Best value for money lamp sets.

Run_to_da_hills

Any recommendations on good quality lights?

Value for money. I was told Cateye was very over rated.

Would spend e50 to e60.

Cheers.

Pigeon Reaper

I use some cheap bikehut ones which give good light but the contacts to the battery on the front light isn't the best meaning the light can go off over bumps. If this was fixed I'd recommend them for the money.

DirkVoodoo

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Any recommendations on good quality lights?

Value for money. I was told Cateye was very over rated.

Would spend e50 to e60.

Cheers.

I've never been impressed with cateye. How much do you want to see or be seen? If it's a basic "seen around town" setup, I use this and I think it's fine:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42465

Maybe add a second 1/2 Watt light on the rear:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42479

I think I actually have the polaris, not lunar, lightset, which comes with that polaris rear light. I really like it, the flashing mode is great for daytime conditions where you need to be seen (fog, snow, etc.)

CramCycle

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42465

Maybe add a second 1/2 Watt light on the rear:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42479

I think I actually have the polaris, not lunar, lightset, which comes with that polaris rear light. I really like it, the flashing mode is great for daytime conditions where you need to be seen (fog, snow, etc.)

I got the polaris ones for 12 euro but they have been discontinued, great lights for around town:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31337

The lunar ones look the same just slightly recoloured and with one or two backup kidney lights they're fine.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=14828

Still available in a few shops but not online

I have also used them for spins in the country as a back up light and they have saved me when better lights have failed.

doozerie

I've gone through a number of Cateye front lights in recent years and my opinion on them is mixed to say the least. Yes, some of them are bright, but some of the brighter ones are also heavy (due to taking 4x AA batteries). Being heavy isn't necessarily a problem of course, but combined with the fact that the bodies of the lights tend to be made of relatively brittle plastic it can shorten their lifespan. I've ended up retiring several otherwise working lights simply because the plastic where they connect to the bike bracket has cracked and broken over time, and the weight of some of them accelerates this premature wear and tear. This makes some of them very poor value for money even if they are great while they are usable. The rear lights should not be so problematic.

I've been very happy with Smart rear light (the 1/2 watt ones), as has my wife. I have the Smart Polaris 1/2 watt linked to by DirkVoodoo above, my wife has the Smart Lunar 1/2 watt version, both are identical other than shape. There are some 1 watt versions available too (here and here) though I'm not sure that they are really any better or more visible as the 1/2 watt ones are already very bright.

Another good rear light I've been impress by is the Blackburn Flea rechargeable. I have the one that you recharge from an AA battery, but there are USB versions available these days which may or may not suit better. A very bright light for its size but I'm not sure if it is quite as bright as my Smart one (pretty close though).

As a front light I currently use a Cateye EL530, which is biting the dust as described above (though it has lasted nearly 2 years at this stage). It's quite bright and works well on my mostly list commute. I have a Smart Polar (I think) front light too that isn't as bright so I rarely use it. I recently bought a couple of SSC P7's from DealExtreme and these are bright. They have a short runtime on full brightness though (1 hour, apparently, but I haven't tested them myself yet) and fitting them to the bike or a helmet is a bit fiddly, but they'd be hard to miss on either full or half- brightness and on full they are good for lighting the road ahead. Their lifespan is also a question mark though.

doozerie

Oh, and this Smart Polaris 7 LED rear light is also worth considering, especially given its low price. It is actually very bright but the big advantage it has over some other lights is that it is very visible from the sides too, providing 180-degree visibility. We have two of them on our child trailer, one on each side, and they work well. Still don't match the 1/2 watt ones for visibility from a distance though.

CramCycle

Found them: pry the best value you'll get IMO

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42475

If your using it for town use

Paul Kiernan

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I use this and I think it's fine:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42465

ProbikeKit currently have this on special at £28.

but even better, Amazon have next model up, the Lunar 25, for only £27:pac:.