Please suggest some good quality, bright Cycle Lights and also some warm cycling gloves.

Brian_Pamo

Hi all

I recently bought a new bike and took it out for the first time yesterday.  I was really thrilled with it.  So thrilled that I forgot that the dark was coming in and in the end I had to cycle some of the way home in the dusk.  My fault only that I left myself in this position WITHOUT lights therefore, I cannot be in this position again.  So, without further ado I am after advice from you guys for some really good, bright Bike lights.  Yes, I know I can go online but when I type 'buy bycycle lights' into Google there are millions of hits and I wouldn't have a clue which are good/bad quality.  To make things worse they also sell bike lights in Poundland which I assume are rubbish.  So, please can you guys help a newbie get his hands on some very good quality, very bright Bike lights please?  Also, yesterday my hands nearly froze off.  Is there such a thing as good quality full fingered, really warm Bike Gloves?  Preference would be if I could buy them on Amazon prime in advance of my next ride this weekend.

Thanks in advance all.

Brian_Pamo

Forgot to say, Also a good seat padding thingy for the razor Bike seat.

DUTR

Brian_Pamo said:

Hi all

I recently bought a new bike and took it out for the first time yesterday.  I was really thrilled with it.  So thrilled that I forgot that the dark was coming in and in the end I had to cycle some of the way home in the dusk.  My fault only that I left myself in this position WITHOUT lights therefore, I cannot be in this position again.  So, without further ado I am after advice from you guys for some really good, bright Bike lights.  Yes, I know I can go online but when I type 'buy bycycle lights' into Google there are millions of hits and I wouldn't have a clue which are good/bad quality.  To make things worse they also sell bike lights in Poundland which I assume are rubbish.  So, please can you guys help a newbie get his hands on some very good quality, very bright Bike lights please?  Also, yesterday my hands nearly froze off.  Is there such a thing as good quality full fingered, really warm Bike Gloves?  Preference would be if I could buy them on Amazon prime in advance of my next ride this weekend.

Thanks in advance all.

In no particular order, the poundshop lights? Actually the ones I have are not bad at all, having used them for years (I cycled to the football matches in any weather) only recently did the front one break (through rough handling trying to remove it)
Now back  to the lights requirement, there are two aspects to consider to be seen and to see with)
Most lights will pass the to be seen and are cheap enough not to have an excuse not to have some even as back up for more expensive ones. 
Since October I have been doing a small amount of off road in parks , nature reserves gravel type trails, The poundshop light may not have been enough for trail riding.
As an interim I got the Bell Lumina from Asda £20, the front light is certainly fine for trail riding at night with a run time on the front 2-9hrs , at night I'd usually use the 1st constant mode and get a good 5hrs run time.
More recently I purchased a road bike and also some more lights Bikehut 1000 (from Halfords) , the front light is far superior to the previous 2 lights, not just for light output but more importantly for beam spread. If you are cycling around well lit towns, off brand lights may well suffice, off road, certainly a good budget on a reputable brand is mandotary.
I think my full finger gloves were from Lidl, they keep the extreme cold <2c out for a couple of hours or I will use my skiing gloves which also add to visibilty.
My mate got some from Decathalon and he hasn't complained of cold hands whereas I did , he feels the cold more than I.

DUTR

Brian_Pamo said:

Forgot to say, Also a good seat padding thingy for the razor Bike seat.

Padding shouldn't be required for saddles if they are set correctly, oddly many purchase a bike too big, how long are you using the bike for? Discomfort within an hour suggest much adjustment is required.

Chickereeeee

DUTR said:

Brian_Pamo said:

Forgot to say, Also a good seat padding thingy for the razor Bike seat.

Padding shouldn't be required for saddles if they are set correctly, oddly many purchase a bike too big, how long are you using the bike for? Discomfort within an hour suggest much adjustment is required.

New cyclists always seem to think that the bike manufacturer has designed a wonderful piece of equipment, and the deliberately put an uncomfortable saddle on it. Why would they do that? Because they hate you?
Use the bike a few times, say for half a dozen reasonable rides (>1hr in the saddle). It will be uncomfortable at first, then you get used to it. If it remains a problem, you MAY need a different shape saddle, or bike adjustment.
Saddles designed so that your weight is primarily on your 'sit-bones'. If you have padding, your hard sit-bones sink in, and the pressure is then on your soft tissue. Not good.

bouicca21

 My cycling friends recommended these, and having bought some, so do I:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PXLGWL/planet-x--waterproof-crab-hand-winter-gloves

[Deleted User]

The other factor to consider if you're buying cycle lamps is whether you want ones that comply with the lighting regulations. The prospect of ever getting nicked for having non-compliant lights is negligible, but there's always the possibility that if an accident puts you in a wheelchair, the defence will be all over your bike looking for any opportunity they can find to get the damages reduced. The downside with buying approved lights is that it dramatically reduces your choice, which you may or may not welcome. Most manufacturers are not very interested in the market for approved lights, so their offerings tend to be rather inferior to the non-approved ones: expensive, poor battery life, poor light level etc.

In order to (legally) ride on the road at night, you need front and rear lamps which meet one of:
1) BS6102/3
2) Statutory Instrument 2559
3) An equivalent European specification

AIUI, there has never been a test case to decide which European specs are equivalent, and considering what's happening at the end of the month, it's probably irrelevant now anyway. SI2559 is only applicable to lamps that have no continuous mode, which are vanishingly rare, so for all practical purposes, if you want a compliant lamp, that just leaves one that meets BS6102/3, which the majority on the market don't.

fred246

I have a few front lights. Super bright, flashing. And I have a very dim one. The dim one is BS6102. I think I would rather be seen than use the British Standard one.

[Deleted User]

Chickereeeee said:

DUTR said:

Brian_Pamo said:

Forgot to say, Also a good seat padding thingy for the razor Bike seat.

Padding shouldn't be required for saddles if they are set correctly, oddly many purchase a bike too big, how long are you using the bike for? Discomfort within an hour suggest much adjustment is required.

New cyclists always seem to think that the bike manufacturer has designed a wonderful piece of equipment, and the deliberately put an uncomfortable saddle on it. Why would they do that? Because they hate you?
Use the bike a few times, say for half a dozen reasonable rides (>1hr in the saddle). It will be uncomfortable at first, then you get used to it. If it remains a problem, you MAY need a different shape saddle, or bike adjustment.
Saddles designed so that your weight is primarily on your 'sit-bones'. If you have padding, your hard sit-bones sink in, and the pressure is then on your soft tissue. Not good.

The saddle on the bike is a generic size, saddles are made with different widths for different sit bones, the off the shelf saddle might well be very uncomfortable for a new rider even after a dozen rides of 2 hours if the pressure is being put on the wrong place (particularly with female riders who get a unisex bike). Getting the sit bones measured and an appropriate width saddle organised (a female specific one with big cut away should also be considered) can make the world of difference to anyone making a serious hobby out of cycling. 
Further, padding is a major part of cycle gear, I am not sure why DUTR thinks you don't need it

[Deleted User]

fred246 said:

I have a few front lights. Super bright, flashing. And I have a very dim one. The dim one is BS6102. I think I would rather be seen than use the British Standard one.

My lights aren't British standard either, but for anyone who's worried, there's nothing stopping them using bright non-approved lamps and BS approved ones together if they're willing to pay for the extra batteries.

DUTR

Deleted_User said:

Chickereeeee said:

DUTR said:

Brian_Pamo said:

Forgot to say, Also a good seat padding thingy for the razor Bike seat.

Padding shouldn't be required for saddles if they are set correctly, oddly many purchase a bike too big, how long are you using the bike for? Discomfort within an hour suggest much adjustment is required.

New cyclists always seem to think that the bike manufacturer has designed a wonderful piece of equipment, and the deliberately put an uncomfortable saddle on it. Why would they do that? Because they hate you?
Use the bike a few times, say for half a dozen reasonable rides (>1hr in the saddle). It will be uncomfortable at first, then you get used to it. If it remains a problem, you MAY need a different shape saddle, or bike adjustment.
Saddles designed so that your weight is primarily on your 'sit-bones'. If you have padding, your hard sit-bones sink in, and the pressure is then on your soft tissue. Not good.

The saddle on the bike is a generic size, saddles are made with different widths for different sit bones, the off the shelf saddle might well be very uncomfortable for a new rider even after a dozen rides of 2 hours if the pressure is being put on the wrong place (particularly with female riders who get a unisex bike). Getting the sit bones measured and an appropriate width saddle organised (a female specific one with big cut away should also be considered) can make the world of difference to anyone making a serious hobby out of cycling. 
Further, padding is a major part of cycle gear, I am not sure why DUTR thinks you don't need it

I'm not sure why you think I think?
As another poster mentions why would a brand make a cycle with a poor saddle? (even at budget) , flinging some gel cover over a saddle will make little difference if the position is already way out for the rider.
I've just purchased a road bike, the saddle is not a fizik, and looks bony, however I've done a few 40 mile loops and have not faced any discomfort, my 30+ yr old Raleigh Criterium still has the original saddle on it , maybe I'm fortunate.