Front bike lamp recommendations.

VoucherMan

I'm considering cycling to work again after a few years of idleness.

There's been quite a bit of new cycle path built since I last rode my bike to work, but some of it is unlit so I'll need some better lights than the ones I've got now.

The rear light is fine. It also has the added bonus that one of my work colleagues finds flashing bike lights very annoying. A good reason to keep it.:D

The front light, although legal (according to the manufacturer) won't do.

I'm after a street legal (BS6102/3 ?) light that will also provide good visibility.
If it's fairly cheap then that'll be an added bonus.

Any suggestions for make/model or good place to shop. The local bike shop tends to be quite expensive (they don't sell cheap crap) so I thought I'd look at the alternatives first.

SteveJW

Have a look at the Cateye range, I use the Cateye Opticube EL520, just had a look on line and I didn't realise they had cone up so much in the last couple of years. I paid around £26

My commute takes me down unlit unclassified roads and I find the above adequate

iolanthe07

I paid eight quid in Asda for a back and front set (LED). They work just fine, and you can have them either flashing (never understood the point of that) or continuous.

alun4

iolanthe07 wrote: »

They work just fine, and you can have them either flashing (never understood the point of that) or continuous.

The flashing light does attract the attention of other road users very efficiently if not legally!

Billy-no-Money

The rules on bike lights are complex to say the least - I certainly don't understand them, there's often discussion on cycling forums which usually descends into tedious debate about the finer points of the law.

My understanding is that for a light to be legal in the UK it should meet UK standards when used in steady mode. However, it's OK to use the light in EITHER steady OR flashing, even if it's the only light you've got.

Another factor is that I think EU standards can replace UK ones - so any light that meets the standards of another EU country is legal even if it doesn't have the BSI kitemark - there are some excellent lights available from Germany such as the Ixon IQ, which are expensive but effective. It's not all about the Lux and the Lumens - a good light will have a beam pattern that makes the most of the power it's got without dazzling oncoming road users - many of the bright lights available are just torches, which give a circular beam so you can't see the edges of the road.

There's more to it than that but I think that's the gist of it. One option is to have two mid-price front lights and use one in steady with the other flashing - then when you get to a dark stretch put them both on steady. You're also less likely to find yourself with no light at all because the batteries have gone flat.

VoucherMan

Thanks all.

In my search for information I came across the CTC website which is good enough for me.

I also found another, now lost in the depths of browsing history, which suggested that many LED lamps are not legal when used in constant mode. This is backed up by the instructions that came with my current Cat Eye lights.

All the roads I cycle on are well lit, so flashing lights front and rear will meet legal, though maybe not recommended, requirements.

It's just the off road cycle paths. Much of it is lit, but not all. So I'm really just after a lamp with a decent beam. The EL520 that Steve mentioned or possibly the EL530 look like possible choices.

nicechap

Bought these this week, quick to put on & take off and quite bright. You could fit two if you like.

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_20815.htm

Weird_Nev

Hi OP!
I use a Cateye LED light. It's very good for being seen BUT: I maintain that LED bike lights are great for being seen but not really brilliant for Seeing by. The quality of light is a very pure hard white light. It doesn't show the road surface as well ,and it doesn't show damp/water either. It's hard work cycling in pitch black using just an LED light ,you tend to find you hit potholes etc that you should have seen... The beam speread tends not to be so good either. They reflect the beam into a concentrated bright beam, but you lose the 'spread' that shows you the road surface under your front wheel and whats near the curb/verge.

Not sure if I'm 'allowed' to do this, but I have an old Smart 'Alloy' halogen light and rechargeable battery pack. It's a few years old but I checked the burn time as a friend was going to have it off me, and it gives over an hour good light. It's a 10W bulb and incredibly bright! People used to pull in for me in town as they assume you're a motorbike! Anyway ,if you're interested then PM me and i can send pics and further details ,if not then similar lights are available on ebay! They tend to be very expensive new ,mine was £120 several years ago. But they are ace!