Bicycle lights

[Gragson]

We have 2 big frame Voodoo Bizangos. Me and one of the boys are using them for cycle way and road commutes (hour max per day inc return journey)

Some of the cycle ways are pitch black at the mo. Any first hand experience of good front & rear lights with good bracketry that will last, give good light and not p-off other road/path users?

 

[graffian]

We have 2 big frame Voodoo Bizangos. Me and one of the boys are using them for cycle way and road commutes (hour max per day inc return journey)

Some of the cycle ways are pitch black at the mo. Any first hand experience of good front & rear lights with good bracketry that will last, give good light and not p-off other road/path users?

Blackburne Mars 3.0 rear light.
I bought the first one off Amazon and the others I had to buy them SH from an ebay saved
search, I guess they stopped making them. They don't seem to break or eat batteries.

The fronts I uses ultrafire LED torches with 18650 batteries. They are not all the same and I have
bought a good few before finding ones that I like and work reliably.

 

[m_c]

What you really want is a 'hooded' front light aka one that has a beam pattern that cuts off like the dipped beam on a vehicle, however I've never came across a cheap one.

I bought a Busch & Miller.
I think the Exposure road specific lights may have a similar beam pattern, but they're even less cheap than B&M.


For rear lights, I have a Halfords rechargeable one, along with a little magnetic rechargeable one.

 

[chrismac]

I use lezyne lights, I like them, adjustable brightness's to save battery life, they might not be suitable if the paths are busy, one feature is a main and low beam effect, meaning you dont have to scroll through all the light modes, 1 click high beam, 1 click low beam

 

[skotl]

What you really want is a 'hooded' front light aka one that has a beam pattern that cuts off like the dipped beam on a vehicle, however I've never came across a cheap one.

I bought a Busch & Miller.
I think the Exposure road specific lights may have a similar beam pattern, but they're even less cheap than B&M.


For rear lights, I have a Halfords rechargeable one, along with a little magnetic rechargeable one.

+1 for B&M. When I used to commute through t'country roads in pitch black my B&M was a genuine headlight allowing you to see where you were going rather than be an indicator to allow other road users to know you're there.

And it wasn't cheap, as m_c says! Oh, and it needed a full 5-8 hour charge each day.

 

[pcwizme]

For rear lights I only use cateye, led ones (I have 2 on my ebike at all times as the roads round here can be a bit deadly) , I also use a cateye on the front (USB rechargeable) but also have a back up cheapy one that is on the front, but they are starting to fail its only taken 5 years ish!

 

[Erie Fred]

and not p-off other road/path users?

Thank you for this ^^^
Too many times as of late I get these $10,000 bike riders with all manner of "Scorched earth I don't care about anyone but myself" lighting.
Flashing strobes that could light up a London disco on front & back seems to be the latest/worst.

 

[GRW]

I think mine came from Bright Bike Lights.
It's the type with the separate battery pack.
The light head unit is small, so I can mount it on bars or on my helmet (think miners lamp with the battery on my waist or backpack.
I've mountain biked in pitch dark on off-piste trails with it and there's enough light for that - on the road you only need it's lowest setting unless country lane and flying.

 

[brightspark]

i use a l;ed lenzer head torch for the front on a nite. i can dazzle the prats in cars that keep there full beam on if they do

 

[fizzy]

Whatever lights you use PLEASE make sure they are both flashing. A fixed headlight on a bike can get confusing in amongst traffic - especially at roundabouts etc. A flashing front and rear light screams BIKE!

 

[pcwizme]

Whatever lights you use PLEASE make sure they are both flashing. A fixed headlight on a bike can get confusing in amongst traffic - especially at roundabouts etc. A flashing front and rear light screams BIKE!

Flashing lights on the front are deadly, make sure you have at least one static on the front as otherwise it is impossible to work out the speed a bike is doing or even if it is moving.

 

[skotl]

Whatever lights you use PLEASE make sure they are both flashing. A fixed headlight on a bike can get confusing in amongst traffic - especially at roundabouts etc. A flashing front and rear light screams BIKE!

There's two very different use cases / scenarios here, though.

In traffic I totally agree that they should be flashing as the light is so that other road users see you and recognise you as a bike.
In unlit roads the front light (of course) needs to be solid and lights up the path so you don't ride into a hole or slide off the path.

When I commuted (4 miles in city, plus five miles in the country) I had both. I would only put on the headlight when I got to the country roads.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

How is it that discos are limited to 10 seconds on strobe lights but cyclists can use strobing front lights and ride behind or towards cars with their lights flashing and risking inducing an epileptic fit into a driver.

 

[brightspark]

some of those strobe lights blind you i just put full beam back if they do . no need for it if there correctly set down

 

[m_c]

How is it that discos are limited to 10 seconds on strobe lights but cyclists can use strobing front lights and ride behind or towards cars with their lights flashing and risking inducing an epileptic fit into a driver.

Do you also have the same concern about amber strobe lights on vehicles stationary at roadworks, or on slow moving vehicles?

 

[Erie Fred]

Do you also have the same concern about amber strobe lights on vehicles stationary at roadworks, or on slow moving vehicles?

Generally they are not aimed at you.
But yes, they are getting way out of hand as well.
I can't see the worker on the side of the road for the Light show.

 

[fizzy]

Do you also have the same concern about amber strobe lights on vehicles stationary at roadworks, or on slow moving vehicles?

The new ones on our Police cars are a real hazard. Vert dangerous. Suprised they are allowed.

 

[Erie Fred]

We can all simply wear our auto darkening helmets, and set them on "5"....

 

[CornishPete]

Boson 850 lumen rechargeable bike light

An 850 lumen rechargeable bike light with a tough aluminium body that can be used as a torch off the bike. Bikepacking but need a torch for around camp? Look no further

alpkit.com

Really good light for not a lot. Doubles as a handheld torch too. Don't focus on some of the reviews complaining about the mount, it is more than adequate for commuting/road riding, I suspect it's mtbers that have issues expecting a 25 quid light to stay put when doing 40mph down a rocky hill!

 

[m_c]

If you're complaining about the strobes, then they're obviously doing their job at getting your attention.
But if they're inducing an epileptic fit, then you shouldn't be driving.