front lights

[eddieo]

need to get a front light for my wisper. Camping season is here and we will be visiting some rural sites down country lanes.

i dont commute, strictly leisure/excercise only,and dont really ride in the dark...It is for when we go in the evening and it will probably be dark on our return to our motorhome. dont wana spend a fortune...... £30'ish?

Cateye EL320 Front Light around £30

Smart 5 LED Front Light around £12

 

[Mussels]

Cheap lights are a bit touch and go, for what you want I'd order a Cateye LED light online (remember a small light for the back), you know it will be of a reasonable quality without doing much research. £30 will get you a pair and you'll see enough to plod along about 10mph.

 

[Clarkey]

Cheap lights are a bit touch and go, for what you want I'd order a Cateye LED light online (remember a small light for the back), you know it will be of a reasonable quality without doing much research. £30 will get you a pair and you'll see enough to plod along about 10mph.

Cateye is a good suggestion. I have had loads of their stuff and the quality is very good, considering that they are relatively inexpensive.

 

[SEATALTEA]

Buy one of the Cree or SSC P7 LED based flashlights from DealExtreme: Cool Gadgets at the Right Price - Site-Wide Free Shipping (Page 1)

Choose one which uses the lithium 18650 battery and get the appropriate charger/battery combo plus the bar mount.

You should get it delivered for about £30, it will make the Cateye look like candle and you can remove it to use as a torch around the campsite.

I use a SSC P7 everyday whilst commuting and it is on in daylight for visibility, you won't believe a torch can be so powerful.

Dealextreme are reliable and delivery takes a couple of weeks normally.

 

[Haku]

Have to agree on the purchase of a light that uses a high intensity LED or two such as the Cree or Luxeon, it's funny reading the advertising waffle of bike lights where they say things like "7 bright LEDs" which are just normal 5mm LEDs that in reality are only really any good to allow traffic to see you, not for you to see the road with any detail unless you're cycling in pitch black and going very slowly.

Despite my affinity for homemade bike lights with my 300 LED 'megalight' being my latest favourite thing, I have had traditional lights in the past from Cateye etc. which used 5 or 7 standard 5mm LEDs but never found them to be anywhere near the level of usefulness I'd have liked them to be. Their only main advantage to having low power LEDs was battery life, but powering bike lights from your bike's battery you never have to worry about forgetting to charge/buy new batteries for your lights ever again.

 

[eddieo]

Thanks!

The SSC P7 LED lights look good...and my eyesight is not that good due to diabetes so a strong light would be safer. Problem is they all seem to be from China and I want one for next weekend.......

a bit odd that you cant get them here

 

[Mussels]

Thanks!

The SSC P7 LED lights look good...and my eyesight is not that good due to diabetes so a strong light would be safer. Problem is they all seem to be from China and I want one for next weekend.......

a bit odd that you cant get them here

They are available in the UK but with the inevitable markup making them expensive. I was going to suggest them before but couldn't see them for the price you wanted.
As with all cheap chinese imports they may not be quite as refined as Cateye but will offer a lot more bang for buck.

 

[Haku]

DealExtreme offer EMS express postage for $18 which should get you the light within a week. I've had stuff come from Hong Kong by EMS in 3 days as they typically use a courier service like DHL/FedEx etc.

 

[eddieo]

DealExtreme offer EMS express postage for $18 which should get you the light within a week. I've had stuff come from Hong Kong by EMS in 3 days as they typically use a courier service like DHL/FedEx etc.

OK will try this....But its a bit bewildering as so much choice, what should I order.

if its not here by next week can always use a torch tie rapped to the handlebars for a weekend lol

found this review only downside seems to be battery life...only one hour?

SSC P7 LED Mountain Bike Light Review

 

[Haku]

SSC P7 flashlight + 2 batteries + charger + international plug adaptor + mounting bracket + EMS postage = $76, about £53

If you're going to spend that much might as well go get that Cateye EL320, no postage delays & no need for special batteries+charger and the runtime is nearly 24 hours with 4 fresh AAs.

 

[eddieo]

SSC P7 flashlight + 2 batteries + charger + international plug adaptor + mounting bracket + EMS postage = $76, about £53

If you're going to spend that much might as well go get that Cateye EL320, no postage delays & no need for special batteries+charger and the runtime is nearly 24 hours with 4 fresh AAs.

Yep I think I will do this...........as i need to get some inner tubes etc... as well. can order all from SJS in the morning

 

[SEATALTEA]

OK will try this....But its a bit bewildering as so much choice, what should I order.

if its not here by next week can always use a torch tie rapped to the handlebars for a weekend lol

found this review only downside seems to be battery life...only one hour?

SSC P7 LED Mountain Bike Light Review

Choose a lamp with a number of modes, on full power (900+ lumens on paper) my light lasts 90mins but on reduced mode it has been on for more than 8hrs over the last week during my commutes and is still easily seen in daylight.

The batteries come in pairs and are a doddle to change.

On full power the lamp is brighter side by side than a single headlamp on my SAAB and on a dark night away from street lights if you point the beam skywards it's visible from the side extending into the sky, in the manner of a trusty lightsaber

Rather disturbing to find torches so interesting, it's a boy thing I think.

This is the lamp I use by the way and I have been very pleased with it DealExtreme: $36.57 Aurora AK-P7-5 HA-III SSC P7-C 2-Mode 900-Lumen LED Flashlight with Assault Crown (1*18650)