Light Recommendations (formerly Front Light For Dark Country) Road Commute

Greenman

blorg wrote: »

@Greenman- be careful with those batteries, they are unprotected. Basically this means you have to be very careful not to overcharge them or I believe undercharge them. Overcharging in particular is a fire risk (basically the same thing as happens with an "exploding laptop.") These ones have a protection circuit built in that prevents overcharging.

The batteries you mentioned are on their way. So in the usual pace of Deal Extreme I'll let you know when they arrive.

Thanks again, JD.:)

asharkman

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone could recommend Bicycle lights?
Did a quick google and couldn't really find any site doing proper reviews so hopefully some experts can help.
I currently have
HL-EL530 http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/345
and
TL-LD1100 http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/550
on my bike and they're pretty good.
But I'm getting a set of lights for my girlfriends bike now so can you recommend any.
Planning on spending 50e, 60e maybe even 70e if they're really good lights.
Basically just use them for cycling around Sandyford maybe a bit of country road cycling. No night time off road mountain biking or anything.
Cheers.

penexpers

There was really long thread here about this - look for Front Light for Dark Commute or something like that.

ednwireland

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055705708

i ahve the deal extreme 3 mode which is immense

droidus

The Planetbike Blaze range is I think, the best value for power LED available at the mo: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/headlights.html

blorg

If looking for Planet Bike, they are sold under the name "Smart" in Europe. I use their 1/2 watt rear light myself which is very good value. Much cheaper than the Cateye you have now. You can get better than the 2W front linked above going for a torch type but the 2W would be more than enough for any commute with streetlights.

blorg

The mount on my Magicshine has broken Only used a couple of times (wasn't out in the dark with the ice at all) and never off road. This is just the little rubber curved bit screwed on to the bottom, hopefully DX will be able to send me a replacement but I suspect it may be next winter before I get good use out of it!

72hundred

blorg wrote: »

The mount on my Magicshine has broken Only used a couple of times (wasn't out in the dark with the ice at all) and never off road. This is just the little rubber curved bit screwed on to the bottom, hopefully DX will be able to send me a replacement but I suspect it may be next winter before I get good use out of it!

Jebus that's shockingly disappointing. Any tips on making a kit less likely to break? I need my magic shine with the roads and weather these days in the dark.

AstraMonti

blorg wrote: »

The mount on my Magicshine has broken Only used a couple of times (wasn't out in the dark with the ice at all) and never off road. This is just the little rubber curved bit screwed on to the bottom, hopefully DX will be able to send me a replacement but I suspect it may be next winter before I get good use out of it!

I think you can get something similar-equivalent from a hardware store, rubber rings for isolation might work as well.

ROK ON

Just back from a spin up barnacull and three rock. Coming to rapid conclusion that Felix tk11 are a load of ****e.
When they work they are great but more often tha not my two lights just decide to turn themselves off.
Not a battery issue as I have tried many.

Btw on the way back I saw a mtb'er who had one of the rear light strips. Very impressed with it.


Does anyone else have fenix issues.

blorg

AstraMonti wrote: »

I think you can get something similar-equivalent from a hardware store, rubber rings for isolation might work as well.

Not sure if you are understanding correctly, this is the bit that broke- if you have any ideas for DIY fixes I would welcome them!

Home:Ballyhoura

blorg wrote: »

if you have any ideas for DIY fixes I would welcome them!

Superglue!!!

Haha, no seriously though, thats pretty sickening alright! I hope noting like that happens to mine, not that I have really got to use it that much at all. Like you, it will probably be next winter for that. Hopefully if you contact DealExtreme (if they actually get and read your message which I have heard is quite unlikely ) hopefully they will have a couple of spare parts available to send out to you. At least I hope they do...how many times, or hours have you used it for? Was it broken on bad roads while in use?

72hundred

ROK ON wrote: »

Just back from a spin up barnacull and three rock. Coming to rapid conclusion that Felix tk11 are a load of ****e.
When they work they are great but more often tha not my two lights just decide to turn themselves off.
Not a battery issue as I have tried many.

Btw on the way back I saw a mtb'er who had one of the rear light strips. Very impressed with it.


Does anyone else have fenix issues.

I think that's the first of heard of problems with the Fenix's. I've the TK11 (ver1) myself, and its been completely faultless. And I've dropped a few times and given it about 18 months of work ATM.

blorg wrote: »

Not sure if you are understanding correctly, this is the bit that broke- if you have any ideas for DIY fixes I would welcome them!

Trying supergluing it with cable ties as back-ups?


EDIT: Hahahahah. Great minds think alike. Although second time in a week I've been beaten to the post.. must getting old... sniff.

Lumen

72hundred wrote: »

I think that's the first of heard of problems with the Fenix's. I've the TK11 (ver1) myself, and its been completely faultless. And I've dropped a few times and given it about 18 months of work ATM.

My TK11 died.

AstraMonti

blorg wrote: »

Not sure if you are understanding correctly, this is the bit that broke- if you have any ideas for DIY fixes I would welcome them!

Ah sorry, I understood that the ring that holds it on the bars broke, not the actual mount. That's pretty bad, no ideas sorry.

Gavin

I suspect Lumen + ROK_ON could somehow break a ton of steel.

blorg

I have two TK11s and no problems ever, a lot of use. Thousands of km. Anyone who had a dead one tried warranty?

The Magicshine had VERY light use, literally just a couple of commutes, 6.5km on smooth suburban roads. Had never taken it out into the dark at all. I had been looking forward to giving it a go tonight on completely dark roads, haven't been out on them since the ice and when out on same last night was finding the TK11 on my bars lacking (I think the battery was just low.)

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

I have two TK11s and no problems ever, a lot of use. Thousands of km. Anyone who had a dead one tried warranty?

Called them (fexnitorch.co.uk), said they'd happily replace it. Haven't been bothered to send it in yet (have other lights).

Blowfish

ROK ON wrote: »

Just back from a spin up barnacull and three rock. Coming to rapid conclusion that Felix tk11 are a load of ****e.
When they work they are great but more often tha not my two lights just decide to turn themselves off.
Not a battery issue as I have tried many.

Btw on the way back I saw a mtb'er who had one of the rear light strips. Very impressed with it.


Does anyone else have fenix issues.

I had something similar in that it'd flicker off every so often, but it turned out it wasn't actually broken. Basically there are two 'unscrewable' bits on the Fenix, the one at the front for changing the battery and the one at the back. If the one at the back isn't screwed tightly, it'll flicker off.

blorg

Blowfish wrote: »

I had something similar in that it'd flicker off every so often, but it turned out it wasn't actually broken. Basically there are two 'unscrewable' bits on the Fenix, the one at the front for changing the battery and the one at the back. If the one at the back isn't screwed tightly, it'll flicker off.

Most people unscrew the back to take the battery out! At least I presume they do, certainly that is what I do.

cdaly_

blorg wrote: »

Not sure if you are understanding correctly, this is the bit that broke- if you have any ideas for DIY fixes I would welcome them!

Is that a screw mount to the bottom of the light in pic 2?

You could consider making a mould from the broken bit and creating a new one with something like epoxy / fibreglass resin?

Blowfish

blorg wrote: »

Most people unscrew the back to take the battery out! At least I presume they do, certainly that is what I do.

Actually if you read the manual thingy that came with it, it says to use the top one as it's been treated, but the bottom one hasn't.

blorg

Blowfish wrote: »

Actually if you read the manual thingy that came with it, it says to use the top one as it's been treated, but the bottom one hasn't.

I must confess I didn't read the manual, but looking at it now my one reads:

Battery Replacement
Unscrew the tailcap and insert new batteries with positive terminal toward LED assembly.

The manual actually specifically says not to constantly take the head off:

The threads for the tailcap have a hard-anodized coating, but the threads for the head do not ... If you need to change the batteries, you should do so through the tailcap

Are you sure you don't have it backwards?

Blowfish

blorg wrote: »

Are you sure you don't have it backwards?

Apparently so!

Greenman

Greenman wrote: »

Took the plunge with Deal Extreme so fingers crossed and we'll see what turns up.

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5448

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8274

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22577

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26249

$48 total outlay.:)

All my bits arrived and I have to say I'm blown over, all this stuff is really the business.

Thanks to blorg for this.

blorg wrote: »

@Greenman- be careful with those batteries, they are unprotected. Basically this means you have to be very careful not to overcharge them or I believe undercharge them. Overcharging in particular is a fire risk (basically the same thing as happens with an "exploding laptop.") These ones have a protection circuit built in that prevents overcharging. AFAIK the unprotected ones should only be used where the circuitry they are to be used with has seperate protection built in. That charger may well do (it says it turns off when done) but many prefer not to take the risk with stuff coming from DX. Keep an eye on them when charging anyway.

50% of my route is dark and this little beauty really lit things up.

Bottom line I'm delighted and I'll be back to Dealextreme:)

Happy cycling to all.

JD.

k_d

Well iv decided to actually start cycling the 17k into work, started yesturday morning, I need a light. I have a old BBB front light but it cant light **** all.

Anyone here wanna get rid of one, dont want to go mad spending as it will be bright enough to cycle without one soon.

anyone got anythinh they wanna get rid off....?

Greenman

Just wondering how everyone is getting on with their Dealextreme Cree lights?

I'm delighted I stumbled on this thread as my lighting setup has been greatly enhanced.

Thanks to all on this thread with tips etc.

72hundred

Mine's been working excellently. Turns cycling at night into an artificial daylight! Have a 30min commute twice daily. Two charges a week seems to be good to ensure a high beam always.

Home:Ballyhoura

Greenman wrote: »

Dealextreme Cree lights?

Do you mean the MagicShine? If so, I'm very happy with mine and just used it for the first time mountain biking at night and it performed as good as the other guys setups which cost hundreds of euro! Haha, bargain (just posted it here!)

Home:Ballyhoura

blorg wrote: »

I should be able to compare mine to someone else who has the other one, I will let you know

Any chance you happened to compare the 3 mode (2400mA output) against our 5 mode (1000mA) versions at any stage to see if there are any major differences besides the different modes and battery pouch style or if it is indeed a typo? (No worries if you didn't as I know the mount broke on you a while back. Any luck/news in getting that replaced or fixed?)

As I said a few days ago, I went night mountain biking with lads using lights worth a couple of hundred euro and I cannot see how you would want any brighter than my €55 light as it was just as good as them. When paired with the powerful spot of the Fenix mounted on the helmet it made for one very decent setup. Hard to complain for the price!