guygadois 

Hello all, I am new to this forum although I have been active in the C+V forum. I have recently taken up commuting as a way to stay in shape during the "off season" and to blow off steam from work (I work in the financials - need I say more?). My commute is only 8.5 miles each way and I usually put about 4000 miles in a year in club racing.

I recently rescued a 1975 Bob Jackson, 531 Steel frame and have pieced together several parts from misc bikes and my shelf o' parts. I put on an old Blackburn rack and an older Kirtland front bag.

This morning I found out I should have some type of lighting system as the fog has been rolling in the mornings. I have a small blinking Blackburn light that sits on my seat post. I wanted to see what people usually use for lighting where it is not as much for pitch black as opposed to being seen in lower light situations. Because of my handlebar bag I am not sure where to install a front light. i have noticed another commuter with a front powerful blinking light which gets my attention every time. I have also seen some nice power generating hubs but they seem to be expensive.

Anyone want to help a commuting newbie out?

-GG-

Lot's Knife

Beat it.

DiabloScott

I hate front blinkies - yes they grab your attention but they don't help judge distance and they make it hard for the people in front of you to see anything else.

I suggest two front headlights - you can use one or both for extra visibility and redundency if the batteries go out on one. Bike shops will sell you an accessory mount that'll get the lights up above your handlebar bag. I don't like helmet lights either but they may be a good choice for you.

Fantasminha

Hello GG--

I've only been commuting since this past spring, so I'm not an expert like some folks here, but here are my $0.02....

Every time my husband goes to Performance, he brings me another blinking light! So I have one blackburn light on my seatpost, one blinking (something generic) on the back of my trunk (right above the seat post), one planet bike blinking on each of the seat stays. I heard that the human eye can't judge distance of a blinking light. I don't know if that's true or not but I leave the one on my seatpost on solid just in case. They all just use 2 AA batteries. I know the blackburns get really good reviews, but I think the planet bike lights are brighter. Then I also have guppie lights on my helmet. I know it's overkill, but for $10 each or whatever they are, better overkill than roadkill.

The brightest flashing front light we have is a 5-LED cat eye, which I use when I don't need my headlight. I have a nite rider headlight. It was really cheap, but it took us a long time to get it back when we had to send the battery for repair. Careful on the front light--we've noticed that if whatever you're mouting it to isn't round, they don't all fit.

nahh

I also suggest the dual headlight setup, even if it's just 2 dinky LED headlights. 1 Blinking and 1 Solid is the most visible, the blinking just annoys me so do both on solid unless it's dark and inclement weather (ahem, fog)

I have a dinky little blinky on my seat bag, and another on my backpack. The seat bag one usually stays solid, and the bag light is flashing.

edit: by "even if it's two dinky lights" i mean two dinky ones multiplied is better than 1. But by no means as good as good quality lights if you can afford um. After a good quality lock, good lights are 2nd in good investments.

guygadois 

So, two front mounted lights seem the most recommended so far. So, do you go with a battery job or one run off the front hub spinning?

Is there a site that any would recommend where they put these lights through the test and have a favorite? Hopefully a non-biased site run by people who actually USE them?

-GG-

UberIM

As with everything, it all depends on what individuals like and the goals of why you are doing what you are doing.

Headlights: I have two very bright lights the P7s (see the thread on the lighting forum) - one on the handlebar and one on my helmet. I like the helmet mount I can direct light to where it is needed.........just what I like. I also like the bike mounted light because it is constant.......I like having both for seeing and for being seen......

Rear light: I use three 5 LED blinkies...........to be seen

though I am weakening on the Dinotte 140L rear light............

I wear tons of reflective gear on my bike and on me......... to be seen.....

You cannot overdo it in my book...........just have to keep track of all the charging systems.........

I am a belts and suspenders type of guy professionally and backpacking and back country skiing.......

kwrides

For your rear light use a Planet Bike Superflash. It's one of the best deals in cycling. An amazing light for about $20.

For front I like the old Light and Motion Vega that looks like this https://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?...nd_motion_vega. I own two.

I don't know much about the new one. I like this model because it's rechargeable and doesn't require you to mount a battery pack. I don't like mounted battery packs because you have to remove them when you get to your destination. With the Vega, you just slide the light off and stick it in your pocket.

MikeR

How much money do you want to spend.
You can start with a Fenix flashlight at about $50 then go up from there to $300 or $400 for other lights.
I have 2 Fenix flashlights mounted on my bike. I like them because they are simple, relatively in expensive and VERY BRIGHT. I owned 3 bike specific headlights before. Each was about $100. Each broke in less than a year. None were as bright as one Fenix.

You can see a lot of light reviews in the Electronics forum. Search for 'headlights'

MikeR

+1

BarracksSi

Take all the money you've saved by rescuing an old bike and get a whompin' bright light for the fog. I think I'm going to upgrade to Dinotte's 400L front & rear setup.

If the fog is thick enough, you might run into problems with a bright front light and glare blocking your vision. Remember that cars need to run on low beams instead of high for that reason. Most bike lights are like car high beams since they just shine everywhere without a horizontal cutoff.

If you ride often enough, seriously check into hub dynamos. There have been some really nice lights appearing recently, including proper optics that don't send half their light into the trees. At the moment, I'd get a B&M Lumotec IQ Fly for myself. Keep a lookout for a new one from B&M called the Cyo, too.

mike

I tell ya. I have used a lot of different lights.

All in all, I still really like my front fork mounted generator light. It is the traditional 6V tire friction bottle generator, but it really does work well.

I use generator lights I bought in Japan. These are not the cheap-O made in China toys that you get at the department stores in the USA. These are solid and reliable. Thnk about it. 6V is more than four C cell batteries. You can even use halogen bulbs. If you used some high powered LED with a 6 V generator, you could light up the whole city. Drivers would be flashing their high beams at you to remind you to go to low beam

I dream to one day have a hub mounted generator, but they are still more costly than I want to pay.

If you ever have a friend going to Africa, see if they can buy you one of the 12V generator lights sold there. Those are tire friction bottle generators too, but they are 12V and throw out a beam like a motorcycle. I guess in Africa they don't have street lights and being able to see what is in front of you in Africa can be a life or death thing, so they have honkin' generator lights.

Obviously, a 12V generator is going to put a lot more load on the tire and the rider than a 6V and you need to consider that. First of all, they aren't appropriate for thin-walled skinny tires. You have to make sure that the bottle generator rides on a thick piece of tire rubber - like the sidewall of a fat-tire or maybe the top skin of a cross or road bike.

mechBgon

A neon-lime ANSI Class II reflective vest is also worth considering. I like the type with high-quality glossy tape, which won't lose too much reflectivity when wet, and currently use this one. They go on top of whatever layers you're going to wear for the day's weather, and don't need frequent washing.

Also, REI sells Jog-A-Lite reflective legbands that will attract attention because they move as you pedal, and they keep your pants legs from getting caught on your chainrings, too.

madengr

I just bought a Dinotte 600L/140L combo. I'm very impressed; should have done it years ago. Read more here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/487993-dinotte-600l-140l-combo.html

For several years I have been using a Kenwood hub-mounted generator. It powered a 3W incandescent headlamp that constantly burned out due to shock, and an LED tail-light. I supplemented it with a cheap LED flasher. I also used a Cateye white LED flasher. Comparing my old setup to the new Dinotte is like a candle to a super-nova.

rugerben

I'll give a +1 to those who recommend the Planet Bike Superflash for a tail light. Seriously. I run 2 of them, along with a Planet Bike Binky7.
It works. Big time.
Look for the other thread that's going on here where we al talk about how wonderful PB's customer service is.

Its a great outfit, and they make great products. Get their light. You won't regret it.

fuzz2050

I'm not as extreme as most people here it seems. I think 1 good tail light(Can't argue with superflash), plus reflective tape and a few reflectors, then one bright headlamp (I like it mounted on my fork) and one small cheap blinking front. That's enough for me, it lets me see and be seen, but not blind other cyclists.

crazybikerchick

Also trying wearing a yellow or yellow-green (the color they like to make safety signs to stand out) jacket or vest. I really notice when I've been on foggy group rides these colours are really visible from a distance where blue etc. just blends right in.

wgaynor

If you search the bike forum threads for "homemade headlights", you will find some awesome ideas. I did the same and built my system with a small 12volt SLA battery ($35) and a 55watt 12 volt lawn and garden spotlight mr16 bulb ($2.50). I use a 12 volt battery charger to charge it at night ($20). At this point, I feel safer knowing that I am extremely visible.

I had my wife hop on my bike and ride about two blocks away so I could see how it looked from a distance, and was seeing spots for a few minutes afterwards. Bright doesn't even begin to describe it. It's like riding in daylight at 2a.m.

cman

I agree on the PB Superflash. For the front pick your budget, then find your light. Inexpensive and powerful are the P7 flashlights.

JeffB502

Nice to see a fellow Central Coastian on the forums...

I run a Cygolite TridenX (3 3 watt LEDs) mounted to the front of my front rack, a Fenix P3D Premium 100 (1 3 watt LED) mounted to the handlebar, and a Fenix P3D CE (1 3 watt LED) mounted to my helmet. I've found having at least one light mounted on the bike and one on the helmet forward facing is the best combo. The only exception is very thick fog, when a bright helmet light will just bounce off the fog and blind you (think in a car using low beams/fog lights instead of high beams in fog). In thick fog I'll move my helmet light to the handlebar with the other handlebar light.

Mounting a light low (the Cygolite on the front of my rack is only a couple inches above my front tire) helps cast longer shadows on rocks/dead possums/other obstacles in the roadway so you notice them earlier. Having a bright helmet light is especially helpful with cross traffic, since all you have to do is look at the person that's about to pull out from a stop sign/violate your right of way and they'll see you and usually stop quickly.

I use 2 rear facing Dinotte 140Ls and at least one additional PB Superflash facing the rear. In thick fog I'm always reassured by the insanely bright red flashes in the fog behind me. It's especially impressive in areas with no street lights (part of my commute is a 2 lane 55mph road with unrideable dirt shoulders/no street lights where I have to take the lane with full size tractor/trailer traffic at night). I've been taking the lane in this section in thick fog and vehicles approaching from the rear have always seen the flashing lights far enough away to safely slow down to my speed. In foggy conditions of course I'm always prepared to bail off onto the dirt when a vehicle is approaching at speed but I've never had to.

I'd recommend any of the lights I use for your needs. Definitely go with 3 watt LED for eye-catching flash patterns, especially for daytime visibility. I run all of the forward facing lights and the 2 rear facing Dinottes on flash mode during the day, and even in 100% bright sunlight they get alot of attention and even the occasional positive comments from motorists, including a mail carrier once ("I saw you a mile away" "I like your lights" and so on).

ItsJustMe

I finally stopped messing around and went with Dinotte - a 200L in front and a 140L in back. Since I had AA rechargables and a charger, so I got them without those. If you check their website early in morning you can probably catch them on sale; these lights have been $105 every morning this week, but only until about 7:30 AM eastern time. (That's $105 each).

It seems like a lot, but these lights are excellently designed for cycling. They put out a lot of light, they have blink modes that have high intensity blinks above low intensity steady so you don't need two lights for that, and they let you know in plenty of time when your batteries are running low, and they have limp home modes where the light is still on but in low mode. Also they're about as close to bulletproof as you can imagine. Plus they're made in the USA and their customer service is outstanding; they'll even upgrade older models of their lights for a reasonable fee.

You can get cheaper lights but eventually you'll spend this much anyway as you try different ones or they break.

littlefoot

Dinotte and Cygo are both products I've considered upgrading to when money allows itself. I run a cheapo NASHBAR 1watt nashbar led and a riduculously bright small waterproof flashlight atm. Not tried the 'Fenix' but they seem very popular as well. I'm digging the flashlight approach personally. A set of lock blocks and a couple good flashlights is way cheaper than a good lighting rig, and allows me to set more money aside for my trailer.

my 2 cents worth

SouthFLpix

For the rear light I use the Mars 3.0. See it here at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-Mars...7189224&sr=1-9

The reason I like it is because it is watertight, and I have been in a few heavy rains and never had any problem with it. For the front I am using a cheap AA light at the moment, but I already have a P7 on order. I also have reflective tape all over my bike, and I have a safety vest that I use from time to time, depending on the conditions. I also have a blinking reflective armband, but I have not yet used that on the road.

guygadois 

has anyone mounted a Dinotte light on a fork. It doesn't say you can on their site.

-GG-

harleyfrog

I'd start with one of these mounted on the forks.