Cycling Lights

P

projectk

Guest
Hi there, having researched bicycle lights (to death!) I am none the wiser as a lot of websites have conflicting info. I typically cycle approx. 200km per week (mainly at weekends) but have recently started to do 20-50k during the week before or after work - just in time for the dark hours!!! I have never had bike lights (even though rural cycling routes) so I would appreciate any night time cyclists out there with some first hand experience with quality lights - I would prefer rechargeable, LED lights but they need to be 100% waterproof and easy to remove/quick release. They also need to be suitable for dark unlit country roads and provide enough light to see potholes!. I dont mind spending up to €100-150 for the right product (i know from research that i should probably be spending more for the best product but theres always a limit!)
Thanks
 
Difficult one.

I have a Kelly's bike with an inbuilt dynamo and a halogen front light. It's brilliant. If you are upgrading your bike, I would recommend looking for an inbuilt dynamo. You don't have to think about lights. With the clip on lights, I found that I was going out in daytime and coming back in the dark without lights. I leave my light on all the time.

A good yellow jacket is also very important. Probably more important than back lights. Proviz make a light emitting yellow jacket which would be better than any back light.

Brendan
 
thanks for quick reply Brendan, not planning on bike replacement just yet! The Proviz looks excellent, might look into that also but it doesnt replace the need for lights!
 
I have a Lezyne minidrive which i use on the front of the mountain bike, it provides good light but would probably be better attached to helmet and have one of the more expensive Lezyne models on the handlebar. If you are looking to really invest in a light, the maxx exposure ones are incredible, I have used them in the UK in the mountains at night and its like cycling with a floodlight on the bars!!
 
I have this Lumicycle [broken link removed], it's bright enough for full-on mountain biking at night. Outside your price range though.

I know a few guys who use the Magic Shine lights available from DealExtreme, lesser quality, but give decent light.

MTBR's review here or MBR's review section are good guides to the best of what's out there now.
 

When you post stuff like that I end up buying things...
 
Leo said:
I know a few guys who use the Magic Shine lights available from DealExtreme, lesser quality, but give decent light.
Click to expand...

I had been considering the DX ones before now. What would be your advice for commuting and also for up to 2hr rides in the dark (eg. Out to blessington/Enniskerry)
Are the battery packs just velcroed on to the frame?
If one has a helmet mounted lamp, where is the battery pack-in a back pocket or on the helmet??
Thanks
 
If you're going for bar mounting, then yeah, velcroing to the frame is best. It works well.

With a single light setup, I prefer having the light helmet-mounted, especially if you are cycling on unlit roads/ off-road. The focus of the beam follows exactly where you are looking, so when on rough surfaces, you can view just in front of the wheel and picj your line, when travelling at higher speeds on good surfaces, you can look down the road a bit giving you time to react to pot holes, obstructions, etc..

When helmet mounted, the battery pack can go in a rucksack, pocket, or belt clip. There can be a bit of weight in some of the packs, so having this on your head would tire the neck muscles.
 
Bought These from Wiggle and they light up the road like a Christmas tree bit expensive but well worth it if you want to do some off roading in dark l areas.

Also you can charge them via usb so saves on battery's.
 

I tried to purchase led lights but here they are ban so suggest me some more
 
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