Recommend me a bicycle light

thelawnet

IME lights don't really go, they just get fainter and also you have the issue that when you set out they will be brighter since they have been just switched on, but after a few minutes they go dim and you don't realise.

There's quite a long time between 'unreasonably faint' and 'completely dead' when it comes to bike lights.

Johnmcl7

The Cateye lights I use don't fade, they just switch off I assume when they detect low power as they can be switched back on again but will switch themselves off again shortly after.

John

Johnmcl7

What are people's thoughts on 18650 li-ion batteries? I've never come across these before but noticed quite a few of the cree lights seem to support them, they seem (on paper at least!) a good compromise between a separate battery pack and AA batteries.

John

thelawnet

The 18650s are li-ion which is a more efficient (size-weight) technology.

A lot of the dx lights use basically three taped together inside some kind of container. It's a convenience to allow you to charge them all at once and maintain a long run time without requiring the manufacturer to produce and/or sell expensive proprietary batteries.

Dave_C_2

It has long been a source of annoyance for me that bike manufacturers don't fit dynamo hubs and good lights as standard. We should not have to rely on after-market purchases for what is after all a major part of commuter winter cycling.

As for batteries, this is 2012 and a dynamo will easily power super bright LEDs and a simple bridge/super capacitor will keep the lights on when you stop for traffic lights and so forth. (cue clever !!!!!! comments saying that cyclists never stop ...)

Dave

andy8442

As a few have already said Cree, just type in Cree LED into Ebay and Bobs your uncle.....and all for under a tenner.

spongybobby

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on 18650 li-ion batteries? I've never come across these before but noticed quite a few of the cree lights seem to support them, they seem (on paper at least!) a good compromise between a separate battery pack and AA batteries.

John

John.
I use 3x 18650 batteries to power my LED bike light.
i use these because:
1) they fit in a 1" dia metal tube.
2) 3 can be used in series to provide almost 12v and a fair current capacity.
3) cheap (at around £6 a pop, they last for 3-4 years)
4) they last an AGE. - my bike light uses a 1w Dim setting, 3w flash or 3w steady... most of the time its on 3w flash and i can easily get 10 hrs (2 weeks commuting) out of each charge.

i really rate them and TBH its so easy making your own battery pack.. next time i do it though i will be using 9 cells 3 x series 3x parallel.. then adapt my rear lights to run of this source.

that should give me about 1 months commuting without recharge which is perfect for a lazy !!!!!! like me

[Deleted User]

Bear in mind that if you want to be legal, you need an approved lamp, which in practice means a BS6102/3 lamp, and they're not particularly cheap or plentiful.

thelawnet

I don't think you need to pay the slightest attention to whether your bicycle light is BS6102/3 approved.

Having a light is the main thing.

vikingaero

thelawnet wrote: »

I don't think you need to pay the slightest attention to whether your bicycle light is BS6102/3 approved.

Having a light is the main thing.

I agree. BS relates to the British market and most manufacturers don't bother making BS lights. It's a case of technology overtaking the law. Even BS6102/3 has been superceded in 2005 where a BS light isn't required if you have a light fitted on your body/bag.