Question about Torpedo7's Range of Lights

[HyperHorse]

Hellooo all...
Ive been reading some of the threads about headlights etc, some of you advocate HIDs, some prefer LEDs...
Just want to know of anyone's experiences with the lights that Torpedo7 carry...
Im looking to do some nocturnal/evening riding...
Looking at the Suns, what do you folks think?
cheers
HyperHorse

[Bnej]

The Sun Light range are the kind of lights that might help you be seen but they won't give you any decent light to see by. These kind of cheap LED & Halogen torches, you get what you pay for and that's not much.

The *minimum* I would get for night riding is one of these torches, though you will have to find a way to mount it on your bars.

For actual bike lights, The Ay Up Lights are really good and are great value for the lighting you get.

[CoffeeNut]

I'm also thinking seriously about those $135 and $165 Torpedo7 light sets...

[Wanta-bike]

to be honest, i rekon those torpedo lights are good to be seen, but not to see. even then, some of the cheaper leds are pretty crap - i've got one! - DON'T get that "powerbeam" 5 led! the flash is crap and doesn't really do it any justice - even for the price

in the latest issue of AMB (australian mountain bike) magazine, they do a test of about 25-odd LED and HID lights - definately worth a read if ur plannin on doin night ridin and need to light up the trail

i've heard nothin BUT good things from those 'ay-up' lights - am considering then meself if i can mtb again....

tho depends on what YOU want/need the light for

[CoffeeNut]

for me it is just urban training - moderately well lit streets - decent roads.

[Wanta-bike]

well then a half decent LED will suffice - as i assume that the street lights will light up enought for u to see and be seen?

i used to hav a SMART Polaris b4 i had a crash and ruined it into a billion pieces! went back to LBS to get a new one - dont sell it anymore! grrrrr! that little LED did quite bit for sucha small unit - 4 or 5 leds, cant remember....

[Bnej]

I'm also thinking seriously about those $135 and $165 Torpedo7 light sets...

If you're going to spend $165, spend the extra $60 - $70 and get an Ay-Up roadie kit. You get 6 hours of battery, the new Cree XR-E P4 LED light set with your choice of colour and optics (medium, narrow, intermediate) two handlebar mounts, car charger, wall charger, carry satchel thing... It's a beautiful kit and great value.

Much better investment than old Halogen lights, better battery technology, better design, just better. Plus you can upgrade to handlebar + helmet light later, extra mounts and batteries are cheap, there's a lot of other upgrade potential too.

I cannot say enough nice things about my ay-ups. They are just great bang for buck. I am still using the old Luxeon 3 light but I should have my new, discount Cree XR-E upgrade coming next week!

[stated]

Looks like now we can get the 175lumen fenix L2D premium for $7 more, $73

[Bnej]

I actually had a chance to directly compare the Cree XR-E P4 L2D torch directly against the Luxeon 3 ay-ups a couple of weeks ago, and I can tell you the ay-ups are way brighter. Don't ask me why, but the fenix on full turbo mode was easily drowned out by the ay-up lights I have. They ay-ups also have a wider, more usable spot in the beam, the centre spot on the fenix is very narrow.

The fenix is a good torch but it doesn't look as bright in person as it purports to be on the website. And the 175 lumen setting on the new one you're not supposed to use for more than 10 minutes at a time.

[stated]

You know I was just about to ask you if you had compared them before
which had a better spill beam? remember the fenix is supposed to be a torch and the centre beam/spill beam doesn't really suit a bike as well as bike specific lights like the ay-ups.

[europa]

If we went back to the good old days of having someone walking in front carrying a red flag, you could also arm him with a decent torch and solve all this arguing

Richard

yes, I know that rule was for the horseless carriage but it seemed a good line anyway

[Bnej]

You know I was just about to ask you if you had compared them before
which had a better spill beam? remember the fenix is supposed to be a torch and the centre beam/spill beam doesn't really suit a bike as well as bike specific lights like the ay-ups.

The Fenix is a more yellow looking light, the spill is about the same width but dimmer and more even - there are two distinct parts of the beam, whereas the ay-up just blends out.

The guy who bought the Fenix, because I told him it was very good value for the lighting (and it is) is ordering some ay-ups with me through their buddy-upgrade kit option.

Some time next week I should have the chance to compare the new Cree ay-ups with intermediate optics too.

[Aushiker]

If you're going to spend $165, spend the extra $60 - $70 and get an Ay-Up roadie kit. You get 6 hours of battery, the new Cree XR-E P4 LED light set with your choice of colour and optics (medium, narrow, intermediate) two handlebar mounts, car charger, wall charger, carry satchel thing... It's a beautiful kit and great value.

Hi Bnej

Are you using your Ay-Up's on the road or on the MTB trails?

I am considering them for road use (roads and shared paths, some paths of the shared path that I ride regularly are not lit) and I am not sure which beam option to go with. I prefer long-distance so that makes the narrow beam more favourable I guess but not sure that is the best option.

I wonder if you can get combos?

Regards
Andrew

[Grog]

Our resident treehugger at work (MTB rider) recently bought a set of the AY-UP for a 24hr ride over on the west coast of TAS. Was pretty impressed with them.

I had a look at them when they arrived and thought the workmanship was solid and well done.

I'm saving pennies for the roadie set at present.

- Greg

[Bnej]

Hi Bnej

Are you using your Ay-Up's on the road or on the MTB trails?

I am considering them for road use (roads and shared paths, some paths of the shared path that I ride regularly are not lit) and I am not sure which beam option to go with. I prefer long-distance so that makes the narrow beam more favourable I guess but not sure that is the best option.

I wonder if you can get combos?

Regards
Andrew

I use them for both road and MTB. I have only used the older Luxeon 3 lights so far, which are closest to the Intermediate optic in the new scheme and they work great. You can see a good distance ahead with just the handlebar light, and it lights up about the width of a road. The only issue I have is that on the handlebar mount, if you are going around a sharp corner then part of the corner you are travelling into will be dark. This can be solved with a helmet light, but I have found the one handlebar light works fine on the road.

I think the narrow beam on the new lights would be usable as a helmet light but not on the bars. If you're getting handlebar + helmet lights, I'd go medium on bars + narrow on helmet. If you're just getting one light then get intermediate. Intermediate has a bright centre spot but plenty of spill outside that, narrow is just a narrow spot with very little spill.

[Matty]

You know I was just about to ask you if you had compared them before
which had a better spill beam? remember the fenix is supposed to be a torch and the centre beam/spill beam doesn't really suit a bike as well as bike specific lights like the ay-ups.

The Fenix is a more yellow looking light, the spill is about the same width but dimmer and more even - there are two distinct parts of the beam, whereas the ay-up just blends out.

The newer "orange peel" reflector Fenixes are meant to smooth the spill out a bit more so you don't get the hot spot in the middle and then the sharp cutoff before the spill. The older Fenixes had a smooth reflector so suffered more from this problem.

Also to the OP if you're considering the Sun 3 LED light you can get one that's exactly the same alot cheaper here.

[HyperHorse]

Thanks for all of your replies and feedback....

[salieri]

I bought a Fenix L2D CE a few months ago and attached it to a battery clamp (like the ones on jumper leads) from Dick Smith Electronics with two cable ties. It clamps onto my handlebars and the clamp spring is firm enough to keep the light pointing correctly, unless I ride off a kerb.
I also put some black insulation tape on the handlebars to prevent scratching.

The light is better than what I had previously but you don't get much warning that the batteries are about to die, so I always carry spares.

I keep it at maximum brightness for off road paths and strobe on road.