Show me THE light!

[rifraf]

Hi,
I ride a 15 year old Moulton APB
I found a new "old stock" sturmey archer dynohub about 10 years ago in Christchurch NZ.
I paid the money to have it put into a rim with stainless spokes.
I've never looked back as remembering to charge batteries and dealing with shops when the batteries
fail early under warranty was more than I wanted to repeat after numerous times with my vistalight combo.
I recommend to anyone to get yourself a son dynahub as they weigh bugger all compared to my sturmey and the available lights at bike24 prices are out of this world compared to when I made the plunge.
The sturmey is still pumping out the power after all these years and all I have to remember is a spare bulb.
I have never had to replace the serfas 9(?) bright led taillight in years so I've never bought a rear light for the hub.
I'm toying with the idea of a new moulton tsr and one of the first improvements will be the sondelux (son20) and the L+M cyo senso plus 40 lux headlights or maybe the supernova if I'm sitting down when getting the quote - lol.
You just cant beat "fit it and forget it".
As to why the son as opposed to the shimano, tis the same reason I opted for an internally geared rear hub - very low maintenance as I'm lazy and resent getting my fingers dirty when I could be riding or drinking.
I've never meet anyone unhappy with having a dynohub once the've gotten over the purchase price.
Good luck with your choice what ever it is

[il padrone]

From ACT's Pedalpower, one view on why the lumens 'arms race' may be dangerous to some.

I had something happen the other night (no-one hurt) on the bike path that I think will become a key issue in safety if it hasn't already. Also I work with LEDs in my company and use an LED light so believe me I am not against LEDs or new technology. I eat, live and breath new technology. However... Last night I had two bikes in quick succession come towards me on the bike path with very bright (900 lumens(?)) LED lights mounted and aimed pretty much straight ahead. They made no effort to dim them. What I didn't know was that there was a pedestrian walking dressed in black from head to toe right after them. I had dimmed my LED system as the bikes approached but whether I had or not I still would have been temporarily blinded by the oncoming lights. I saw the pedestrian late due to the dazzle, put on my brakes and swerved to the left off the trail. She, hearing my brakes, also jumped to the left and we collided, luckily softly, but we both went down, I on the bitumen and she on the grass. She and I both apologised profusely and she was up in a flash and helped me up which I thought was pretty nice.

As I say, I work with LEDs and I have LED drivers, LEDs in various states (including samples from Cree) and microprocessors around me to drive these things intelligently. I can't however easily devise a system to autodim for bicycles and it's not in my business plan to do so... I can tell you a little about the technology you are using.
1. the lumen released are released from a very small area. LED lighting is about as close as you can get to laser light without it actually being a laser.
2. Here is a warning from a Cree XLAMP XM-L LED I have: "Wear sunglasses. These are extremely bright parts, generating up to 260 lumens from a very small area. Take proper precaution to shield your eyes." That's 260 lumens.. I was hit with about 900 lumens last night twice in quick succession.
3. From a self defense product blurb: "The Phazzer Talon stun gun provides 2000KV. These ratings are achieved with the use of 7.2V Grade A Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery. The safety features include the unique Circuit Disconnect Rip Cord, Toggle slide safety switch and a blinding LED light when shined in the eyes of the assailant causes 5-8 seconds of temporary blindness. Has a leather belt loop case. Being compact this compact stun gun boasts a lot punch for its size" (not well specified but you get the idea)

There are plenty of articles and discussions on this and ongoing research into LED effects on the visual system, but basically bike lights are approaching the brightness of car headlights and in some cases, depending on the light source, the light is emitted from a very small spot. To avoid blinding oncoming cars, pedestrians and other bicyclists it is more important than ever to make certain your headlight is either dimmed or aimed properly to avoid temporarily blinding the oncoming traffic.

When riding at night I am now more tempted to ride on the roads with a bike lane rather than the bike path. I think the increase in power of bicycle lighting has outstripped the education on how to use it safely.

[mmhbeer]

Ive had Ayups for over two years now and theyre still going well. I bought them for MTB off road at night and they were the only light that I could get both bar and helmet lights for a reasonable cost. They were pretty much the cheapest option available at the time.

Four of the fellas that I ride with have tried the magic shine and the Australian distributed equivalant. When they work they're good but you really need two of them because they aren't reliable. There has been trouble with the light head, battery and chargers.

Dont get sucked into the Lumen rating of these lights as a measure of the amount of light that they put out. My helmet mounted Ayup at 320 lumens is easily as bright as a Magicshine that is rated at 900 lumens. The current Ayup lights are rated at over 400 lumen and the you can also boost the power on them up further.

Im a happy Ayup user and would buy them again. If I were in the market for another brand of light id be buying Exposure lights.

[rifraf]

and for the weight weenies and tight wads:
http://www.bikestation.fi/info/fi/braen ... /sondelux/
which shows a good reason why the son as opposed to some shimano brand dynohubs
and in particular the sondelux

[The Walrus]

What do people think is enough lumens for commuting and occasional trail rides at dusk?

[Aushiker]

credit: Palm Beach Bike Tours

Andrew

[The Walrus]

Well I decided on going with my first choice and took delivery of my Exposure Strada this week from TrailMix in Melbourne...and its great. Trail Mix are the only outlet in Aus that are matching the likes of CRC for price, I paid $299.

I ordered on Friday and got it on Tuesday...2 days in and its exactly what I expected and needed. Worked a treat today on a very foggy morning!

[DrJay]

Thanks to an earlier post I saw mentioned Exposure Lights and have looked up their web site. It seems to be a rechargeable light that doesn't have the hassles of batteries being attached and so on, I assume its built in as part of the unit. You just attach it to your handlebars and off you go...different levels of brightness available depending on what you need and what you are prepared to pay.

Anyone know anymore? http://www.exposurelights.com

I've got an exposure Strada, the just superseded one.

3 hours on high, 10 hours on low, releases from bracket in 2 seconds (if that). Low beam is wide and flat (put it under drivers eyes, just), high puts a spot down the middle. New version is 50% more powerful than mine I think.

I've got the old RedEye at the back, I'm easily visible for more than 1km at night. New equivalent is better with flash and brighter.

[GraemeL]

Four of the fellas that I ride with have tried the magic shine and the Australian distributed equivalant. When they work they're good but you really need two of them because they aren't reliable. There has been trouble with the light head, battery and chargers.

When you say there's been trouble, I assume you are saying that about the Magicshines and not the Australian Nitelights. I have two sets of Nitelights and have not had an ounce of trouble from them.

Graeme

[find_bruce]

When you say there's been trouble, I assume you are saying that about the Magicshines and not the Australian Nitelights. I have two sets of Nitelights and have not had an ounce of trouble from them.

Sorry to disappoint you Graeme but your experience is not universal. They would appear for all intents and purposes to be exactly the same lights and batteries sold for a higher price, presumably reflecting the fact you have someone in Australia taking responsibility for warranty issues & who can get sued if things go terribly wrong. No doubt the resellers will make all sorts of claims about how much better they are than everybody else, but in my opinion, that is just snake oil. As far as I can tell, Nitelights do not even claim to use different lights or batteries, but rather that the battery and charger combination have been tested to Australian Standards.

If sellers were reputable they wouldn't quote figures like 900, 1000 or 1400 lumens as if these had actually been measured out the light head as bought. Sure they are bright, but are they that bright? Another clue is the weasel words they try to use in their warranty. The webstie appears to be screwed at the moment, but currently the Google cache includes the following:

Please Note: Batteries are not included in the warranty unless dead on arrival. ... Nitelights shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages.

Sorry, but warranties in relation to goods for personal, domestic or household use cannot be avoided in that way (Competition and Consumer Act 2010 - SCHEDULE 2 at sections 64 & 64A)

Some people win the Chinese lottery & have no problems at all, some lights or batteries die. A very few get a front row seat for the fireworks show. My Chinese light and battery works very well, its bright enough for me and but I accept that others may not - such is the nature of poor quality control.

[Aushiker]

Hi



Andrew

[Avalanche]

Hey there. I'm another happy recent convert to Ayups. Purchased the V4 adventure kit wit intermediate and narrow combo lights both with 40% extra. Yes, they were expensive, but what price can you put on safety. They are perfect for my regular 15Km night time commutes. No idea of the light output, but more than enough for my 30Km/h average (topping out at about 45Km/h) on road. Currently I have both light sets mounted on my bars, and haven't yet had any issues (that I'm aware of) with blinding other road users, although my route is pretty quite. Maybe 1 or 2 cars, and usually going the same way as me. After a lot of research I went this way for many reasons, not least because I can easily swap between two bikes and the helmet mount option. They can also be very easily and quickly be removed from the bike for security when parking.

[Trev Campbell]

Hi guys, just found this on EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 just wondering if anyone has used one and what thay are like ??

Thanks

[l45er]

Hi guys, just found this on EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 just wondering if anyone has used one and what thay are like ??

Thanks

That is basically one of these viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26723

They are cheap, well made and very bright. Only issues are battery pack and waterproofing, cable length (for some), and bar mount can be a bit average.

I'd recommend the Magicshine 808e - I've had one for a month and is a very good light for $75. Need to get a separate head mount though.

[The Walrus]

This has been discussed a lot on other threads but the option of these cheaper lights seems to come down to build quality. Are they safe left charging overnight etc etc. Personally I wanted something with a guarantee/warranty with the promise that it would last and provide the peace of mind that it would work every time and not burn the house down!

[rifraf]

Hi guys, just found this on EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 just wondering if anyone has used one and what thay are like ??

Thanks

Hi Trev,
cant comment on that particular lightset but would encourage you to search this forum on the
topic of lighting systems.
A good lighting system that allows you to see and be seen is what stands between you and death when riding
from dusk onwards.
For the sake of yourself and anyone that cares for you, buy the best you can.
Preferably buy once and "buy right!"
Whilst I'd advise you to consider spending the bucks on a dynamo hub system, I understand the pocket shock
of the initial outlay is enough to put a lot of people off before they have fully thought it through.
Take the time to think it through and add to the cost of what ever you purchase some reflectors and
a florescent vest of some description.
Read all the threads in this forum on lights to try to get a consensus on the best bang for buck.
Then decide whether or not your going to remember to charge or buy new batteries in time for each ride.
This is something you no longer have to remember with a good dynamo hub system.
The outlay in my opinion is nothing compared to getting knocked down because of insufficient lighting.
Good luck what ever decision you make and I hope the lights fore-fill your expectations.

[juggled_balls]

something interesting happened to me tonight. I've been using my ayups for nearly 2 years now and i love them. switch them between my mountain bike and road bike handlebars easily enough and another set stays on my helmet. but anyways i was riding home along a lit main road and along the way saw some cops doing some random breath testing. i was about the just ride past the cop waving people down but he just started waving harder. pulled up next to him and asked him if he was serious and he said that he thought i was a car and said not to worry and keep going. that's my 2 cents on ayups

[ldrcycles]

Hi guys, just found this on EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 just wondering if anyone has used one and what thay are like ??

Thanks

Thats not the same seller as i bought from but exactly the same light. Superficially it looks very well made (i've had plenty of cheap nasty lghts before with eggshell thin housing, caps that wouldn't screw on properly etc), and i've had no trouble yet (though i'm only on the 3rd charge). After looking at light reviews in MBA for the last few years and comparing it to this light i would say it's 900 lumens not 1200 but it's definitely MILES brighter than ayups (i have ridden off road with this light alongside a bloke with ayups and while he had the advantage of being able to point them any which way his weren't even half as bright as mine).

[GraemeL]

Hi guys, just found this on EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 just wondering if anyone has used one and what thay are like ??

Thanks

I have already posted earlier, that I use Nitelights and have been very happy with them. I have just purchased one from the above link, for $49 delivered, i figured I would buy one and compare it to mine.
If it is waterproof and performs the same it will be a bonus, if not then I'm $49 out of pocket. I have just bought the grandson a bike and he will be needing lights, hopefully this will do the job

When it arrives I will post back with an update for anyone who is interested.

Graeme

[teamdanby]

yeh i'm another Nightlights user and my 900 lumens serves me fine for the early morning country rides to work each day

none of this street light lit roads these are proper countr roads with 80 and 100km/h speed limits
so i figure i need to be well and truly seen
the light is easy to use easy to recarge and easy to take off for trail riding
so that the frount and i have one red flasher on the seat post and another red flasher on my bag meaning i'm easy seen from the rear also, and so far so good

mind you i'm thinking of saveing up to get me a nightlights UFO for the frount now thats a mean unit

[GraemeL]

For anyone interested, I ordered this EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 on 21-8-2011, it turned up 9-9-2011.
The price was $49. It is rated as 1200 lumen but it's more in par with mine which is 900 lumen.

It arrived in an assuming cardbaord box, the contents consisted of, 1 Front Light Unit, 1 Led Tail Light and mount, 1 Battery and cover/holder, 2 different sized Rubber O rings, 1 Charger with adapter included and 1 Headstrap.

I have the original Nitelite 900 lumen, so i will compare it to that. I have to say, there is not really a whole lot of difference and for $49 I can't complain. Of course only time will tell


Main Light
Original has better fiinish around the edge of the glass, apart from that the only other noticable difference is the color.

Batteries
Original is slightly bigger and has a different connection. the case is about the same, the original open, long ways and has two straps to close it. The other has the opening at the end and has 1 strap. The finish on the batteries is different. The original has a rubbery feel, while the Ebay has more of a plastic/rubber feel.

Tail Light
The tail light is not super bright, but is adequate and takes two tripple A. It also has a few different flash modes. It just feels cheap.

Output
This is about the same, there is no difference that I can tell. Its really bright and has the same flash/low settings as the original.

What's in the box




Original Nitelight products are the left.

Lights



Batteries



Battery Covers





Graeme

[elStado]

For anyone interested, I ordered this EBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SSC-P7-1200L ... 3f018b8b43 on 21-8-2011, it turned up 9-9-2011.
The price was $49. It is rated as 1200 lumen but it's more in par with mine which is 900 lumen.

Main Light
Original has better fiinish around the edge of the glass, apart from that the only other noticable difference is the color.

Original Nitelight products are the left.

Lights

Looks very similar to the new options on DX with a new model XML-T6 emitter. Just ordered one myself the other day after talking to a few people who had gotten one and were quite happy with the build quality and performance (for the price). I'll still probably get a set of Ay Up lights, these are just to test the waters and have as a N+1.

[GraemeL]

Yep, I think they are all pretty much the same. At the end of the day, if they are bright, last and work in the rain, then for the price they are great and I really don't see the need to buy expensive light sets.

Graeme

[elStado]

Yep, I think they are all pretty much the same. At the end of the day, if they are bright, last and work in the rain, then for the price they are great and I really don't see the need to buy expensive light sets.

Agreed. For anyone looking to get one of these lights be aware that the "P7" lights are now redundant, with the new "T6" replacing them. I think they are slightly brighter. Not a major difference but worth checking.