Just looking for something cheap but effective. This isn't really for any nighttime riding on the regular, but more for those times when I'm coming from a friend's house at night, for example.

I have the Cateye EL-500, I like it alot! You can probably get one for under $50

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_65&products_id=362

This light with a Two Fish holder would be great. You'd have enough money leftover for a charger and batteries too.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-53/Romisen-RC-dsh-N3-CREE-Q5/Detail

Anything that's not a flashlight? Seems like the last two suggestions were flashlights.

Anything that's not a flashlight? Seems like the last two suggestions were flashlights.

Many of us use flashlights with a bike mount. Believe it or not, but they make a great and extremely bright bike light for a fraction of the cost of a bike specific light. For such a small budget you aren't going to get much beyond a little blinkey front light if you insist on a bike specific light.

http://www.dealextreme.com/productimages/sku_12623_4.jpg
MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 900-Lumen 8-Mode LED Flashlight. $45.90 free ship.
Brighter than automobile headlights on high mode, medium and low power modes for longer run times. Flash modes make you visible even in bright daylight.
P7 flashlights are selling out almost as fast as there listed. Hurry if you want one.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13060

I have seen NiteRider Trail Rat 2.0/Road Rat 2.0 systems online for $70 on sale every now and again...
It's 20 bucks more here, but with free shipping...
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/LS707A04-Niterider+Trail+Rat+20+06.aspx
Or you could opt for this blackburn system.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/LS503A00-Blackburn+System+X6.aspx

Neither of these systems are the latest or greatest, but they have come down quite a bit in price.
This is a big step up from the "be seen" lights to the "lights to see with" catagory. You will not be disapointed... Cheers!

Many of us use flashlights with a bike mount. Believe it or not, but they make a great and extremely bright bike light for a fraction of the cost of a bike specific light. For such a small budget you aren't going to get much beyond a little blinkey front light if you insist on a bike specific light.

I was skeptical at first also. But many of us on the forum have had a little faith and taken the advice of the original forum members that discovered the great utility and value these "flashlights".

Don't let the bike light/flashlight packaging fool you. A cyclist that I ride with had budgeted $400 for new lights and was astounded at the output and effectiveness of these lights for cycling. He now has one "flashlight" mounted on the bars and another helmet mounted and $250 still in his pocket and could not be happier. He is retired and has been riding at night for years.

I have seen NiteRider Trail Rat 2.0/Road Rat 2.0 systems online for $70 on sale every now and again...
It's 20 bucks more here, but with free shipping...
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/LS707A04-Niterider+Trail+Rat+20+06.aspx
Or you could opt for this blackburn system.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/LS503A00-Blackburn+System+X6.aspx

Neither of these systems are the latest or greatest, but they have come down quite a bit in price.
This is a big step up from the "be seen" lights to the "lights to see with" catagory. You will not be disapointed... Cheers!

If you werer able to compare these directly against the fenix flashlight/holders, you would not even consider them.

http://www.dealextreme.com/productimages/sku_12623_4.jpg
MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 900-Lumen 8-Mode LED Flashlight. $45.90 free ship.
Brighter than automobile headlights on high mode, medium and low power modes for longer run times. Flash modes make you visible even in bright daylight.
P7 flashlights are selling out almost as fast as there listed. Hurry if you want one.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13060

I would personally stick with AA powered flashlights.

Thanks guys for the info. Sorry for my ignorance with the flashlights. I think I'm interested in the Romisen. And at that price, I could still get 2 of them!

Ziemas, do you know the difference with the RC-N3 and the RC-C3?

Just looking for something cheap but effective. This isn't really for any nighttime riding on the regular, but more for those times when I'm coming from a friend's house at night, for example.

Take your pick. No Shipping cost.
http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905

Thanks guys for the info. Sorry for my ignorance with the flashlights. I think I'm interested in the Romisen. And at that price, I could still get 2 of them!

Ziemas, do you know the difference with the RC-N3 and the RC-C3?

The RC-N3 uses a CR123A battery, which looks like the below photo. The RC-C3 can use either a CR123A battery or standard AA rechargeable batteries. I strongly suggest that you go for the RC-C3 model because finding AA batteries and a charger is much easier should you need replacements, and the run time is very good. Also AA rechargeable are cheaper than CR123A. I use AAs in my light, and am very happy with them, plus you can use the charger to charge batteries for all the other AA and AAA batteries you stick in stuff.

Buy the light from the link I gave you as his lights are brighter than the ones at DealExtreme (he has them specially made with brighter LEDs that the DX models), they are in stock (sometimes you need to wait a few weeks for DX to get product from their suppliers), he ships a lot faster, and they'll ship from within the US. Even when I placed an order from him to be shipped to Latvia it came very quickly.

Have you looked for a mount yet?




http://www.onlybatteries.com/webimages/images/14794.jpg

I thought the N3 has the AA battery option? That's what it says on the link. Anyway, I've only looked at the Two Fish holder, which seems pretty good.

I thought the N3 has the AA battery option? That's what it says on the link. Anyway, I've only looked at the Two Fish holder, which seems pretty good.

You are correct. I got it backwards. Go for the N3 in the link.

I would personally stick with AA powered flashlights.
P7 flashlights are not available for use with AA batteries. DX has a pair of 18650 Lithium rechargeable Battery's for $10.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790
and a fully automatic charger for $8.80.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105
You could power a P7 flashlight for 2 hours running in high mode swapping out batteries only once. Running in low mode the flashlight will operate 8+ hours on a single Lithium battery or 4+ hours on medium mode. These two batteries would allow you to run all night in medium mode swapping out battery's once.

P7 flashlights are not available for use with AA batteries. DX has a pair of 18650 Lithium rechargeable Battery's for $10.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790
and a fully automatic charger for $8.80.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105
You could power a P7 flashlight for 2 hours running in high mode swapping out batteries only once. Running in low mode the flashlight will operate 8+ hours on a single Lithium battery or 4+ hours on medium mode. These two batteries would allow you to run all night in medium mode swapping out battery's once.

Did you actually read the OP? He needs nothing like what you have suggested.

Did you actually read the OP? He needs nothing like what you have suggested.

I disagree. N4 posted some options worth looking at. The OP did not give a lot of detail other than the occasional trip at night from a freinds house. How far is that? How long will it take? What time of the night? What is the ambient lighting like? all of that should factor in to a decision. That said, the flashlight with multiple modes and rechargeables is a very flexible option and reasonably priced.

I disagree. N4 posted some options worth looking at. The OP did not give a lot of detail other than the occasional trip at night from a freinds house. How far is that? How long will it take? What time of the night? What is the ambient lighting like? all of that should factor in to a decision. That said, the flashlight with multiple modes and rechargeables is a very flexible option and reasonably priced.

Would all of that be less than $50?

Would all of that be less than $50?

$10 batteries
$ 9 Charger
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6145
$17 flashlight

$36 total...add a mounting system and total for about $40 you would have an adequate lighting system for the occasional ride home at an easy pace and 1 or 2 hour ride.

While the light originally posted by N4 was overkill, it is a very nice light.

$10 batteries
$ 9 Charger
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6145
$17 flashlight

$36 total...add a mounting system and total for about $40 you would have an adequate lighting system for the occasional ride home at an easy pace and 1 or 2 hour ride.

While the light originally posted by N4 was overkill, it is a very nice light.

That style of light has already been suggested, although with a brighter LED.

While the light originally posted by N4 was overkill, it is a very nice light.
Lights are never overkill unless you actually kill someone or something with it! :D

The night ride for me would be something small...around 5 miles. Also, I already have rechargeable batteries and charger. So those items wouldn't factor into the total cost. I think I have decided on the Romisen suggested by Ziemas. Maybe the pics from this review (http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=17539.msg218309;topicseen) sold me on it.

The night ride for me would be something small...around 5 miles. Also, I already have rechargeable batteries and charger. So those items wouldn't factor into the total cost. I think I have decided on the Romisen suggested by Ziemas. Maybe the pics from this review (http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=17539.msg218309;topicseen) sold me on it.

Please let us know how it turns out for you.

Please let us know how it turns out for you.

+1

Definitely. And thanks guys for the heads up on flashlight alternatives.

This light with a Two Fish holder would be great. You'd have enough money leftover for a charger and batteries too.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-53/Romisen-RC-dsh-N3-CREE-Q5/Detail

So how does the Romisen compare to the Fenix? Has this replaced the Fenix and is now the new "gold" standard of recommendations? How much history and/or reviews are available on this brand?

So how does the Romisen compare to the Fenix? Has this replaced the Fenix and is now the new "gold" standard of recommendations? How much history and/or reviews are available on this brand?

The Romisen lights I have (two of them) are quite good quality, although not quite as nice as the Fenix lights. For their cost they are an excellent value, especially the ones which ShiningBeam is having made with brighter LEDs such as the Q5. These are not available at DX; they can only be bought at the US based ShiningBeam.

There are many, many threads on Romisen lights on CPF.

Darn you Ziemas, now I need to go buy one of these Romisen's. :p

215 lumens for 25 bucks? Wow. How long will it run at that with AA's, do you know?

Darn you Ziemas, now I need to go buy one of these Romisen's. :p

215 lumens for 25 bucks? Wow. How long will it run at that with AA's, do you know?
As a matter of fact I do. :) Contact the seller for more info; he's very responsive.

It runs about 4 hours, and its brightness is at least 110+ Lumens using AA. For 215 lumens I'd assume you'd need CR1213 cells.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=179032

The RC-N3 uses a CR123A battery, which looks like the below photo.
Psst. That's a CR2, not a CR123. :innocent: 123's are a little longer, but also a bit more common than CR2's (as far as flashlights are concerned anyway)

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/2064/ebay20cr123bigze2.jpg

My wife uses a couple of Inova Bolt 2AA's on lockblocks. Not as bright as the XR-E lights, but they've been rock solid dependable for her on daily commutes.

This weekend I'm gonna try out a Coleman MAX 2AA XR-E light on a night ride. If it turns out well, you could get two and lockblocks for just a touch over $50.

I'm also interested in K1njo's exp. w/ the flashlights. I recently purchased a new bike and am looking for headlights as well. I was thinking of bike-specific headlights, such as the Cateye that's been mentioned in this thread. But I may also have to consider a flashlight and figure out a way to mount it. It seems to give more light for the buck. Too bad battery life would not be 30-80 hrs. on 2-4 AA batteries that the Cateye would give, but you'd get a lot more light for it. Decisions, decisions ...

For taillights, I assume you're going w/ the traditional blinky-blinky red lights.

Most commonly recommended mounting method for a flashlight is using lockblocks by TwoFish (http://www.twofish.biz/bike.html). This is a product originally marketed for mounting a u-lock to your handlebars. It's basically a rubber block with a couple of velcro straps. One strap goes around the handlebar, the other goes around the light. Pressure on the rubber block keeps it from shifting around.

You generally get pretty good results with a 2AA or smaller light. Larger lights can be made to fit, but you'll find they'll bounce around a lot more.

You're right that flashlights tend not to have as long a runtime as dedicated bike lights. Part of that is the battery pack, part of that is the strength of the light. It's not that the Cateye is necessarily more efficient than a flashlight is, it's that it's running at a lower power. Also, many manufacturers (flashlights as well as bike lights) tend to be overly optimistic on battery life - using ratings literally till they fade into nothingness. A common practice on the flashlight boards is to consider battery life as rated until the light fades to 50% power - a much more useful number.

Dedicated bikelights have their own mounts, often featuring quick release so you can take the lights with you when you park them. They also usually have a blink mode - many flashlights do have this as well, but they're often on higher priced multi-mode lights.

For short-midlength commutes a 2AA light serves quite well - especially when paired with a long-running blinky light like a Planet Bike Beamer5. Solid light to see the road and to provide a reference point for vehicles, blinking light to get attention. Particularly with the AA's you can run rechargables which both gives you better runtime (usually) and eases the hassle of buying alkalines every few days.

One downside to using rechargables is that with many lights, you get little warning when they run flat. Unless you have a routine down where you know when the batteries tend to go and recharge them before that point, you might get surprised because NiMH's run pretty strong until they're nearly exhausted - unlike alkalines which gradually fade the whole way.

On a fairly well-lit commute through the city, the blinky can be your backup light. My wife carries a second flashlight as her backup - each with their own lockblock so she can use both on a really rough night when she wants extra light. :thumb:

The Inova Bolt 2AA / Beamer5 combo has run on my wife's bike daily for around two years without fail, so I have no problem recommending it. Others can chime in with other lights they've used (I have no experience with any other than the Inova on bike duty) - I often see Fenix coming up, but they're close (or over) $50 usually. Like I said, I'm trying a new Coleman light this weekend, so I'll be able to see at least if it flickers or something bad when on a bike.

Taillights, yeah most of us use red blinkies. Most common ones I see recommended for brightness are Planetbike Superflashes, Blackburn Mars, and Performance Viewpoints. The Dinotte is a whole 'nother breed - basically it's a flashlight-caliber red light, but it's also much more expensive than the others, so it's your call which way to go. My wife runs a Mars because it mounts on her bike better. I have two Viewpoints - one on the rack trunk, the other on the helmet.

Hope that helps!

I'm thinking of this HL/TL set (http://www.amazon.com/Cateye-EL-220-TL-LD270R-Headlight-Combination/dp/B000R6Q9WU/) that froze mentioned (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=7026176&postcount=5) (currently selling for $40 shipped).

As far as "be seen" lighting goes, it's an alright combination. A 5-LED front blinker is pretty solid. The 3-LED rear is only sorta average, and N-cells can be a little tricky to find in a pinch.

This Combo (http://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-Quadrant-Combo-Bicycle-Light/dp/B000BNZ0ME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215666616&sr=1-1) set from Blackburn is another one worth mentioning. The Quadrant (HL) has only 4 LED's, and it's rather bulky as blinker headlights go, but it serves it's purpose well enough, and I rather like the unusual 2-steady 2-flash mode it has - still attracts attention, but you still have 2 steady lights for visual reference.

And the Mars rear (imho) is superior to a 3-LED light.

Another one worth considering are this Planet Bike Combo (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-3040-Superflash-Headlight/dp/B0015R9PZI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215666884&sr=1-6), both the Blaze and Superflash will be brighter than the Cateye counterparts. The superflash you're a little limited by the light's narrow viewing angle - not ideal if you're not mounting to the bike (like on a messenger bag or someplace where it can potentially be aimed away from traffic)

As far as "be seen" lighting goes, it's an alright combination. A 5-LED front blinker is pretty solid. The 3-LED rear is only sorta average, and N-cells can be a little tricky to find in a pinch.

This Combo (http://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-Quadrant-Combo-Bicycle-Light/dp/B000BNZ0ME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215666616&sr=1-1) set from Blackburn is another one worth mentioning. The Quadrant (HL) has only 4 LED's, and it's rather bulky as blinker headlights go, but it serves it's purpose well enough, and I rather like the unusual 2-steady 2-flash mode it has - still attracts attention, but you still have 2 steady lights for visual reference.

And the Mars rear (imho) is superior to a 3-LED light.

Another one worth considering are this Planet Bike Combo (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-3040-Superflash-Headlight/dp/B0015R9PZI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215666884&sr=1-6), both the Blaze and Superflash will be brighter than the Cateye counterparts. The superflash you're a little limited by the light's narrow viewing angle - not ideal if you're not mounting to the bike (like on a messenger bag or someplace where it can potentially be aimed away from traffic)

Cool, some more choices. Thanks for the links. Both are in the ~$32 range, which is slightly cheaper than the $40 Cateye combo. You said both of these sets are brighter than the Cateye? What about real-world battery life - how would they compare? Also, is there any theft deterrent on how they're installed or does one always need to remove the lights when leaving the bike in a public area? Thanks!

I've recently purchased the super efficient Cateye HL-500 (http://www.amazon.com/Cateye-HL-500-Halogen-Bicycle-Headlight/dp/B000R6QR0O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215674958&sr=8-7). (Sarcasm doesn't transmit very well through the internet...)

The photos of the Romisen have attracted my attention as well, I think I may be converting to the flashlight system rather than the expensive (unless you get the HL-500) bike dedicated ones. Anyone know if ShiningBeam ships to Canada?

Particularly with 5mm leds, it's pretty easy to compare based on numbers of emitters. Once you start getting into more powerful Luxeon, Seoul, and Cree emitters it starts getting goofy with efficiencies.

One difference is that in the past few years Nichia came out with higher efficiency 5mm LED's, which boosted their brightness. But in general you're looking at apples vs apples. So to do a blow by blow

Headlights: Cateye vs Blackburn vs PlanetBike

The Cateye will likely be brighter than the Blackburn due to 5 vs 4 LED's. The PlanetBike Blaze, is a 1/2 watt single-emitter which will be pretty comparable (if not somewhat brighter) to a 5-LED cluster like the Cateye. Overall all three are pretty similar, the Blackburn is behind by an LED, although it does feature that slightly unusual blink pattern. Battery life I would expect to be similar with all three, given the similarity of emitters and power consumption - meaning the Blaze will last about half as long, since it's only using 2AA instead of 4.

Taillights:

This is where the Cateye combo starts to fall behind. The LD270 is going to be outclassed by both the Superflash and Mars in terms of sheer brightness, as well as using an uncommon battery cell type - you won't be able to wheel into a 7-11 on a rainy night to replace a dead battery in the middle of your commute. The Cateye has only 3 LED's, so yeah, it uses less power, but N-cells have about 2/3 the capacity of AAA's, so it's about a push.

Battery life is rated at around 100 hours for each, but again, that's probably measured till the lights are completely dead - you'll probably find yourself wanting to replace them sooner than that to maintain brightness. With the AA/AAA lights, you could use lithium or NiMH batteries, which run at a more constant voltage until they're dead (unlike alkalines which run steadily down). You get less warning when they go out, but you'll also get much more life between battery changes.

Theft:

Absolutely take the lights with you. None of the lights in this price range are "theft-proof" - they will all have relatively easy mounts to remove. Heck, more than once I've heard of someone stealing the mount even though the light was already taken off by the owner. Many of the lights are basically a belt clip that slides into the mount on the bike.

^ Excellent info. and comparison, wyeast. Thanks!

Particularly with 5mm leds, it's pretty easy to compare based on numbers of emitters. Once you start getting into more powerful Luxeon, Seoul, and Cree emitters it starts getting goofy with efficiencies.

One difference is that in the past few years Nichia came out with higher efficiency 5mm LED's, which boosted their brightness. But in general you're looking at apples vs apples.


Without ripping a light apart to see whats inside it, the best indicator of brightness is battery type and runtime. A 100hr light will be a third the brightness of a 30hr light(of course this goes out the window with flashing lights).

That only works as long as you're comparing emitters with the same efficiency, and it'll depend on whether or not the light is regulated. (usually rates a shorter battery life, but the light is near-constant brightness the whole time, vs longer life, but most of the last half is uselessly dim)

[QUOTE=Chief&Champ;7033851]I've recently purchased the super efficient Cateye HL-500 (http://www.amazon.com/Cateye-HL-500-Halogen-Bicycle-Headlight/dp/B000R6QR0O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1215674958&sr=8-7). (Sarcasm doesn't transmit very well through the internet...)

The photos of the Romisen have attracted my attention as well, I think I may be converting to the flashlight system rather than the expensive They do ship to Canada, and for only $2.95.

They'll also ship to countries not listed if you email and ask. Latvia wasn't listed on his list of countries shipped to, so I emailed and asked if he'd ship to me. He did no problem. Quickly as well.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-template/faq/Page

I bought a Planet Bike Superflash for the rear, and a Planet Bike 1 W white Blaze headlight. Any opinions on these?

I have two Superflashes in use for the rear end, so if one were to fail, I'm covered. I haven't seen the 1 W Blaze yet, but the 0,5 W seems well designed.

Both of these lights require that you seal them with electrical tape around the case opening. Otherwise, they are OK in very light rain, but not in a downpour.

I was told this morning by a colleague that the Serfas CP-1000 Ultrabright Combo Pack is worth the $. You can get it for under $40.00. Anyone else used this setup?

*shrug* seems to be about par for a decent "See me" setup. The other combos bounced around were going for $30-40 on Amazon, so pricepoint is about in there as well.

Last weekend I ran the bike on the Night Ride w/ the following lights up front:

(1) Inova Bolt 2AA (about $35-40) aimed low (about 15' in front on the road)
(1) Coleman MAX 2AA Cree XR-E ($25 @ Walmart) aimed mid (about 30' in front on the road)
(1) Task Force Cree 2C (about $30 @ Lowe's) aimed straight ahead

The MAX's beam pattern was very similar to the Inova, except brighter. The Task Force has a very narrow hotspot, mainly useful for lighting up distant signs. The weight balance makes it hard to aim down, so it's really only useful in that capacity. I put the lockblock at the center of weight (just behind the head), and slung it under the handlebar to keep it in place. The other two 2AA lights stayed in position with a Lockblocks on top of the handlebar.

All three lights performed ok on the 45-60 minutes I rode with them. None of the lights flickered or went out from being jostled on the bike, including one boneheaded 0-mph crash because I accidentally re-clipped standing at a red light. :roflmao2:

The Inova's a known quantity (having run on my wife's daily commuter for years), the MAX is a very good deal if it proves to be as reliable. The switch is a lot more touchy than the Inova's (you can't lock it out) so it can be tricky if you are carrying your lights in a bag when not in use. If you can store your bike in a secure location (like in your room/office) during the day, leaving the light mounted will reduce accidental light-ups.

And with all three lights on at the same time, I got remarks about how bright I was lighting up the road from other riders. :D Not bad for under $100. Even two would do an excellent job lighting up the road under most conditions. One would be fine in most cases so long as you're not expecting sudden rough pavement or have a lot of headlights in your face.

I'd take pictures, but uh... I lost the MAX that same night. :notamused: Not the fault of the bike setup, it was in my pocket at the end of the ride and fell out in the crowd. :cry: Photos will have to wait until I can get it replaced. :(

^ Bummer about losing a light. :( But kudos on all those lights while you had them! :)

I have this: http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-13001-SIGMA-TRILED-Front/dp/B000JIXJJ2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1216088107&sr=8-2

That is my review.

How does this one compare to the Romisen suggested above?

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-60/MF-PL1-18650-Cree/Detail