Lights for night rides
 

I've been doing a lot of riding at night lately. Sometimes in the Everglades. Need recommendations on a front light that can really light up the road. I don't just want to be seen, I wanna be able to see what's in front of me in total darkness.

Thank you.

I thought this was your 1st post. :rolleyes:

Your request is too general; about 90% of posts on this forum are answering it.:)

Budget?
Desired run time?

You should also consider two lights- one on the bike and one on your head.

Big battery pack and 12v and seriously bright is possible if the budget is deep enough..

I use the Maxx-D Mk.4 by Exposure Lights, a British company and not too well known here in the States... and too bad, because their products are top notch and as good as these lights get. With 1285 lumens, I can max my speed going downhill on a dark country road and see a good 300-350ft. ahead.

It's built like a tank, weather-sealed, and on dark country roads I'm being yielded to from a 1/4 mile away because I'm being confused for an oncoming motor bike with bi-xenon headlight :thumb: Unlike most other high-lumen lights out there, this one is an all-in-one, self contained unit. No cords, no battery pouch, etc. Quick release mechanism and you're good to go... 3 intensity levels, plus strobe mode.



http://www.google.com/url?source=img...3HT740e8zWbgtg

18650 based flashlights in a handlebar clamp do surprisingly well also for little money - I bought this for $20 to use as a backup:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271032780742
Add a handlebar clamp and you're good to go, this one works well for me:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380604482446

In the low-budget "designed to be a bike light" realm, I've got one of the "1800 lumen" bike lights currently being sold on ebay for around $30. I add a $6 lens to spread the beam a bit. I think it's pretty good. The advantage over a flashlight is that the battery lasts a lot longer (2.5 hours instead of 1, if you run on high). Some work is needed to make the battery waterproof; a plastic bag will probably be good enough, though I 3D printed a case for mine.

It really lights things up pretty well. What you lose for the low price is durability. I'm very careful with my equipment and I expect it to last a year or two before I have to start playing with it (replacing broken connectors, etc).

If you want to get a light that's bright, waterproof, durable and everything, try the Cygolite Expellion 700, which is an awesome light and available < $120.

Some reviews/info with beam shots. Usual caveats apply:

http://www.modernbike.com/light-comp...singleshotplus
http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/lights-shootout
http://reviews.mtbr.com/2011-bike-lights-shootout
http://reviews.mtbr.com/2013-bike-li...rd-beam-photos
http://www.modernbike.com/light-comp...singleshotplus
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...ghtBuyersGuide

I have two of these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._email_1p_0_ti

For what it's worth, I use a headlamp (Princeton Tec) and occasionally slap on a modest headlight on the handlebars. Seems to get the job done for me in city streets as well as darker backroads.

Not sure what the relevance of my post count means :rolleyes:

Budget - I'd say around $50.00
Run time - At least 3 hours.

Thanks for the advice.

Excellent resources. Thank you so much.

Very nice. Thank you.

For a $50 budget your only options are the cheap Chinese lights and extra batteries. Some of these lights are very good, others not so great. I use a single LED light that is bright enough for my city riding, but I've never taken it on a dark country road. It is rated higher than what was available just a few years ago though so it should be plenty bright for that too. http://www.keygos.com/product_info.php?products_id=1156 is the one I have.

If you check around that website you'll see others too, but I can't say that I've tried them. The one I mention comes with everything, including the batteries and charger, others don't. I also wear it on my head and use it as my grilling light, basement light, and any other time I need a flashlight. Put it on strobe and aim it at your disco ball and you have an instant dance party. (This isn't my idea, some really cute girl stopped me and suggested it one night when I was riding through hipster Brooklyn.)

The problem here is if you don't know what you're buying - you literally won't know what you're buying.

On paper this might sound very technical and professional: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005OJWBO0
But too much is just flat out BOGUS marketing.

The description reads
'New SSC-P7 3 Mode 1200 Lumen Cree LED Bike Light Set '

The details list the following specifications (among other things):
'Emitter BIN: SSC-P7'
'Brightness: 900~1200 lumens maximum brightness (manufacturer rated)'

Problem is SSC-P7 isn't a BIN designation. SSC is the abbreviation for Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd and P7 is a type of LED which itself has several different BIN designations, NONE of which ever had a rating of over 900 lumens by the manufacturer (SSC).

Further confusing the issue is the inclusion of Cree LED in the description. Cree and Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd are in fact, both competitors in the LED market.

But there you go - to the uninitiated - there are some recognizable names and impressive numbers and a description designed to pull the wool over your eyes and take your money.

Yeah - you'll probably get a light. It just won't be anything like what was described, but may look similar to the photo - if you're lucky.

Suggest you buy from a recognized source - preferably someplace where you can actually see what you're buying ahead of time. Be prepared to spend more than $50 for something actually useful.

"Yeah - you'll probably get a light. It just won't be anything like what was described, but may look similar to the photo - if you're lucky."

I have two of them. They are great.
4 hr run time on strobe. Great for daytime safety.
8.5 hr run time on low. Great for night rides.

1285 lumens in a clean, minimalist design, I dig it :thumb:

It's a phenomenal light in a VERY SOLID built housing. Almost an overkill for me. I'm debating whether I even need something like that.

The Mk5 is boosted to 1600 lumens. £310 at Chain Reaction Cycles, so at somewhere north of $450 it's just a little bit beyond the OP's intended budget.

Link if anyone is interested

I'd be tempted were it not for the fact I hardly ever ride after dark and even then only need to be seen rather than to see, so my $30 flashing light is enough.

For your $50 budget you're going to be limited to 1 of the 18650 Deal Extreme type lights if you need to buy batteries and a charger, with the chance of having enough left over for spare batteries. I'd want something more confidence inspiring if I was riding through the Everglades at night.

I too run a magic shine. Great light for the money. Easy to mount and unmount or move from bars to helmet. Helmet mount is a bit clunky. DealExtreme is a great source for flashlights. I also have an MTE SSC P7 that can be bar or helmet mounted and runs on one 18650 battery. You can easily carry an extra battery in your jersey pocket or saddle bag to achieve your three hour run time.

I also would suggest a bar mounted and and a helmet mounted light, so your $50 budget might have to be stretched a bit to achieve that.

And your point is?
You got a light.
Is it actually 900 to 1200 lumens?

I use BIN D SSC -P7's myself, which is the best commercially available P7 BIN made. Its not and never was 1,200 lumens, or even 1,000 lumens. In fact 700 OTF lumens takes a better lens reflector combo than I see in the picture.

I'm glad you're happy with those lights. It doesn't make the description or specifications any more accurate.
And please don't take this as a personal attack - it isn't. The post is supposed to be about how to select a light and if you can't trust whats printed - there's no point comparing specifications.

Definitely a nice looking light, but not $500 nice though.:(

for under 50 - give this one a try. dual beam with xml and r5 beams

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2300-Lumens-...item2a20d71485

I have no need for it. Make me an offer :)