Discussion
Hi All,
Looking at the weather forecasts, later in the week could be the time when I roll my Kona Hybrid out of the she and start the commute to work on the bike. Looking forward to it - saves a few quid and really kick starts the diet with 14 miles twice a day.
However, I'm always a bit nervous regarding lights and the fact that they might go off at any time without warning.
I've been looking at some Ebay/Amazon 'Solarstorm' bike lights which run off a battery pack - but only seem to be to the front, with the sellers giving a 'free gift' of a rear light powered by 2x AAA batteries. I can imagine the quality of these rear lights.
Anyone any recommendations/links to good lights for front and rear? For now, don't want to spend hundreds as can be easily done with lights. £30-40 max at the moment I suppose.
Looking at the weather forecasts, later in the week could be the time when I roll my Kona Hybrid out of the she and start the commute to work on the bike. Looking forward to it - saves a few quid and really kick starts the diet with 14 miles twice a day.
However, I'm always a bit nervous regarding lights and the fact that they might go off at any time without warning.
I've been looking at some Ebay/Amazon 'Solarstorm' bike lights which run off a battery pack - but only seem to be to the front, with the sellers giving a 'free gift' of a rear light powered by 2x AAA batteries. I can imagine the quality of these rear lights.
Anyone any recommendations/links to good lights for front and rear? For now, don't want to spend hundreds as can be easily done with lights. £30-40 max at the moment I suppose.
Good luck, Kona Dew used to be my commute tool of choice
I actually used the "free gift" lights on my pitch black commute, so if they failed I would be buggered and they were pretty good and bright, except the plastic mounting clip was shiite, so when I adjusted it snapped off, it was a non uniform size so I could not use it with other brackets. Crap lights but bright and oddly reliable.
Always run two lights either side, as one will fail/fall off etc. Even more so as on the rear, you wont realise!!
Ive been riding at night for years and lights either last forever , or fail pretty quick, remember you can have them on during the day to test them. Also dont underestimate how rough the journey is , this can break brackets/work them loose over time
Cateye have been great over the years, you can get better performance for pice, but they are like cockroaches, I use this model:
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/cateye-tl-ld135-r...
The bracket didnt last too long, but I bodged a sturdier one out of other fixings
Moon Comets are more pricey and brighter and good + rechargeable via USB, but I'm happy with AA powered rear lights
Planet x have lots of cheap good vlaue options, but never used them so cant comment
I actually used the "free gift" lights on my pitch black commute, so if they failed I would be buggered and they were pretty good and bright, except the plastic mounting clip was shiite, so when I adjusted it snapped off, it was a non uniform size so I could not use it with other brackets. Crap lights but bright and oddly reliable.
Always run two lights either side, as one will fail/fall off etc. Even more so as on the rear, you wont realise!!
Ive been riding at night for years and lights either last forever , or fail pretty quick, remember you can have them on during the day to test them. Also dont underestimate how rough the journey is , this can break brackets/work them loose over time
Cateye have been great over the years, you can get better performance for pice, but they are like cockroaches, I use this model:
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/cateye-tl-ld135-r...
The bracket didnt last too long, but I bodged a sturdier one out of other fixings
Moon Comets are more pricey and brighter and good + rechargeable via USB, but I'm happy with AA powered rear lights
Planet x have lots of cheap good vlaue options, but never used them so cant comment
Moon Nebula is what I'll be buying when my Cateye falls off and explodes in the road (as they always do). It's more than bright enough and over broad area, which IMO is far better than the single spots that most are.
Two rear lights of some sort is a good plan though. I have a good one and a s
t one. The Cateye is obviously the st one.
Two rear lights of some sort is a good plan though. I have a good one and a s
t one. The Cateye is obviously the st one.I've using these all winter
Re charge every other night, What's not to like
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
Re charge every other night, What's not to like
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
I always have two rear lights on in the dark. I have two fronts too, but only use one.
My main front is the Solar Storm, on the dimmest setting it is fine for unlit roads and lasts a good two hours. My back up front is a Moon Meteor 100S, I don't find it quite bright enough on the dimmest setting for unlit roads, and don't know how long it lasts on the higher settings.
I got the free rear with the solar storm but haven't used it yet. I use a Giant own-brand light as my main rear, about £25 I think but it is shaped for an aero seat post. It's USB rechargeable has 5 modes and lasts 3-4 hours on flashing. I also use a Topeak Redlite Aero, mainly because it is as good as any of the others but runs on one AAA battery, which seems to last forever on flashing. I don't mind carrying one spare AAA battery; rechargeables are great but can give up on you with little or no warning and if you are 5 miles from home in the dark, you are screwed. Ideally, I would replace one of my fronts with a battery light but they all want a lot of batteries to give you enough light to see by.
A head torch or helmet-mount option for one of your fronts is good too, so you can see to fix a mechanical, and it also helps if you can see where you are looking, which isn't always 5m in front of you.
My main front is the Solar Storm, on the dimmest setting it is fine for unlit roads and lasts a good two hours. My back up front is a Moon Meteor 100S, I don't find it quite bright enough on the dimmest setting for unlit roads, and don't know how long it lasts on the higher settings.
I got the free rear with the solar storm but haven't used it yet. I use a Giant own-brand light as my main rear, about £25 I think but it is shaped for an aero seat post. It's USB rechargeable has 5 modes and lasts 3-4 hours on flashing. I also use a Topeak Redlite Aero, mainly because it is as good as any of the others but runs on one AAA battery, which seems to last forever on flashing. I don't mind carrying one spare AAA battery; rechargeables are great but can give up on you with little or no warning and if you are 5 miles from home in the dark, you are screwed. Ideally, I would replace one of my fronts with a battery light but they all want a lot of batteries to give you enough light to see by.
A head torch or helmet-mount option for one of your fronts is good too, so you can see to fix a mechanical, and it also helps if you can see where you are looking, which isn't always 5m in front of you.
Rear lights?
1) A USB rechargeable 'Moon Comet' (I use the Aldi/Lidl copy) on lowest 'flash' setting for brightness
2) A 'Smart ½ Watt' (kidney shaped) AAA battery powered light on 'solid' both as a back-up and an aid to following drivers being better able to judge distance.
Because I ride a lot at night I also carry a second Comet to swap into the bracket when the first one discharges fully (4 to 6 hours or thereabouts depending on the setting it's used on). The 'Smart' light you can just carry two spare batteries - they're so small you can carry them anywhere really.
You won't get caught out with the Moon Comet, neither, as it's quite obvious whether it's on or off, just from a cursory look down/back. It's so bright, even on it's lowest setting, that it illuminates some of the road, and various bits of the bike.
Both these suggestions are very secure when mounted into the proprietary brackets provided, but I've lost a couple of the 'Smart' belt-clip style lights in the past when mounting them on the little loop on the back of a saddle-pack.
Also in use (on my best bike) is a 'Bontrager Flare 3' rear lamp. Top quality and very bright, but again powered by AAA batteries... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bontrager/flar... ...£19.99 at Evans. There is a 'Flare R' version of this which is more money, but USB rechargeable... http://www.rutlandcycling.com/314175/products/bont...
1) A USB rechargeable 'Moon Comet' (I use the Aldi/Lidl copy) on lowest 'flash' setting for brightness
2) A 'Smart ½ Watt' (kidney shaped) AAA battery powered light on 'solid' both as a back-up and an aid to following drivers being better able to judge distance.
Because I ride a lot at night I also carry a second Comet to swap into the bracket when the first one discharges fully (4 to 6 hours or thereabouts depending on the setting it's used on). The 'Smart' light you can just carry two spare batteries - they're so small you can carry them anywhere really.
You won't get caught out with the Moon Comet, neither, as it's quite obvious whether it's on or off, just from a cursory look down/back. It's so bright, even on it's lowest setting, that it illuminates some of the road, and various bits of the bike.
Both these suggestions are very secure when mounted into the proprietary brackets provided, but I've lost a couple of the 'Smart' belt-clip style lights in the past when mounting them on the little loop on the back of a saddle-pack.
Also in use (on my best bike) is a 'Bontrager Flare 3' rear lamp. Top quality and very bright, but again powered by AAA batteries... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bontrager/flar... ...£19.99 at Evans. There is a 'Flare R' version of this which is more money, but USB rechargeable... http://www.rutlandcycling.com/314175/products/bont...
I bought four Planet X Pphart Bleeps ages ago, expecting them to break or fall off, but they have defied my predictions. I've only used two of them, on different bikes, the other two are still in their wrappers. I also bought five pairs of cheap rubber ones off eBay, handy for when the club kids go out on a ride, or when somebody loses or fogets theirs, they have been surprisingly hardy for a quid a pair as well.
Thanks folks for your responses.
Yes, Kona Dew Drop here too. Nice bike - if a little slow! (I know i know - it's the rider - but read the reviews, the slowest bike in the world apparently.....)
I had a Cateye previously but the back one stopped working. Front still works fine though. I always have a spare, and carry in my pocket a couple of those £3 elasticated cheapy lights from Aldi - just in case! I find that when i do early morning rides in the dark, i've time to keep checking the rear to see that the light is on, plus can easily see if behind you is dark or slightly red - but not so on a semi-light commute with loads of traffic to worry about. Hence why i want to get this one right.
Best get on Amazon now and check out your recommends.
Cheers folks.
Yes, Kona Dew Drop here too. Nice bike - if a little slow! (I know i know - it's the rider - but read the reviews, the slowest bike in the world apparently.....)
I had a Cateye previously but the back one stopped working. Front still works fine though. I always have a spare, and carry in my pocket a couple of those £3 elasticated cheapy lights from Aldi - just in case! I find that when i do early morning rides in the dark, i've time to keep checking the rear to see that the light is on, plus can easily see if behind you is dark or slightly red - but not so on a semi-light commute with loads of traffic to worry about. Hence why i want to get this one right.
Best get on Amazon now and check out your recommends.
Cheers folks.
SoliD said:
Exposure TraceR recently replaced my Knog Blinder Stripe (which I now use as backup), combined with a fibre flare on my helmet.
The TraceR is fantastic, massively bright but always on in pulsing mode, and with good all round visibility on it. (not cheap mind)
+1, just bought the Trace and TraceR to replace a set of Lezyne Zectos that kept failing. Exposures are excellent, very bright and last for ages on a single charge. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.......The TraceR is fantastic, massively bright but always on in pulsing mode, and with good all round visibility on it. (not cheap mind)
I bought a Cateye Omni 3 a while back. Lovely and bright, still on the original batteries after 40 mins or so use every day all winter, and pretty cheap
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cateye-OMNI-LED-Rear-Light...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cateye-OMNI-LED-Rear-Light...
I have a Cateye that's been on my MTB for over 15yrs, non LED & runs on AAA's.
Road bike has a Lezyne KTV which was cheap & not good enough on it's own so have just added a Cateye TLD610 which runs on AAA's & has 5 x LEDs with various modes, was cheap at £15.00 too
Bought a Moon front light for my daughters bike & it's pretty good, will probably end up buying a matching rear for her at some point to replace (or supplement) the cheapy Aldi one her Mother bought.
Road bike has a Lezyne KTV which was cheap & not good enough on it's own so have just added a Cateye TLD610 which runs on AAA's & has 5 x LEDs with various modes, was cheap at £15.00 too
Bought a Moon front light for my daughters bike & it's pretty good, will probably end up buying a matching rear for her at some point to replace (or supplement) the cheapy Aldi one her Mother bought.
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