measter

3.5 mile commute on roads with no streetlamps. Will one light be enough or will I need 2? Are there better options?

JeffB502

I'd recommend 2 (one on bars and one on helmet). A while ago I was riding in dense fog and had to turn my helmet light off since it was just bouncing off the fog and making things worse...I found the single Fenix on the bars to be sufficient but I slowed down a bit since not having a helmet light would make it more difficult for other road users crossing my path from side streets/driveways to see me. Now when it's foggy before I leave work I just remove the helmet light and mount it on the bars so I have 2 bar mounted lights, and still proceed with caution knowing it's more difficult for others to see me.

Lower/bar mounted light is nice because it works more like a low beam or fog light for foggy conditions, and it also casts longer perceived shadows on objects in your path, making them easier to see.

Helmet/head mounted light is nice because the light is always pointing where you're looking. The side spill from my helmet light illuminates my computer and gear indicators, which comes in handy. The main beam can be directed through turns so I can see objects not illuminated by the bar mounted light, and can also be directed at other road users that are about to become a danger to me in order to get their attention.

Using bar mounted and helmet mounted light lets you have the advantages of both types of lighting, and also allows you to have a backup (if one dies you can still get home with the other one).

limeylew

It seems to me that the darker it is, the brighter my light shines.

I'd give 1 light a try first, before purchasing a 2nd one.

measter

Also looking at the niterider MiNewt would it serve me better?

datlas 

+1. That's my strategy, currently awaiting first one from DX. If not enough, will get #2.

ps don't forget to wear your reflectorized fluorescent vest. Best $9 investment I ever made.

Litespeedlouie

I have both the Fenix L2D premium Q5 and Minewt X2. The amount of light is about the same. The costs are not, nor is the maintenance. For the Fenix, ($63) you need some Eneloops and a charger (maybe $50). The Minewt X2 is at least $150 on sale. The Liion battery is proprietary and very expensive to replace ($100 I think), which I feel will be needed every 3 years or so.

Personally, I use both with one steady and one on flash mode. Also, I augment them with another Fenix-like light on my helmet when really dark.

Don't forget a rear blinker like a Superflash. Or 2, even one on your helmet back. +1 on a ANSI class2 safety vest and reflector tape all over the bike if you are a belt & suspender type.

speedlever

I saw someone question the safety of having a helmet mounted light recently. Didn't think much about it until I crashed and broke my helmet last week. Now I really wonder how/if having a helmet mounted light compromises safety. Anyone come across any info that might shed light (so to speak) on this issue?

I only have one L2dQ5 and it is mounted on my handlebars, not on my helmet.

varuscelli

It's a small point, but if you're buying via www.4sevens.com the price for the L2D Premium Q5 actually drops to $57.50 if you apply the commonly used CPF discount code (I'm pretty sure the discount code is CPF8) and save 8 percent on price. Actually, that 8 percent will apply to your total order, so if you order lockblocks or batteries or anything else, the discount applies to those items as well. No sales tax, free shipping (although sales tax probably applies if you're in the same state).

Litespeedlouie

+1 on the CPF8 discount.
I am personally comfortable with a Fenix-style light and lockblock on my helmet, but you'll have to decide. Some folks don't like the light moving around.

measter

Purchased. Now to go to rei to have them add my recipt and get a blinky.

madscot13

I know there have been quite a few questions on commuting lights (must be the dwindling sunlight) but what would be better 2 fenix l2d's or 1 mte ssc p7 from deal extreme? Also which has better throw? The pluses about the fenix light arethat it is such high quality light and that it takes AA's. The mte ssc p7 would be cheaper but even with its user rated 400 lumens it is pretty bright. I am not a particularly fast biker but hills happen in the dark too. I would like to be able to see in front of me comfortably at 20mph.

brokenknee

What kind of shipping time does 4sevens normally have. I am cancelling my order through LA Police Gear and ordered through 4sevens. It has been over three weeks since I ordered from LA Police Gear, twice they told me it had shipped only to notify me later it was on back order. You were dead on about the Thomas distributing shipment. Received it this morning only 4 days after I placed my order.

Had I known about the free shipping and the discount before I ordered, I would have ordered from them to begin with.

Thanks for the information about the disount and the free shipping.

varuscelli

One of the considerations with some of the more powerful LED flashlights is that they're quite often built/configured more for throw than spill. For instance (as I understand it) the way the the combination of the particular emitter and the reflector of a given flashlight work together to produce a light with good throw versus a light with good spill. I think for most bike riding, you want something that has a decent combination of both, if possible (especially if you are considering using only one flashlight).

Sometimes that combination of throw and spill can be achieved by combining different lights (for instance, one flashlight with more spill on the handlebar, one with ore throw on the helmet). I've also seen cases where a rider uses identical flashlights on a handlebar but uses diffuser film on one to produce more spill from that light while leaving the other as it is for throw.

One of the problems for most of us here who are researching flashlight use for bikes is that we don't get to experiment with lots of different lights before making the commitment to buy one kind or another. Our decisions are usually based on feedback from other folks who own one particular type and happen to like what they're using. (And many of us have slightly different needs for spill and throw depending on where and how we ride.)

Couple these things with the rapidly evolving LED/flashlight technology and it's about has hard as keeping up with the latest and greatest digital camera (in other words, what's best today might be be supplanted by some other better choice six months from now). It's not that what we buy today will be obsolete soon (because it will still be quite usable), but something that provides more throw, better spill, longer run times, etc., will surface and become the better choice of the day (for the price). At the same time, if we want to ride tonight...we have to buy today. Get caught in playing the waiting game for the next best technology and we get stuck in an unending loop and never buy. But making the decision on what to buy today is the tough part.

Further complicating this are the ever-expanding numbers of knock-off choices available via places like DealExtreme...some of which are good and some of which look good but have questionable build, performance, longevity, and manufacturer backing (over the long haul). Some of these are good lights, while some look good on paper (specification-wise) and look good in photos but don't always perform up to the level of appearances.

I dunno...sorry for rambling (I'm having a difficult time pulling my thoughts together on this at the moment).

varuscelli

They generally ship pretty quickly, but the free shipping is not priority shipping, so it could take a handful of working days to get to you (probably close to the equivalent of Thomas Distributing ground shipping). 4sevens also has a reasonable price to add USPS Priority Shipping, I think at an extra $5 for those in a hurry. I've gone both routes with them and never had to wait long except for the first time I ordered from them -- but that was a case of pre-ordering an item that wasn't yet in house for them to ship.

You'll find that 4sevens is a great seller. For those who aren't aware, 4sevens is the CPF user name for the owner of the business, and he has a small group of people working for/with him. So, you can sort of think of 4sevens as a person, a business, and a group of people. They're big on customer service and sell good quality products (and always seem to be branching out in the products they make available). Ever since I was referred to them back as Fenix-Store.com (by our own Zero_Enigma), I've been a happy customer (even if a bit lighter in the wallet).

brokenknee

Sounds good,

I did find it a little difficult to navigate his site. I had to type in L2D Q5 in the search site to find the light I wanted.

The black background (while looking cool) is a little hard to read especially with the small text. I also think that he should put the free shipping on the site (maybe I missed it) but if so it should be more prominent. (that is the thing that suckered me into LA Police gear)

I did place my order so hopefully I will receive it by the end of next week. I also hope I do not have any problems getting a refund from the other site. I e-mailed my cancellation notice (we'll see)

Wanderer

I think you did a pretty good job........

Litespeedlouie

David AKA 4sevens.com/fenix-store.com has been a good vendor for me. He is Atlanta based and the standard USA shipping has been USPS first class, which I get in under a week. I believe he is the US Fenix distributor. I've had no problem with returns/refunds.

I prefer to think of the shipping as included in the price, not free! Thank your friends at CandlePowerForums for the CPF8 discount.

brokenknee

Not free shipping, was just notified by email they added a $2.03 charge for shipping onto the order. Not a big deal but it would have been nice to know upfront.

varuscelli

Hmmm, I was under the impression shipping was free.

But let me run this by you and maybe you will need to re-evaluate whether or not that amount was added to your actual paid total.

In looking over my invoices and order updates, I think they have notified me of postage amounts after I've paid for items, but have not actually charged me those amounts. For instance, my last order from them was via PayPal and I paid the exact amount of the order on the day I placed the order. When the order shipped, I was given a second notice (an Order Update) that showed the postage amount. But...I was not actually charged that postage amount, because I had already paid via PayPal.

So...are you sure that you were actually invoiced for an additional $2.03 or were they just notifying that the postage was $2.03? Take a close look at the e-mail with that in mind . . . and did they really charge you or were they just tracking and notifying you of postage amounts?

Hope that makes sense, but do check it out and let us know.

varuscelli

OK, I had to double check for myself on the 4sevens shipping policy.

I think I was right in my last post that shipping charges not passed on the the customer, but the customer does seem to get a notification of what shipping costs actually were. I'm assuming that's some kind of automated notification.

They even handle local state assessed taxes for you (if you reside in the same state) as included in the listed price, which is nearly unheard of.

Here's the information on their shipping policy:

4sevens.com Shipping Info

brokenknee

varuscelli;

You are correct, I checked my bank account and no money was taken from it. I just assumed that since they sent me the notice I would be charged for it.

I want to make a public apology to 4sevens, as it was my fault for not reading their shipping policy.

varuscelli

Hey, I wouldn't worry about it. It's an easy mistake to make.

After you pointed it out, I had to puzzle through it for a bit to figure it out myself. As a notification item, it's one of those things that could easily cause confusion.

But I'm pretty sure the 4sevens folks are watching this thread, and on your next purchase you will be heavily taxed and over-postaged.

madscot13

umm, so are 2 fenix lights sufficient for commuting?

no motor?

I got mine in under a week, I think it was 4 days. I was impressed with the speed of the delivery - and the light too.

varuscelli

I don't think there's a clear cut answer to that to encompass all riders in all commuting situations.

For some, yes, two Fenix lights (assuming something in the range of an L2D) would be sufficient. For others, no. I think it depends on where and when you ride (terrain, topography), what kind of bike you ride (relatively fast, relatively slow), and what kind of light (if any) you're accustomed to.

Someone commuting on more of a fast road bike in hilly or mountainous areas will need to see a lot farther because of potential speeds than someone like me who lives in a flat area and rides a mountain bike and generally doesn't get going all that fast. For me, two would be plenty at most times (one one handlebar, one on helmet) -- maybe not "satisfying," perhaps, but plenty to see by. But I really like to use two on the handlebar and one on the helmet, and that produces a comfortable amount of light for me for most of my riding. Others would laugh at such a puny amount of light (again, depending on what they're used to).

For someone who has never ridden with a light, or ridden only with a cheaper/poorer light, a single Fenix or two of them will seem to produce a substantial amount of light to ride by. But, that's a relative thing. For that same person, throw another light on and hey! The extra light is great. Why go back to one when I can have three? Or use something more powerful, then try to go back to a single to dual Fenix setup and your perspective might have changed.

So...yes. Two Fenixes are sufficient for commuting. For some people, in some riding situations. But not all of them in all situations by any means. That's my take, in any case...for the time being.