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Lights!

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  • 06-09-2019 3:09pm
    #1
    mollser
    Registered Users Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭


    Need to get a set of lights for night time MTB - just want something cheap and powerful and can mount to helmet easily.

    Any recommendations of cheap but not completely sh!t and not likely to explode lights?? Oh, and deliver to Ireland.

    (I know buy crap buy twice etc, but just want something to get going with - will buy better if I take to it...)

    Cheers!


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    #2
    calistro
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭calistro


    Thread on lights here: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057911690


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    #3
    boomdocker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,996 ✭✭✭boomdocker


    i know you're looking for cheap and cheerful...but....

    Heading into my 10th year night mtb'ing, so going back as far as halogen lights n heavy batteries...between myself and the lads with me we've been through every kind of yoke from the cheap chinese crap the high end stuff such as ayup

    Concensus now is Hope lights. Ok they are not cheap, but will probably last for years. Only dear the day you buy them as they say
    Avoid the Chinese crap, you'll end up with a box of broken $hite after a few years....


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    #4
    steamsey
    Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭steamsey


    http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/

    Good resource - think he was / is on ebay . Got a great light from him few years back.


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    #5
    Bot1
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭Bot1


    Would many be biking up at Ticknock in the dark on a weeknight?
    I'm thinking of giving it a try but I'll be heading out on my own so I'd prefer to be biking where someone might come across me if I have an accident!


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    #6
    steamsey
    Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭steamsey


    Haven't been up this year yet at night but typically (over the last 10 years) - no, there wouldn't be many up there. You could bump into a few groups but that's certainly not guaranteed. Bring backup light, fully charged phone and a whistle! Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back.


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    #7
    El Vino
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭El Vino


    https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/

    I bought from these, very happy and customer service is excellent. I also bought the magicshine from planet X which is excellent for my son. Both are very good value.


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    #8
    Biopace
    Registered Users Posts: 223 ✭✭Biopace


    boomdocker wrote: »
    i know you're looking for cheap and cheerful...but....

    Heading into my 10th year night mtb'ing, so going back as far as halogen lights n heavy batteries...between myself and the lads with me we've been through every kind of yoke from the cheap chinese crap the high end stuff such as ayup

    Concensus now is Hope lights. Ok they are not cheap, but will probably last for years. Only dear the day you buy them as they say
    Avoid the Chinese crap, you'll end up with a box of broken $hite after a few years....

    ^^This^^

    A proper investment, solidly made, keep working in all weathers, Hope R2i for the bars, R4+ for the head, or an R8 if you want to go full daylight!


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    #9
    Bot1
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭Bot1


    steamsey wrote: »
    Haven't been up this year yet at night but typically (over the last 10 years) - no, there wouldn't be many up there. You could bump into a few groups but that's certainly not guaranteed. Bring backup light, fully charged phone and a whistle! Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back.

    Thanks. Good tips there.

    Are there other more popular locations?


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    #10
    bogmanfan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭bogmanfan


    Bot1 wrote: »
    Would many be biking up at Ticknock in the dark on a weeknight?
    I'm thinking of giving it a try but I'll be heading out on my own so I'd prefer to be biking where someone might come across me if I have an accident!

    My own club would have night spins in Ticknock at least twice a week. It might be worth considering joining a club in order to head out with them. Always safer to ride in a group, but especially at night.


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    #11
    boomdocker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,996 ✭✭✭boomdocker


    El Vino wrote: »
    https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/

    I bought from these, very happy and customer service is excellent. I also bought the magicshine from planet X which is excellent for my son. Both are very good value.

    just bought a replacement battery for my Ayup from this guy
    As El Vino said - great customer service, very easy to deal with and on that basis if I was buying I would consider his lights


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    #12
    fatbhoy
    Registered Users Posts: 951 ✭✭✭fatbhoy


    I was looking at the YouTube of GMBN Tech's promo of Exposure Lights. They seem to be high-end UK MTB lights, albeit with a gimmicky auto-brightness feature (the faster you go, the brighter they become :rolleyes:). Anyway, seems like they're about 300 - 400 euro, and top quality.

    Exposure Toro MK11 £305.00
    Exposure Race MK14 £250.00

    They seem affordable, at a stretch (comparable to Hope).

    Then I noticed the German brand, Lupine:

    Lupine Alpha helmet lamp €1,070.00
    Lupine Betty R14 €899.00

    Who would pay nearly €1000 for one light (you'd need two), when a bad crash could render it useless. :eek:

    A lot of lads that go to Ticknock seem to use €30 stuff like this:
    52000Lm 15x LED Cree XML Waterproof T6 Bicycle Bike Light Cycling Headlight Lamp

    Personally, I've two Trustfire torches (cheap Chinese) on handlebar and helmet mounts that work fine. I've had them years. You just have to supervise their charging. Cost about €50 altogether including batteries and charger. The only real concerns I have with my setup, and MTB lights in general, is how robust and waterproof they are: they have to endure a lot of heavy vibrations.


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    #13
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 28,856 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    fatbhoy wrote:
    Then I noticed the German brand,


    Came across high brands before, fcuk that, cheap Chinese are fine for me


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    #14
    fatbhoy
    Registered Users Posts: 951 ✭✭✭fatbhoy


    Wanderer78 wrote: »
    Came across high brands before, fcuk that, cheap Chinese are fine for me

    I guess like almost everything else, there is high-end, top-quality stuff out there, and that's a good thing. It's for people with loads of money. It's good to have that option available.

    Check out this MP3-player/Walkman:
    WM1Z Walkman® Signature Series €2,885.00


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    #15
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 28,856 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    fatbhoy wrote:
    Check out this MP3-player/Walkman:


    Fcuk that


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    #16
    covey123
    Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭covey123


    fatbhoy wrote: »

    Check out this MP3-player/Walkman:
    WM1Z Walkman® Signature Series €2,885.00

    Do you reckon that's better bar or helmet mounted?
    Strap it on with a couple of cable ties?


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    #17
    fatbhoy
    Registered Users Posts: 951 ✭✭✭fatbhoy


    covey123 wrote: »
    Do you reckon that's better bar or helmet mounted?
    Strap it on with a couple of cable ties?

    Strap it wherever-da-fuq you like.


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