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Night Cycling Light Recommendations

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  • 05-10-2015 4:28pm
    #1
    Michael Angelo.
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭


    Hi folks, as the darkness becomes more prominent than the light I am considering embracing it. I don't like turbo training so it's out on roads I will be. Can anyone please recommend a good set of lights that will help ease my fear of being knocked down. Any help tips or info greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,958 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Michael Angelo. wrote: »
    ..Any help tips or info greatly appreciated.
    Might help to narrow it down if you gave a budget, batteries/USB re-chargable, quick removal required etc.

    There's also a long thread somewhere on this topic.


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    #3
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Where you are cycling too, main roads/backroads/city roads


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    #4
    Borderfox
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,257 Mod ✭✭✭✭Borderfox


    I use a cat eye volt 700 up front with a front and rear knog blinder with an Altura night vision vest for visibility.

    The volt 700 gives about 80-100 metres of good visibility at night so no slowing down. 2 hours on full power and ian recharge


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    #5
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,744 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    There's also a long thread somewhere on this topic.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055705708


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    #6
    lennymc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,458 ✭✭✭lennymc


    dynamo hub, edelux 2 with a rear light is what im using on the dark and lonely roads of east meath/louth. Good for 60+kph descents of snowton.


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    #7
    07Lapierre
    Registered Users Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭07Lapierre


    I have these...

    Front:
    http://www.hopetech.com/product/r4-led/

    Rear:
    http://www.hopetech.com/product/district-plus-rear/

    But I need lights for rural unlit roads. I also have more than one bike and like to swap lights from one bike to another, so a Dynamo is not an option.

    If I only needed lights to be seen, (urban cycling) i'd get something like these:

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/cateye-el130-tl135-set/rp-prod110616


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    #8
    markusz
    Registered Users Posts: 198 ✭✭markusz


    a good tip i got last year when i started doing some night spins was to ensure you know the road like the back of your hand... don't go exploring! because if you have knowledge of a pothole or gully then you won't hit.


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    #9
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,958 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    markusz wrote: »
    ...ensure you know the road like the back of your hand... don't go exploring! because if you have knowledge of a pothole or gully then you won't hit.
    Not much good for those of us who head out before sunrise and are still in the saddle long after it sets. :cool:


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    #10
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    markusz wrote: »
    a good tip i got last year when i started doing some night spins was to ensure you know the road like the back of your hand... don't go exploring! because if you have knowledge of a pothole or gully then you won't hit.

    I don't know if that's great advice. If you've proper lights you should be able to see these things.

    I used to use a Cateye Volt 300, which had 300 lumens, and it was grand. I wouldn't recommend anything with less lumens than that though for unlit roads.


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    #11
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,958 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    I don't know if that's great advice. If you've proper lights you should be able to see these things...
    +1

    It doesn't take into account debris etc. which could have been deposited on the road several minutes before one passes. Emergency utility road works can also be a hazard where an access hole has been dug and temporarily (and usually poorly) refilled.

    Regardless of how good lights are, it won't stop one from being dazzled by oncoming vehicle lights especially in wet weather.


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    #12
    dissed doc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,489 ✭✭✭dissed doc


    I recommend Exposure lights. I have a four year old Exposure Maxx-D Mk. IV (I think they are up to Mk. 8 by now). It is really a high quality light, but quite expensive (it was around €350 at the time). I had also easily spent that much over several years prior buying more regularly priced lights of 40 or 50 euros a time.

    Really, the Exposure is super quality, and four years on it is perfect still. The level of brightness is really quite a lot (it will light up a street quite easily, with actual brightness that is quite blinding when you look directly at it). The lumen rating in 2011 when I got it was high, at 1285 on max setting, but I imagine other lights including from Exposure are long since over that. As to the quality, it is basically a very high quality accessory but you get what you pay for and it will last and it great for winter race bike training when it is twilight, for example, or just plain full on nighttime blackness!

    If you are out on roads with no lighting, you need to assume you need to be lit up like a motorcycle or car as much as possible, so full on lights are not crazy (but obviously overkill for cycling around a suburb where it will blind everyone).


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    #13
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    1285!

    you're making my 300 inadequate :o


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    #14
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,958 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    1285!

    you're making my 300 inadequate :o
    One of the Exposures gives 4,000 lumens at an eye-watering price! (For off-road use only I presume).

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/exposure-six-pack-mk6-front-lights/rp-prod137795


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    #15
    markusz
    Registered Users Posts: 198 ✭✭markusz


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    +1

    It doesn't take into account debris etc. which could have been deposited on the road several minutes before one passes. Emergency utility road works can also be a hazard where an access hole has been dug and temporarily (and usually poorly) refilled.

    Regardless of how good lights are, it won't stop one from being dazzled by oncoming vehicle lights especially in wet weather.

    ah ya, i understand if you are in towns or cities. the back roads of mayo don't have many cars at night or manholes in the middle of nowhere! :P
    I have this 320 lumens light but i wouldn't use it at full power all the time.
    www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/electron-terra-2-evo-front-light/rp-prod73909

    this is 650 lumens @ 80 euro: http://www.marreybikes.com/lights/4376-electron-f-650-rechargeable-front-light.html


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    #16
    traprunner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,887 ✭✭✭traprunner


    For cycling dark roads this is great: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/6000-Lumen-5-x-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-Bike-Light-Bicycle-LED-Headlamp-HeadLight-Waterproof/1196299715.html

    All 6000 lumens of it :D

    It does have a dimmer mode and a flash mode too.


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    #17
    lennymc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,458 ✭✭✭lennymc


    07Lapierre wrote: »
    But I need lights for rural unlit roads. I also have more than one bike and like to swap lights from one bike to another, so a Dynamo is not an option.

    I have some of the chinese ebay cree lights for my non dynamo hub bikes. They are Ok, beam isnt as focused, and it can dazzle oncoming drivers, and the battery life is about 2 hrs. My round trip commute is about 4 hours, so I love the fit and forget of the dynamo.


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    #18
    cdaly_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    For battery powered rural riding, http://www.rosebikes.com/products/bike-components/lighting/battery-lamps/. 50lux or higher should do the trick. All of the rosebikes lights comply with German lighting laws and so won't dazzle oncoming riders/drivers and use all of the light to illuminate the road rather than the trees overhead.


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    #19
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 28,815 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    apologies for hijacking thread but what are people using for this season's night time mountain biking? im still running my solarstorm xt40 as main light


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    #20
    FrankGrimes
    Registered Users Posts: 4,028 ✭✭✭FrankGrimes


    +1 on the Rose Bikes options. I have two of these Trelock 950 and they are excellent. Have one pointed down in front of the bike, the other pointed a bit further up the road and it's like having Xenon headlights on a car. Means I can descend with great visibility at night and doesn't seem to blind drivers, beam seems quite targeted.


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    #21
    Fian
    Registered Users Posts: 2,187 ✭✭✭Fian


    FrankGrimes wrote: »
    +1 on the Rose Bikes options. I have two of these Trelock 950 and they are excellent. Have one pointed down in front of the bike, the other pointed a bit further up the road and it's like having Xenon headlights on a car. Means I can descend with great visibility at night and doesn't seem to blind drivers, beam seems quite targeted.

    Is it easy to switch these from one bike to another? I commute on one bike, wondering about swapping it over to road bike at weekends. Would the mount degrade over time if it were swapped back and forth frequently do you think?


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    #22
    FrankGrimes
    Registered Users Posts: 4,028 ✭✭✭FrankGrimes


    The mount is the one flaw with these lights and definitely degrades. It's a little plastic bolt that screws in to tighten the strap and it's an odd-shaped opening and most screwdrivers just churn it up. Have now found one screwdriver that works perfectly, think it's 3mm wide flathead, so I use that. But I'd definitely opt for getting a second mount (they sell spares) and putting that on the 2nd bike, in which case switching would be easy.


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    #23
    darkvalley
    Registered Users Posts: 216 ✭✭darkvalley


    FrankGrimes wrote: »
    +1 on the Rose Bikes options. I have two of these Trelock 950 and they are excellent. Have one pointed down in front of the bike, the other pointed a bit further up the road and it's like having Xenon headlights on a car. Means I can descend with great visibility at night and doesn't seem to blind drivers, beam seems quite targeted.

    I use this one on one bike and recommend it highly. I particularly like the run time, approx 6 hours on high beam and 45 hours on lowest setting.
    I would generally run it at 3rd setting for flat or uphill and then the maximum 5 for down hill. Almost all my cycling is done on rural roads. It is very easy to change between settings and you can go either up through the brightness settings or down without having to cycle through the ones you don't want, if that makes sense.
    It also tells you how much power you have left in hours and minutes for any given setting.

    Agree that the only drawback with it is the mount. Mine does not need a tool to put on but uses a clip worked by hand, but it seems very flimsy, so much so that I bought a second mount as a spare. That said I have got a winter out of the first clip and it is still working.
    Light from it is very similar to a Luxus U dynamo light that I have on my other bike.


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    #24
    LCD
    Registered Users Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭LCD


    Got Knog lights in bike station in Dundalk. Great lights & also got replaced when I stupidly snapped the elastic on them.


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    #25
    OleRodrigo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭OleRodrigo


    Ive used a Cateye EL135 on unlit roads. There is an argument for keeping light slightly dimmer than you might like as it keeps your eyes sharp, once you don't sacrifice being visible to traffic. If you're not using a dynamo, I think battery powered lights are better in case you run out of charge ( and carry spare batteries with your repair kit ).

    Bike24.de is a good resource as it will tell you what lights are approved for german roads. The RSA would have done well to copy this scheme as part of their road safety framework, although it probably needs to be implemented on an EU-wide basis.

    I've yet to get a USB chargeable light that I'm happy with. The internal battery starts to lose its capacity over time. If you can keep rain from getting into rechargeable battery powered lights, they seem to last longer.

    In the end, a hub dynamo is the best option for regular night riding. Failing that, the Busch + Müller IXON IQ Premium LED Front Light runs on AA batteries and is a good second option.


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    #26
    TiBoy
    Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭TiBoy


    ***Front light this:

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-super-drive-xl-front-light-700l/rp-prod127954

    You can buy a spare battery in case you regularly use the full 700 lumens for a few hours. I regularly train on unlit country roads and seldom, and then probably dont need to, use the full 700 lumens.



    ***2 of these for rear, one on bike and one on you:

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-zecto-rear-light-20l/rp-prod107765


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    #27
    Tenzor07
    Registered Users Posts: 8,520 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    This Bad boy here 6000 lumens! :)


    cateye-volt-6000-rechargeable-front-light.jpg


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    #28
    SomeFool
    Registered Users Posts: 2,452 ✭✭✭SomeFool


    I have been using electron lights for the last 3 years or so, used for 5 hours minium per week in the summer and double that in winter and still going strong. Find the battery fiddely to connect and charge but it has survived the heaviest of downpours so can't complain about it too much! Have a pair of exposure flares as rear lights and would recommend them too.


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    #29
    irlgw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭irlgw


    I Once read somewhere that you should have two back lights, one static and one blinking. Definitely (as somebody previously mentioned) the biggest danger is been shadowed against the headlights of oncoming vehicles. I see so many commuters with cheap and dim rear lights sat in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. I guess they must not be drivers.

    I use the cygolite Hotshot Pro 2w. It is probably one of the brightest on the market and is fully programmable so you can choose brightness and flash rate. It will run about 8hrs constant on maximum setting and about 50 hrs on blink. I bought in OZ although they are manufactured in the US. Not sure if you can buy them locally. I use a rear light even in daylight during the summer hoping it will catch the eye of any driver who is on the phone or whatever and this is still highly visible in bright sunshine. I have had drivers and followng cyclists complain about the intensity of the light

    I think there is a bigger selection of front light out there but would go for something light, compact and USB chargeable. I prefer the rubber quick release type mounting as opposed to the clamp on or click in. I like to take them off if I nip into a shop but sometimes the clips break after repeated use....


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    #30
    iniall
    Registered Users Posts: 593 ✭✭✭iniall


    irlgw wrote: »
    I Once read somewhere that you should have two back lights, one static and one blinking. Definitely (as somebody previously mentioned) the biggest danger is been shadowed against the headlights of oncoming vehicles. I see so many commuters with cheap and dim rear lights sat in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. I guess they must not be drivers.

    I use the cygolite Hotshot Pro 2w. It is probably one of the brightest on the market and is fully programmable so you can choose brightness and flash rate. It will run about 8hrs constant on maximum setting and about 50 hrs on blink. I bought in OZ although they are manufactured in the US. Not sure if you can buy them locally. I use a rear light even in daylight during the summer hoping it will catch the eye of any driver who is on the phone or whatever and this is still highly visible in bright sunshine. I have had drivers and following cyclists complain about the intensity of the light

    I think there is a bigger selection of front light out there but would go for something light, compact and USB chargeable. I prefer the rubber quick release type mounting as opposed to the clamp on or click in. I like to take them off if I nip into a shop but sometimes the clips break after repeated use....

    I presume, getting it in Australia, you didn't pay anything like the £118 Amazon are charging for the Hotshot Pro 2-watt...?

    Cygolites are also named best commuter bike lights on this site:

    http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-commuter-bike-lights/

    I wonder is there anywhere they can be had here or in the UK without paying more than three times the price on the likes of Amazon...?


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    #31
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,291 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    iniall wrote: »
    I presume, getting it in Australia, you didn't pay anything like the £118 Amazon are charging for the Hotshot Pro 2-watt...?

    Cygolites are also named best commuter bike lights on this site:

    http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-commuter-bike-lights/

    I wonder is there anywhere they can be had here or in the UK without paying more than three times the price on the likes of Amazon...?

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/CYGOLITE-Dash-320-Hotshot-Micro-Bike-Light-Combo-Headlight-Taillight-Set-/161606018738?hash=item25a07826b2

    120usd =roughly 102 euro. price includes delivery and taxes.


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