Bike Lights

[Red Rider]

Front: Supernova Airstream - All-in-one unit (light and battery in the one unit), build quality is amazing, a superb piece of industrial design. Optics, energy efficiency and battery life are great.

Rear: Tioga Dual Eyes - Strong light without being laser beams, durable, no problems with water. Great battery life.

[jamesjperth]

Lumicycles - Good value, insanely bright and the customer service is great. I've been using the same set of halogens for 8 years now, they've endured pommy rain, mud, snow, aussie commuting and bush nightrides. I've bought an upgrade battery a couple of years ago, bu thats about it...

http://www.lumicycle.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wakatuki]

Blinded by the light................ http://goo.gl/nYGKl9
Running a knog frog rear flasher and a little day time flasher up front on the roadie. (ridden in daylight)
OFF ROAD or a night off on rd mix.
2x 2100 lumen china copy lights with separate battery. One on bar one on helmet.
Bar light on lowest when hit the road, honestly waste of money for road use terrible lense scatter. Helmet light off unless in total dark or off rd and always off when a car light is spotted.

Will be buying ROAD specific front light when winter approaches, probaly something with a german approved lense, like the Supernova Airstream. Also a rear moon comet, seen them like the design and the glow.

[winstonw]

was at my fav LBS during the week and decided to buy yet another tail light and my first integrated front light, both usb recharge.

Front
https://www.serfas.com/products/view/73 ... usb-lights" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
took it out for a quick spin this evening though it was only twilight. had it on flash, and it certainly caught the attenton of drivers on busy Flinders Pde Sandgate. brightest steady setting is 500 lumens for 1.75hours. weight 150grams. want to test it through the bush nearby.
these were pretty much impulse buys and I've not read up on the integrated usb range, and pros and cons. nevertheless, if it gets me through the 4km of unlit bush path near my place, I'll be happy. my current 800 lumen headlight with separate battery pack is a lot more kerfuffling around to on/off.

Rear
http://www.guee-intl.com/cob-x.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
this one is a very nice clean design with easy reasonable rubber house fittng to seat post, and very light.
however, it's nowhere as bright as a cygolite hotshot.
I wouldn't rely on it as a primary for regular road riding in the dark. maybe ok as a secondary angled sideway slightly on a chain stay.

[yarravalleyplodder]

supernova airstream up front. I love it, no battery pack on full beam lasts 2.5 hours but as the sun comes up you can drop it down a couple of settings and easily get 4hrs to 5hrs, on flash it will run for 24hrs Not sure how it would go as a light for trails as the beam is not as wide as say an ayups setup but for the road they are perfect

cheery bomb 1w on the rear, does the job and cars can see me

[find_bruce]

I can't imagine why Marnie was confused - 29 replies with at least 30 different opinions

Have you been able to figure out what features etc are important to you yet Marnie ?

[Ross]

I can't imagine why Marnie was confused - 29 replies with at least 30 different opinions

Have you been able to figure out what features etc are important to you yet Marnie ?

It's like anything, if she asked about saddles or cranks or tyres or even complete bikes there would be 20 replies with 30 options. Generally there is no one perfect solution, everybody has their own specific wants and needs and taste. Each person can only state what they use and why they prefer it and explain options and features. I guess if Marnie goes through the replies and sees a pattern forming where a number of people are recommending "light x" then this might be a good indication that this is a decent product and worth considering.

[marnie&matt]

I was trying to think of something clever to express how I am trying to process this information. But each attempt just makes fun of myself and deems me insane.

But while most of the information is beyond me, without it I wouldn't even know there was so much to think about. So in true Marnie fashion I will sit back and read and google, read and google…. then start again from the beginning of the replies and slowly sift which style, brand, price range and quality will 'Perhaps' suit our needs. I am grateful for the points of difference shared by everyone.

[marnie&matt]

Just an update here…

I'm not any closer what a total mine field. I don't know if my lights should be bright so I can see and we can be seen or if it will be blinding? Don't know if I just want something for 85% of the time when we're on the roads and paths with our MTBs so perhaps not needing as wide a lighting area? Don't know if I should just buy cheaper for the interim so I have something to gauge from and to know what I feel I need or don't. Heck and I haven't even looked at the rear like issues.

What I do know..

I saw someone with a backpack on that had a flashing red light on it. I thought that was a great safety light as its position made it easily seen.
I would like lights for the front that would flicker. I saw someone at the beginning of a small group, and whilst it was now daylight his light was still flashing. Again I thought that was a great attention watch out safety measure. So a full beam when dark and turn to flicker when light?

So far we haven't ridden at night but just before dawn 4-4.30am. However with winter only 6months away and the lure of joining a club for off road rides, who knows what we should be buying.

I have so many tabs on my laptop, that it has maxed out. I was wondering why pages I have tabbed no longer appear. So the idea of flicking between brands and trying to compare is driving me crazy.

I think I am going to a few of the LBS and get some ideas and thoughts, if they have the time.

BTW Ill Padrone you have not made it any easier with the dynohub system. more food for thought. I love the idea of no batteries, charging etc. But I guess I am wondering how much more drag I will get to run the system. And is it running at all times? It looks so different to the prehistoric one I used to have on my school bike, many many years ago. Remember those ones that you snapped into place on your wheel to get the connection. I remember that being hard to push through. But I didn't like exercise back then either.

Anyhow not much further along but I need to get something sorted as xmas is looming.

Marnie

[il padrone]

BTW Ill Padrone you have not made it any easier with the dynohub system. more food for thought. I love the idea of no batteries, charging etc. But I guess I am wondering how much more drag I will get to run the system. And is it running at all times? It looks so different to the prehistoric one I used to have on my school bike, many many years ago. Remember those ones that you snapped into place on your wheel to get the connection. I remember that being hard to push through. But I didn't like exercise back then either.

Remember those fountain pens we used to write with back then too?? Dynohubs and quality LED lights for bike lighting are like the laptop for writing. No comparison.

Drag from the SON28 is equivalent to a 1m rise in 1 km when switched on, 30cm rise in 1 km when switched off ie. ZIP! The hub is 'switched off' by turning the light off. There are some hubs that also can actually disegage the hub mech to give zero drag, but my hub's drag is really so low that I cannot notice it, and don't bother switching it off. I currently run the lights day and night, partly for the added conspicuity it gives (and a solid light is good because sometimes drivers mix me up with a motorcycle, so don't try to race out in front of the 'slow' cyclist), but mainly because I know the lights are always on, even in low light situations. A few years back when I had a headlight with a 'senso' mode that would automatically activate the light in low light, often the only notice I would have of the light coming on (often in very early twilight) was when someone else told me that my lights were on. I could not detect any change in pedalling drag.


From Peter White Cycles



Sometimes people less experienced grab a dynohub wheel and try to spin the axle and get a surprise

When you hold the wheel or hub in your hand and turn the axle, you'll feel a lot of resistance. There are 26 poles and 26 magnets in the SON28 hub (fewer in the SON20). That creates 26 points around the hub shell that the axle wants to settle in, and a corresponding 26 points where the axle doesn't want to be. In the transitions between those points, the axle wants to turn in one direction or the other, to find the point where it wants to settle. As you ride, the hub turns relative to the axle, and 26 times in each rotation of the wheel, the hub wants to turn one way, and then the other, theoretically speeding you up and slowing you down, 26 times per rotation. At speed, the effects of these two forces almost completely cancel each other out, leaving you with extremely low drag overall. It's only when you don't have a lot of mass (your weight) and inertia (your speed) that the effect is to actually retard the rotation of the hub axle. So there's no reason to be concerned about the way the axle feels when turned by hand.

[high_tea]

BTW Ill Padrone you have not made it any easier with the dynohub system. more food for thought. I love the idea of no batteries, charging etc. But I guess I am wondering how much more drag I will get to run the system. And is it running at all times? It looks so different to the prehistoric one I used to have on my school bike, many many years ago. Remember those ones that you snapped into place on your wheel to get the connection. I remember that being hard to push through. But I didn't like exercise back then either.

Remember those fountain pens we used to write with back then too?? Dynohubs and quality LED lights for bike lighting are like the laptop for writing. No comparison.

Drag from the SON28 is equivalent to a 1m rise in 1 km when switched on, 30cm rise in 1 km when switched off ie. ZIP! The hub is 'switched off' by turning the light off. There are some hubs that also can actually disegage the hub mech to give zero drag, but my hub's drag is really so low that I cannot notice it, and don't bother switching it off. I currently run the lights day and night, partly for the added conspicuity it gives (and a solid light is good because sometimes drivers mix me up with a motorcycle, so don't try to race out in front of the 'slow' cyclist), but mainly because I know the lights are always on, even in low light situations. A few years back when I had a headlight with a 'senso' mode that would automatically activate the light in low light, often the only notice I would have of the light coming on (often in very early twilight) was when someone else told me that my lights were on. I could not detect any change in pedalling drag.


From Peter White Cycles



Sometimes people less experienced grab a dynohub wheel and try to spin the axle and get a surprise

When you hold the wheel or hub in your hand and turn the axle, you'll feel a lot of resistance. There are 26 poles and 26 magnets in the SON28 hub (fewer in the SON20). That creates 26 points around the hub shell that the axle wants to settle in, and a corresponding 26 points where the axle doesn't want to be. In the transitions between those points, the axle wants to turn in one direction or the other, to find the point where it wants to settle. As you ride, the hub turns relative to the axle, and 26 times in each rotation of the wheel, the hub wants to turn one way, and then the other, theoretically speeding you up and slowing you down, 26 times per rotation. At speed, the effects of these two forces almost completely cancel each other out, leaving you with extremely low drag overall. It's only when you don't have a lot of mass (your weight) and inertia (your speed) that the effect is to actually retard the rotation of the hub axle. So there's no reason to be concerned about the way the axle feels when turned by hand.

Even the lower-end hubs are quite nice. I have the DH-3N30 (actually, I think it's the disc brake version, but I believe the internals are the same). The drag on that doesn't bother me in the slightest. Admittedly, it lives on a cargo bike, so how would I notice 6W? But my commuter bike has an ancient dynohub - an NX-32, which is even more inefficient and really heavy to boot. It is hilariously bad by modern dynohub standards, and the drag from that doesn't bother me either.

The lights are also super-robust and completely indifferent to getting wet, which is nice.

My old boy had the same misgivings, based on his recollection of old-skool dynamos. Then he tried a modern hub. Now he too is a dynohub fan.

[warthog1]

Sometimes people less experienced grab a dynohub wheel and try to spin the axle and get a surprise

That's me. I've got my shimano dynohub front wheel, but no light yet. Before next winter I hope
Grabbed the axle and spun the wheel and it felt like the bearings were overtightened and pitted. Took some convincing on here to stop me pulling it apart and possibly berking it

[il padrone]

Yes, don't ever let an uneducated LBS mech anywhere near the SON dynohubs. They get the idea the bearings are too tight and try to loosen them - contributed to by the fact that Shimano dynohubs are user servicable. SON can't be adjusted (sealed bearings, and no axle flats anyway) but some do manage to twist the axle bearing cones....... and bust all the internal electrical connections Expensive to trash a whole SON dynohub that way.

[Ross]

Marnie - another way to sus out lights is to see on the road/trail what other people are using and ask them details about them such as brand and model and how long the lights generally run for and what sort of batteries are required or if it's USB chargeable or dynamo.

There is no single perfect light! You have to work out what YOU want from a light and use that as a checklist to and tick off the options of the lights as you investigate.

My feeling would be as a road bike rider that it wouldn't be as critical to light up the road in front if you were riding a MTB, because potholes/rocks/other debris are generally less of a hazard when you can run over them the bike suspension and fatter tyres will soak them up, whereas with a road bike with skinny wheels you risk damaging the wheel which in turn can throw the rider off the bike. Though if riding on trails at night or early morning then the more light the better.

Most front lights have a flashing mode (except I think the dynamo ones that IP was talking about because flashing lights are illegal in most parts of Europe, where these are made) as well as solid mode. Remember the dynamo ones will involve building the hub into a wheel so extra expense and hassle there.

A lot of bike shops will have lights on display stands where you can test them out and compare. Not the same as bolting them to your bike and going for a ride in the dark but better than nothing. It is bad ettiquette though to go to a shop and spend 2 hours asking the assistant for all the details on a dozen sets of lights and then go and buy them online somewhere else at a cheaper price.

[marnie&matt]

Marnie - another way to sus out lights is to see on the road/trail what other people are using and ask them details about them such as brand and model and how long the lights generally run for and what sort of batteries are required or if it's USB chargeable or dynamo.

There is no single perfect light! You have to work out what YOU want from a light and use that as a checklist to and tick off the options of the lights as you investigate.

My feeling would be as a road bike rider that it wouldn't be as critical to light up the road in front if you were riding a MTB, because potholes/rocks/other debris are generally less of a hazard when you can run over them the bike suspension and fatter tyres will soak them up, whereas with a road bike with skinny wheels you risk damaging the wheel which in turn can throw the rider off the bike. Though if riding on trails at night or early morning then the more light the better.

Most front lights have a flashing mode (except I think the dynamo ones that IP was talking about because flashing lights are illegal in most parts of Europe, where these are made) as well as solid mode. Remember the dynamo ones will involve building the hub into a wheel so extra expense and hassle there.

A lot of bike shops will have lights on display stands where you can test them out and compare. Not the same as bolting them to your bike and going for a ride in the dark but better than nothing. It is bad ettiquette though to go to a shop and spend 2 hours asking the assistant for all the details on a dozen sets of lights and then go and buy them online somewhere else at a cheaper price.

Some great advice here. We were meant to go on our first MTB group ride this morning but after all the rain we piked.

Yesterday we went to a couple of LBSs and guess what we brought home? Lights. Well we still have no idea but thought we would try these as recommended by the great LBS owner. Great person lots of time to explain and we believe that what he recommended might suit. So we bought a Moon meteor 200 and a Moon comet. Later on to buy, when MTB on the tracks, he suggested a Gemini Xera to put on our helmets. All sounds like it will work well. Proof is now getting it on the bikes and going riding in the dark on the roads.

Only niggle I had, as we bought from this man who gave such great service was that the lights cost us in total $100 more than if we would have if we bought them on-line. It's hard to be loyal to a LBS when it makes such a huge saving on a $270 purchase.

There is no great service on an on-line store. And like the first LBS didn't get any business because the service just didn't do it. Comparison in sales techniques was like eating in a restaurant and going to KFC. So while it hurt to waste $100 and not sure if I will walk in their door again, I give kudos to the 2nd LBS for excellent service. Such nice people.

Marnie

[Thrilloilogy]

I use a solas usb 2 watt rear light; and up until now thought it was fantastic. My issue now is after riding through mild rain the thing has gone crazy. It turns on randomly and then won't turn off; and you can see some condensation in the inside even though the "weather-proof" seal for the charger was on correctly.

[Saturnstarzz]

Found: a AYUP battery and holder on Swanston Street and Latrobe St corner this morning.
PM me the model of battery and what condition the holder is in if its yours.
Other note is it worth calling AYUP or taking them to Vicpol when there is no serial number on them

[softy]

Anyone had problems with the moon meteor 200 lumens?

I have taken two back on warranty and now have one keep flashing the blue light (like it is still charging) when I remove the usb cable. Although a good light when working I have seen allot of problems with this light.

Anyone else?

[justalf]

To be seen I've always used the little flashers. Cheapies. Often I'll have 2 or 3 sets on the bike and it's been enough for where I ride. Until I want to see where I'm going.
In the 100 lumen range I've tried one of those $5 LED torches cable tied to my helmet which works pretty well for the odd ride but not long term.
Just recently I ordered a 5200 lumen (claimed) light from that light box web site. 5 LEDs and separate battery. Build quality is very good. Most riding is on the low setting and the high setting is more like a high beam and just for occasional use. Will have to see what reliability is like but for less than $50 it's excellent.

[softy]

To be seen I've always used the little flashers. Cheapies. Often I'll have 2 or 3 sets on the bike and it's been enough for where I ride. Until I want to see where I'm going.
In the 100 lumen range I've tried one of those $5 LED torches cable tied to my helmet which works pretty well for the odd ride but not long term.
Just recently I ordered a 5200 lumen (claimed) light from that light box web site. 5 LEDs and separate battery. Build quality is very good. Most riding is on the low setting and the high setting is more like a high beam and just for occasional use. Will have to see what reliability is like but for less than $50 it's excellent.

Just looked at this site and they do have a grear selection at reasonable prices. Just need to be careful, some come with batteries and some dont. Price is not an indicator.
How much did they slug you for shipping? (The real total price)
I dont think I would be looking at 5200 lumens as this is a bit over the top for road comuting. Might have some blinded cyclist making voodoo dolls of me.

[softy]

Almost forgot to mention, my lights need to be waterproof, having trouble with my lights due to water ingress. Anyone have suggestions on waterproof ones?

[find_bruce]

Softly don't get too worried about the number - it is imaginary. The battery being waterproof is far more important than the lighthead. Further the batteries that come with cheap lights are diabolical, both as to capacity lack of waterproofing. Personally I would be buying a good 2 led lighthead (like Gemini duo clone or solarstorm clone) & a separate battery (like plasti dipped 4 x 18560, plasti dipped 6 x 18650). The cells inside will be of low quality and capacity but if kept dry should be ok. Only trick is making sure the lighthead & battery use the same connector

[softy]

Softly don't get too worried about the number - it is imaginary. The battery being waterproof is far more important than the lighthead. Further the batteries that come with cheap lights are diabolical, both as to capacity lack of waterproofing. Personally I would be buying a good 2 led lighthead (like [http://www.lightmalls.com/2xcree-xm-l2- ... p-cap-only]Gemini duo clone[/url] or solarstorm clone) & a separate battery (like plasti dipped 4 x 18560, plasti dipped 6 x 18650). The cells inside will be of low quality and capacity but if kept dry should be ok. Only trick is making sure the lighthead & battery use the same connector

Thanks for the advice, I was just about to order a combo pack, now will not. Get the light head seperate and the waterproof bat pack and charger.

Just a couple of questions does that company send the right powerpak for oz? And I imagine the light heads come with the rubberband?
Cheers

[justalf]

Softly, shipping is included, yes comes with rubber band mounts in two sizes. Well mine came with two but it should be pictured. They do say they send the power pack for the destination country. Also lumens ratings can be difficult to prove. Mine were 5200lumens but even if they are only 4000 that is still way brighter than I need for most of my riding. I only wish it had more options, like a, medium, and other strobe patterns.

[softy]

Softly, shipping is included, yes comes with rubber band mounts in two sizes. Well mine came with two but it should be pictured. They do say they send the power pack for the destination country. Also lumens ratings can be difficult to prove. Mine were 5200lumens but even if they are only 4000 that is still way brighter than I need for most of my riding. I only wish it had more options, like a, medium, and other strobe patterns.

Cheers
This my worry, if you have lots of lumens then you want to be able to turn them down. I have noticed that many only have 3 modes, full, med and strobe. So if you have 5000lms med is probably 2500lms, which I think is to bright for a bike path + your battery goes down quicker.
Whats your view?