Simple and easy bike light
 

I have become used to a type of LED torch which easily comes on and off the bike by just sliding it onto a clip. It's bright and works well, takes a 18650 battery. The brand is UltraFire and I tink the LED bulb is identified as T6. The battery runs low a bit fast, I have just ordered a new battery of a dependable brand, and are hoping for the best.

I have noticed there are loads of fancy bike lights, and they aren't expensive at all. I need something that isn't too attractive and desirable or it will likely be gone if I leave the bike for a bit. That's why I chose these clip on torches, it works fine.

I have noticed there might be improvements on this type of light (light and battery assembled in once piece). There's a slightly larger battery 26650 which I imagine will give wider diameter torch and clip. There are two other LED "bulbs" called U2 and L2, and are listed as brighter than T6.

Does anyone have first hand experience with them or any other clever and simple solution?

You can see the difference between the U2 and T6 bin here: See the #3 reply Difference between Cree XM L2 U2 and XM L2 T6

And a general discussion from a flashlight website: The XM-L is a line of light emitting diodes from Cree. There is a newer version, the XM-L2, which tends to be more efficient and capable of producing more light. As with other high-performance semiconductors like computer CPUs, there is considerable variation in performance from one unit to the next. After manufacture, LEDs are tested and sorted in to bins based on their performance. Higher bins produce more light from the same amount of electricity. Sometimes manufacturers of super-cheap flashlights get the names wrong or mention only the bin and not the product line.
Common bins for the XM-L and XM-L2, from less efficient to more efficient are T4, T5, T6, U2 and U3. A U4 exists, but is rare. At its rated maximum current of 3.0 Amps, an XM-L2 T4 produces about 930 lumens. An XM-L2 U3 will produce about 1240 lumens with the same current.

I am quite familiar with the inexpensive XML-T6 LED flashlights available for less than $10. The maximum real output for the XML-T6 bin is 1070 lumens according to CREE. It's my favorite bike light due to the low cost and being so rugged. Most allow you to focus the beam and have three to five settings for output and flash mode. I like using my Ultrafire brand flashlight with the 18650 battery because the batteries are inexpensive and you can easily carry a spare battery in a tool bag (properly encased in plastic so you never short a battery!) The flashlight with battery weighs 140 grams or about 5.5 ounces. The batteries are rated for 500 recharges. You can also get a similar light in red for a taillight but the red T6 bin only delivers 800 lumens. That's still way better than most bike taillights and cost a lot less. I also own a five CREE LED T6 bike light that runs on a separate Li-ion battery pack but that is much more trouble due to having to deal with the hefty battery pack. It's very bright though.

Thanks for the information, I see you are a few steps ahead of me :- )

I shall have to track down the better type LED sorting, and look at a tail light too. For me it's the easy on/off the bike that's made me like them. 500 charges should make a battery last me about two years or so in the least.

Had plenty of firsthand experience with going back to pick up my flashlight on a rough road, or fighting to get it aligned right, or balanced so it's not slowly tipping forward or backward while riding on chipseal.

Personally, I prefer something that's hard to take off intact, and can be charged without removing it. I'd really like to see some of the Magicshine clones and other similar LED lights start offering a screw-clamp option. Most thieves aren't carrying a well stocked tool kit, nor do they want to stand around fiddling with a bike long enough to unscrew small items. They're either going to grab easy to remove stuff, or the whole bike.

Since those lights use an external battery, you don't need to mess with the light at all to charge. Heck, as long as the screws are a relatively common size, you could even switch them to Torx, security Torx or any other uncommon head you can get your hands on, and make the light near impossible to steal without destroying it.

I used them on my BMC. The battery's were bright for 3 hours than begin dimming.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ure2012022.jpg

Superior flashlight holder
 

Many of the inexpensive flashlight mounting systems are pretty crappy. I've tried several and came across one that is really fantastic. You can buy it from overseas sources for a dollar or buy it from a US seller for a little over $4. The flashlight snaps in and out and it is quite versatile when it comes to aiming the light since it swivels on an axis 360 degrees. Sorry but I can never figure out how to post a picture directly here but you can see the light at these two eBay sellers, one international and one here in the US.
US seller $4.21 postpaid: 360 Degree Rotation Cycling Bicycle Mount Holder Clamp for Flashlight Torch 360 Degree Rotation Cycling Bicycle Mount Holder Clamp for Flashlight Torch | eBay
China seller $1 postpaid 360 Degree Bicycle LED Flashlight Mount Holder For Bicycle Torch Clip Clamp 360 Degree Bicycle LED Flashlight Mount Holder For Bicycle Torch Clip Clamp | eBay

I've never had this clamp lose a flashlight or fail to stay put where I aimed it even on bumpy roads. It will only fit flashlights designed for 18650 Li-ion or 3X AAA batteries where the diameter of the flashlight barrel is around 1 inch.

I agree 100% with using the flashlight. Mine is a Shiningbeam. It uses one 18650. Will last several hours on medium, which is the most common setting I use. I got a $3 mount off of DX.com. Works great. Goes on and off in a flash.