Touring - Suggestions for appropriate lighting for touring

There are lighting solutions for the endurance/all night riders. I'm looking for the right lighting for up to a couple hours of riding in the dark. Either running local errands or riding a leg of a tour that goes a little late or starts early.

What are best solutions for seeing and being seen?

What are you willing to spend?

hub dynamo systems are getting more popular especially for those who cannot

wean themselves from technology,
as there are recharger devices for your phone, etc. via USB connections.

LED headlights are good now, draw a small load, German Schmidt Hubs are low drag light on or off.


Cheap? Battery LED removable light , can double as a flashlight.

What are you willing to spend?

For a good solution that's long lasting, effective, and low maintenance, maybe $200-300. Wondering if the hub dynamo solutions are overkill for the need and if there is a good battery lighting system. I look and there are too many options and no matching best solution to different categories of need.

for touring of any duration, IMO you want a light that operates on simple household batteries or step to a dynamo system.

you don't have to spend a couple of hundred dollars, a 1 watt or 2 watt planet bike superflash, a niterider ultramax or any of the other 1-2 watt LED disposable battery bikelights. bright to see by, visible as a safety flasher, useable as a flashlight.

a rechargeable light system is overkill for touring, and will chain you to recharging frequently which is a huge hassle unless you want to spend a lot of down time waiting for red lights to turn green ;) .

I have this one:
German Road Light;
2 yr warranty
6 hr run time on High, 20 hr on low.
Great Light.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/ScreenShot017.jpg

for touring of any duration, IMO you want a light that operates on simple household batteries or step to a dynamo system.

you don't have to spend a couple of hundred dollars, a 1 watt or 2 watt planet bike superflash, a niterider ultramax or any of the other 1-2 watt LED disposable battery bikelights. bright to see by, visible as a safety flasher, useable as a flashlight.

a rechargeable light system is overkill for touring, and will chain you to recharging frequently which is a huge hassle unless you want to spend a lot of down time waiting for red lights to turn green ;) .

Planet Bike @ REI is quite cheap. If 2 watts does the job, that's a simple decision.

for touring of any duration, IMO you want a light that operates on simple household batteries or step to a dynamo system.

you don't have to spend a couple of hundred dollars, a 1 watt or 2 watt planet bike superflash, a niterider ultramax or any of the other 1-2 watt LED disposable battery bikelights. bright to see by, visible as a safety flasher, useable as a flashlight.

a rechargeable light system is overkill for touring, and will chain you to recharging frequently which is a huge hassle unless you want to spend a lot of down time waiting for red lights to turn green ;) .

+1

I used to have a home-made lighting system for commuting that consisted of two 10-watt landscaping lights and a battery pack that weighed in at about 2 pounds. It was great for my very dark commutes, much of it on an un-lighted bike trail, but it was way too heavy and cumbersome for touring, plus there was that whole recharging issue.

For touring, I considered a hub dynamo, but really didn't want to spend that much money for the dynamo and lights, when all I really wanted was something for tunnels or the infrequent times I got caught after dark. Ended up getting the Planet Bike 2-watt Blaze, and Planet Bike Superflash rear blinky. Could not be happier with them. The blaze runs on AA bats, the blinky on AAA. The blaze has plenty of light for me, but if you're wanting to ride at 20+ mph in total darkness, you'd probably want something more. I paid just over $60 for both on eBay ($40 for the Blaze, $20-something for the Superflash blinky).

Planet Bike has a page where you can compare brightness of several different lights, including the Blaze. Click on the different models to the right of the picture to compare: http://www.planetbike.com/page/learn/lightfinder

As already mentioned, the Planet Bike Blaze (1 or 2W) is a good option for touring and is what I use. Not real bright, but sufficient for me in dark areas where my eyes get night-adapted. It would be insufficient for off-road use where you need to light a wider area and encounter more obstacles, but I've found it to be fine for riding to a store or cafe after I get my tent set up in the evening. Dynamo lights would work fine too, but I'd still want to have a battery-powered light along to do any required bike maintenance. The Blaze unclips easily to help with fixing flats, etc. I use rechargeable NiMH AA cells in it, but can substitute alkalines if there aren't any convenient recharging opportunities.

I have this one:
German Road Light;
2 yr warranty
6 hr run time on High, 20 hr on low.
Great Light.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/ScreenShot017.jpg

The Busch & Muller seems like a great light. Does this light have the flashing mode (against the law overthere) which we like to use in the U.S. in order to "be seen" especially in city areas? It has 6 hours of operation which is great if you have to go several days without being able to charge batteries.

For the OP, you want the simplicity of popping in regular AA batteries anytime. Some of the Cateye or Planet Bike headlights may do the task well for you. In the electronic forum, a lot of people recommend flashlights for touring. Many of them work with both rechargeable and alkaline batteries and the light output is much higher than many of the dedicated bike lights currently found in the market, plus you can use them in your campsite. You can also get very inexpensively! Sounds like a win win.

For a good solution that's long lasting, effective, and low maintenance, maybe $200-300. Wondering if the hub dynamo solutions are overkill for the need and if there is a good battery lighting system.

If you're looking for errand-running or commuting in the winter, I think a hub dynamo is pretty reasonable, particularly the "no-recharge" and "always available and ready" parts. With your budget you can pick up a velo-orange dyno wheel, and an IQ Cyo light, and you're set.

Im going to make a plug for Dynamo Hubs and LED lights.

Especially if your bike is also a commuter/city bike.

I have a schmidt hub and supernova, but Ive heard the shimano dynohub is quite good....

Im going to make a plug for Dynamo Hubs and LED lights.

Especially if your bike is also a commuter/city bike.

I have a schmidt hub and supernova, but Ive heard the shimano dynohub is quite good....

What's the drag with these things when light not in use?

Ages ago I had a generator that attached in the bottom bracket and you flipped it to contact with back wheel. It felt like a 5% grade when I was riding on the flats. I don't want to experience a drag on the 95% of the time I don't need the light just to have it on demand when I do need it.

Another vote for the Planet Bike Blaze in 2 watt, here. And a Radbot for the taillight.

Looks to me like you're getting a lot of good advice here.

Personally, I think the investment in a dynamo system is worth it -- I'm amazed at how good (i.e. bright) they've gotten in the past few years, and I love that it's always ready to go. Also, even with rechargeable batteries, I found myself frequently trying to conserve my batteries, and I'd resist using my lights unless absolutely necessary. With my dynamo system, however, I pretty much leave it on all of the time.

That said, the battery units like the Planet Bike Blaze are a good way to go as well, and they're much cheaper.

I don't think you can go too far wrong.

. I'm looking for the right lighting for up to a couple hours of riding in the dark. Either running local errands or riding a leg of a tour that goes a little late or starts early.

What are best solutions for seeing and being seen?

1. conspicuity vest, florescent yellow/green vest. Reflective tape on the bike.
2. Planet Bike SuperFlash or similar high output light. One on back of helmet, one on back of bicycle.
3. 3AAA led headlamp for helmet or bicycle. They can be set from high 1watt output good for about an hour to low/med/strobe for longer battery life.
4. Dinotte 200 or similar high output LED headlight good for 1 1/2 hrs at high output. This is the light for seeing the road or blasting strobe to be seen.

1-3 are always with you, 4 added when you need to see the road. The little 3AAA headlamps are bright on strobe mode, useful flood light for working on the bike. Eventually you discover the limits of every battery, right when you need it the most. So two head lamps and two tailamps gives you backup. Also having two headlamps that can be set at different settings can help you save battery life. Going up a slow hill you can set the high output light on low or off using your headlamp for 6mph riding. Riding on the streets you can set the helmet lamp on strobe and pointing up above all the vehicles but when you want you can scan approaching intersections to get others attention.

If you're willing to spend $300 AFTER the vest, tail lamps and 3AAA headlamp the dyno and LED headlight are worth it. Seriously start with the vest. I'm amazed at how invisible pedestrians and other cyclists are wearing dark clothes. A few bright lights moving at 15mph doesn't register as a person as much as a vest will.

Now that I'm older I realize how invisible I used to be riding in dark colors and street clothes. If you're with a dozen cyclists and they're all wearing subdued colors and you have a flourescent vest you'll be the only one seen from a distance. Same thing during the day. Cars will be looking out for other cars but someone wearing a bright vest/jacket stands out.

1. conspicuity vest, florescent yellow/green vest. Reflective tape on the bike.


Reflective and light colored clothing is a given. When I'm in a car, I'm often surprised by walkers and runners who appear out of nowhere.

What's the drag with these things when light not in use?

Ages ago I had a generator that attached in the bottom bracket and you flipped it to contact with back wheel. It felt like a 5% grade when I was riding on the flats. I don't want to experience a drag on the 95% of the time I don't need the light just to have it on demand when I do need it.

depends on the model. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/shimano3n70.asp

The Schmidt has less drag than Sanyo and is more efficient. You'll notice the drag when running the light while riding slow, watts don't come for free but it's not objectionable once you're riding above 10mph. More like a .25% grade or running your tires at 92psi instead of 100. That old Sanyo you had wasn't as efficient as the present generators but more importantly it slipped when wet. So you'll get more watts for less drag with existing dynos and more light with the new LED headlamps. My experience is with the Schmidt dyno. You don't notice the drag while riding with light off. If you're riding along at 6-15mph you'll notice a vibration or very slight resistance but as you ride faster the drag in watts becomes a smaller part of the watts you're putting out to ride hard.

I had the Schmidt set up to a halogen headlamp and that really was noticable but when I switched to one of the LED headlamps the drag was less and the light was a lot more.

Hi,

May I suggest a short still-image video made by the German Busch & Müller - manufacturers of front & rear bike lights. It shows the difference in light intensity and light spread in-between some of their models. To me more illustrative than many words.

If you are interested Go to www.bumm.de and select "English" - click the "catalogue" menu to the left and then "headlights" and "light comparison".

I'm in the process of selecting lights myself and will use Busch & Müller headlight with near-field "light fill-out" so that bumps etc. just in front of the bicycle are visible. The model I've chosen (B + M Lumotec IQ Cyo R senso plus) in my opinion also lights up a good way ahead of me.

I'll combine it with a Shimano DH-3n72 dynamo hub (second best - DH-3n80 has better bearings and sealing as far as I can see, yet Koga Miyata uses the DH-3n72 on their world traveller model).

Rear light also is a Busch & Müller (B + M Toplight line plus) with "standlight" (4 minutes light after stop), however, the standlight can be switched off if I so desire.

Good luck in making your choices,

Jesper

Reflective and light colored clothing is a given. When I'm in a car, I'm often surprised by walkers and runners who appear out of nowhere.

it's funny how I notice it now that I'm an old fart and wasn't concerned about it when I was younger. Absolutely clueless how impaired some folks were until I became one of them.
I'm a fan of the yellow/green vest over simply "light colored clothing". The side walk is light colored, cars can be light colored. Things meant to communicate vital information are BRIGHT, traffic cones/barrels, signs, highway workers.

There are lighting solutions for the endurance/all night riders. I'm looking for the right lighting for up to a couple hours of riding in the dark. Either running local errands or riding a leg of a tour that goes a little late or starts early.

What are best solutions for seeing and being seen?

I'm perfectly happy with a variable power LED flashlight ( I use http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-L2D-Level-Performance-Flashlight/dp/B001GAOOG4 ) attached to the bike with LockBlocks ( http://www.amazon.com/TwoFish-FH1-Flashlite-Holder/dp/B001CJXB5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1295644807&sr=1-1 ) for a headlight. For tailights, I bought a bunch of these PlanetBike Superflash clones ( http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35036 ) which actually have much better off-axis visibility and weatherproofness than the ten-time-more-expensive SuperFlash that I have.


The lockblock holds the flashlight extremely securely, even on rough single-track. You can buy batteries anywhere. Plus, you can vary the light between a lower-power "be-seen" mode, and "light up something two miles away", if that's what you need. And it's a lot more ergonomic to carry around and use in camp.

Total cost for a full setup is around $50.00 or less.


A lot of people recommend dyno-hubs. I considered them, but my requirement that every item I tour with be as simple as possible, replenishable without having to have access to AC power, and to have multiple uses when feasible, makes the flashlight win out every time.

I am a fan of dynohubs, and Machka and I have three of them at the moment, and will be getting at least another, if not more. I also like the Senso Plus line in the B&M lights that automatically turn them in low light.

But, I have done a lot of night riding on randonnees, touring and commuting, and it is great that I can get on a biike with a dynohub and know I don't have to worry about front lighting.

I have had various iterations of LED rear lights, from the Cateye five-LED ones through to the Planet Bike one with the strobe flash. I like both.

What I have found for front lights is that power is not always important, but spread of light where you want it definitely is. I have a Planet Bike light and I fear having to use it except in emergency situations because its beam is way too narrow.

I have an IQ Fly with a nice wide beam, and I currently have it mounted on a borrowed tandem and powered by a four-pack of D-cell batteries. If you want a comparison of light beams and usefulness, there is a thread in the Long Distance Forum that recently illustrated this (as in comparison pictures). The Fly came out very well in that. You may be able to rig up something with a AA or AAA pack with lower run-time capacity that I have with the D-cells.

If the OP has very infrequent need for lighting, then maybe a helmet light might be sufficient. I use a variety marketed by Energiser and often available in supermarkets... it has three white LEDs and one red one. I modify the buckle slightly so I can thread the strap through the vents in my helmets, and this instantly makes the light more secure, I don't notice the straps inside because they are elastic, and I can easily transfer the light between helmets, or just wear it on my head for campsite duties.

The spread is OK, but the reach is a bit limited, so speeding down hills wouldn't be an option. You can use it to read maps while riding, and look at signposts, plus you will be visible to on-coming and side traffic.

What's the drag with these things when light not in use?

Ages ago I had a generator that attached in the bottom bracket and you flipped it to contact with back wheel. It felt like a 5% grade when I was riding on the flats. I don't want to experience a drag on the 95% of the time I don't need the light just to have it on demand when I do need it.

the drag (schmidt hub) is not noticeable with lights on or off. I generally leave the lights on all the time.

apparently the shimano has a bit more drag, but nothing compared to a sidewall dynamo or a BB dynamo, both of which i have used.

shimano with lights off is supposed to be very little drag.

depends on the model. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/shimano3n70.asp

The Schmidt has less drag than Sanyo and is more efficient. You'll notice the drag when running the light while riding slow

in my experience this isn't really the case, unless you use a halogen bulb. with LED, i cant really notice anything...

in my experience this isn't really the case, unless you use a halogen bulb. with LED, i cant really notice anything...

I'm a sensitive guy.

in my experience this isn't really the case, unless you use a halogen bulb. with LED, i cant really notice anything...

I think the "drag" at very low speeds (and when trying to spin the wheel by hand) has to do with the magnets trying to align themselves away from each other. Once the weight of the bike and rider takes over when moving forward, the drag is negligible, and equates, according those who know, to climbing about one foot every mile.

I had an S6 sidewall dynamo originally, and apart from the previously mentioned issues with not working when the tyre wall was wet, the drag was really noticeable, along with the noise.

I'm a sensitive guy.
:)

but are you a new age sensitive guy?

for touring, battery powered led's are fine for me, use in the tent, and I dont really ride in the dark on tour, so dont really need to see far. Am a fan of AA stuff just from the convienence factor.

My tourer has a quality sidewall dynamo mounted on a braze-on bracket. The mounting counts for a lot when it comes to performance, I would never use the clamp-on style mount.
In practice, the sidewall is OK, has zero drag when not in use, is good in rain but not so good on muddy trails.
The illumination depends on the lamp and modern LED lamps are far better than traditional dynamo lamps.

My commuter dynohub is a better option for extended use ( I leave it on all winter).

When I'm touring I carry a head torch as well.

I love my hub dynamo setup (Schmidt hub dynamo with e-delux LED headlight, Spanninga LED taillight powered off the dynamo), but it makes more sense for commuting and endurance/audax rides than for touring, where most people plan on finishing the days ride before sunset. If you're buying a light primarily to tour with, an LED headlight/taillight combo that runs on AA cells is excellent value for money. If the headlight can be detached from the handlebars and used as a flashlight, so much the better.

For a good solution that's long lasting, effective, and low maintenance, maybe $200-300. Wondering if the hub dynamo solutions are overkill for the need and if there is a good battery lighting system. I look and there are too many options and no matching best solution to different categories of need.

Dynohubs+LED lights= they are there when you need them. No batteries to worry about, no burned out bulbs, etc. For actual touring I have two bikes, one has a bottom bracket generator system. The other runs battery lights. All of my daily use bikes have dyno hubs of one sort or another. Prices of LED lights and dyno hubs have been coming down in the past few years. For lights I run mostly Busch and Muller (http://www.bumm.de/index-e.html), their stuff is hard to beat for the price. Also with a dyno hub you can charge cell phones or a GPS while you are traveling.

That being said...I have one tour bike that I use battery powered LED lights on, but I do try to wrap my riding up well before dark.

Aaron :)

I bought but have not used a light that uses AA batteries but also has a small solar panel. It is like, but not exactly, this one: http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Powered-batteries-portable-flashlight/dp/B002JAG7P6

You can have the best of both worlds. During a typical touring day the light will recharge itself while you ride, without creating drag. On rainy days, if you run out of power, just change the batteries. If it works as advertised it would seem to be the best of both worlds.

What mulveyr said in post #21, unless of course you plan to ride regularly in the dark on your tour*. Thing about the generator hub+light on tour is that you'd also have to pack along a small flashlight for camp use/map reading/etc.



*The scenery is pretty much the same the world over...in the dark.

When I have several hundred to spend on a nice Schmidt hub I'll probably get one. For the time being I'm making do with AAA battery lights, a RadBot 1000 and a PrincetonTec EOS Bike.

I might end up getting some USB charging front and rear lights as an intermediate solution, since the EOS I have now leaves a lot to be desired as a front light. My thinking is that when I'm on tour I'm going to stop somewhere to charge my cell phone and iPad anyway. If I find a good multi-port USB charger, I could plug my lights into it along with my gadgets and not have to worry about separate chargers, batteries and all that. Maybe I could also find a USB battery pack to charge things in a pinch if I don't have a chance to plug things in.

If you want to ride after dark on tour and want good lighting, I have no opinion. My two cents is that in many years of touring I've only found myself riding after dark once. On my first big tour I brought a light that mounted on my handlebars, thinking it would be a good idea in case I wanted to ride at nigh. I also used it for my flashlight around camp, and read at night by balancing it on my chest. It was not convenient for that! The time I used it at night was when I finished a book without having bought another one. I can't go without a book at night on tour! I rode to a shopping center about 2 miles away and bought a paperback from a grocery store rack.

Since then I've planned better with my reading (in fact, I bought a Kindle before last summer's tour - ideal!) I replaced the handlebar light with a headlamp. I figure if I need to ride at night I can wear the headlamp. I'll have to ride without a helmet, and it's not really bright enough to see obstacles when going fast, but I only plan on doing this due to unforeseen circumstances.

Incidently, since I bought the Kindle I also bought an LED lamp with a clamp and a flexible arm that clips to the Kindle. It's perfect. I still bring the headlamp for a backup, and for using around camp - cooking, walking to the bathroom at night, checking for critters in the bushes, etc.

That's my system. I'm sure others would have different needs. (The LED headlamp and the LED Kindle lamp weigh less combined than that old handlebar-mount light.)

The PB Blaze half watt, while not as bright as the 1 or 2 watt versions, has the advantage of a much longer run time (Four times longer) and is adequate for touring as long as all you need is an occasional road and camp light.

I've used the Planet Bike Blaze 1W for dusk-to-dawn rides and it has performed admirably. However I would HIGHLY recommend, no matter what you get mounted to your bike, that you have a headlamp at the ready so you can easily aim your lighting. This is a safety measure as well as an aid against claustrophobic freakout if you're ever riding in the middle of nowhere at night.

The upshot is that the Blaze doubles as an excellent flashlight, and you surely are carrying one of those on tour anyway. A hub solution might have a greater light output, but in my opinion is unnecessary weight, not to mention just one more thing to break. It might be possible to only use a headlamp, such as one of the upper-tier Black Diamond models, and forego the Blaze; however I don't advise carrying only one lamp.

edit: it also helps to have some clear goggles on you if you're prone to dry eyes; being forced by discomfort to wear sunglasses at night is less than ideal.

If you want to ride after dark on tour and want good lighting, I have no opinion. My two cents is that in many years of touring I've only found myself riding after dark once.


my thoughts as well, for me it was twice. First time was in France somewhere and my German friend had a light, but really we would have beenfine without. Second was in Gaspe, got off a train late at night and had to ride for about 30 mins in pitch pitch black along a country road, clear sky so quite dark. As there were no cars it wasnt scarey but I recall laughing at how completely dark it was--out in the country, so no town lights etc--I actually think that I recall that at times I couldnt see my hand it was that dark, sometimes had to go by feel., very slowly of course.. I had by then spent a good part of my life in a darkroom, so I was completely comfortable in no or little light, so I just toodled along and could just barely see the edge of the road lines. I was in no rush, and was in fact going to a house to stay the night (the aunt of a friend of mine) so it was kind of an adventure.
**it would have been nice to have had some sort of headlamp, I dont recall exactly, but I think I may have fished out my handheld small itsy bitsy flashlight and held it in my teeth or hand for some bits.

basically, I see a headlamp as a great trip light, small, and useful for camp situations.

Ugh: purchased planetbike 2w light and mount not large enough to get around handlebars. Nice light. No joy.

Ugh: purchased planetbike 2w light and mount not large enough to get around handlebars. Nice light. No joy.

Really? The Blaze? The mount that came with mine seems large enough to fit over a 1" diameter pipe or maybe even larger. There is the hard plastic piece that the light clips into, and then there's the flexible plastic strip that wraps around the bottom of the handlebar. That strip can be lengthened or shortened depending on how far it is inserted into the hard plastic mount. Look on the bottom side of the hard plastic mount and you should see a plastic clip that you can pry up, which will allow you to pull the flexible plastic strip out further.

If you want to ride after dark on tour and want good lighting, I have no opinion. My two cents is that in many years of touring I've only found myself riding after dark once.

Same here. However, I was at a real disadvantage by only having a headlamp which did not illuminate the road in front of me enough. We had planned to stay in a motel in one particular area, but when we arrived to the area found that the road was blocked off and the hotels were closed. Had to ride ten more miles to the next option, during which it got quite dark, and the decent road we had been riding on had deteriorated to nothing more than a pothole obstacle course, with heavy traffic. Luckily my riding partner led the way with her bright light, while I followed close behind trusting her to dodge the potholes.

Another time (not on tour) I rode through a very long and very dark train tunnel with only a headlamp, and although other cyclists could see me coming, I could not tell where I was in the tunnel and ended up riding into a foot-deep rain gutter, bouncing my face off the shifter, which broke the shifter and gave me a nice shiner.

I don't know, maybe they are making headlamps a lot brighter than they used to, but I won't rely on one for my only light again. I will take it along as a backup though.

Really? The Blaze? The mount that came with mine seems large enough to fit over a 1" diameter pipe or maybe even larger. There is the hard plastic piece that the light clips into, and then there's the flexible plastic strip that wraps around the bottom of the handlebar. That strip can be lengthened or shortened depending on how far it is inserted into the hard plastic mount. Look on the bottom side of the hard plastic mount and you should see a plastic clip that you can pry up, which will allow you to pull the flexible plastic strip out further.

max extension, it can fit, barely, iff you don't use that nice rubber band under it that gives it friction. So, even though it's pretty tight, after a few bumps, the light nicely points out constellations in the zodiac. I'll figure out how to keep it from slipping. Just not a well thought-through design.

That's hard to imagine. You must have some big handlebars. Mine is mounted on a 3/4" piece of PVC pipe and it's not anywhere near being maxed out. The little cam lever can be screwed out another half inch or so, and that's with that rubber piece underneath.

Ugh: purchased planetbike 2w light and mount not large enough to get around handlebars. Nice light. No joy.
As 'simplejib' indicated, I think it's likely that you're missing the full range of adjustment offered by the PlanetBike light mount. There's both a fine-level adjustment by how many turns you give the little cam lever before you flip it and a coarse adjustment built into the plastic strap that goes around the handlebars - that strap can be pulled out to several different lengths, but AIRC once it's been pushed in you have to press on a little release tab to pull it out again to fit larger diameter bars.