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Being that this is a safety thread and I have a safety question I hope some of you guys can answer this.
I want to get a good light that will last me an extended amount of time without having to change the batteries every other ride. Something I can go camping with or do cross country trips. I've heard that led lights are the way to go now because they last 300 hrs apposed to a halogen that last only 100 hrs.
What are your thoughts...
And if you know of any good lights post a link.
Also should I go with a Helmet or Handlebar mount?
Thx,
-Joe :confused:
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Personally I like a handlebar helmet. That way drivers can see where I'm going even when I turn my head for a split second to look at a side road or something similar.
or GURLZZZ for that matter....lol wenever im in a group ride I can tell there are girls coming up cause you hear "eyes on the road boys!" lol referring to me and my twin brother (we're 16 u see...hehe)
Brendon
well it depends on how much light you need, but i can REALLY recommend the new Cateye EL-300. it provides enough light to see on a dark trail or road that you know pretty well and of course be seen and the battery life is great. i use it for everything except i also have a 20W head-mounted light i also use for off-road night riding.
i like helmet mounted lights for off-road, but for commuting the handlebar works fine.
or you could even consider getting 2 Cateyes and i read someone on this board has strapped one to his helmet - maybe a little heavy...
the Cateye costs like $45 i think (although i bought mine in Europe so maybe it's more or less in the US)
Originally posted by nathank
well it depends on how much light you need, but i can REALLY recommend the new Cateye EL-300. it provides enough light to see on a dark trail or road that you know pretty well and of course be seen and the battery life is great....the Cateye costs like $45 i think (although i bought mine in Europe so maybe it's more or less in the US)
You answered my question about lights nathank, but just to be sure: these lights really do work: that is, they throw a powerful beam; and the battery really does last ?? Great! I have not done any night riding and i don't think i'll turn into a nocturnal rider; but if one of these lights expands the time i can spend on my bike...welll!!!!!
roughstuff
Roughstuff,
well i bought mine like about a month ago and although i haven't been riding in the dark as much since the days are longer, at least a 5 hours a week and i haven't changed the batteries yet. so say at least 20 hours, but probably more like 30 hours...
the light is a kind of blue light that is actually brighter than you at first think. it's maybe kind of hazy-looking and it's very different than the yellow light of a halogen or from a regular incandescent... but you can see quite well by it. the light spreads all over more like a flood and is totally regular (halogens are usually irregular and/or focused spot beams).
i did a side-to-side comparison with my old cateye halogen (5 watts i think, sorry i forgot) and although the halogen looked brighter at first glance it was because it is more of a spot - and i compared reading a sign from distance and could see it better with the LED.
i haven't done any high-speed riding on totally dark roads yet, but on the pretty-dark paved bike trails near me i was quite comfortabe at 30km/h...
On a day-to-day basis, I use a handlebar light (32w). When it rains, I add a helmet light (15w). The increased angle from the helmet light makes it easier to see the road since the light doesn't just bounce off the glossy surface. I can also point the light in driver's eyes to make sure they see me. (Works for the left and right turners wonderfully).
My advice is from trail riding...and a bit technical at that.
I find that a handlebar light casts more of a shadow on things on the trail (because it mounts out of line with your eyesight), giving you a better overall feeling of depth perception. Obstacles, roots, ruts, rocks, etc. stand out MUCH better. The drawback is that it's only lighting up where your bar is pointed.
A helmet light is VERY good at providing light WHERE YOU ARE LOOKING (duh), but provides less depth because there's less shadow. You'd be suprised how often you are looking at places that are NOT in direct line with where your bars are pointed.
LED's are not yet bright enough for my taste and trail riding - battery life sure is outstanding...and I do carry one as backup. I found a trick little Energizer unit at Target for $15.00 WITH batteries. It switchs from a dual white LED to a single red LED (for preserving your night vision if needed).
If I could only choose one - it would be a helmet light, halogen with a NiMH battery and at least 10w power.
Best of course is both.
Dream setup is HID on the bar and the helmet!
Handlebar. Helmet lights make me nervous in that it would seem a good idea for a helmet to slide and not snag if your head hits the ground. I wonder if there are any stats on neck injuries in falls involving helmet-mount lights. Also, consider a generator. I'm quite impressed with my new Busch & Muller bottle (tire-side) unit. It puts out more light with less drag than Union or Soubitez ones used to, even through a couple of salvaged old Schwinn lights.
I have heard good things about Schmidt and Shimano dynohubs, too.
I second alot of what bikecolorado says. Go with a helmet mount and get a varible wattage output, that is, one that will go from 5 to 10 to etc. etc. That way when you are on familiar or smooth road or ground you will not have to use the brightest settings, thereby saving your battery. I run duals that go from 6 to 12 to 20 to 32 watts and I usually use the 12 or 20 watt settings while in the woods. Usually the 6 or 12 on the road. I rarely use the 32 except on unfamiliar ground or when preserving the battery is not an issue. Also make sure your light comes with a handlebar and helmet mount.
Rick
I like both a head light and a handlebar light. Thaat way you have both for straight and one where you want to go when turning.
Joe
I use a super bright LED light on the bars and use one of these little LED flashlights velcro-strapped to my helmet: Arc AAA LED flashlight (http://store.yahoo.com/flashlight/arcaaa.html)
I find that the ability to flash the little guy by jerking my head seems to get drivers attention. Note that the above set up is for riding in the city at night and not for trailbashing.
Hi,
I am using a pair of Cateye EL-300's. That's 10 LEDs, supposedly a 100 hour runtime for the batteries. They're cheap, you can get one at a time, and a pair throws a generous amount of light. Bike shops could sell these like tortilla chips if they had one lying around with batteries in it.
My first bike light was a unit made by Berec of England I bought about 23 years ago and that was the brightest light available at that time, it ran off of 2 D bats but the light output was weak even after I upgraded it to a halagen bulb (I still have that light). Then about 3 years ago I purchased a Zefal hf635 with a halagen bulb that ran off of 4 AAbats and was adequate light but the thing was cheaply made and soon started to flicker when I hit bumps and would have to knock it to get back on. So 1 year ago I bought the Cateye EL-300, this light was brighter than the Zefal but it put out weird bluish spot with no flood pattern as the Zefal had done so the road was not quite as visible in a wider area that I preferred. The LBS where I bought this light from started to carry the Cygo brand so I went with my light and compared the brightness level to their cheapest Metro and there was no comparison. The Metro drowned out the EL300 so much you could not tell it was even on!
WAIT; the Cygo Metro is only $45, it has 2 beams-6.3 watt spot and a 6.2 watt flood and you can run both at the same time for a total of 13 watts or individually. One of the reasons I liked this light is because it runs off of 6 D bats that fit in a battery case you attach to the frame, which means I am not a slave to the wall (though I can be if I want to but rechargeable bats.), and if the bats go dead on a ride I can pop into any store and buy more. The second reason I liked it is because it will run for 5 hours on one beam and 2 1/2 hours on both-that's longer than most rechargeable units. I get my bats at Walmart and buy their alky housebrand that cost $8 for 12bats and they last just as long as the more expensive name brands.
This Metro is so bright I never "have" to run with both beams. When I commute I'm in the city so I use the flood only. When I detour from home and ride a pitch dark bike path away from city lights I run with both but found the flood by itself to be adequate. This bike path is where I had to slow down when riding with the EL300 or the Zefal because I would override the light. With the Metro this does not happen even with one beam on! But I run both beams on the path to be extra safe.
If you need a light that lasts longer than 5 hours than go with EL300 but use 2. If you want something brighter though get the Metro, it cost about $10 more but you get A LOT more light. And if your touring you can always carry extra D's with you and you can buy more at any store. You also buy a hub generator light that will use no bats and puts out about as much light as the Zefal would, one such maker is the Busch and Muller Lumotec Plus. These generator type of lights are use a lot by real touring folk.
Are you just looking for a headlight for cycle touring or do you plan to use it more?
If you plan to use it a lot, a dynamo such as the S6 generator with Lumotec headlight, or a hub dynamo like the Shimano Nexus or (Cadillac) Schmidt would be great. See http://www.peterwhitecycles.com . BTW, the commuter bike is equipped with the Nexus and the tourer is equipped with the Schmidt (I relaced my two rims on these hubs) and I enjoy both.
You could supplement the dynobub or sidewall generator with a small helmet lamp (Petzl (sp?) has a good one) that could help you see remote signs and help you plant the tent at night.
As for relying solely on a helmet headlight, I don't like the idea on the road, because I quite often turn my head all around while riding.
Regards,
If you riding a recumbent with understearing controls, you have no choice but to use a helmet light. I can see some advantages in using a helmet light but it's not practical for a commuter. As a commuter, you need a light focused on the road ALL the time. An argument can be made this is the case for all riding but night time commuters need this especially.
Furthermore, carrying this large light in your bag with the battery makes it rather bulky. I prefer a light that can fit in my bag along with the rear blinkies. Having said this, I find these helmet lights to be VERY well made providing a good if not better light than my handle bar one.
The best reason for both!
I just came back from a ride (see touring) I really didn't want to ride at night but I brought my handel bar light just in case. Sure enoug I got back real late and needed it. I worked fine for a bit but then went dim. I thought it was the batteries, they were new but who knows ... Then got real bright then it got real dim...
must have been something loss. Who cares have two then if one isn't perfect it doesn't matter.
Joe
I used the EL-300 commuting this year and found with about an average of 4 hours of use a week I got 1.5 to 2 months out of 4 batteries. I can ride between 15 - 18 mph comfortably. If I had another one I bet I would be comfortable at a much faster rate of speed. I used to use the Specialized Fireballs 18w lights but found the' weight on the el-300 is much less and it's focused beam is really more what I need for riding roads at night. I actually thought of trying the helmet mount for those with my new' bike but the weight on the top of' my head really bugged me. I can imagine having neckproblems down the line. One added bonus of the white El-300 is that enough light escapes out the side to light my computer (of course I covered the top of the light with electrical tape so as not to blind my night vision).
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