How many luxes.

grouchyman

just bought a bike recently on the bike to work scheme. It came with a front light with 4 lux. I'm wondering how suitable is this light for cycling on country roads at night. If its not enough luxes how many luxes do I need? Thanks in advance.

derealbadger

Plain answer not suitable at all minimum 400 lumin

Lumen

Lux is a measure of illumination, but meaningless without a distance.

Most common distances are 1m and 10m.

100 lux @ 1m is equivalent to 1 lux @ 10m.

50 lux @ 10m is enough to illuminate the road, give or take a bit.

Mugser

My front light has 1000 lumen. Front lights & country roads: not just for being seen but also to see where you're going.

NeedMoreGears

My front light is 150 lumen - it's good but I'd prefer maybe 200-250 for dark back roads.

smacl

Loads of extended discussion and recommendations on this thread; http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055705708

godtabh

I have 400l on my front but cycle on well let roads.

If I wasnt on well lit roads I think I'd be looking for something brighter. WBA has a super power full light. I think he has blinded a few people on his boards jersey tour. Maybe ask him what he has

Surveyor11

250 lumen good enough for me on country roads. Led lenser b7.

Wishbone Ash

godtabh wrote: »

WBA has a super power full light. I think he has blinded a few people on his boards jersey tour. Maybe ask him what he has

I got rid of that one at the end of last year - it was way too bright at something like 1450 lumens but great on unlit rural roads.

I use a Lezyne Super Drive now (450 Lumens) although I'm told it's still too bright in flashing mode.

I also have a small Lezyne Micro (150 Lumens) for autumn, spring evening spins and as a back-up emergency light..

BadCharlie

This is what im looking at getting
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-super-drive-xl-500l-front-light-2013/rp-prod86390

Its the Lezyne Super Drive XL 500L Front Light 2013, looks good and the price is the best i can find. Some reviews not good about its battries.

Enduro (medium): 350 lumens/2.5hrs
• Blast (high): 500 lumens/1.5hrs
• Economy (low): 175lumens/5hrs
• Flash: 350 lumens / 5hrs

godtabh

I have the Lezyne Power Drive XL. It puts out 475 lumens (thought it was 400 luxs) and generally use it in flashing mode. I havent been flashed so I assume its not blinding anyone

Rambling Man

I got a front light in Lidl and its fine (as long as it's sunny)

Have been looking at one of these Cree jobbies

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007WAAO70/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0ANDRCHTZSE39YJSMF2J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=430153987&pf_rd_i=468294

slideshow bob

grouchyman wrote: »

how many luxes do I need?

The short answer is invariably "more".

The extremes are if you know the road and have a bike that can cope with the expected surface imperfections you pretty much just need a light to be seen by. If you want to hurl along at speed and identify the species of slugs hiding under the foliage 20m away you better go for one of them 9800 lumen yokes AstraMonti bought recently.

CheGuedara

BadCharlie wrote: »

This is what im looking at getting
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-super-drive-xl-500l-front-light-2013/rp-prod86390

Its the Lezyne Super Drive XL 500L Front Light 2013, looks good and the price is the best i can find. Some reviews not good about its battries

Got it myself, great torch and it comes with a second battery just in case you need to swap in a new one mid-ride. To really help pick up some higher mAh batterys to extend burn time. I have these 3100 mAh and these 3400mAh ones - little between them TBH but a lot better than the standard ones (2400mAh) that come with the light.

piston

I would consider 4 lux far too low.

Decent halogen dyanamo lamps back in the day put out 15 - 20 lux. I still ride unlit country roads at decent speed on my winter fixed wheel bike with a B&M lumotec halogen lamp rated at 17 lux. It's fine but I wouldn't consider anything lower. Modern LED dynamo lamps are amazing things, vastly superior but 17 is useable.

What's possibly more important than the light output itself is where the light is directed. Lights that meet the German standard have beams shaped like car headlamp beams and put light on the road where you need it and it doesn't dazzle other traffic.

Not all the cheap but very powerful battery lights available of the net will do that. I wouldn't buy any lamp that doesn't meet the German regs.

They also have the advantage of being fully road legal and meeting EU guidelines should you ever end up in the unfortunate situation of trying to claim compo following an accident.

the.red.baron

BadCharlie wrote: »

This is what im looking at getting
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-super-drive-xl-500l-front-light-2013/rp-prod86390

Its the Lezyne Super Drive XL 500L Front Light 2013, looks good and the price is the best i can find. Some reviews not good about its battries.

Enduro (medium): 350 lumens/2.5hrs
• Blast (high): 500 lumens/1.5hrs
• Economy (low): 175lumens/5hrs
• Flash: 350 lumens / 5hrs

350 flashing is overkill in my books. It should have another step down for the flash. godtabhs one is a more usable light, with 175 flashing, mine is 200 and it's blinding.

grouchyman

Many thanks for all the info boardsies. Plenty of food for thought there. Now just to make up my mind.

Puggy

Rambling Man wrote: »

Have been looking at one of these Cree jobbies

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007WAAO70/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0ANDRCHTZSE39YJSMF2J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=430153987&pf_rd_i=468294

I've got one and its fine, but the beam is not suitable for the road, you need one of these as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Angle-MagicShine-Gemini-Lights-Headlight/dp/B004WLCLQY