Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Lighting on a tight budget

Do you spend more for the front or the rear?

For the Rear get two of these. They are brighter then the PBSF and have three modes.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19340-225_SETSF9-2-Accessories-35-Lights/Sette-ST-316-Glo-Safety-Light.htm

The Front:

http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=2692

You'll usually spend more money on the front lights, especially if you want to "see" and not just "be seen." But I do like two lights in the rears, typically one flashing and one solid.

The Front:

http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=2692

Yikes, $150? A sub $30 Terralux would be more like it if on a budget. I've got more money into my tail light with a Dinotte but I want daytime visibility.

Personally I think rear and side illumination is the most important since most bike accidents at night are rearenders, but headlights cost more thus usually you will spend more on a headlight. But you could easily start with a headlight and a taillight for under $100 and have decent lighting. In fact you could start with the PlanetBike Blaze 2 watt headlight for $60 (or the Blaze 1 if your really on a tight budget for $45) and then the Cateye TL-LD 610 taillight for $25 and be pretty satisfied till more money came to improve upon that.

I repeat, the Terralux 220 lumen light is $28. That is what you need on a tight budget. Screw the bike specific lights, they suck.

I repeat, the Terralux 220 lumen light is $28. That is what you need on a tight budget. Screw the bike specific lights, they suck.
Do you have a link? Is it a DX offering, or is there some U.S. based source?

Do you have a link? Is it a DX offering, or is there some U.S. based source?

Here's one choice:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tlf-3c2aaex.html

oops, just noticed it's on back order there...

I repeat, the Terralux 220 lumen light is $28. That is what you need on a tight budget. Screw the bike specific lights, they suck.

Yikes! A P4 cree? Didn't know you could still buy them. No wonder they are so cheap.
You know that LED is only rated at 180lm (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2170011&postcount=139)...

Yikes! A P4 cree? Didn't know you could still buy them. No wonder they are so cheap.
You know that LED is only rated at 180lm (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2170011&postcount=139)...

So you have a better idea for a AA light for $25? I can't wait. I'll be all over it. Oh, and only 180 lumens? Who gives a shlt for 25 bucks! Get two of the suckers.

Personally I think rear and side illumination is the most important since most bike accidents at night are rearenders, but headlights cost more thus usually you will spend more on a headlight. But you could easily start with a headlight and a taillight for under $100 and have decent lighting. In fact you could start with the PlanetBike Blaze 2 watt headlight for $60 (or the Blaze 1 if your really on a tight budget for $45) and then the Cateye TL-LD 610 taillight for $25 and be pretty satisfied till more money came to improve upon that.

There are some VALUE options out there. Don't buy the toy "be seen" lights for the front. Those 1-3W jobs make good hiking lamps but terrible bike lamps. Worse yet for an extra $20-$40 you could get a REAL front light.

By now you must have heard about the Magicshine. It's available for about $83 on DealExtreme. For the rear, the latest and greatest is the Portland Design Works Radbot 1000. It's by far the best blink for the buck you'll find at $30. Add in $20 or so shipping and your at about $140 for a basic VALUE setup.

Personally I think rear and side illumination is the most important since most bike accidents at night are rearenders, but headlights cost more thus usually you will spend more on a headlight. But you could easily start with a headlight and a taillight for under $100 and have decent lighting. In fact you could start with the PlanetBike Blaze 2 watt headlight for $60 (or the Blaze 1 if your really on a tight budget for $45) and then the Cateye TL-LD 610 taillight for $25 and be pretty satisfied till more money came to improve upon that.

There are some VALUE options out there. Don't buy the toy "be seen" lights for the front. Those 1-3W jobs make good hiking lamps but terrible bike lamps. Worse yet for an extra $20-$40 you could get a REAL front light.

By now you must have heard about the Magicshine. It's available for about $83 on DealExtreme. For the rear, the latest and greatest is the Portland Design Works Radbot 1000. It's by far the best blink for the buck you'll find at $30. Add in $20 or so shipping and your at about $140 for a basic VALUE setup.

There are some VALUE options out there. Don't buy the toy "be seen" lights for the front. Those 1-3W jobs make good hiking lamps but terrible bike lamps. Worse yet for an extra $20-$40 you could get a REAL front light.

By now you must have heard about the Magicshine. It's available for about $83 on DealExtreme. For the rear, the latest and greatest is the Portland Design Works Radbot 1000. It's by far the best blink for the buck you'll find at $30. Add in $20 or so shipping and your at about $140 for a basic VALUE setup.

I've heard of the MS. It's on the short list.

I'm torn between the MS and running a two flashlight set-up- one flood, one thrower. The MS has the superior run time. The duo flashlights, by default, a redundant system. If one goes wonky, the other should still be operational.

Not familiar with the PDW. I'll have to google it.

for the tight budget http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1077417_-1_1500502_20000_1500504#ReviewHeader

It's not the best, but it works well enough to keep you off the curb and on the trail. If you're riding 20 mph in the dark... no. If you're riding along at 10 mph, it's more than enough to keep you from running into parked cars. It's a very good price. I've a couple.

One or two of these. http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-122/Romisen-RC-dsh-N3-II-Cree/Detail They run about 3.5 to 4 hours on a pair of 2700 Sanyo Nimh.

One or two of these. http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-122/Romisen-RC-dsh-N3-II-Cree/Detail They run about 3.5 to 4 hours on a pair of 2700 Sanyo Nimh.

I have this light and while nice, I still prefer using the Terralux. As far as the PDW tail light is concerned, there's a lengthy thread on it in this forum. There were some issues with it that apparently have been fixed. Looks like this one has replaced the Superflash as the "go to" cheap tail light.

2 MTE P7's from deal extreme: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12623
A Planet Bike Super Flash ($20 on Amazon)
Ultra fire Wf-501b (red): http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333

I also have other sorted rear lights such as Mars 3.0, Niterider Cherry Bomb, and Planet Bike rack blinky 5. If you have a long commute you may want longer lasting front lights. Also, you don't have to buy everything at once. However if you do get the P7's and Ultrafire you will need to buy batteries and charger if you don't have one already.

I have this light and while nice, I still prefer using the Terralux. As far as the PDW tail light is concerned, there's a lengthy thread on it in this forum. There were some issues with it that apparently have been fixed. Looks like this one has replaced the Superflash as the "go to" cheap tail light.


Nope: This ONE is Brighter and cheaper than the PBSF
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19340-225_SETSF9-2-Accessories-35-Lights/Sette-ST-316-Glo-Safety-Light.htm

Nope: This ONE is Brighter and cheaper than the PBSF
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19340-225_SETSF9-2-Accessories-35-Lights/Sette-ST-316-Glo-Safety-Light.htm
And how would you rate against your coveted Dinotte?

And how would you rate against your coveted Dinotte?


My 140L Dinotte is My Day Tail Light $140 New.

And how would you rate against your coveted Dinotte?

None of the other tail lights come close to the DiNotte. The 400L rear light is the brightest, twice that of a 140L because it has two of the same LEDs found in the 140L. According to Geoman, Magicshine will have one out in the next month or two that may rival the DiNotte. Until then, nothing compares.

Some, on these forums and others, have made outrageous and demonstrably false claims about how their cheap tail light is as good as a DiNotte. I have yet to see any beamshots anywhere on the web that prove this to be even close to being the case.

The safest combination for the best value: MS in front and DiNotte 140L in the rear. If you don't trust the MS, buy a cheap flashlight for insurance (Terralux, Trustfire, etc.)

Nope: This ONE is Brighter and cheaper than the PBSF
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19340-225_SETSF9-2-Accessories-35-Lights/Sette-ST-316-Glo-Safety-Light.htm

I guess I'd have to see beam shots to believe it. I've seen the PDW vs the Superflash and it wasn't close. But as you know, it's all child's play compared to the Dinotte.

I guess I'd have to see beam shots to believe it. I've seen the PDW vs the Superflash and it wasn't close. But as you know, it's all child's play compared to the Dinotte.

The ST-316 Glo light and The PBSF are good lights for night riding.

The Dinotte is Great for Daylight riding.

The ST-316 Glo light and The PBSF are good lights for night riding.

The Dinotte is Great for Daylight riding.

Personally, I ride with a Dinotte day and night. At night, I add a Superflash on the helmet strap.

So do you know of any beam shots for the Sette?

Personally, I ride with a Dinotte day and night. At night, I add a Superflash on the helmet strap.

So do you know of any beam shots for the Sette?


No, I ran one test in my kitchen, but it was too close to show a difference.

I did asked other riders which was the brightest light, they did not know which lights the were seeing.

They picked the Sette 316 as the brightest.

By now you must have heard about the Magicshine. It's available for about $83 on DealExtreme.

@@@

Also Geomangear.com. After reading the Happy Camper reviews over at mtbr and looking at their lights shineoff, I bought one. Damn! It sure lights up the hillside.

In the flasher mode you can see to ride just fine, but the Oncoming will probably slow down 'cause they're not sure what is coming at them and they may not want to find out. I use it and a Princeton Tec on the helmet. I am set for the St. Paul Tunnel this summer.

There is a local rider out at 0:dark:30 when I head to work and he is easy to see. Helmet and bike light coming at you. Quite bright and attracts attention.

There are some VALUE options out there. Don't buy the toy "be seen" lights for the front. Those 1-3W jobs make good hiking lamps but terrible bike lamps. Worse yet for an extra $20-$40 you could get a REAL front light.

By now you must have heard about the Magicshine. It's available for about $83 on DealExtreme. For the rear, the latest and greatest is the Portland Design Works Radbot 1000. It's by far the best blink for the buck you'll find at $30. Add in $20 or so shipping and your at about $140 for a basic VALUE setup.

The OP said he's on a tight budget and the Blaze 2 watt light puts out enough to see by and to be seen. Go here to see the light in action compared to others: http://planetbike.com/page/learn/lightfinder/

^^^but there are lots of non specific bike lights out there that provide more light for way less cost. If he's gonna spend $60 on a front light, he might as well spring for the Magicshine.

The OP said he's on a tight budget and the Blaze 2 watt light puts out enough to see by and to be seen. Go here to see the light in action compared to others: http://planetbike.com/page/learn/lightfinder/

Those "be seen" lights are extremely overpriced. The light you suggest is $55. For $15 more he could get a badass Magicshine that probably puts out 400-500 lumens. Buying things that are inadequete is a waste of money. He'll end up spending $55 for a PB Blaze and then another $80 for a Magicshine when he figures out how weak that candle is.

I bought the Terralux flashlight as per Daredevil's advice in another thread. It's very bright indeed and well made, I really like it. I carry it as a backup and off bike light in my pannier.

Later I discovered this (http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-149/Romisen-RC-dsh-G2-II-Cree/Detail). It just came in today. It's just as bright (same CRE LED I believe), but lighter and shorter (1xAA). However, it only has one mode and feels slightly less solid than the Terralux. But I wanted something that would fit in my belt pouch along my Swiss Army knife (not for bike use). I may also attach it to my helmet eventually.

Yeah, that $150 light is a total miss for a budget minded person, you can get the MagicShine for less. But on a budget for short rides you can't go wrong with a small CRE LED flashlight.

Adam

Later I discovered this (http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-149/Romisen-RC-dsh-G2-II-Cree/Detail). It just came in today. It's just as bright (same CRE LED I believe), but lighter and shorter (1xAA).


No kidding? As bright as the Terralux? Do you know what kind of run time it gets with that 1xAA? It looks like I may need to buy yet another light but luckily it's cheap! Kinda the point of the thread eh?

No kidding? As bright as the Terralux? Do you know what kind of run time it gets with that 1xAA? It looks like I may need to buy yet another light but luckily it's cheap! Kinda the point of the thread eh?

Do you have a small flashlight fetish? I think I do :D I totally geek out over small and powerful flashlights :o In particular if they don't come with an outrageous price sticker.

I really don't know what the runtime is. The packaging was a very plain, white box with no manual and as you noticed the site doesn't specify that. I googled up some blogs and forums and some people claim 1h45m runtime.

My comparison was very un-scientific. I just got into a dark room and tried both and both produced nearly identical pattern on the wall, same shape and brightness. The LED looks identical to my eye. There may be a small difference but for all practical purposes they both appear to be just as bright. It also has orange peel reflector so the beam is smooth. Actually, I think the center spot is smoother than the Terralux. My Terralux has some rings around the center sport, this one doesn't. But this is nitpicking.

Adam

Do you have a small flashlight fetish? I think I do :D I totally geek out over small and powerful flashlights :o In particular if they don't come with an outrageous price sticker.



I guess I do cause I'm about to order that Romisen!

I guess I do cause I'm about to order that Romisen!

...and done. :D

:) :thumb:

:) :thumb:

I see Deal Extreme had it for about $11, talk about cheap. I didn't want to wait a month for it though. Should be here in a couple days from NYC.

I actually have a Fenix, Romisen, and Terralux.

All 3 put out pretty much the exact light output on side-to-side testing on full power, with nearly identically appearing hotspots.

My takes on each:
- Romisen: Cheapest of the 3, but with mine, the AAs actually are loose enough to slightly rattle.
- Terralux: Most bulletproof design. No rattle. No strobe, crappy med-lo settings (too dim for cycling)
- Fenix: Priciest, but best. Lightest. Balanced hi-mid-lo settings. Awesome turbo strobe. Light enough to use for running on a headstrap.

My terralux has ended up being my go-to-light, since they were cheap enough for two of them (I only use one, though.) My Fenix has been on duty as my night running light, and is unparalleled. Romisen has been adopted by the GF to walk the dog at night - the rattling batts got a bit annoying.

I actually have a Fenix, Romisen, and Terralux.

All 3 put out pretty much the exact light output on side-to-side testing on full power, with nearly identically appearing hotspots.

My takes on each:
- Romisen: Cheapest of the 3, but with mine, the AAs actually are loose enough to slightly rattle.
- Terralux: Most bulletproof design. No rattle. No strobe, crappy med-lo settings (too dim for cycling)
- Fenix: Priciest, but best. Lightest. Balanced hi-mid-lo settings. Awesome turbo strobe. Light enough to use for running on a headstrap.

My terralux has ended up being my go-to-light, since they were cheap enough for two of them (I only use one, though.) My Fenix has been on duty as my night running light, and is unparalleled. Romisen has been adopted by the GF to walk the dog at night - the rattling batts got a bit annoying.

I only have the Fenix and the Terralux, and haven't used the Terralux to ride with yet. But for $28, it's the one I put in the car for a spare and the one I can use without worrying about damaging my good light (the Fenix).

Did the rattling happen with time or it came like this? My Romisen is very tight. Besides, the top connector is a spring so you should be able to fix this problem or even wrap the battery in some electrical tape. My Terralux will actually rattle if I shake it but there is no interruption in light output, the batteries just bang against the tube. I have a tiny AAA Fenix with regular LED that was like $8 on sale but I think the larger ones are way too expensive. I really like both the Terralux and Romisen.


I see Deal Extreme had it for about $11, talk about cheap. I didn't want to wait a month for it though. Should be here in a couple days from NYC.

I never bought anything from them, the wait is too long for my liking.

Adam

I actually have a Fenix, Romisen, and Terralux.



As do I....now. :o

I agree completely with your view of the Fenix. I love the strobe effect too and it is my helmet light.

If I find another interesting LED flashlight, should I post here or not? :D

Adam

..... I also have other assorted rear lights such as Mars 3.0, Niterider Cherry Bomb, and Planet Bike rack blinky 5. .....

How does the Blackburn Mars 3.0 ( http://www.blackburndesign.com/lights.html#mars_3 ) compare to PBSF ? It is about $10 cheaper.

Those "be seen" lights are extremely overpriced. The light you suggest is $55. For $15 more he could get a badass Magicshine that probably puts out 400-500 lumens. Buying things that are inadequete is a waste of money. He'll end up spending $55 for a PB Blaze and then another $80 for a Magicshine when he figures out how weak that candle is.

Actually with some searching the Planet blaze 2 is $40. By the way, a friend of mine bought the Magicshine and it is bright as you said...but 1 month after purchase it went dead, he sent it back for a replacement. I've heard other complaints on various review boards about problems with this light.

Actually with some searching the Planet blaze 2 is $40. By the way, a friend of mine bought the Magicshine and it is bright as you said...but 1 month after purchase it went dead, he sent it back for a replacement. I've heard other complaints on various review boards about problems with this light.

If someone was truly worried about the Magicshine, the next best choice would be a non specific bike light like a P7, a Fenix, a Terralux or a Romisen. On the other hand, if the Magicshine did crap out, I bet the vendor would make it good.

if the Magicshine did crap out, I bet the vendor would make it good.

I don't know yet since my friend just sent it back last weekend, but I will let you all know how it goes. The only weird thing about that Magicshine is that it only comes with a 90 day warranty...kind of makes you wonder if they knew there might be difficulties.

I use a Cateye LD-1100 in the rear now. Can't recommend budget in the front. I have to see and didn't want to rely on front batteries ( I am out 3 to 4 hours at night and the 2 hour run times just didn't cut it) so i went with a dyno hub and supernova e3 in front. That was not in "budget".

How does the Blackburn Mars 3.0 ( http://www.blackburndesign.com/lights.html#mars_3 ) compare to PBSF ? It is about $10 cheaper.

I've got the PBSF and the Mars 2.0 in the back, and the PBSF is way, way better. I think the Mars 3.0 is closer, but doesn't hold up as well as the PBSF.

I've got the PBSF and the Mars 2.0 in the back, and the PBSF is way, way better. I think the Mars 3.0 is closer, but doesn't hold up as well as the PBSF.

I had a PBSF and it only held up for 9 months, I sent it back 3 months ago and have been in constant e-mail and phone with PB and no SF yet; I'm struggling with whether or not it's worth the time and effort for $25! In the mean time I purchased a Mars 4 and that thing is not only brighter then the SF but it has side illumination that the SF sorely lacks. So far Mars 4 still works, but of course 9 months haven't come and gone yet.

I've got nothing bot love for the vaunted PBSF, but it was surpassed in my opinion by the Mars Blackburn 4.0 that came out late last year.

After side-by-side testing of the new Mars and the PBSF, the Mars was definitely brighter, and had better side-angle viewing due to side LEDs.

But perhaps the real difference between the two - the Mars 4.0 is cheaper than the PBSF on Amazon.com. I've since been using the Mars 4.0 as my primary rear blinkie, and the PBSF has been relegated to backup duty.

Still, if I owned a PBSF, I wouldn't shell out the cash for a new Mars4.0 - the difference isn't significant enough to make a difference. But for those looking for a new GOOD rear blinkie, Mars4.0 is excellent. 2 x AAA, no tools to open the case (WAY better than the screwdriver-requiring Mars 3.0 - terrible design on that one) and insanely bright LED.