Recommend me a new front light

Back lights are fine (Cateye and a Mars Blackburn 3), but on the way in to work this morning, my four year old Hope Vision II went off without warning. Up until now, it would flash slowly for a few minutes before giving up, which is what it's supposed to do.

 

The Hope's a good light, although to be fair I'm not particularly enamoured with a separate battery pack any more as it's a bit of a faff plugging, unplugging and wrapping the velcro around it to tie it to the handlebars. The battery has always rattled inside the pack over rough ground too (minor irritation).

 

So what have you got and what do you recommend?

 

I'd prefer rechargeable to taking batteries out to recharge them.

 

All in one unit preferred rather than separates.

 

The Hope's 480 lumen on max, don't really want to go below that. 30 mins run time minimum.

 

Would quite like something that's more of a fixture rather than held on with rubber loops. That just me trying to avoid the light fingered scrotes.

 

Ideally (but not necessarily) under £100.

 

All thoughts and advice gratefully received.

 

Ta

 

Gaz

I got this Philips USB rechargeable front light after it was recommended here - It still works a treat after 2 years and since having it I haven't crashed into any hedges...

 

https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/philips-saferide-80-led-bike-light-battery-front-light/aid:642257

 

Though it seems it's now unavailable

No use to Gaz as he want's a stand alone usb type option.

Edited December 6, 20169 yr by Nealh

Yep. But, at 30 pages, that thread contains lots of light info.

 

Mainly about lights with battery packs and rubber loops.

 

Mostly all bike lights whether usb or battery pack type seem to go along the line of band fitting nowadays. My Lezynes are removable though the cradles at still held on by rubber loops so they them selves are not immune from being pilfered.

I'm using Lezynes here too, a Megadrive 1500XL on the bike and a Superdrive 600 on my helmet...both rechargable and held with proper quick-release brackets (the 600 even has it's own spare 18500 battery in my tool bag)...not cheap, but light up the horizon a treat and I get around 2 hours from each:cool:

I borrowed a mates Superdrive 600 a few weeks ago to ride home on the road.

 

All that I can say is that it is worth every penny.

 

 

.

http://www.highonbikes.com/special-offers/high-vis-cycling/moon-meteor-storm-1200-led-usb-rechargeable-front-bike-light.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA4JnCBRDQ5be3nKCPhpwBEiQAjwN1boiBEAm76yX0_P7EeDOenBrDtyGhDSLC-13lk-dKfSgaArCt8P8HAQ

Cheers for the replies folks. Been out in the garage fitting mudguards, front one a doddle, rear one not so - two screws and a spacer missing

 

I did read the 30 pages, but there was a lot of techy stuff that's frankly way beyond me.

 

Like the Lezynes range.

 

Also like the Cateye Volt 1200.

 

Exposure Joystick MkII's a possible.

 

My son uses a Fenix LD20 which has always been a good little light. Need to take the batteries out though.

 

I'm not stuck as I have a backup 500lm head torch. I suspect the cold weather's got to my Hope battery, so I could always replace the battery I s'pose.

 

Have to say the argument's quite strong for the £17 on page one of the other thread.....decisions decisions

 

Gaz

I have one of the £ 17 bike lights, if you can put up with the battery in a pack it is good for the money, real good.

 

The Meteor is my back up light.

http://www.highonbikes.com/special-offers/high-vis-cycling/moon-meteor-storm-1200-led-usb-rechargeable-front-bike-light.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA4JnCBRDQ5be3nKCPhpwBEiQAjwN1boiBEAm76yX0_P7EeDOenBrDtyGhDSLC-13lk-dKfSgaArCt8P8HAQ

 

I am liking that - it's presumably not as good as the £17 jobbie if it's your backup?

 

Gaz

I use a Moon Meteor Front light and have a spar on the handlebars just in case of failure but have not had to use the spar in 21 months of commuting. I use it for a 10 mile unlit B road commute.

 

I like how small, light and self contained they are and can be easily slipped into a pocket. They attach and detach easily and are held securely on the bike.

 

Lots of cheaper lights are now available on ebay and are very bright but generally have a separate battery pack to contend with. I have been tempted to try one as they are so cheap but have not done so yet.

 

The Meteor is 200 lumens at its brightest. I always have it on its brightest setting and it lasts for my 10 mile journey of 25/35 minutes.

 

As it is so small I am not sure it would last a great deal longer so if you need a light that lasts a lot longer look elsewhere but for my needs it has been a really good solution.

 

It is just so easy and quick to use which is just what you want if you commute.

 

The beam pattern is excellent.

I am loving my new b+m now that the darker days are here. 50% more lux and daytime running lights. It just needs a switch so that the XT60 on the main battery doesn't spark when I plug it in. It can be run from any external battery source from 6 to 42 V so running time is up to your choice of power source if you don't want to use the main battery.

Nothing comes close to this one in terms of bang-for buck. It's brightness on full is just outstanding. You won't believe how much light can come out of such a tiny thing. It has a separate LED ring for daytime running, which looks really cool. If you read the thread below, you'll see that everybody that bought one was happy with it:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3000LM-CREE-XM-L2-LED-Headlight-Front-Bike-Bicycle-HeadLamp-Head-Light-18650-SET-/151628782015?var=&hash=item234dc799bf:m:m3z0uVQHEetlCJ_RNthhqcg

 

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/the-new-best-headlight.25228/

 

It does have a separate rechargeable battery, but it's worth putting up with that for the way it performs.

Nothing comes close to this one in terms of bang-for buck. It's brightness on full is just outstanding. You won't believe how much light can come out of such a tiny thing. It has a separate LED ring for daytime running, which looks really cool. If you read the thread below, you'll see that everybody that bought one was happy with it:

 

I've decided to stop being prissy, and listen to good advice, so have ordered one of these!

 

Hope was of course faultless on the way home:rolleyes:

 

Cheers for the advice everyone.

 

Gaz

I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

As an owner of D8veh's recommended light. It's a beast. I have hard a car flash me in a dip your headlights way. It is seriously impressive. Beam patterin is not great but the amount of light makes up for it.

Bought a few of the type like in d8veh link, think mine were the single T6 Cree, so just 2000 lumen, although probably not true, but with around 3hrs from the 8.4 v power pack well more than bright enough.

 

Cheap as chips compared to the big brands, you can't go wrong for around £10 from China.

 

I always carry a back up battery pack just in case.

 

The only thing I don't like, is the rubber ring fastener, wish they did them with a proper screw type bracket.

i got two of these just unscrew the plastic bit on the light.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252297103358?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

and yes that light is more like 200lm and will not have a cree led in it as its just to cheap for 1 to be in it

The only thing I don't like, is the rubber ring fastener, wish they did them with a proper screw type bracket.

Like this?

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/the-new-best-headlight.25228/page-30#post-343738

 

Although I like the rubber rings so I can easily dip the light forward&back up so as not to dazzle oncoming drivers on the pitch black roads.

Thanks awol, but that still looks a little bit to universal, the light I got, can dim to around 50% by hitting the button on the back of the lamp.

 

I recon I can drill and tap a couple of 2.5mm thread's into the body of the lamp, and make a more secure fixing that way.

 

One of the lights that I got failed, so I have a body casing to play with, got the weekend of work so will be having a fettle in the workshop, to see what I can come up with.

 

My handle bars are quite a small diameter design, being titanium, just 20mm, so the light with the rubber ring fixing does tend to rotate of it's own accord, especially if I hit a bump, or if it's raining.

 

You can' beat a fixed ridged mount IMHO.

My beam doesn't dazzle oncoming drivers because it is so well formed... As I ride in a country with lots of very bored policemen, that, and the fact that the lights have all the right EU markings on them, make me feel safer at night.

 

Pedestrians are however commenting that the "daytime" running LEDs are very powerful at night. They don't go off, they dim a bit but they diffuse their light over a large area. I think that pedestrians just aren't used to seeing well lit bicycles on mixed foot/cycle paths, most bikes I cross aren't lit at all

 

The b+m handlebar light holder allows setting the angle on the fly, it grips firmly but not so much that you can't set the beam angle. It handles bumps much better than the battery powered light on the fork mount that is for sure!

Got a trout liberator. It's superb

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

i went a bit mad and bought the exposure lights i.e toro, joystick and rear light. All great quality, great cs, great guarantee and rechargeable batteries built in. They also have a technology built in to lower light when riding slower with less turns. Ive had many chinese lights / hope etc and exposure are in a different league.

SW That's great, how do you make that? I'd like one.