Light For My Bike



richard111

New Member
Nov 11, 2015
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Albany
[SIZE=10pt]Hey guys![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I am new to this forum. Please help me decide with the light. I want to choose something good, but not very expensive. Now I use my head lamp. But it is not convenient sometimes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]thanks[/SIZE]
 
I swear by LED lights. I've got a set-up of two on the handlebars and one red one at the rear with a non-led light that flashes.

I don't recall the brand they are but I remember them being not very expensive at all. You can pick up some LED cycling lights pretty cheap if you shop around so I'd say give them a try to see if they work for you or not.

Best of luck! :)
 
I bought a light form the local shop. They had a front and rear package for about $75. I bought the Cygolite Metro 300. Had I known there were better models available I would have bought a higher end model. The bad thing about going to a local shop, they sell you what they have and not what is offered in the real world. :(

But either way I am very happy with the 300. We climbed local mountain roads at night where it can get really dark and the light performs well. A buddy of mine has a $200 system and this little light works just as well. He was impressed too! Plus it charges via USB port.

Seems the head light alone is about $50.


http://www.amazon.com/Metro-300-USB-Rechargeable-Headlight/dp/B008RM08X2

My wife heading up a mtn road with the 300.

0light_zps6uo3q2tx.jpg
 
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I have had numerous LED lights which some of are very effective and powerful if you put some money to them. At the moment I use xenon light since its light power is really good in comparison with LED lights. In addition it consumes less power so therefore it is better choice in darker seasons.
 
Xenon more efficient than LED? Incandecent?

On a price, performance, weight, reliability and runtime basis - LED cannot be beat. I use a couple of cheap Ebay LED units. One on the handlebars and the other mounted to my helmet. The batteries last at least 3 hours, I haven't been out in the dark long enough yet to completely deplete them. They cast enough light to ride at 20mph in complete darkness in poor weather.

GCN has a good review of typical options for nightime lighting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRXlrJ3Mi0
 
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Another guy here mentioning LED. I probably can't advise on a specific model or anything like that since we're probably from very different countries, but I must say LED has been the best solution for me. Although I rarely ride my bike at night, they have shown to be quite useful one time when I got stuck in the office until deep at night and a freaking storm hit while I was inside. Really cold to ride out there like that and especially since I lived so far away from my workplace, but I toughed it out and made it home (obviously), but I'm pretty sure I'd have to walk home if I didn't have the light because storm was so heavy and it was really hard to see in the dark.
 
Susimi said:
I swear by LED lights. I've got a set-up of two on the handlebars and one red one at the rear with a non-led light that flashes.

I don't recall the brand they are but I remember them being not very expensive at all. You can pick up some LED cycling lights pretty cheap if you shop around so I'd say give them a try to see if they work for you or not.

Best of luck! :)
[SIZE=10.5pt]I'm thinking of getting something inexpensive too, because I am not very experienced cyclist yet. Maybe later I will spend money on more quality gear. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]What do you think about this LED https://www.mrosupply.com/lighting/emergency-lighting/flashlights/1750324_5953_nebo/ [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Worth it getting? I like that it goes with the red tail light and its price. But I suppose that this cheap item may have a weak mount.[/SIZE]
 
I cannot see the page (getting a 404), but I would take Mr. Beanz recommendations on the Cygolite for when you want to get a more expensive but not too expensive light system.

Do you have a bike shop near you? Maybe pop n and see what they have on offer.
 
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Lights are needed not just to provide you with visibility, but to make you visible to others who you share the road with, too. They are an important safety item. You don't want "cheap": you want "highly visible". The cost of any light is a whole lot less than a hospital stay as a result of someone in a car or truck hitting you because they didn't know you were there. Or you hit that roadkilled deer you didn't actually see, and as a result you have a really bad crash.

I am with Mr. Beanz and Susimi. I use Cygolite models myself because the LED's are wonderfully visible to others. I recommend them. I use a Hotshot in back and a Streak 310 on my helmet. I probably should buy a second Streak or a Metro model because I bicycle a lot in the darkness, on my way to work.

Thanks

Bob
 
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Good but not expensive? What the heck does that mean? Do you want the best light you can find for under $45 or the best light you can find for under $145, or the best light you can find for under $450. Everyone has their own meaning to not expensive, what's yours? This will help us to show you lights in your budget instead of just shotgunning lights for you to look at.
 
How is this for a start? I use this one myself, and at $12.99 you really cannot complain too much. You get a bright center spot, plus a smaller one right by the front wheel, one towards the left and one to the right so you have some visibility around where the light is aimed. Quite a bit of bang for your $/€
Oh and it actually uses 4 AAA batteries, which last quite a while. I last changed them over a month ago and they are still showing me everything I need to see. At dusk, you can use one of two flashing modes: standard blinking, and repeating cycles of three fast flashes (looks a lot like the newer Police light bars, actually).

If you couple that with your headlight, you should be able to see just fine, and also be seen!
 
jaredstephens6 said:
I have been needing a headlight for my bike too!
There are some light comparison sites that compare some, but not all lights; see:
http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/171650-your-guide-best-front-lights-cycling-beam-comparison-engine#beams

https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/beamshots/#left%5Bmode%5D=3&left%5Blight%5D=urban700&right%5Bmode%5D=31&right%5Blight%5D=lumina650

http://reviews.mtbr.com/2014-mtbr-bike-lights-shootout-tunnel-beam-patterns (this site also has comparisons going back to 2012, some of the lights going back that far may no longer be in production but some still are)

http://www.modernbike.com/bicycle-light-comparison-guide#singleshotplus

Just look at all the pictures closely and pick and chose how much lighting you want for the money you want to spend. Keep in mind each site has their own photography setup so you can't compare one light from one site to a different light at a different site, but at least these will give you an idea of how bright they will be over another. Also keep in mind that the human eye perceives light better than a camera and no light will look the same in real life vs in a photo.
 
Those are great links and in fact it's very important to have the best lighting because if we don't we are putting ourselves and others in danger.
 
Nowadays you can get LED head lights at a reasonable price. Does your bike have a dynamo or you have rechargeable batteries? LED lights are known to be efficient and use less power. You can get them at a local store or order for them online.
 
9lines said:
Nowadays you can get LED head lights at a reasonable price. Does your bike have a dynamo or you have rechargeable batteries? LED lights are known to be efficient and use less power. You can get them at a local store or order for them online.
You can pick some up for under £5 and have heard of places that do them for as low as £1, although at those prices I would put into question their durability. Just don't expect them to last you that long and don't expect them to be good. Think of it as it's exactly what it says on the tin, type of thing.
 
Well, I just added a helmet light (head-lamp) to the headlight on my bars. I may have gone a bit overboard on the head-lamp as it is a 250-lumen unit and all of the reflectors and signs ahead of me looked like I was hitting them with the high-beams in my car. I came home late tonight, and a couple of deep dark sections of trail were lit up almost like it was daylight! I was riding at pace and did not feel like I was outrunning my lights at all. I could likely have gotten away with a 120-lumen unit and been just fine. I would probably have gotten more run-time out of a unit like that as well. The package lists this unit as 6 hours run-time, and that is not a lot for a headlight on a bicycle. When using the helmet light, I sweep the helmet beam from side to side and spot on obstacles. To attach it to the helmet, I will likely use velcro so it is removable when not in use.
 
Most cycle lights use a round beam instead of a shaped flat beam like a car, so yes the headlight will make those reflectors and signs do that, you could try aiming it down a bit more but then you may lose your beam distance throw. It's something you'll have to live with, you'll get use to it after awhile. My Phillips Saferide doesn't have that issue but my Cygolite Mitycross does.
 

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