Originally Posted by
kiltedcelt
I did think that the flashlights might be a bit more of a pain with having to remove and swap batteries, but still I can't imagine it's that difficult. I do park the bike while running into the grocery store and such, so I never like leaving any easily-stolen items attached, so bike computer and lights always come off and go in a pannier which I take in with me. Do you think the Magicshine knock-off light (which I did see you recommended in a previous post), has a longer run time with it's 4x18650 battery pack versus a single flashlight with a 26650 battery?
The issue with the flashlights is that if you have to swap batteries...which may not be necessary but you should always plan ahead...you
risk dropping parts in the dark. We all have fumble fingers and it gets worse in the cold. Fumble the endcap of your flashlight out on the side of the road or on a trail and you may never find it. If that is your only light...you should always have at least 2 by, again, planning ahead...you are now in the dark. Even if you wait to change the battery under a street lamp, it's easy to drop the cap and have it bounce out of sight. A separate battery pack solves those problems.
In my experience, the external battery pack lights run only slightly longer but they put out more light. I usually find the run time of the LED light I've used to be far less than advertised. That said, more light for about the same amount of money is always better.
Originally Posted by
kiltedcelt
Also, while I've got you answering questions here on this - since you live in Colorado, have you ever ridden in Fort Collins? The wife and I are planning to move to Ft. Collins in the next year and I'm wondering about riding the various MUPs, trails, etc. and whether something like the Magicshine knock-off would be a good lighting system for roads and trails around there.
I don't get up to Fort Collins much. But I do find that the Magicshine and their...um...competitors, are good lights for road riding and, especially, off-road riding around here. For urban riding, most people think that they can get by with a little light as possible but the opposite is actually the case. Get as much light as you can for riding with cars at night. You may be able to see the road with the street lights but that's not the point. You want the motorists to see you and that means getting your lights out of the background with overwhelming photonic output. Luckily, the current crop of LED lights from China do that very well for extremely cheap.