Originally Posted by
TimothyH
My Light & Motion Urban 800 Fast Charge regularly lasts close to two hours on max.
This in spite of the advertised 1.5 hour runtime.
-Tim-
I've been getting right about 1.5 hours on max brightness since the temps have gotten chillier. It might run longer in warmer but not hot weather.
I'm thinking about seeing if REI will exchange the Urban 500 for the 800. I can run the 800 on medium and get plenty of light and longer runtime. The L&M is an excellent light (other than my quibble about the mount). And the runtime per charge is comparable to any good USB light. I just ride longer at night than many folks, usually 3 hours or longer and occasionally much longer. I get only a few opportunities a week to ride and it's often at night, so my riding is a bit unusual compared with some folks.
Originally Posted by
fietsbob
Maybe you can read the archives , or put 'headlight' in the search block .. with your FAQ..
I tried ye olde "Lemme Google that for ye" stuff last year when I was looking for a headlight. Problem is that light manufacturers change their lineups every year. As tech changes -- brighter LEDs, longer lasting batteries -- forum recommendations from a year or so ago are obsolete unless the poster is interested in an older light that's heavily discounted.
Originally Posted by
kingston
This is the headlight I would have if I only had one headlight. I also like the relite-d and the toplights for the rear light, so everything runs on rechargeable eneloop AAs.
Ditto. My lengthy nighttime rides make the B&M and comparable lights using AA batteries more sensible for me. But I kept trying to work around it, buying the less expensive, less powerful Serfas SL-255, then the very good L&M Urban 500 that doesn't have quite the runtime I needed. I might as well buy the B&M now while the exchange rate is so favorable -- it's almost half the price it was last year.
Originally Posted by
therealjoeblow
If you don't mind waiting for the proverbial slow boat from China, I bought these from ebay sellers and am extremely happy with them:
Front Light: Ultrafire Cree T6 Flashlight
I might try one based on your feedback. I've been on local nighttime group rides with a few folks who used flashlights with various mounts. I've lost track of the number of times I've stopped to pick up their lights after they bounced off crossing railroad tracks, potholes, etc., or simply stopped working. I'm sure there are some good inexpensive flashlights and solid mounts, but it's tricky to rely on stuff like Amazon buyer ratings because too many people post five-star ratings without ever having actually used the item, or one-star ratings because it wasn't the shade of red they expected. So it does help to hear from experienced cyclists like you.