Bicycle light help?

[ysidfa]

Hey guys,
I know many of you on here are avid cyclists and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with 'Cheap' LED torch style bike lights?
Me and my OH are on a bit of a get fit regime which involves me and her both cycling to and from each others houses in the evenings instead of using the car. Last night I found my self leaving her house at 10:30pm as it was getting dark rather quickly. The route I take is on a barely used fen road. She also takes this route on occasions.
Being safety concious, I was wondering if anyone could reccomend any cheap bike lights that will allow us to see and be seen?
The road is riddled with pot holes and clumps of mud, so being able to see, if only slightly would be a big help.

Rear lights are generally pretty universal, so theyre not an issue.

Any help appreciated

Tom

 

[custard]

Hey guys,
I know many of you on here are avid cyclists and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with 'Cheap' LED torch style bike lights?
Me and my OH are on a bit of a get fit regime which involves me and her both cycling to and from each others houses in the evenings instead of using the car. Last night I found my self leaving her house at 10:30pm as it was getting dark rather quickly. The route I take is on a barely used fen road. She also takes this route on occasions.
Being safety concious, I was wondering if anyone could reccomend any cheap bike lights that will allow us to see and be seen?
The road is riddled with pot holes and clumps of mud, so being able to see, if only slightly would be a big help.

Rear lights are generally pretty universal, so theyre not an issue.

Any help appreciated

Tom

I run a cheap CREE light
like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item3a81f73f7d
with a back up rechargeable light

On the rear I run a cat eye rear in solid and a smart lunar R2 in flash

 

[soggytomato]

A mate of mine swears by these and runs a couple of em and a cree torch type one as a backup. The torch ones are around £6 ish on ebay and still last a while-just make sure you get the ones that take AA or AAA batteries and not the single rechargeable type.
I'm currently running an old Smart rechargeable light but think these are quite expensive now!

 

[Andy Monty]

I run a cheap CREE light
like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item3a81f73f7d
with a back up rechargeable light

On the rear I run a cat eye rear in solid and a smart lunar R2 in flash

WOW they have come down in price!

i will second that! they give a belting amount of light out however you will need another "legal" front light as it will blind oncoming cars........ i use mine like you would main beam in the car

 

[Andy Monty]

 

[custard]

and if you get one of those Cree lights I linked to

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23533

Fit like OE spec and much better

 

[Liquid Knight]

I also use one of these as a main beam but the smaller ones...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Lenser-Black-P7-Pro-LED-Flashlight-Torch-200-Lumens-8407-FREE-Delivery-/280769411045?hash=item415f2937e5

...are also very good. I have one on the back of my bike with a red lens for cycling in fog.

 

[The Beard]

For knocking around town I use a matched pair of these

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=86378

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=86293

But I'll be getting one of these for winter

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=87981

 

[Andy Monty]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=87981

As much as i like hope go for the link above £15 near as makes no odds and much brighter than that

 

[The Beard]

As much as i like hope go for the link above £15 near as makes no odds and much brighter than that

Which link are you referring to? I'm on a bit of a Buy British campaign, probably brought on by guilt and a perception that we don't make anything in this country anymore.

So I'd rather pay a bit more for something British made like the Hope. So far I've bought a cycling jacket and bib tights made by Lusso in Manchester and a saddle bag by Caradice of Nelson. We seem to be increasingly governed by the principal that we are a nation who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.

Ah, there you go, I feel better now.

 

[Andy Monty]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L...L&hash=item3a81f73f7d&clk_rvr_id=497064741956


I know what your saying about buying british but.... i wonder where all the guts that go into that lovely bit of anodised aluminium come from...

As you say we dont manufacture anything in this country. Half of the time we just stick stuff together .....

I worked in a tool shop. years ago and we had some Hammers..... MADE IN ENGLAND proudly stamped on the head. the rep was in talking laughing about the claim it was along the lines of...... Shafts made in Brazil, Heads made in China ,wedges Made in india,.. Paint / varnish made in Outer Mongolia...


To carry the Made in england name its something silly like 10% of the construction time has to be done in the uk..... paint the bits leave them to dry... stick shaft onto head and hammer in wedge pack in boxes and stack on pallet ...... = Made in the UK :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

 

[The Beard]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L...L&hash=item3a81f73f7d&clk_rvr_id=497064741956


I know what your saying about buying british but.... i wonder where all the guts that go into that lovely bit of anodised aluminium come from...

As you say we dont manufacture anything in this country. Half of the time we just stick stuff together .....

I worked in a tool shop. years ago and we had some Hammers..... MADE IN ENGLAND proudly stamped on the head. the rep was in talking laughing about the claim it was along the lines of...... Shafts made in Brazil, Heads made in China ,wedges Made in india,.. Paint / varnish made in Outer Mongolia...


To carry the Made in england name its something silly like 10% of the construction time has to be done in the uk..... paint the bits leave them to dry... stick shaft onto head and hammer in wedge pack in boxes and stack on pallet ...... = Made in the UK :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

I must admit I have no idea where the components originate from, but there are more jobs to be found where a product is manufactured here than just warehoused & delivered here.

I personally believe that we have become the architects of our own downfall in this respect. We'd rather pay a small amount for imported goods than a little more for something made here. We're not the only ones either. 10 years ago in Italy all, and I really do mean all, police cars were FIATs & Alfas. All ambulances were FIAT Ducatos and all fire engines were made by IVECO, albeit some were built in their Magirus factory in Germany as were dustcarts, many made at Seddon Atkinson in Oldham. It's just a pity more British Councils didn't buy them. Now there are Subarus, Kias and a whole host of others, just like over here where we've bought hundreds of Hyundai i30s as police cars.

I actually asked one of the managers at Servisair, probably the largest air freight handler in the country, what the proportion of imports to exports going through their sheds was. He couldn't give me a precise figure, but he did tell me that at the time, 2012, the value of exports was greater than that of imports, so all is not lost.

 

[custard]

Which link are you referring to? I'm on a bit of a Buy British campaign, probably brought on by guilt and a perception that we don't make anything in this country anymore.

So I'd rather pay a bit more for something British made like the Hope. So far I've bought a cycling jacket and bib tights made by Lusso in Manchester and a saddle bag by Caradice of Nelson. We seem to be increasingly governed by the principal that we are a nation who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.

Ah, there you go, I feel better now.

I will buy British where I can
my (sadly now sold on) MTB was a British brand(however made in Taiwan) and had my much loved Hope X2 brakes(bike pr0n!)
However there are times when practicality/funds dictate otherwise
That sub £20 light blows away anything near it and makes it disposable if it breaks,gets smashed in a crash(voice of experience there!)
buy the Hope bracket for it and you have paid 50% to a British company on the total cost

 

[ThisBitterPill]

....my much loved Hope X2 brakes(bike pr0n!

I'm still running my original 1996/7 Hope C2's on my full XTR Jack Flash....Bike Pr0n indeed! :yum:

 

[Liquid Knight]

Taken from my blog...

The rear has the reflector as high as possible, the laser light and a five led light on the seat post and my trusted Topeak RedLite on the end of the mud guard.

200 Lumen Halfords light on the left and the eBay light on the right up front with the battery pack strapped to the cross bar. I didn't have enough room for the Halfords rear light so with a cable tie...

...I've secured it to the back of my helmet.

Believe the hype...

...these lights are that good.

 

[The Beard]

You've got a blog? You poor sod. You can get ointment for that now if you visit your GP.....er that's General Practitioner by the way.