
> http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?cPath=33_42&products_
> id=88
>
> and allow me to point out ,for those who need to be told, that this
> stuff is not bulletproof, does not help you see in the dark, has no
> nutritional value and the use of it does not preclude the use of
> lights .

It's that final point that you had been failing to make. I was
disagreeing with you, as your statement that hi-vis, etc "are like free
lights" could be seen to imply that they removed the need for lighting.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>