ISO small inexpensive daytime flashing headlight
 

I already have a big 500 lumen XML for night time, and a mount to use my 2AA 280L pocket flashlight when needed. These are used to see with.

I am looking for a small, lightweight, low profile front light with long run time in flashing mode for constant daytime use - a "be seen" light. Low price is a plus.

I have a riding buddy with a tiny "knog", but it doesn't seem very bright, and knog reviews on amazon were mixed - with complaints about lack of waterproofing. The form factor was very good though

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

What do you consider inexpensive? For daytime visibility I think you want at least 150-200 lumens in flash mode which means you'll want a USB rechargeable light.

PB Superflash ,,1/2W, 1W or 2W.. higher the W shorter the Battery life.. Amp Hr..

To me under $25 is inexpensive. To compare, my most expensive light cost me $45 and it does double duty as a bike light and as my everyday pocket flashlight (4sevens xml).


Would it be 'wrong' to get an extra red taillight and mount it on the handlebars? I have a 2 watt cygo and .5 watt PB taillight. Would red in the front confuse drivers?

he means not bright, not life saving, basically a token light - but the planet bike was always good to me before I discovered magic shine. clips off to make a nice flashlight too

White- not red- in front and red- not white- in the rear. Double check your local laws, but mine states white front, red rear- either reflector or powered light. You can use amber as a supplement front or rear.

+1 on the PB Blaze 2-watt. It's a solid, useful light. I use this light in superflash mode in the morning, evening, and on overcast days. I don't think it's bright enough to do a whole lot on a really sunny day. It's also probably more than you want to spend - around $50 the last time I checked. I change the batteries (2 NiMH AAs) after maybe 2 - 2.5 hours of use (mixed high and superflash - it would go longer if only in superflash mode).

For <$25 I think you'll need to go with a Chinese flashlight and handlebar mount. None of the branded bike specific lights are bright enough in that price range. I have a PB 2W and don't think it's bright enough for sunny daytime use.

I have some chinese lights and use them at night - but they don't get more than a few hours life on strobe mode. And the "strobe" mode on the imported flashlights I have seen is very fast. I'm looking for something that blinks, not for the disco.

The other problem is the flashlights tend to have a deeper reflector, meaning the light is focused into a smaller area - and less visible to cars that are not coming head on. I would prefer a light with a shallow reflector, so it is visible from more angles.

So is there anything low profile, visible from a wide angle, and with a long run time in flash/blink mode?

It they made the PB superflash or the 2 watt cygolight tail lights with a WHITE LED, I would buy that. (though even the cygolight tail is not very visible unless you point it right at the cars).

That would be the PB Blaze I was talking about above. It has a superflash mode and white LED. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I have a couple Blackburn Voyager 2.0 lights that in my opinion, are seriously under-rated. They're actually brighter than the more expensive Voyager 3.0 and unlike direct Chinese imports, are covered by a lifetime warranty. Specs on Blackburn stuff is pretty sketchy, but I can give you a relative comparison: its far more visible, has greater reach and spread than a Serfas 1 watt TL200. Yeah - I realize we're comparing a white light to a red light, but its visibility we're discussing.

In that price range ($20-$30) I can't recommend a better light myself. Runs off three AAA batteries for over 100 hrs on flash mode and I've been using rechargables myself for years with no issues. Don't know of anything short of a 360 degree strobe that gives visibility from all angles and those suck a lot more power than I think you'd be interested in. Daytime high visibility clothing probably works the best and would be easier to see from any angle.

On the odd ocassion that traffic conditions or light angles (sun at your back) might warrant it - you can still switch on your Chinese main lights for a few minutes, otherwise these are fine for anything short of heavy downtown traffic. (Of course there are always a few people that tackle heavy downtown traffic with NO LIGHTS even at night but I'm not one of them.)

http://www.amazon.com/LIGHT-TORCH-WH.../dp/B003YEOE7O

Works for me as "to be seen" lights. Although I double up on them and buy more then one set, which reminds me I need to add another customer photo of the front set-up on my ma-bike to that listing.

Thanks, good pics on amazon. I wish they made those with a 2W white LED in front and AAs.

Since it has gotten cold here I'm taking shorter rides, so I'm going to stick with my 4sevens xml flashlight for now, which is 280 lumens and good for over an hour on flashing. When it gets warm again and I can ride longer I will need to revisit this issue.