The Cree lights available on Ebay from China are super powerful and super affordable. I recently got the 260 lumen model for $8 shipped. Excellent build quality and it came with bike mount. Extremely bright. I pan to use two per bike. I live in a dark suburb. It seems the more light I have at night, the more that I want.

I'm using a cheap pair of Home Depot 9 LED flashlights now, Velcro with a bit of foam holds one light to the frame, plastic wire ties and foam hold the second to my trailer for use as a tail light (has flashing red mode). I will be upgrading the headlight to a 4 D cell mag light with LED conversion bulb on Friday when the Wald flashlight. handlebar mount comes in.

Um... 99% of the LED flashlights out there are "Cree". The "Cree" refers to the LED, not the flashlight. Build quality on cheap lights is hit or miss; usually miss, although many of the problems can be fixed.

Phone camera couldn't do it. No where does the phone camera show the power of this light (ke-1)

I got 4 of those models. They go for about $8 shipped, but they do put them on auction too. I got about 4 of them from on auction ranging in price from $3.25 to $5 shipped. They are great, they take aaa batteries. Seeing how the 270 lum flashlights worked, made me go for the bigger ones.
I skipped the so-called 1000 lum ones, and went straight to 1300 and 1600. Well, the 1300 lums seem to be the jackpot. I got the Keygos ke-1, with the Ke-5 on the way. The size and the beam/flood of the light seems to be ideal. It is a bright sucker. When the 1600 lum flashlight arrived, I thought I would have the mother of all. However, not to be.. First, the 1600 is bigger, little tough to fit in the bracket, and taking the coolness away from the looks. Also, the light, although slightly brighter than the 1300, it is a zoomable, and it goes from spot to flood. I really don't like the size, of the 1600. But, the 1300s are killers. I got another Ke-1 coming along with two ke-5s.

From what I am seeing the 1300 lum size flashlights are the ideal for bikes, in size, lighting area, price and battery wise.

BTW, that 26650 battery is a mother.. Dam thing looks like a stick of dynamite!!

Anyway, when I finally get my setup right, I will take some pics..

Two days ago, I left out at 6 am in the morning, pitch dark. I had the PB Blaze 2w, and the 1300 lum Keygos ke-1 mounted up front, with the PB Superflash Turbo on the rear. On my helmet I had PB beamer and the elcheapo blinker that rivals my superflash turbo on the rear of the helmet.

Let me tell you, I could see VERY CLEARLY up front. The beam of the ke-1 was about 30 to 40 feet out and down. But, the flood coming from the ke-1 was lighting up the sides nicely. I was taking the full lane on a double lane two laner, cars were giving me MUCH RESPECT. I attribute all that to the lights. I was seen way better because of the increase lighting, and I was alble to see more clearly up front too.

In the daytime, I went with blinking on top, both lights blinking up front, and superflash blinking in the rear. I noticed, that I was being noticed more even in the daytime because of the blinking going on all around me. That's a real good thing. I noticed people were getting ready to turn in front of me, but stopped. This happened a lot of times riding doing daylight with the blinkers up front, in the rear, and on helmet front and rear..

I am sold on this method, until somebody comes up with something better..Running rechargables all around, so no biggee there.

I use about the same rated amount of lumens when I ride, and I get some surprised looks some times for people who look like they were expecting me to be on a motorcycle, quite a nice change from the people who didn't notice me when I was on my motorcycle.

Finally tooks some pics. I must say, even the pics don't tell how bright this light is.. Also, I have my lights pointed DOWNWARD at the ground ahead, not up to where it could shine in drivers eyes. However, I must say, even with it pointed down, when I walked toward it, it is a bright, bright sucker!!

I am real bad at taking pics..But, I got these off my D5100 in A mode, kit lens, Tripod, VR off..

This is the Keygos Ke-1 powered by one 18650 rechargable battery..It is so called 1300 lums. I don't care what it is rated at, or putting out, it is bright!!

I will be running TWO of these.

LOL Looks positively amazing! How much time do you get out of a battery?

It looks like I will be getting something like 2.5 hours... Give or take a few.

As you can see, I have it pointed down to the road in front of me. Even with that, when I faced the light, and not looking directly at it, it let me know it was there with a BANG!! I am pretty much sold on this model. I will be mounting a pair each on two of my bikes. This model, which is a C8 clone, fits right into the matching mount that came with it. I have several of those. But, the bigger one, Keygos M12, that uses a 26650 cell is much bigger. So, I will have to get another mount, even if I do think about mounting a pair of M12s..

At this point, I am satisfied. Not much invested and really come out high on the light output, and the ever so present "cool meter"...

Since I dragged the D5100 out, with the tripod and all, I might get some shots with both torches mounted and in a darker area.

Shucks, I might have enough guts to go try a trail at night with these!!

Tell me life isn't sweet...

An "off hand" setup could be a 1x18650 helmet light that uses any X-ML emitter. It would by its nature have more "spotty" throw.

The combine it with a any of the X-ML based bike lights that use 4x18650 pack - most likely a little more flood.

Really - as of 2012 a near optimal light setup is no longer a search for holy grail......

Ah, a flashlight guru...

That's what I am running up front. I got a pair of them now. Sheesh, they are blasting too. Even got me looking at a 3X X-ML, that powered by 1x18650 or 1x26650.
Even though I have my pair aimed downward about 20 feet, the floody part is eye-peircing. In the couple days I have been running this setup, I noticed a 80% change in the way cars react to my presence.. That's a good thing.

Also, I am looking at mounting to mount an X-ML on my helmet, maybe two, with one facing rearward, with a red lens..

Not too much invested either, I am getting clones off Ebay, and Keygos.com. Getting mounting stuff from Dealextreme. Real reasonable prices too. Sheesh, the smile that comes on my face, when I fire up those two torches up front, is worth the price of them right there!!

I lived in China and was able to a some cheap plastic mount that I used for commuting at night in Beijing. The mount cost about $1 and seemed pretty solid for being made in China and plastic. The mount consisted of two u-shaped things -- one with a screw for locking it closed, and the other with a quick release -- on a pivot. I also used it for a while on a cross country bicycle trip that I'd have to get up before dawn to beat the heat in CA.

The flashlight cost $1 and used two AA batteries. I wrapped the handle with electrical tape to make it more snug. I stopped using it because one of the LEDs of the $1 flashlight stopped working, and I bought a Cat Eye light that was a bit better, but it should be for 20x the price.


I also had a multi-mode little, clip on blinker that I used as a headlamp and attached to my helmet using its belt clip on a piece of webbing zip-tied to the helmet. With the two of the I could see pretty well.

Here's my bike flashlight collection and a few mounts. The larger head lights go on the bars, smaller diameter ones go either on helmet or can be used on the bars.



The U-shaped swivel mounts work very well on the bars, depending on the light. The round plastic clamp only fits certain diameter lights. The Twofish lockblocks are the most versatile. Also included is a larger Twofish CycloBlock for big lights.

Sweet collection!

I am just lashing on to these flashlights, and oh boy!!

I feel pretty good seeing your mounts. I am running exact same mounts. Even to the one on that big boy at the bottom of the screen. I just ordered 5 of them from DX. I have about 6 or 7 of those mounts at the bottom on that small one. As I have found out, it boils down to the diameter of the light.

Here are my double Keygos Ke-5. IMO, awesome in looks and performance, and the duo plus mounts was $43.. I am smiling big time on that!

Also, I have found out, one doesn't have to go with the high price mounts in order to be secure.






Check out my helmet on the ground. That little baby in the back, blinks, red and white. It rivals my PB Superflash Turbo, and it only cost $2.50!!!!

Tell me the size of the those two biggees at the bottom. I have a Keygos M12, so-call-rated at 1600 lum, and takes a 26650, it can work with a 18650 too. However, the diameter of this baby can't work in that open clip.. It needs the ones like you have on those two at the bottom, which I have already ordered.

Again, sweet lights, and I am just catching on to this too.. Been hanging out at Budgetlightforum, and candlepowerforum...

Tell me life isn't sweet...

IMO, the lights coming from China and Hong Kong are great. Like you just mentioned, you paid 20x the price for the Cateye. IMO, you could have moved up in the Chinese lights, to the ones that take a 18650. Then you will see some real power.. I like your bike even though I can't see all of it. I am road bike all the way..

I would like to see your bike with double lights up front, the computer relocated to the stem.. IMO, that would be a smooth setup..

"Tell me the size of the those two biggees at the bottom. I have a Keygos M12, so-call-rated at 1600 lum, and takes a 26650, it can work with a 18650 too. However, the diameter of this baby can't work in that open clip.. It needs the ones like you have on those two at the bottom, which I have already ordered."

Do you mean the flashlights or the mounts?

The light on the left is a Solarforce M8, which can run on 1x or 2x 18650, which is why I bought it. I haven't actually had a chance to use it on the bike yet, as it's the middle of winter in Chicago - maybe in early Spring when weather improves. The M8 uses an XM-L T6 LED, is a fairly expensive light and is a thrower, but it puts out about 800 lumens on high, a little more with 2 cells in, but that's too long for the bike. In the picture it's strapped into a Twofish Cycloblock, which is a beafier verison of the lockblock and will handle larger lights without as much bounce. Size of the M8 in 1x version is just slightly larger than your Keygos, but it has a much larger head diameter. The light on the right (copper colored) is an old C8 from Baja Designs, has a SSC P7 LED, probably puts out 550 lumens on high, with good run time and a nice warm flood. It should be the same size as your Keygos. I've got it strapped into a standard Twofish lockblock. Fake versions of these can also be had from DX for around $2.

By the way, not to burst your bubble or anything, but almost all of the claimed lumens on those lights on fleabay, DX and DD are bogus. The max theoretical lumens off a hard driven XM-L emitter is ~ 900. Your typical light is never driven that hard and they end up being 700 or so, up to probably 800 off the front lumens. They still work fine for bike though!

The best lights in my collection for helmet use are the P-Rocket and the N-Light ST50. Both have great throw and are 700-750 lumens.

I love the look of your Keygos lights. There have been mixed reviews on them at BLF, but they still seem like solid lights for a great price.

I meant the flashlights, and I see what they are now.

The biggee (M8) is the one can take two 18650s. Yup, IMO, a little to big for the bike, it would kill my "cool factor"!



No bubble busted here! I already knew the lums were jacked up. However, on the same token, something rated at 1300 lums, and only dishing out about 700 or 800 lums, I am still ahead of the game. In addition, they pass my eyeball lum-meter too..

Like I said, I have already order the fake Twofish lockblock mounts from DX at about $2 a pop. I got about 4 or 5 of them coming. I also orders some other mounts from DX, on the same theme, same price, just done a different way. I figure if one style doesn't work ,the other will. And for $2 a shot, nothing to lose there.

Yup, the Keygos are working nicely. The little grips I have I think I can fix. Need to get some better cells, and maybe a tear down, and clean them up a little. But, for the price I paid for these, ($19.50 each), I ain't complaining by a long shot. I am a happy camper.

I just did a search on the P-Rocket and the N-Light ST50, WOW!! Them some little suckers, and they throw!! However, they do carry a price tag too. Ranging at $34 to $38, don't know about shipping.. However, that price tag is no where near the price of the highend lights that most riders are running. I am talking about the Mini-Newts, Dionettes, and MagicShines, etc.

I think I am going to swing for one of those(P-Rocket and the N-Light ST50) and have my helmets all fixed to take it. That way, I can swap out to the helmet I am wearing.. I already have a SK68 clone, and that is nice, it takes a AAA, or a 14500. Just with the AAA, it bangs.. Only cost $7.50 shipped.

I just hope I don't go flashlight crazy and forget the bikes!!

I like my bike too! Thanks. It is a Trek SL1000 -- a bit old but works well. I should move up to 2 lights on the bars. That would be pretty cool, and better vis at night. I had a compass on the stem because in China you often can't see the sun due to the pollution (yes, it is that bad -- it was the reason I left the country) so the compass helped out with that.

I switched to the cat eye because I was on a cross country tour so I wanted a light and didn't want to spend much time buying a light. I was in a bike shop at the time so I went with what was there.

Well, it does depend on where you are. I agree there are places in China with terrible air pollution, but Shanghai definitely isn't one of them - I think the air here is reasonably clean for a city of nearly 25 million people, and has noticeably improved in the more than 4 years I've lived here

I'm running a pair of 18650 powered flashlights on my commuter. I didn't go for the super powerful ones simply because I rarely venture out of the city into places where there isn't a lot of street lighting. The lights I've got are plenty bright enough, and I'd imagine even on a dark road they'd do reasonably well at full brightness too. The double U shaped mounts are excellent - plenty of Shanghai streets are pretty bumpy, and I've never had a light come even close to popping out going over a bump.

I modified a Lowe's Task Force 3W Cree Flashlight to be a dynamo light. I ripped out all the battery regulation circuity (saved them for other projects) and replaced it with a bridge rectifier hooked straight up to my dyanmo hub. Then I hacksawed off the excess space in the flashlight body to make it more compact and mounted it on the bike. It works great and much brighter than the Spanniga Dynamo light I used to use.

I like this mount the best because the light goes on and off so easily. I can remove the light from the mount and replace it all while riding. This is handy if I want to look at something on the side of the road.https://www.dealextreme.com/p/univers...cle-mount-8274