Show me THE light!
-
- Posts: 1290
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:47 pm
- Location: Perth
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby GraemeL » Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:41 pm
Graeme
* Bicycle Camera FAQ's *** Mounting FAQ’s & DIY Mounts *
- The Walrus
- Posts: 577
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:37 pm
- Location: Mullumbimby Creek NSW
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby The Walrus » Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:54 am
I' a firm believer in paying for quality. Whilst I like a bargain as much as the next person, price is not the motivating factor for me.wombatK wrote:The Walrus wrote: Ayups are popular because they work. They are reliable and durable. You won't have to buy another set in a year or two's time, unless you want them for your wife's bike etc.,.
However...what other options are there other than a) el cheapo or b) Ayups ?
I know someone posted Nitelights as another option and they seem good, but what I'm not seeing from these more expensive options are rear lights! I want a front and rear that will work off of the one battery but Ayups dont seem to mention rear lights, unless I'm missing that part!
- CommuRider
- Posts: 5053
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:16 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby CommuRider » Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:42 am
Just dive in and enter the light market. You'll never get the perfect light. 100 years ago, lights were considered a LUXURY.
Here's the Yorkshiremen clip again.
Let me know when you finally buy a light
- trailgumby
- Posts: 15469
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:30 pm
- Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney
- Contact:
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby trailgumby » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:10 am
c) More expensive again: Niteflux, HID Technologies... the list goes on. Ay-up is actually at the cheaper end of the trail light market for soemthing decent.The Walrus wrote:However...what other options are there other than a) el cheapo or b) Ayups ?
I know someone posted Nitelights as another option and they seem good, but what I'm not seeing from these more expensive options are rear lights! I want a front and rear that will work off of the one battery but Ayups dont seem to mention rear lights, unless I'm missing that part!
The light output from these other brands is impressive. I had guys passing me at The Mont on the weekend and they had more than enough light for both of us. Will look into them later in the year as greater beam spread would be a definite improvement.
If you want a front and rear that works off the one battery, there are helmet-mounted units available from c r c that do that but are again more expensive than Ay-ups and have less run time.
Alternatively, you could always make your own. Right now, at the price point that you seem to be wanting to pay, what you want doesn't exist as far as I'm aware. In your shoes, though, I would take the hint: maybe the reason the single battery/both ends light kit doesn't exist is because people actually find managing the cabling a royal PITA. It would certainly annoy me. Unclipping self-contained units is much simpler.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby il padrone » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:29 am
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- queequeg
- Posts: 6479
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby queequeg » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:50 pm
You get a lot of kit for your money with the AyUps, and even at $500 it is a small price to pay for my safety. I run two sets on my commuter bike now (one narrow, one intermediate), and the effect is stunning. I actually get respect at night. Cars dare not cut me off because they think I am something much larger than a bicycle!
Build quality on the AyUps is sensational. They are almost indestructible, and if you do manage to break one somehow, the manufacturer says to send it back and they will replace it!
I think that at some point, the amount of lumens that a light puts out becomes largely irrelevant. Kind of like the CPU MHz wars of years past, there is a point of diminishing return. The AyUps are not the highest light output set of lights you can get, but if the road is already lit up like it is daylight, does it matter if another set can light up the road even more?
I also like that the AyUp is multi-purpose rather than "just a bike light". They are great for tending to the BBQ at night
- apsilon
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:49 pm
- Location: Hills District, Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby apsilon » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:57 pm
I've actually just bought something that's I believe is very similar in performace as this but only a 3.5 hour battery. Cost me $300 delivered. If I get it mounted on the weekend (doesn't have a bicycle mount for battery as it's not meant for bicycles) I'll take some pics and post some details.il padrone wrote:If $$$ were no object you could go for something like this, and have a tremendous bright light with road-use optics,and the ability to convert it to a wider beam for off-road. 5hr lithium battery and totally waterproof. A lot of money though!
- JohnJoyner
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:07 am
- Location: Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby JohnJoyner » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:59 pm
I am an unhappy Ay Up user....whitey wrote:They arent trendy, they are popular because they work well. Find me an unhappy Ay Up user......The Walrus wrote:Lights! Christ almighty this shouldn't be so hard!]
Rechargeable sets could be the go. Ay Up seems to be the trendy option but being trendy isn't my thing (it used to be ) and I want functionality.
!
No wait, no I'm not... I reckon they are the bees knees
-
- Posts: 1290
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:47 pm
- Location: Perth
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby GraemeL » Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:29 pm
http://www.nitelights.com.au/
For your rear light just get one or even two Radbot 1000's, cost $50 http://www.this link is broken/PDW-RADBOT- ... t-The-Best
I have one of these and they are great.
Graeme
* Bicycle Camera FAQ's *** Mounting FAQ’s & DIY Mounts *
- Aushiker
- Posts: 22395
- Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Walyalup land
- Contact:
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby Aushiker » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:16 pm
Just to throw another option in the mix ... DiNotte lights. I got two 400 lumen engines (so I have them mounted on two bikes) + two batteries for less dollars at the time that I would have had to pay for one Ay-Up. I just couldn't justify getting Ay-Ups when comparing them to the Dinottes which have a good reputation as well. Now with the dollar being so favourable they may be a even better deal. I am sure Ay-Ups are good, but I am not so sure they are the best option in that price range/style of light.
I also like that they are a bolt on mount (lowers the risk) and I can run them on medium (~200 lumens) and extend my battery life whilst still getting cars to pause as they work out what is coming towards them
I posted my review of them here.
Andrew
Aushiker.com
- elStado
- Posts: 2363
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:27 am
- Location: Syd, NSW
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby elStado » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:35 pm
Surely Ay-Ups would be overkill...? I've been looking at something like this: http://www.this link is broken/cateye-hl-el600 ... light-set/
- CommuRider
- Posts: 5053
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:16 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby CommuRider » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:40 pm
- Aushiker
- Posts: 22395
- Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Walyalup land
- Contact:
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby Aushiker » Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:50 am
That is why I have my DiNotte lights. I actually switch from medium to high when I get into Fremantle ... makes a big difference in driver behaviour. You see I want to be SEEN.elStado wrote:What about lights for people who are riding mainly in the city with ambient light and only occasional sections of unlit roads/paths?
Andrew
Aushiker.com
- apsilon
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:49 pm
- Location: Hills District, Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby apsilon » Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:31 am
IMo, it's less about seeing where you're going and more about being seen by others.elStado wrote:What about lights for people who are riding mainly in the city with ambient light and only occasional sections of unlit roads/paths?
Surely Ay-Ups would be overkill...? I've been looking at something like this: http://www.this link is broken/cateye-hl-el600 ... light-set/
- The Walrus
- Posts: 577
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:37 pm
- Location: Mullumbimby Creek NSW
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby The Walrus » Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:38 am
CommuRider wrote:Walrus, I don't think you'll ever buy a light. You're in danger of being paralysed by too much analysis.
Just dive in and enter the light market. You'll never get the perfect light. 100 years ago, lights were considered a LUXURY.
Here's the Yorkshiremen clip again.
Let me know when you finally buy a light
I just like to reseach things before I part with my cash. I've dived in many times before and wished I hadnt, hence the current slow methodical approach...thanks for 'The Yorkshireman' link, always worth a watch!
Thanks for all the other options guys...keep the suggestions coming
- m@
- Posts: 5112
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:20 pm
- Location: Wurundjeri Country
- Contact:
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby m@ » Fri Apr 15, 2011 11:33 am
- MichaelB
- Posts: 14775
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
- Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby MichaelB » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:23 pm
Agree totally. I'm a DX 900 Lumen user for 12 months now and have had no issues, unlike some. Just forked out for the matching rear tailight as well.apsilon wrote:IMo, it's less about seeing where you're going and more about being seen by others.elStado wrote:What about lights for people who are riding mainly in the city with ambient light and only occasional sections of unlit roads/paths?
Surely Ay-Ups would be overkill...? I've been looking at something like this: http://www.this link is broken/cateye-hl-el600 ... light-set/
When the DX system fails, not sure about what it will get replaced with - DX or AYUP. Leaning towards DX (as I'll already have most of the bits (two chargers and 3 batteries).
For a V2 Ayup with 40% more brightness and 6hr battery upgrade - I'm up for $284. And that still doesn't have a rear light
But the key is more about being seen by a long shot.
-
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:42 pm
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby Rhubarb » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:42 am
and still is only half to 2/3s the light of a 1000 lumen DX light for $77 delivered. Price is not the issue for me, its lumens.MichaelB wrote:
For a V2 Ayup with 40% more brightness and 6hr battery upgrade - I'm up for $284. And that still doesn't have a rear light
But the key is more about being seen by a long shot.
Everybody has a different way of looking at this of course, but you've got to get the lights for your needs. If I was an early morning pack rider, than AYups would be excellent. But for my commute, I go through a range of different scenarios that demand lumens and once you've enjoyed 1000 lumens (probably really only 700-800) you simply can't go back to just 400 (or 550) as claimed by AYUPs.
Bright lights gets peds to look around as I cut through the shopping centre car parks, bikepaths etc where they invariably sneek at night dressed in black with black labrador on long black lead.
Others may not need much light, but I do. Ayups have been getting steadily brighter though as led technology improves so maybe in a year or two I'll look at them again. Happy with my 1000 lumens until then.
- CommuRider
- Posts: 5053
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:16 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby CommuRider » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:44 am
Cyclists are leading the way in this technology. I have been asked so many times how so much light is coming out of a wee thing. It really is quite versatile and not too heavy compared to the handheld torches I see on the market now.m@ wrote: - and once you upgrade your bike lights you'll still have an excellent torch or two for camping, the car, power failures etc. The ones I bought can run off a single li-ion battery or one or two AAs.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby il padrone » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:17 am
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- CommuRider
- Posts: 5053
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:16 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby CommuRider » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:24 am
Instead of film crews lugging heavy pieces of lighting equipment, just bring out the bike torch from the pockets and voila.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby il padrone » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:40 am
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn0EyQNX ... re=related[/youtube]
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
-
- Posts: 5470
- Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:23 pm
- Location: Yangebup
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby Baalzamon » Sat Apr 16, 2011 2:07 pm
5000 Lumenil padrone wrote:The night cycling future ??
Well, the 1400 euro price tag may be a bit off-putting!
-
- Posts: 1290
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:47 pm
- Location: Perth
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby GraemeL » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Drivers would be blind and running all over the place
Graeme
* Bicycle Camera FAQ's *** Mounting FAQ’s & DIY Mounts *
-
- Posts: 3056
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Re: Show me THE light!
Postby zero » Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:38 pm
Return to “Cycling Safety and Advocacy”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Cycling Brands
- Cannondale
- Garmin
- Giant
- Shimano
- Trek
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.