ZackJones

Greetings,

I've been looking at headlights so I can start commuting (hope to start next week). I have read through the past threads and have picked up some good pointers. I have a few lights in mind and would like to get your opinion of them.

CygoLite Night Explorer - https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...html?SKU=14106

Nite Hawk Dual Light - https://www.performancebike.com/shop/....html?SKU=5246

and

CygoLite Night-Rover - https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...html?SKU=12116

Performance offers the last light with sealed lead acid battery for $59.99 and with a NiCad battery for $79.99. Is the NiCad battery option the better choice between the two?

My commute is short - 6.3 miles from my driveway to where I normally park my car. I'll be riding through neighborhoods to get to and from work each day.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Zack

mrfix

I use a nightride classic head light and tail light. I've been using them for 4 years and have never had a problem. I ride every day and am in the dark at least 1 way everyday. It burns more than bright enough on low beam and gives me about 3.5 hours of light. I like it enough to say, when it dies, I'll buy another just like it.

pinerider

I've gotten by the past year with a BLT Doppler LED and a Planet Bike Dual Spot plus an LED rear blinkie. These are fine for the well lit roads I ride on and ok for the bike trail occasionally. Having 2 covers the dead battery scenerio, but both are exceptionally easy on the batteries. They cost about $20 each and are more for being seen than seeing. If your commute roads are well lit, you don't need elaborate, expensive lighting systems. (IMHO)

Rich Clark

My son has a Cygolite that I got him when he was in high school a couple of years ago, for occasional use. It was fine for that, but not very robustly made.

The Performance house-brand (Viewpoint) lights are pretty good, well-made and often sale-priced. I have a Viewpoint Dual that's been quite reliable. My older Niterider Pro6 has also been excellent.

Whatever you do, I'd suggest going with a nicad or nimh battery with a "smart" charger. Over the long run, battery issues will be what determines the quality of your experience with the system you buy.


RichC

AndrewP

My son gave me a Cateye EL-300 for Christmas - it has 5 high intensity blue/white LEDs and will give 30 hrs of bright light on 4 AA batteries, so there is no need for recharging systems. The beam is too concentrated to ride at full speed on unlit trails at night, but is fine for roads with poor streetlights.

Mine'sAPint

I just received my Vistalite Code 15 from SuperGo, $55 compared to a retail price of $125 or something. I think that's a pretty good deal, you might want to check it out. Enough light to actually see the road and a NiMH battery pack without the memory issues you get with lead acid or NiCad.

RonH

Zack,
They all look like ok lights for a 6+ mile commute. You may want to get two single lights or a two light set in case one light burns out on the way to or from work .
Check the burn time also. You don't want the battery going dead on the ride home.

I have two NiteRider NightOwl lights. They provide lots of light. And if one light gets dim (low battery) I can turn on the other light.
I use a single light but use both lights when I need a lot of light to see or to be seen.

thv

Just a little leery of the NiteRider. I haven't tried the one you mention, but I do have some experience with the Trail Rat 2.0. The bulb died in about 2 months, and NiteRider only warrants them for, get this, 30 days.

I emailed them about it, and got a response saying they were going to send me a new bulb, but never got one. I have contacted them again, only to be sent to the bit bucket (/dev/null for the geeks).

I guess it must just have been my luck.

Has anyone else had similar issues with NiteRiders bulbs?

Cheers!
Narayan

Andy Dreisch

NiteRider Digital, with a blowtorch up front that I keep on blinking mode day and night. I have enough ambient light on San Jose streets to see everywhere at night without a light at all; the blinking lights are more "to be seen" than "to see".

The back light is an LED that's bright as hell. I keep it in blinking mode day and night as well.

I charge the batteries at home and at work. I have a 1h15m commute time.

I've said before on this forum that by far the single most important safety device I have is the blinking front light. It is a real attention getter.

late

Hi,
what's a Blowtorch? There is a $14,000 stereo preamp called the Blowtorch. Sounds like a good idea.

Zack,
I run a pair of cateye 300's. Two take up a fair bit of room on the bar; but put out a lot of light for the $$.

froze

If your commuting to work on lit surface streets, those lights your looking at may be an overkill...but hold on that is just my opinion. You could get what I use for my commute and thats the Cygo Metro light that uses 6 D batteries, costs about $45 and produces 6.3 watts on wide and 6.5 on narrow for a total of 12.8 if you burn both; but quite frankly I only use the flood! I do take a detour at night and ride a unlit bike path and then turn both on for added safety and have not been able to out ride the light. The batteries will last about 5 hours on one beam and 2.5 on both. I liked the 6 D concept because then I am not tied to a wall outlet.

A friend of mine bought a Metro after he saw how well mine worked, but then bought 2 Cateye EL200's and attached one to each fork blade. The EL's have side panel where light comes through thus making him more visible from the side PLUS if the batteries on the Metro ever went dead while riding the EL's could get him home because they do put out some light on the road. I liked his idea so much next season I will do this as well.

nathank

the new Catey EL-300 is incredible! it is not as bright as the other lights you listed (is more like 5-7 watts) and is a different type of light - more of a blue light but actually very nice and the battery life is what's incredible.

IF your path is mostly lit by streetlights or whatever i would recommend trying the Cateye - later if you found it inadequate you could buy something else as a suplement but would always have the cateye to get you home.

as to the other systems... i really like rechargeable batteries. if you use the light often it is something to think about. i currently use dual beam home-built system with a 20W spot and 10W flood and NiMH batteries so 2:15 burn time at 20W, over 4 hours 10W and about 1:30 with both (although i rarely run both the whole time). i used to have a Nightrider Digital Pro 6 w/ NiCad battery and 6/9/15W bulb and it was great too although heavy.

i personally do not use my heavy/bright systems for commuting (they're for off-road) and used to use a smaller 5W halogen Cateye Nicad rechargeable and since las month now use the Cateye EL-300 - also with rechargeabke NiMH but i only charge them once every 2 weeks or so (actually haven't charge them YET since i bought it last month - partly b/c it's staying light more so i also use lights less for commuting)

ZackJones

Thanks for all of the replies folks. Before I buy I'm going to drive the route I'll riding to see just how well lit it is. I've ridden the route during normal day light hours but I didn't think to look around to see how many street lights there were along the way. My LBS has two different systems from cyglo that I'm going to look at this afternoon. I'll keep you all posted on what I end up getting.

Zack