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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Favorite small lights

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Old 10-22-13 | 04:37 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Tycho Brahe
Your suggestions were spot on. In fact, I wanted to ask you about how did you attach the taillight to your bar ends? That would be an interesting addition to my setup.



The flash washes out the blinker, but they're quite bright, I see tracers if I look directly @ them.
Its meant to wrap around the seat post but it works on my bar ends too.
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Old 10-22-13 | 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by BoSoxYacht
Small lights "just to be seen" are dangerous for anything other than daytime use.
I never said I would use them exclusively at night.

In fact, one of my primary use cases is to use them in addition to my existing lights. Currently running Cygolite front and rear. Looking to add a tiny light to the back of my helmet. I also do not want my "large" headlight during rides that might start off a bit early (but not dark) and not needed for 95% of the ride. Many early morning centuries late in the season (riding season is longer here in CA) fit the bill. Another use case is daytime riding where you might encounter shadowy areas. None of my rides are like this, but it would be good to have a smallish headlight.
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Old 10-22-13 | 04:41 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by BoSoxYacht
Small lights "just to be seen" are dangerous for anything other than daytime use.

If you don't agree with me I can PM you some photos of the results of using them only "to be seen" in lighted areas.
Too true!
I often ride with 12 lights when conditions are questionable.
Never assume that drivers can see you, overkill is better than being killed.
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Old 10-22-13 | 04:42 PM
  #29  
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Even for daytime use a small light is worthless. If you are riding at night nothing can beat the Dinotte. I have the 800 lumen handlebar light and the 400 lumen rear. It is safer at night by far than riding during the day. So good is the rear light at night, meaning causing traffic to pause and swing into the opposite lane, that I started using the rear during the day as well I ride isolated country roads in rain and winter at night and could not be happier with a set up. Great service and high quality. Pricey bit ones life I worth it.
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Old 10-22-13 | 04:42 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Tycho Brahe
I never said I would use them exclusively at night.

In fact, one of my primary use cases is to use them in addition to my existing lights. Currently running Cygolite front and rear. Looking to add a tiny light to the back of my helmet. I also do not want my "large" headlight during rides that might start off a bit early (but not dark) and not needed for 95% of the ride. Many early morning centuries late in the season (riding season is longer here in CA) fit the bill. Another use case is daytime riding where you might encounter shadowy areas. None of my rides are like this, but it would be good to have a smallish headlight.
These same lights actually wrap around the back of my helmet too. These are the jack of all trades of rear blinkies.
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Old 10-22-13 | 04:45 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Ghost Ryder



The flash washes out the blinker, but they're quite bright, I see tracers if I look directly @ them.
Its meant to wrap around the seat post but it works on my bar ends too.
So the lights point sideways? Hard to tell. I was thinking of proper bar end lights like the Tacx Lumos.

https://www.tacx.com/en/products/extra/bike-lightning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwRVN1KOYo

Perhaps some spoke lights.
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Old 10-22-13 | 05:42 PM
  #32  
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If you click on the pics they enlarge.
Yes they point sideways, so people can see me on the sides too.
I should've said near the end of my bars.

I always get stopped, to ask where I got those lights when I have them on. They work great @ intersections, & crossing traffic.

Those Tacx Lumos are nice, I have to check those out!

Last edited by Ghost Ryder; 10-22-13 at 05:49 PM.
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Old 10-22-13 | 05:50 PM
  #33  
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Serfas Thunderbolt, for me. Not sure if they're "small", but they're unobtrusive and BRIGHT.
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Old 10-22-13 | 05:57 PM
  #34  
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Sefas TSL-750. Fairly small, usb chargeable. Very bright.

https://www.serfas.com/products/view...hts|usb-lights
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Old 10-22-13 | 06:18 PM
  #35  
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The tactical light on my helmet actually mounts to guns/assault rifles but not in my case. I went for this light for the throw/spread, it illuminates quite far down the road. (280M) 600 Max hours of use on on charge(depending on what setting is used), & is highly water resistant. More than enough for my needs.
If I was doing mountain run @ night, I might go a bit more powerful.
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Old 10-22-13 | 10:47 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Cyclelogikal
Knog Blinder 4V hands down! Anything else, well, is sub par!
Are you unaware that other lamps have higher lumen ratings, e.g. the Knog Road at 70 lumens vs. Blinder 4v's 44 lumens?
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Old 10-22-13 | 11:01 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Tycho Brahe
So the lights point sideways? Hard to tell. I was thinking of proper bar end lights like the Tacx Lumos.

https://www.tacx.com/en/products/extra/bike-lightning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwRVN1KOYo

Perhaps some spoke lights.
The Lumos' big downside is that they're unadjustable, so depending on the angle of your bars, there's a good likelihood they'll be improperly positioned for best viewing angle. They're definitely insufficiently bright and have a very poor beam pattern, so to light a pathway is way beyond the capability of the Lumos.

That said, I do like mine and they work well on on one of the bikes, which positions them at just the right angle to shine inside a sedan's cabin from about 4' back. Otherwise though, they're useless, really, except as marker lights; brightness is decent with a fresh set of lithium AAs.

Here's a pick of the Lumos and the Road 2 on my minivelo:

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Old 10-23-13 | 05:40 AM
  #38  
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I use an exposure flare, because of the 75 lumens output, it pays to be seen.

https://road.cc/content/review/46514-...are-rear-light
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Old 10-23-13 | 06:47 AM
  #39  
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As an urban commuter, I'm also a big fan of spoke lights. I've had multiple drivers tell me that they really help make me seen to traffic coming from the side.
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Old 10-23-13 | 06:56 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by unionmade
As an urban commuter, I'm also a big fan of spoke lights. I've had multiple drivers tell me that they really help make me seen to traffic coming from the side.
Yes, I use the original Monkey Lights, so lots of attention-grabbing light action, and I get positive comments on them from drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists every time I use them.

I get so much attention, in fact, that I don't always turn them on; sometimes I just want to have a quiet, introspective ride and not jabber-jaw with every Tom, Dick and Joe!
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Old 10-23-13 | 09:00 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Are you unaware that other lamps have higher lumen ratings, e.g. the Knog Road at 70 lumens vs. Blinder 4v's 44 lumens?
Yes but this is for a small tail light. I don't ride backwards to need a headlamp on my saddle!!!!!
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Old 10-23-13 | 11:26 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Cyclelogikal
Yes but this is for a small tail light. I don't ride backwards to need a headlamp on my saddle!!!!!
Are you unaware that the Road is a tail light which is both brighter and smaller than the 4v?
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Old 10-24-13 | 09:02 AM
  #43  
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I use a Knog Skink in the back. works pretty good.

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