Commuting - Newbie headlight recommendations

I live 30+ miles from work and currently use my bike mostly for errands around town. I'd like to start doing a combination drive/bike to work. I have to be at the office at 7 am, so I'll need a headlight in the morning. Any recommendations for someone who's on a pretty tight budget?

Thanks!

hmm... tight budget rules out the expensive ($100+) stuff like Nightrider...

i have personally been very happy with my Cateye rechargeable b/c it's way lighter than the nightrider when you don't need soo much light - i don't know the model number and i'm too lazy to walk downstair to look- but i think it's 2.4 watts and comes with 5 AA rechargeble batteries and a charger that you can plug in directly w/ taking out the batteries - i think it was like $30 or so with a taillight too... i hook mine up about every other night and it runs for something like 30-45 minutes i think on a charge, so if you're riding 30+ miles always in the dark it might not be long enough... or you could also buy another charger and NiMh batteries and bring a second set with you and change on the road but that might be a pain. i ride mostly in the city on streets or paths for my commute, so visibility is the goal and the Cateye works great!

another option that's really cheap and frees you of the battery hassle since your commute is long is the generator dynamo which is really unpopular and uncool in the US (it's hard to even find one in a bike store b/c it's so 'out-dated') but they work pretty damn well for making yourself visible for safety and they're the rule rather than exception in Europe - now lighting up the road is another story but if that's your goal i don't know of anything cheap - something like the 15W Nightrider lasts about 2.5 hrs on a charge and is pretty bright but at least $100 and more like $200. In Europe you can get a generator/light set for like $15-$30 but as i said they're hard to find in the US - i found one at the local 'low budget recycled' bike store in Portland OR. the advantage is that it's always there so you never experience the darkness of a dead battery which you will with such a long commute in the dark - the down side is a little annoying whining noise and it slows you down maybe 5-10%... oh, and it's not considered 'cool' b/c it's old technology and inexpensive.

another option would be a hub-generator, but again they're not cheap so that's out.

The combination of two 2.4w Cateye Micro-halogen and the 3 LED version (HL-EL100 - see separate thread) got me through a winter including dark country lanes - but do use rechargeable NiMH's. If you're only driving lit urban roads the HL-EL100 on it's own should be okay, but I prefer running two lights.

If you want a bit more light Cateye do a single 10Watt light powered by a lead acid battery for about £40 UK and a two-light version for not a lot more, which a friend uses quite happily, but it does need regular charging.

Richard

Its hard to get a decent dynamo system for $15. Good ones are nearer to 50, and clamp on mounts are nowhere near as good as mounts which are brazed onto the frame. The best option is a generator front hub.
I use a dynamo headlamp unit, which bolts to the top of the forks (so it cant be stolen), wired to a lead-acid battery in an old waterbottle. I get about 2 1/2 hours out of my battery, but a larger battery would give more time. The wiring is done using simple crimp connectors, and takes no skill. Any Tandy electronics store can show you how. I have some good instructions form Cycling Plus magazine, and I know nothing about electronics or wiring.

I recharge it using a constant voltage charger from an electronics store, which will switch from bulk to float automatically. Most bike lamp rechargers are not so smart.

Dynamo headlamps are designed to give a spread of light for a cyclist, rather than spread it evenly, so 3 watts is plenty of illumination..

I use a 6volt battery and a 3watt bulb. Ive used the system for 3 years, every day and it is cheap, powerful enough for riding unlight tracks, and very reliable.

Originally posted by Tina
I live 30+ miles from work and currently use my bike mostly for errands around town. I'd like to start doing a combination drive/bike to work.
I have to be at the office at 7 am, so I'll need a headlight in the morning. Any recommendations for someone who's on a pretty tight budget?

Thanks!
Welcome to the commuting community. :thumbup:
If your LBS doesn't have a decent selection of lighting systems or they can't order something for you, go here (http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=8000&cgrfnbr=4500819&seq=1&sort=2) and check out what REI has to offer.
They have the NiteRider Trail Rat for under $100. It's good for about 2-1/2 hours. (I have two NiteRider Night Owl headlights. Great lights!!)

Or you can go here (http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=8000&cgrfnbr=4500821&seq=1&sort=2) for non-rechargeable (and less expensive) lights.
And don't forget a blinkie or some sort of taillight.

Happy commuting. :)

Originally posted by Richard D
- but do use rechargeable NiMH's.

For occasional, short nighttime rides, I use a clip-on Cateye halogen headlight, powered by two NiMH C-cells, which serve me better than their NiCd predecessors. This unit is also ideal for walking or jogging, but I consider it woefully inadequate for serious night cycling. For the back, I clip a red blinkie onto my backpack,and bolt another, set to a different flash rate, onto my rear rack.

Many hard-core bicycle commuters in the San Diego area use Nite-Riders.

In the 1970s, I used a various clamp-on generators, supplemented by 2 C cell French lamps strapped onto the traffic-side arm and leg and lots of reflective tape on the bike and rear rack. In urban west Los Angeles, with its many streetlights, a few people commented on how visible I was at night.

This time of year you should be able to find some bargains. If you look at roadbikereview (http://www.roadbikereview.com), a lot of people have gripes with the Niterider. I don't know, maybe they've solved their problems. I used one for 7 years and had no problems until the NiCads died. The Performance brand, Viewpoint, are rebranded Marwi's (formerly Union). I've been using a Viewpoint Single Pro, and am pretty happy with it.

Things to keep in mind in making a selection are battery life and recharge time. I estimate mine to have a battery life of 2 hrs. and a recharge time of 16 hrs. In my case, the long recharge time means there's not quite time to get a full recharge from the time I get home until leaving in the morning.

In any budget - cheap models or high end, I have found Cateye products to be excellent with exceptionally good service.

Thanks for all the advice. From what I've seen of the forums so far you are all always so helpful:)

I picked up a Light & Motion Commuter light. It was close to $120, but I looked at it as an investment. It will pay for itself in money I didn't have to spend on gas. I've heard people complain about lead-based batteries being heavy, but when you realize all the other stuff you put on a commuter bike and you see how much it weighs, you realize that the battery is not that big of a deal.

I like Light & Motion because they make a solid product, and also because they're local. They make lights that are used in deep sea exploration, so I they know a thing or two about making a solid light. And if you plan to ride in the rain (or even in the perpetual dampness that is Monterey), you want to know that the thing is water-proof.

andy

SigmaSport's lights are very affordable at least here in Europe. I bought a Mirage (a 5 watt halogen, 3.5 hour rated burn time) that clearly outshines any Cateye integrated model. The Mirage was the cheapest halogen with a separate battery case design. It cost me approximately USD 45-50, comparable VistaLite or Cateye lamps start here from USD 90 or so.

SigmaSport use a lot of plastic in their products, so I would not recommend it to off-road use. I've used it through the winter with no problems, though, lowest riding temps having been somewhere around -10C (14F).

If I were in the States, I'd certainly have a look at lamps made by TurboCat. If any of those fit in your price range, chances are you'd get a lot of light for your buck.

Some links:
http://www.sigma-sport.de
http://www.cateye.com
http://www.bastalights.com
http://www.vistalite.com
http://www.turbocatusa.com

--J

Originally posted by Richard D

If you want a bit more light Cateye do a single 10Watt light powered by a lead acid battery for about £40 UK and a two-light version for not a lot more, which a friend uses quite happily, but it does need regular charging.

Richard

I use the single light and it's been good for the winter with 5w covering my round trip 2hr ish commute. However the recent models upped the rating to 7w which means less battery time. I flick onto 10w for really dark bits, but since it's now spring here, the lights are coming off the bike this weekend.

I charge overnight.

I think the new cateyes have lighter NiMH rather than lead acid batteries.

Tina. Congrats on the determination to commute more than 30 miles to work? I have a 25 mile commute, but I have to be at work at 6 am, when on day shift.
My home town is Ypsilanti; 30 miles- heading towards Detroit?? How is Michigan bike commuting.?
I most often commute towards PM shift because I can leave before dark. I have two lights. A lead acetate Cyrgo Night rover,with over two hour charge. Like it with choice of two 15 wattt bulbs, if needed. About $70. My other light is a NiteRider Digital Evolution. About 3 hour charge.
The Cyrgo Night rover takes about 8 hours to recarge after a 2 hour ride.

I think that, with 2 hours each way in the dark, you will find that any battery system will run down on a daily basis, and there will not be enough time to recharge overnight. By the time you buy a second battery pack, you might just as well have a dynohub wheel built, for about $125. With that, you will always have electricity for your light.

Oh God no! There's no way I'm in shape for 30 miles each way. No, I'm commuting from Jackson to Ann Arbor, but I thought I'd start off driving to Chelsea, parking there, and then commuting by bike the last 8 miles. Hopefully, as I get used to it, I'll be able to park further and further out, increasing my mileage.

I started out with the Cateye battery light. This is a simple, inexpensive way to get started, and the beam is very visible under urban driving conditions. Don't expect to see much with it -- that's what streetlights are for! One major drawback it that the four AA batteries have to mork pretty hard -- I seem to recall having to buy a new bunch every week during the winter.

I currently use an external bottle dynamo driving a Lumotec headlight/taillight. There is some extra drag and noise when it is in use, but it works great. The Lumotec gives a very bright, highly focused beam that really lights things up. It is fine for dark streets -- great to see as well as to be seen. I use Vredestien tires with a special track to drive the dynamo, and get good results in rain and snow. It is the "no hassle" alternative to lighting -- just hop on the bike and go. No charger, no batteries.

The dynohubs are the most efficient way to light your way. They have a lot less drag than the bottle units.

The Nicad rechargible units are the ultimate in illumination, but require that you charge up the batteries overnight. These are really bright. They may well be more than you need for your application.

Peter White Cycles is a good shop specializing in wheelbuilding and lighting systems. They can supply you with any of these alternatives.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/index.html

Paul

Tina. that is nice country to bike through. What the old US 12 route(Jackson Road). Maybe that is busy? Be nice to ride through Dexter and Grass lake. Beautiful country... Enjoy...
Hills are pretty tame compared to California standards, but that makes for more relaxing ride before work.
Is Washtenaw County much for designated bike lanes.??

Hi Tina:

in addition to the Cateyes, you might also want to consider lights from a Canadian company, Nite-Hawk Bicycle Lighting. Mountain Equipment Co-op, or MEC as we tend to call it here, sells a range of the Nite-Hawk lights and I've been quite happy with mine, although I decided to spend a bit on my lights because I liked having good ones so much.

The Nite-Hawk range includes a model called the Night Hawk Nomad which sells for 25.50 CAD at MEC. It seems to unavailable from MEC right now but it's pretty cheap and runs for 12 hours on 4 D batteries (you should purchase rechargeables to keep things affordable over the long run).

Another model, the Nite-Hawk Viper (single light) is $76 CAD and apparently comes with a smart charger -- a must if you don't want to keep forking out the big bucks whenever you fry your batteries by overcharging them.

MEC's website is at http://www.mec.ca/ , and the following link should take you to their page of bike lights:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=321447&bmUID=1017911396837

You can also check out the Nite-Hawk site at http://www.nite-hawk.com/