Are Expensive Bike Lights a Rip Off?!
- Thread starter soundwave
- Start date
I liked that. A fairly honest review. Ta for posting 
My comments:
I have tried some cheap ebay/amazon lights. Pretty much as Rob says. They work. Pretty decent for the price, BUT .... the battery packs are total junk. ALL of them. They won't last properly more than one season and they don't run particularly long even when they are working. However the connectors are fairly standard, and I managed to pick up a couple of VERY high quality alternate branded packs when PlanetX had a bargain deal on them, so now I have them as helmet lights and they are still going strong 4 or more years down the line.
However I also have some Magicshine lights as well. They are excellent. I'd call them a sweet spot - superb build quality and good quality components, yet not as crazy expensive as some of the other brands...
...Like the exposure light tested.
However don't get me wrong - I've seen LOTS of people who own the exposure stuff comment that they've had them for years, and years and years, and they just keep on going, and if there IS a problem, then the returns/warranty is the best. So if money wasn't an object, the Exposure models would get the thumbs up from me as well! (and the battery run times are usually best in class as well).
My comments:
I have tried some cheap ebay/amazon lights. Pretty much as Rob says. They work. Pretty decent for the price, BUT .... the battery packs are total junk. ALL of them. They won't last properly more than one season and they don't run particularly long even when they are working. However the connectors are fairly standard, and I managed to pick up a couple of VERY high quality alternate branded packs when PlanetX had a bargain deal on them, so now I have them as helmet lights and they are still going strong 4 or more years down the line.
However I also have some Magicshine lights as well. They are excellent. I'd call them a sweet spot - superb build quality and good quality components, yet not as crazy expensive as some of the other brands...
...Like the exposure light tested.
However don't get me wrong - I've seen LOTS of people who own the exposure stuff comment that they've had them for years, and years and years, and they just keep on going, and if there IS a problem, then the returns/warranty is the best. So if money wasn't an object, the Exposure models would get the thumbs up from me as well! (and the battery run times are usually best in class as well).
if you want expensive lights just look at these.
www.lupine-shop.com
i want that performance or close to it but sod those prices and why i got the older magic shine 8000lm light as was under 200 quid as the new ones had just came out so new old stock.
on full blast you get about 1hr 20 mins from the batt which has 6 18650 cells in it..
if you have a cheap cree light then you can get one of these holders and use your own cells and still use the 9c charger that came with the light to charge them up in the holder.
Lupine Lighting Systems - High Power LED Lighting Made in Germany
Bikelights, headlamps and flashlights - Made in Germany. High end LED lights for outdoor and racing. Order directly from Lupine.
www.lupine-shop.com
i want that performance or close to it but sod those prices and why i got the older magic shine 8000lm light as was under 200 quid as the new ones had just came out so new old stock.
on full blast you get about 1hr 20 mins from the batt which has 6 18650 cells in it..
if you have a cheap cree light then you can get one of these holders and use your own cells and still use the 9c charger that came with the light to charge them up in the holder.
8.4V USB DC Ports Bicycle Bike Light Battery 18650 Holder Case Cell Charger Bank | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 8.4V USB DC Ports Bicycle Bike Light Battery 18650 Holder Case Cell Charger Bank at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
Not a rip off, but less likely to break or have the generic charger go on fire and burn your house down.
Everything is a case of you get what you pay for, and expensive lights have always been expensive, theres just far more imported cheapo lights about there days that dont have the same attention to detail or safety records.
If you want to know whats best, think about long term usage. What lights are still on the go 5 years down the line.
Everything is a case of you get what you pay for, and expensive lights have always been expensive, theres just far more imported cheapo lights about there days that dont have the same attention to detail or safety records.
If you want to know whats best, think about long term usage. What lights are still on the go 5 years down the line.
I cannot stand having to charge yet more devices before a bike ride! The less there is to remember, the better. Some of my night rides are 4+ hours long - more lights wired into my 19.2ah battery, is what I need. @trevor brooker's excellent motorcycle headlight mod, may well be next!
www.pedelecs.co.uk
Motorbike headlight
I only attach this headlight after dark - 2 bolts & 3 push wires. I replaced the 12v bulb with a multi voltage side mounted LED that uses the reflectors, so I have the cut off on dipped to prevent blinding drivers. The 3rd wire is for main beam as I have country lanes to navigate before I get to...
www.pedelecs.co.uk
For lights advertised as lasting for about 50,000 hours, many LEDs sure do seem to burn out or degrade fast.
When wired into the bike battery, you've got one less thing to burn your house down.
Mine dip, you just push them down.
...or you could try trevor's motorbike mod, which dip properly:
Motorbike headlight
I only attach this headlight after dark - 2 bolts & 3 push wires. I replaced the 12v bulb with a multi voltage side mounted LED that uses the reflectors, so I have the cut off on dipped to prevent blinding drivers. The 3rd wire is for main beam as I have country lanes to navigate before I get to...
www.pedelecs.co.uk
The ultra bright lights mentioned above run too hot, are too bright for safe road use (they can't maintain high brightness for 5+ hours anyway), their batteries don't last long enough for my journeys; and even if they could, I hate charging umpteen devices before I go for a bike ride - I do quite enough of that already.
I've never seen bicycle lights which dip... they've been pitifully dim for years, I doubt that anyone ever saw the need for dippable tungsten bicycle lights, for instance. Extremely bright and efficient LED bicycle lights are a relatively recent development. I expect legislation will catch up, and dippable bicycle lights will become available thereafter.
Last edited:
Buy stvzo rated ones and they will conform to light regs, one can buy some nice bright ones for about a £20each. I got my 100lux wired ones off aliexpress when they were cheaper.
A friend of mine has been happily using (one that looks like) that £26 Amazon light for a good few years: It seems to work from cell voltage not bucked up to 5v. Maybe being under-volted accounts for its reliability. Using a standard USB battery pack to feed it 5v makes it a lot lot brighter.
It's difficult... I don't want to dazzle drivers to the point of causing accidents, but I don't want lights which safeguard driver's eyes so much that I continue to be invisible to them - I'll stick to pointing two 5W lights straight ahead and one at the road, for now. If that doesn't work (seems to be working), I'll wire in a ludicrously bright motorcycle headlight.
Only issue for me is less assisted time and for off road i want as much as possible
i ride round with my light on full blast and not 1 person has been blinded and span of the road yet or even beeped there horn at me lol.
but bang for bucks magic shine is the best your going to get for the most lm output but none of them really state that as my light is rated 8000lm but it is more like 5000lm.
they rate each led as 1000lm x8 which is right from the spec sheet but the heat sink is no where big enough for that so must be run at lower current as will just blow up if it gets to hot so id say each led in my light is putting out 5-700lm each x8 otherwise it would not last very long at all.
but bang for bucks magic shine is the best your going to get for the most lm output but none of them really state that as my light is rated 8000lm but it is more like 5000lm.
they rate each led as 1000lm x8 which is right from the spec sheet but the heat sink is no where big enough for that so must be run at lower current as will just blow up if it gets to hot so id say each led in my light is putting out 5-700lm each x8 otherwise it would not last very long at all.
I might replace the lower one of my three 5W lights (the one on the fork), or add to the two on the handlebar, with this 12W front plus indicators and extra rear light:
= 27W in total at the front, 10W in lights at the rear.
...will I fry my controller again? Well, at least I can solder now
12V-80V Front Light with Built-in Horn +Rear Light +Switch For Electric bike | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 12V-80V Front Light with Built-in Horn +Rear Light +Switch For Electric bike at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
= 27W in total at the front, 10W in lights at the rear.
...will I fry my controller again? Well, at least I can solder now
Last edited:
Related Articles
-
MTF Enterprises announces acquisition of EMU Electric Bikes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Wisper 806T folding bike wins Which? ‘Best Buy’- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Sustrans calls for protected cycle lanes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Amazon launch their first UK e-cargo micromobility hub- Started by: Pedelecs
