Decent Front Light

[clarion]

Sudden light death is not a feature that would please me.

Sudden light death is only an issue if you run the light on it's lowest setting.
I mostly run mine on level two or, occasionally, three.
When it dies on either of these, there is always level one to revert to, and beyond that - flashing mode - albeit that might be of limited use on unlit country lanes.

This.  I mostly use level 2, which has seen me right for commuting and FNRs.

[Bledlow]

I have a Fenix BT10, which claims 350 lumens. I've not seen an independent measurement of that or most of the other Fenix bike lights, but the BT20 claims 750 & was measured at 770 in an independent test, so I think the Fenix numbers are more likely to correspond to reality than yer average Chinese light does.

I've used the BT10 on a late September overnight right (Reading-Lymington), running off a very old Vistalite NiMH battery pack rated at 2.1 amp hours. It lasted all the way to daylight*, much to my surprise. I was expecting to have to switch to the backup battery. It spent most of the night on medium (200 lumens), with short bursts on high & a little while on low.

Uses standard or rechargeable AAs. Given that it'll run off 4 x 1.5V, I thought it was worth trying it on 5 x 1.2V, & it's been very happy with it. But 2 x 3.7V is contraindicated, according to Fenix.

My experience with it makes me trust Fenix lights in general. Seems very well made, & it has the basics such as reverse polarity protection. Beam shape may not be up to German standards, but it's a bit more focused on where it's useful than the usual 'flood everything with light' style.  I'm content with it.


*Just! Dropped to low (lower than standard low?) & stayed there, which is what it does when the battery is low, as I was about to switch it off. The slow death is a useful feature, IMO. You get a 'get you home' light instead of sudden darkness.

[Much later]
I've seen an independent measurement of light output which reckons Fenix rounds it down for the BT10, as well as the BT20.

[andyoxon]

I also have a bunch of rechargeables and a BL1000, but these days tend to use the NiMhs for the garmin and other household stuff.  I know it's not AA or AAA, but I have:

1800lm CREE-XML-T6-LED for less than £8, and this £16 power pack (~100g) Anker 5600mAh

...which has level indicators, and lives in a waterproof tribag on frame, with short or long USB lead options.  As others have said, the power pack is rechargeable with standard wall plug & USB lead.  I think I could get 1.5hrs on full power (1800Lm), or a lot longer on the lower power setting.

I also have a standard non-USB LiION pack for the same type of light.

[Bledlow]

Neat. I have a USB power pack, but only use it as an emergency backup for satnav & phones on long rides. 7dayshop has been selling some very cheap lately.

Is there a significant downside to AA/AAA driven lights (when comparing similar outputs - I realise you can't get mega-lumens without a large non-AAA battery clamped in a bottle cage)?

Sure you need to buy batteries from time to time but I don't recall finding it a huge expense. Certainly not when compared to replacing the battery in my hyper expensive Exposure mega-light when they decayed over time.

AAs have the advantage of replaceability and ubiquity. All good garages, roadside shops and other outlets sell them so you're never going to end up in the dark. Besides, you can carry spares. Mains sockets and computer USB points are rarer on the road and harder to carry on the offchance that a quick re-charge is needed.

In the past I've run dynamo hubs - which I liked at the time. But have sort of come to the view that a SON dynohub is expensive overkill when a ten pound light and a couple of batteries does the same job. And for a hell of a lot cheaper even when amortised over years of use. And for a lot less weight.

You don't need a bloody great big battery filling a bottle cage for mega lumens. This is not the 20th century. A rather small Li-ion battery pack or something holding four Nimh AAs will do.

Yes, you can drive a piddling little to-be-seen-by light with non-rechargeable AAs (NRAAs) for a useful length of time. But if you want to ride in the countryside at night, a dim light like that is a pain. Anything of decent brightness costs so much in NRAAs that in the long run it's much cheaper to buy rechargeables & a charger, so even if you don't care about the pollution it makes sense.

If you want replaceability & ubiquity, go with Nimh AAs. You can usually buy pre-charged eneloop equivalents in garages & the like nowadays, & you can use NRAAs in an emergency. Something like my BT10 will run for over 5 hours on four bog-standard Nimh AAs at its medium (200 lumen) setting, or over 12 hours on low (80 lumens - damn bright by the standards of 20 years ago).

[contango]

You don't need a bloody great big battery filling a bottle cage for mega lumens. This is not the 20th century. A rather small Li-ion battery pack or something holding four Nimh AAs will do.

Yes, you can drive a piddling little to-be-seen-by light with non-rechargeable AAs (NRAAs) for a useful length of time. But if you want to ride in the countryside at night, a dim light like that is a pain. Anything of decent brightness costs so much in NRAAs that in the long run it's much cheaper to buy rechargeables & a charger, so even if you don't care about the pollution it makes sense.

If you want replaceability & ubiquity, go with Nimh AAs. You can usually buy pre-charged eneloop equivalents in garages & the like nowadays, & you can use NRAAs in an emergency. Something like my BT10 will run for over 5 hours on four bog-standard Nimh AAs at its medium (200 lumen) setting, or over 12 hours on low (80 lumens - damn bright by the standards of 20 years ago).

I decided it was time for a major light upgrade when I cycled home across town in the dark. Previously I'd had to remember to turn my lights on because there was enough ambient lighting (from streetlights) to see where I was going. But the time I cycled across a park in the dark and realised that the light that made me visible from 1/4 mile away was utterly useless at telling me which bit was the trail and which bit wasn't, was the time I decided I needed something meatier.

AA batteries have worked just fine for me. The Hope lights will empty batteries within a relatively short time (ETA: 3 hours, according to the leaflet) if you run them at maximum power but you don't need maximum power very often.

[Biggsy]

I haven't looked into the Premium version, but be warned that the B&M Ixon IQ has a hard cut-off to the top of the beam that not everyone likes, especially when handlebar mounted.

This is, of course, the *whole point* in B&M lights.  The idea is to put light on the road, rather than into the eyes of oncoming traffic, and it works extremely well at that.  It does work better at (26"/700c wheel) fork-crown height, aimed with the cutoff horizontal, achieving the same sort of effect as a car's dipped beam.  The issue with handlebar mounting is that you then need to point it down a bit to avoid dazzle, which puts the hard cut-off somewhere in the middle distance rather than disappearing at the horizon.

Agree that a minority of people find it objectionable, and that a symmetrical beam is often more desirable off-road.

When handlebar mounted, the IQ's beam is so slitty, and its cut off so sudden, that it stops light being put on part of the road that I want to see as well as drivers' eyes.  I suspect the beam shape was designed for low mounting with handlebar mounting being an afterthought, otherwise the beam could have been taller or spillier while still avoiding dazzalation.

[tatanab]

B&M Ixon IQ - I had the original version in use about 8 years ago.  Dim was fine in pitch black lanes with bright being used for exceptionally dark bends under trees for example.  I know some people had trouble with battery connections, but provided I left my batteries in place I had no trouble.  maybe the new version fixes this as well as changing the reflector.

Philips Saferide 80 - having used the Ixon for 2 or 3 winters I changed to this light.  I almost never use the bright beam, dim being enough for 20mph+ in pitch black lanes.  Very nice beam and a very nice shape.  I keep it twisted just a little to the left which also reduces the dazzle.

Note that the Ixon switches on in the condition you last used it whereas the Saferide switches on in the dim setting.

Having used the Saferide 80 for 2 or 3 winters I took to a dynamo and used the equivalent light a Saferide 60.  The beam is a little narrower and of course has only one setting.  Again, mine is set for fairly vigorous riding in the dark.  Elements of the light escaping upwards illuminate road signs from 100 yards or so.

The only place I have problems with these lights, due to the cutoff, is on a descent with a right hand bend at the bottom.  I cannot see enough of the way through to ride as in daylight, especially since I put a very slight left twist to the light.  I think a problem with modern cycle lights is that we are now getting a motorist syndrome where we want more power when less might be more appropriate.  Years ago (up to 1960s) lorry drivers drove through the night on sidelights because they could see more than using their weak headlights.  Of course there was not so much traffic coming the other way so it was not a problem.  Now motor lighting is more powerful and they cannot see beyond the beam and so want more and more.  Is the same happening with cycle lights?

[Kim]

When handlebar mounted, the IQ's beam is so slitty, and its cut off so sudden, that it stops light being put on part of the road that I want to see as well as drivers' eyes.  I suspect the beam shape was designed for low mounting with handlebar mounting being an afterthought, otherwise the beam could have been taller or spillier while still avoiding dazzalation.

Oh yeah, that's another gotcha.  The 60lux Cyo / Ixon IQ / IQ Fly beam isn't really tall enough.  It's about right for the fork crown of a small-wheeled bike or boom of a low recumbent.  The Cyo 'R' has different optics that fixed this, and the Luxos took that improvement and made it even wider (while adding more lumens).

[Biggsy]

Is there a significant downside to AA/AAA driven lights (when comparing similar outputs - I realise you can't get mega-lumens without a large non-AAA battery clamped in a bottle cage)?

You can have the same power in a lighter or smaller package with better chemistry or differently shaped batteries.  (Actually the chemistry can be same, but a number of small cylinders can be less space-efficient than alternatives).  This might or might not be significant, depending on taste.

[Tigerrr]

I just bought a hope headlight on Ribble - my last headlight died and I like the ability to put light exactly where I want it when out in the sticks dark. It is very helpful to have a headlight to vary the hallucination effect of riding in a tunnel that seems to set in.

[Hot Flatus]

http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=161258429005

The new Fenix BTR20

This seller will accept offers of $110.

[Karla]

It's a good light but for commuting, the separate battery pack is a faff unless the light is staying permanently attached to the bike.  I'd be more tempted by the similarly-priced integrated Fenix headlight that Charlotte posted.

[andrew_s]

I'm rather tempted by a Fenix BC30.  Yes, it's 18650 batteries, but the run times at 200 and 500 lumens are so bloocy good....

I'm tempted - an instant (real) 1800 lumens at the press of a convenient remote switch is just what is needed for frying the eyeballs of those XML-T6 owners who can't be bothered to aim their lights down properly.

[sojournermike]

Unless I go the whole hog and get some Lumicycle kit for commuting, I'm rather tempted by a Fenix BC30.  Yes, it's 18650 batteries, but the run times at 200 and 500 lumens are so bloody good you'll not need to charge it at work unless you're doing a brevet on the way home.  It's £84.95 plus whatever you spend on batteries and a charger:



http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/Shop/Fenix-Torches/Bike-Lights/12919-Fenix-BC30-Bike-Light.html

Wish you hadn't posted that Charlotte. Looks just the thing for my new mountain bike... particularly given that winter's coming.

[Charlotte]

Soz 

[Cudzoziemiec]

I haven't looked into the Premium version, but be warned that the B&M Ixon IQ has a hard cut-off to the top of the beam that not everyone likes, especially when handlebar mounted.

This is, of course, the *whole point* in B&M lights.  The idea is to put light on the road, rather than into the eyes of oncoming traffic, and it works extremely well at that.  It does work better at (26"/700c wheel) fork-crown height, aimed with the cutoff horizontal, achieving the same sort of effect as a car's dipped beam.  The issue with handlebar mounting is that you then need to point it down a bit to avoid dazzle, which puts the hard cut-off somewhere in the middle distance rather than disappearing at the horizon.

Agree that a minority of people find it objectionable, and that a symmetrical beam is often more desirable off-road.

When handlebar mounted, the IQ's beam is so slitty, and its cut off so sudden, that it stops light being put on part of the road that I want to see as well as drivers' eyes.  I suspect the beam shape was designed for low mounting with handlebar mounting being an afterthought, otherwise the beam could have been taller or spillier while still avoiding dazzalation.

I haven't used a B&M light myself, but it sounds - and looks from the beam photos on their website and around - that the problem is not the existence of the cut off but its sharpness. It might be better to have a fuzzy cut off, with a little light allowed to be thrown above the horizontal, both for allowing you to see beyond the beam and for illuminating overhanging branches (no, you don't have to be off-road for these to be a problem!)

[Riggers]

My Lezyne XL Power Drive is currently attached to m'computer, being reenergised. Very good front light, having 3 main constant settings and a 'blinky' one. One thing I should do (and don't!!) is to remember to take the battery out if I'm not using it for any length of time, as I'm convinced this drains the battery when in 'passive' mode I guess. Could be wrong, but it is annoying.

[Cudzoziemiec]

To answer the OP's question - another recommendation for the Hope Vision 1. Decent run time on AAs, bright and reasonably wide beam, and most certainly impact resistant; the body is metal and I've dropped mine a couple of times onto stone or concrete floors with no damage whatsoever.

[Bledlow]

... I think a problem with modern cycle lights is that we are now getting a motorist syndrome where we want more power when less might be more appropriate.  Years ago (up to 1960s) lorry drivers drove through the night on sidelights because they could see more than using their weak headlights.  Of course there was not so much traffic coming the other way so it was not a problem.  Now motor lighting is more powerful and they cannot see beyond the beam and so want more and more.  Is the same happening with cycle lights?

I think so.

[andyoxon]

... I think a problem with modern cycle lights is that we are now getting a motorist syndrome where we want more power when less might be more appropriate.  Years ago (up to 1960s) lorry drivers drove through the night on sidelights because they could see more than using their weak headlights.  Of course there was not so much traffic coming the other way so it was not a problem.  Now motor lighting is more powerful and they cannot see beyond the beam and so want more and more.  Is the same happening with cycle lights?

I think so.

Around town at night I use a modest Smart front light - AA battery on flashing.  Though my commuting to work by bike, on unlit roads, drops off in the 'dark' months, perhaps increased use of more powerful Cree LED lights is partly due to their availability now - of which low cost is a function, the state of the roads - some broken up pothole fests, and as mentioned, a general increase in headlamp power.  From my limited night riding the ability to switch from lower power mode, to 'facemelta'' (angled down of course!) is particularly useful when descending, to pick out the road ahead. 'YMMV'.

[Hot Flatus]

It's a good light but for commuting, the separate battery pack is a faff unless the light is staying permanently attached to the bike.  I'd be more tempted by the similarly-priced integrated Fenix headlight that Charlotte posted.

Is 30 seconds a faff? One bit of Velcro?

[Riggers]

My Lezyne XL has finally charged up. It's only taken about 7 hours!

[Hot Flatus]

Will charge quicker in a dedicated charger, obviously.

[Tigerrr]

... I think a problem with modern cycle lights is that we are now getting a motorist syndrome where we want more power when less might be more appropriate.  Years ago (up to 1960s) lorry drivers drove through the night on sidelights because they could see more than using their weak headlights.  Of course there was not so much traffic coming the other way so it was not a problem.  Now motor lighting is more powerful and they cannot see beyond the beam and so want more and more.  Is the same happening with cycle lights?

I think so.

Well I think the death toll on the roads back in those days was fairly dramatic - with lorry drivers blasting on sidelights with ineffective main lights. IO wait to be corrected but I suspect night driving and riding back in the past was proportinately massively more dangerous than it is today with modern lights. I recall my dad saying that riding across London in 1950s was a gamble with death every time he went out on a call. He couldn't see the road ahead properly and was pretty much invisible anyway with his tiny rear bulb.

[Riggers]

Will charge quicker in a dedicated charger, obviously.

Does a certain device exist?