Lights for winter commute ?
Discussion
donfisher said:
I Can’t understand spending 10x the price of one for something else.
Probably the same sort of light as my first one, single Cree, ok quality about 2hrs on low setting?I remember the fuss about the cheap lights in the club, everyone bought them. Over time most now have switched to other manufacturers. It sounds daft spending more money but after being let down once I vowed never ever again. In the grand scheme of things the cost of a decent branded light is buttons compared to all the other crap cyclists buy
I get about 5 hours on low with the 4x 4 inch battery pack.
At a tenner each, I bought them for the family. As I'm the only one to use them regularly, I just take a spare battery whenever I go out. There is some warning from them - usually enough that if I switch them to low, I can get home before they fail. Only had to change the battery twice.
At a tenner each, I bought them for the family. As I'm the only one to use them regularly, I just take a spare battery whenever I go out. There is some warning from them - usually enough that if I switch them to low, I can get home before they fail. Only had to change the battery twice.
I have got on well with Exposure. However, for the last two years I have been using a Lupine Piko at the front and a Lupine Rotlicht at the rear. Neither were cheap, but if it helps my experience is as follows.
The Piko:
- Gives a very good spread and reach of light and is plenty bright enough for the unlit lanes I ride on when commuting. It has two power settings, so you can switch to "dipped beam" when cars come along if necessary, but I find that drivers don't seem to mind it on full power provided I position it correctly. It doesn't take long to work out the right angle.
- Has a flashing function if you want it, but I use an Exposure Flare as a backup / flashing light in any case.
- Will typically give about 50 minutes on full burn. It's small, light and very well made.
- Attaches to my handlebar with a thick rubber band: it never moves or vibrates.
As for the Rotlicht:
- It is very compact and has a wide range of functions, from continuous high burn to various flashing modes.
- Again, it is very nicely made and is small and light.
- Battery life is good, even on full power.
- It has an accelerometer in it, allowing it to act similarly to a brake light if you slow noticeably. You can turn that function off if you like.
A while back, a truck driver pulled alongside me and wound down his window. I was unsure what to expect, but he just wanted to tell me that he could see me from "miles back" and that it made a pleasant change. Good to know when a four axle tipper is coming up behind you in the dark.
I realise that most lights are rechargeable nowadays, but my man maths tells me that I have recouped the cost of a decent set of lights by not having to buy endless packs of Duracells ...
Hope all this helps.
Andy
The Piko:
- Gives a very good spread and reach of light and is plenty bright enough for the unlit lanes I ride on when commuting. It has two power settings, so you can switch to "dipped beam" when cars come along if necessary, but I find that drivers don't seem to mind it on full power provided I position it correctly. It doesn't take long to work out the right angle.
- Has a flashing function if you want it, but I use an Exposure Flare as a backup / flashing light in any case.
- Will typically give about 50 minutes on full burn. It's small, light and very well made.
- Attaches to my handlebar with a thick rubber band: it never moves or vibrates.
As for the Rotlicht:
- It is very compact and has a wide range of functions, from continuous high burn to various flashing modes.
- Again, it is very nicely made and is small and light.
- Battery life is good, even on full power.
- It has an accelerometer in it, allowing it to act similarly to a brake light if you slow noticeably. You can turn that function off if you like.
A while back, a truck driver pulled alongside me and wound down his window. I was unsure what to expect, but he just wanted to tell me that he could see me from "miles back" and that it made a pleasant change. Good to know when a four axle tipper is coming up behind you in the dark.
I realise that most lights are rechargeable nowadays, but my man maths tells me that I have recouped the cost of a decent set of lights by not having to buy endless packs of Duracells ...
Hope all this helps.
Andy
I've always fancied a proper dynamo setup, a front hub dynamo and a front and rear LED light attached, no need to worry about batteries at all then.
15 years ago I used to have a cheap bottle dynamo and halogen bulbs, and it was great when it was working, brighter than the battery offerings of the day, and didn't have to remember to take lights with me, or worry about them getting nicked, however these were let down by: a couple of blown bulbs, the dynamo slipped in the rain, they didn't have a battery, so went off at traffic lights, and it took me ages to diagnose a dodgy earth at one point, however a well fitted modern LED set, with stop function would solve all that.
15 years ago I used to have a cheap bottle dynamo and halogen bulbs, and it was great when it was working, brighter than the battery offerings of the day, and didn't have to remember to take lights with me, or worry about them getting nicked, however these were let down by: a couple of blown bulbs, the dynamo slipped in the rain, they didn't have a battery, so went off at traffic lights, and it took me ages to diagnose a dodgy earth at one point, however a well fitted modern LED set, with stop function would solve all that.
There's a bit of a theme here.
Buy cheap if you don't mind buying often, or bodging the electronics, or whatever.
Or...get out the wallet if you can't be doing with the hassle. Personally, I'm on my second Exposure in 10 years and they were both bloody brilliant. I got the second when the charging circuit failed on the first (after about 4 years heavy use) and Exposure gave me the choice of a £35 repair, or 50% off if I wanted to replace it with any one of their current range. Certainly, no complaints here.
Buy cheap if you don't mind buying often, or bodging the electronics, or whatever.
Or...get out the wallet if you can't be doing with the hassle. Personally, I'm on my second Exposure in 10 years and they were both bloody brilliant. I got the second when the charging circuit failed on the first (after about 4 years heavy use) and Exposure gave me the choice of a £35 repair, or 50% off if I wanted to replace it with any one of their current range. Certainly, no complaints here.
I went for an exposure when I found I couldn't trust a cheap eBay light to get me home after starting serious commuting. I figured that yes its expensive, but if I used it 40 times over that winter it would pay for itself in the fuel I saved. I ended up using it far more than that in the end, and I've had a another winter out of it already..just about to enter my third.
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