CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Massively bright lights

(19 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by adamthekiwi
  • Latest reply from Dunny

  1. adamthekiwi
    Member

    Hi all,

    First post, so please be gentle with me...

    I'm an owner of a massively bright light. There, I've said it. I bought it because I was sick of not being seen but, despite pointing it down and leftwards, I think it might be too much for anything other than mountain-biking...

    So, can any of the forumites recommend a light that's bright enough to illuminate unlit country lanes (sufficient to allow 30-40kph), but directional enough to avoid blinding all and sundry?

    Thanks - Adam...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  2. Uberuce
    Member

    Given you already own a badgerslaying light, it seems the natural choice here is a modest second light for inside the city limits.

    You might even be able to get one from further down the same manufacturer's line and not have to bother swapping mounts.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    Phillips Saferide... has reasonably wide spread yet also a well-defined cut-off at the top for ensuring people's eyes aren't getting the full glare.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  4. remberbuck
    Member

    Hi Adam,

    Sport Pursuit have serious and genuine reductions on Lezyne lights for the next few days.

    Superb lights.

    http://www.sportpursuit.com/sales

    Posted 11 years ago #
  5. Nelly
    Member

    Get a good lens for your existing one - some (magicshine) have aftermarket ones which shape/soften your massively humungous lumens into non-antisocialness.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  6. adamthekiwi
    Member

    Good call, remberbuck. Lezyne Power Drive ordered!

    Thanks - Adam...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  7. Dave
    Member

    For my 2p the simplest/cheapest thing to do is have some kind of daft wee blinkie at the front as well as your real light, and then switch your real light off in situations where it may cause a rumpus.

    If your main concern is lit paths (like NEPN) where you don't need a front light at all in safety terms, just turn it off and don't bother with a second light. There's plenty of light to see by and if you do feel the need to 'go bright' for an oncoming clown then you can always turn it on!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  8. rosscbrown
    Member

    How bright is massively bright?

    Posted 11 years ago #
  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've been told that the Lezyne rear lights should be avoided as they are a white LED with a red filter and therefore are battery inneficient. That's when they just came out, perhaps have improved since then.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  10. Dunny
    Member

    How bright is massively bright?

    When you pass someone who is singing Manfred Mann, you know you have a massively bright light.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  11. algo
    Member

    When you pass someone who is singing Manfred Mann, you know you have a massively bright light.

    ha ha - if I could sing well enough for it to be recognisable I'd do that....

    Posted 11 years ago #
  12. Dave
    Member

    I've been told that the Lezyne rear lights should be avoided as they are a white LED with a red filter and therefore are battery inneficient. That's when they just came out, perhaps have improved since then.

    If so that's really weird, because for many years red LEDs were about the only thing we could make. IIRC white ones are already pretty inefficient because they're UV LEDs with a phosphor coating, so to then filter that again post-production seems... bizarre!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  13. Schemieradge
    Member

    Isn't the power drive still a flood sort of light?
    I tried a few lights before getting a Philips Saferide which was the best I tried by miles. Designed to cut off at the horizon so you're illuminating the road and not anything above.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  14. gembo
    Member

    EBC just flagged up some pretty good looking cat eye rechargeable s front and back would cost 100 pound for pair which is mighty dear. But find on line and take cheaper quote they will match. Front looked small yet powerful 300 lumens. Rear 50 lumens but tempting clamp to fit to saddle not seat post. All a bit late as lezyne ordered?

    Posted 11 years ago #
  15. remberbuck
    Member

    Adam,

    I happily go two weeks before recharging batteries on the low setting, which is enough for Edinburgh streets. And the USB link makes recharging at work easy.

    Ignore most of the above.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  16. Dave
    Member

    Do any of the Lezyne lights have shaped beams? If not, aren't they basically the same as the light the OP already has?

    Not much help since one already ordered, but you can put down as little as £40 for a proper road-legal shaped-beam rechargeable headlight

    Posted 11 years ago #
  17. Nelly
    Member

    Dave, you are bang on - power drive is no better than an eBay magicshine knock off unless you can put a beam shaping lens on it ( see mine above ).

    If its only to be seen/legal, skullies like my standby blinkies are pound for pound the best buy.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  18. Dave
    Member

    I had a ~1000 lumen (alleged) eBay LED torch with handlebar mount a couple of years ago. It was pretty wild.

    Not sure the useful light output was any better than a dynamo light though (probably better for MTB because the spray in all directions is good for branches & twisty tracks).

    Took bizarro li-ion cells and a special (dodgy) charger too, which was one reason I gave it up.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  19. Dunny
    Member

    EBC just flagged up some pretty good looking cat eye rechargeable s front and back would cost 100 pound for pair which is mighty dear. But find on line and take cheaper quote they will match. Front looked small yet powerful 300 lumens. Rear 50 lumens but tempting clamp to fit to saddle not seat post. All a bit late as lezyne ordered?

    I have that set, they are brilliant. Definitely worth the money. I cycle on city roads with them set to flashing, always seen by other traffic, and they last for years before running out of juice (only slightly exaggerated). The brightest setting for the front one is more than enough for unlit roads too. The saddle clamp for the rear is brilliant too if you're like me and not a long chap, but have bags and mudguards etc on your seatpost already. Both mounts are solid as a rock, like the lights themselves, and of course spare batteries and mounts etc are easily obtainable. I'm planning on having these for ever, I'm pretty sure they will last.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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