Roadie lights
 

I got a Light and Motion MV Logic light. Like it fine, but decided haolgen isn't bright enough for my expanding pre-dawn riding needs, so I'm going for their NiMh Arc HD system:

http://www.bikelights.com/Products/Arc.htm#

2-3x brighter than the MV Logic system, longer battery run times. Slightly heavier battery. I'm unconcerned about an extra .5 lb. of batter weight, I'm not racing MTB's with this light.

Here's the Solo MV Logic:

http://www.bikelights.com/Products/solo_logic_mv.htm

The logic is fine, works as advertised, the cars won't miss you with it. But not quite enough illumination for the black as death country roads I frequent around here and the 30mph downhills. My wife will inherit the Solo as a dog walking light (beats the hell out of that Mag Lite flashlight she carries).

I'd love to hear feedback on bicycle lights from those with experience. The L&M Arc system seems reasonably priced for an Arc HD light, I can get it for $359 from my LBS. The Solo Logic was about $180 (I'm sure you can buy them for less).

You missed the Nashbar sale last month. The L&M ARC HID was $263 shipped. I have one and it's amazing how bright it is, but I wouldn't try riding 30 mph at night on an unlit or poorly lit road with it, but that's more a matter of how good your night vision is. According to slvoid's lighting chart, you should be able to travel 35-39 mph and still be safe. YMMV

Don't worry, I won't be exceeding 30mph in the pitch black. You can count on that. Those Dura Ace brakes should help. And we don't have 'lit' roads around here, poorly or otherwise. Think 'blackest depths of of the forest' and you get the general idea.

I would advise anyone to determine how fast to safely ride in the dark by their own night vision and common sense. Not something that lends itself to BF charts in my view. Besides, it's kind of tough to read the bike computer in the dark on the roads I'm referring to : ).

I have the li-ion ultra. It is fantastic. I've used it in pitch black conditions on country roads near 30mph. No issues. I also wear a halogen helmet light for looking around the corners.

have fun be safe-
jim

Just got the JetLite Starfire. It's awesome. Twice this week I've had a car flash his brights at me. I'm guessing he thought I was a motorcycle with high beams.

Look at the JetLite's HID Blast...works great! Also about 360 dollars.

[edit] caloso and I posted at the same time, the Starfire is a great light, but it wasn't quite bright enough for my old eyes. I returned mine and upgraded to the Blast.

Yep. And the $300 dollar barrier was the factor for me, unfortunately.

I have the L&M Arc MiMh and I think it is an excellent light. I use it for early morning rides also and find the hardest thing to adjust to is the "tunnel vision" effect of riding with the light directly in front of me, while everything else is dark.

The Arc emits a tremendous of light from such a small unit, and I think the length of the beam is long enough for 20-25 mph rides. I haven't hit 30mph with it so I can't comment on that. The spread is good for the roads I ride on also. I wouldn't hesitate at all if you can get one at at your lbs for the 359 price.

Good luck.

It was also a barrier for me, but I needed a little more and I figured, "in for a penny, in for a pound" at that point.

I have the L&M ARC Li-ion. The battery isn't too large and it holds a decent charge, I usually charge it after a couple of hours of use to be on the safe side. The light emitted is just awesome, I feel very comfortable riding fast and drivers seem to take extra notice because of the intensity.

Same here w/ the L&M. Had a couple cars flash their lights and one roadie shield his eyes and tell me my light was too bright. You can mount the L&M on your helmet too if you want to control where the light points. Just stick the battery in the back of your jersey or jacket.

My neighbor recently described the L&M Arc as "The Death Star" (beam).

I've been using the L&M Arc (liIon) for the past year. My first experience with the Arc was during a 24 hour race. I borrowed it from a team member. It was literally the brightest light on the course. Light & Motion produces excellent lights that are dependable. Their customer service is top notch as well. If you can bare to fork out the cash...the Arc is head and shoulders above other lights I'm familiar with. "The Death Star" is an appropriate nick name, for sure!

I did hesitate a bit @ the price. Then quickly realized that I don't really spend money on anything else outside of cycling (and maybe skiing) and my family would rather have me in one piece and alive because I could see on the dark roads around here. It's not like I don't get the use out of this stuff.

Just keep your night rides under 3 - 3.5 hours or carry a spare battery. And don't forget some super bright blinkies to alert the cagers behind you.

I have the L&M ARC LiIon and it is great but I do limit myself to 30 mph (stay off the big ring) when it's real dark. But don't forget the Dinotte tail light also. :)

I've been running that light for a while now. It's worth the coin. Period.

So, did you turn it down? Or, can you turn them down? Sometimes when someone goes by with an HID I can't see the road for awhile. The worst was a guy who had a bike mounted one and a helmet mounted one. He pointed the helmet light right at me. For him it must have been like daylight. However, I couldn't see a thing.

My nocturnal rides are pre-dawn - and the longest I plan to be out before sunrise is 2 hrs. Mainly this time of year and early Spring. As soon as it gets frigid it's harder to ride @ those times. But come March I start needing to get out early again. My issue with the Solo MV isn't the run time - 2 hrs. is fine - it's the brightness. But the cars DO see you with that solo MV. It's just not quite adequate for lighting the roadway up @ 20+ mph.

Since my post regarding my Cateye Doubleshot/Tripleshot LED setup got deleted, I'll sum it up here:

With the Triple Shot on my handlebars and the Doubleshot on my helmet, on a pitch black road in the middle of the lane, I feel like I'm driving my car when pedaling along at 30 mph. It is bright. Even at 40 mph descents, I am not outrunning the Doubleshot.

I was completely hung up on buying an HID setup before, but after getting a few cycles in the batteries (takes a few rides before they hold a good charge), I no longer lust after an HID light. I'm perfectly happy with this setup, really. And, you can get both lights off eBay for around $380 if you shop around.

That's a Quintuple Shot!!!!

Sounds super effective. Very cool.

On the back I use a marine rescue strobe (think giant white camera strobe going off once per second under your seatpost) and a newly added 3 LED red blinker (you can have it blink in various patterns or have it glow solid red). I also recently got an LL Bean road side green/yellow shell with a fiber optic tube across the back - but that's only wearable for me in the very cold weather, it's warmer than my Pearl Izumi shell of the same color without the light. Suffice it so say that with this HID light I'm going to look a bit like a Close Encounters prop going up the road in the pre dawn hours. Let's hope that by 5AM (about the earliest I'll ever go out) all the drunks are off the road (bars close in NY State @ 4AM).

Actually @ that time the car factor is as close to zero as it ever gets. Up here on my Sat. AM ride I can ride for 8-10 miles and only have 1 car pass me going in the same direction @ 5-6AM. So if you're going to be out on the road in the dark, the time and places I do it are very low causality. But it only takes one jerk to kill you.

If you're going to ride in the dark, GET A GOOD LIGHT SYSTEM. They're generally $150-$500, and your arse is worth every penny. Keep it safe. Look, some of you may be insufferable, but I'd miss you if you weren't here flaming me every now and again.

A good lighting system is key to extending the riding system year 'round outside. That, and proper clothing. I love riding in the dark, but prefer temps above 30 degrees. My ass starts getting kinda chilly when it hits below that.

I also wear a "dorky" reflective vest that is popular with the randonneuring crowd, and it seems to be pretty effective. as well as the red blinkie light in back.

FTB, you totally need to set up a product review website. Between your comments on the Zipp stem and now this, you're a natural. :D

You gotta feel good about a bike headlight nicknamed 'Death Star' : ).

By the way, I also prefer temps north of 30º. But getting those around here between Dec. 1 and Mar. 1 can be um... unlikely. So F the weather. I'm good to go down to 15-20º. I consider it a personal challenge, pcad vs. mother nature.

And guess who wins that one?

By the way I did notice that with HID lighting systems, they're all super bright. Incremental dollars buys you:

• lighter battery

•longer run times

The NiMh HID Arc from L&M is a 520 gram battery (that's 1lb. 2 oz.) and the light itself (180 grams). That's 1.5 lbs. Add $100 and you get a battery that's 6 or 7 oz. lighter (provides same 3-4 hr. run time). Add $200 and you get a battery that's 100 grams lighter and has 5+ hr. run times.

3-4 hr. run time is more than adequate for me. I don't care about the incremental weight differences for a gizmo mainly used on long solo training rides, mostly in late fall through mid spring, not much in summer. I do care about the candlepower.

Well, if you're going to buy the "death star" and put it on your bar, you'd totally need a good stem to match...

:D:D