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02-05-09, 10:26 PM
I just got a new road bike, switching from a comfort bike which had a Cateye HL-EL320 and Something like a LD610.(Was a cateye, but shaped a bit differently) I sold the comfort/hybrid with the lights, so I need new lights for my road bike. Since I have to buy new, I figured I would see what's best for me and have been reading the threads and have learned a lot, but have a lot of questions.
I don't ride at night on purpose. I tried it once with the above setup and vowed that I wouldn't do it again. I mainly want lights for dawn & dusk and emergencies when I get a mechanical issue and I'm delayed and it get's dark.
I would like the runtime to be 4-8 hours, not because I'm riding in the dark that long, but I would prefer to only charge it once a week. Normal operation, I would guess is going to be flashing mode.
I would prefer to not mount the front light on my handlebars, as it's a roadbike and I don't have much room up there. I would prefer a mount/light that I can attach when needed, and easily take off and store in my bag or garage when there's no chance of an issue. Is there a mount that could be attached to the frame (where the logo badge is) instead of the bars? Is that still safe/prudent since the light doesn't go where your handlebars point? (I'm assuming since you don't turn the handlebars as much for turning, and instead lean, it's not a bad problem.?.?)
I can't decide on a front light. It sounds like the flashlights are far superior to the Cateye I had or anything similar. I would prefer to keep it to $40-80 for the front light.
The flashlight setups seem interesting, but I'm not thrilled with the mounts I've seen. They all seem like hard plastic clunky things. I'm also concerned about scratching the bike or screwing up the tape.
Recommendations would be appreciated. I'm considering the Cateye-EL530 or 520, if I can't find something more suitable. If I put Lithium batteries in the 530/520, will it be much brighter than standard AA? Is there anyway to upgrade the LED in the 530/520 to something similar to what the flashlights have?
I think I've decided on a TL-LD1100 for my tail light. It sounds like the best available. If I find that I'm encroaching on dawn/dusk often, I may supliment it with a Planet Bike Blinky Super Flash. If anyone thinks I'm going down the wrong path, please let me know.
I don't ride at night on purpose. I tried it once with the above setup and vowed that I wouldn't do it again. I mainly want lights for dawn & dusk and emergencies when I get a mechanical issue and I'm delayed and it get's dark.
I would like the runtime to be 4-8 hours, not because I'm riding in the dark that long, but I would prefer to only charge it once a week. Normal operation, I would guess is going to be flashing mode.
I would prefer to not mount the front light on my handlebars, as it's a roadbike and I don't have much room up there. I would prefer a mount/light that I can attach when needed, and easily take off and store in my bag or garage when there's no chance of an issue. Is there a mount that could be attached to the frame (where the logo badge is) instead of the bars? Is that still safe/prudent since the light doesn't go where your handlebars point? (I'm assuming since you don't turn the handlebars as much for turning, and instead lean, it's not a bad problem.?.?)
I can't decide on a front light. It sounds like the flashlights are far superior to the Cateye I had or anything similar. I would prefer to keep it to $40-80 for the front light.
The flashlight setups seem interesting, but I'm not thrilled with the mounts I've seen. They all seem like hard plastic clunky things. I'm also concerned about scratching the bike or screwing up the tape.
Recommendations would be appreciated. I'm considering the Cateye-EL530 or 520, if I can't find something more suitable. If I put Lithium batteries in the 530/520, will it be much brighter than standard AA? Is there anyway to upgrade the LED in the 530/520 to something similar to what the flashlights have?
I think I've decided on a TL-LD1100 for my tail light. It sounds like the best available. If I find that I'm encroaching on dawn/dusk often, I may supliment it with a Planet Bike Blinky Super Flash. If anyone thinks I'm going down the wrong path, please let me know.