Need bright, bright lights for commute

D13exile

Hi all,

My commute to work is from Clane to Trim (40kms) on a decent road. However there's no lighting and the road is very very busy. I usually gave up cycling to work when the clock went back but my car is getting old and I want to give it a rest so it'll do me another few years! So I need good lights for a cross country commute where the roads are pitch black and drivers don't give you an inch even when the daylight is good. As I'll be cycling to work circa 6.20am and home circa 7pm, I need to see where I'm going as well being seen by drivers.

Any recommendations for good bright lights that'll have a run time of at least 80minutes which is the longest it would take me to get home.. Thanks

Weepsie

If you have the budget, dynamo hub front wheel and something like the mid to upper range B+M lights.

Underpinner

Recommended

https://seesense.cc/collections/shop/products/see-sense-icon-front-and-rear-set-1

ted1

I’d slso recommend a hub dynamo. I’ve a 60km round trip commute and never have to worry about charging and also have very strong lights. Best purchase bike ride that I ever made

bikedude

Exposure Lights are good and have a self contained battery. The Diablo for example can be fittet in the helmet or handlebars. 1400 lumens will light up the road and make you visible.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-diablo-mk9-tap/

Exposure Link mounted on the helmet is great for commuting in town and makes you very visible. It’s handy that have the white and red light in the same unit.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-link-front-rear-combo-light-with-daybright/

Magicshine lights are a budget friendly option, but you have an external batery
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=113995

Any light upwards 1000 lumens will be good to light up to road in front of you. Helmet lights will help to make you more visible to motorists as the lights are not mixed with the normal car lights.

You would still need to invest in a good rear light, see sence is a very good option.

D13exile

Many thanks to all for the recommendations. I'll do some research based on this and order the lights tonight so I can start cycling to work again. Need a hi vis jacket too as my "go to" jacket is ninja black, ie Galabier Mistral. It's a brilliant jacket but I'd be near invisible in it at night.

KFed

D13exile wrote: »

Many thanks to all for the recommendations. I'll do some research based on this and order the lights tonight so I can start cycling to work again. Need a hi vis jacket too as my "go to" jacket is ninja black, ie Galabier Mistral. It's a brilliant jacket but I'd be near invisible in it at night.

Do you have a backpack on while cycling? I have a proviz reflect 360backpack cover which reflects light from car headlights. Might mean you dont need a new jacket, it just clips onto the jacket and works well as a complement to other lights youll have...

Can never be bright and lit up enough for some road users...

tomasrojo

Good long thread about lights for country roads:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055705708

(More about front lights maybe)

If you like your current jacket but want yellow in the mix and extra reflective surfaces, you could wear a Sam Browne over your old jacket. The angular, thick yellow stripes over a black background is quite eye-catching.

Wishbone Ash

bikedude wrote: »

Exposure Lights are good and have a self contained battery. The Diablo for example can be fittet in the helmet or handlebars. 1400 lumens will light up the road and make you visible.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-diablo-mk9-tap/....

I'm open to correction but I think that light is intended for off road riding. It would dazzle on coming motorists.

Lumen

You don't need to go crazy on rear lights. Get two USB chargeable ones, set one to flash and the other on steady.

For front lights the beam pattern (optics) is extremely important. You need light in the right place (on the road), and if you get it wrong you'll be wasting illumination and blinding oncoming traffic.

bikedude

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'm open to correction but I think that light is intended for off road riding. It would dazzle on coming motorists.

It all depends on the user, if you point down to the road it will be ok to use on the road. I would use it in the handlebars not in the helmet on the road.

Kaisr Sose

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'm open to correction but I think that light is intended for off road riding. It would dazzle on coming motorists.

Agree with this.

OP, I would not recommend any light that will dazzle oncoming motorists. I regularally encounter cyclists coming out of forests with lights that dazzle me (whether cycling or driving). It’s not fun! Choose your light carefully. It’s possible to buy a light that is not safe designe to use on the road.

Lumen

bikedude wrote: »

It all depends on the user, if you point down to the road it will be ok to use on the road. I would use it in the handlebars not in the helmet on the road.

If it's pointing down then it won't be working very well because it will be over illuminating the spot near the wheel and under illuminating the section 20m or so up the road.

After years of using properly designed cutoff road lights I've recently gone back to round ones on my backup bike and they're total crap by comparison.

Alanstrainor

Can anyone post a link to actual lights that wont dazzle drivers and will be good enough for dark/unlit roads... Not much point discussing good and bad optics without examples.

I use one of these for my unlit commute:

https://www.candb-seen.co.uk/category-cycling.html

I have it aimed below horizontal and slightly off to the left so I don't believe I dazzle others. It's nicely made, gives off good light and they are reasonably priced.

ford2600

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Can anyone post a link to actual lights that wont dazzle drivers and will be good enough for dark/unlit roads... Not much point discussing good and bad optics without examples.

I use one of these for my unlit commute:

https://www.candb-seen.co.uk/category-cycling.html

I have it aimed below horizontal and slightly off to the left so I don't believe I dazzle others. It's nicely made, gives off good light and they are reasonably priced.

https://www.rosebikes.com/products/bike-parts/bike-lights/battery-powered/headlights/?order=dprice#anchor_products

Any of the better b&m/trelock lights of Philips if you can find them

Kaisr Sose

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Can anyone post a link to actual lights that wont dazzle drivers and will be good enough for dark/unlit roads... Not much point discussing good and bad optics without examples.

One example has already been given (B&M high end dynamo)

For others, I would refer posters to Rose/ Bike24/Bike Components/ Bike Discount in Germany as a good reference source. Any light that does not conform to German rules for Road lights have to be identified. Those which are of road only are also marked/flagged. If a light is banned for road use in Germany, I would not buy it.

That rules them out as effective road lights. There are too many lights sold by all manner of retailers here that are not suitable for road use. I would include any front light that strobes. Do you really want an on coming driver to have an epeletic type episode in front of you...? In my experience, it seems many cyclists do...

gozunda

Aside from lights - I recommend light reflective gortex trousers / jacket - means you are visible in the darkest conditions plus breathable and waterproof ...

Something along the lines of

http://product-reviews.trekandrun.com/2014/12/04/gore-bikewear-element-gore-tex-active-jacket/

I have cycled some of the deepest darkest roads in the country in similar and survived ...

Wishbone Ash

bikedude wrote: »

It all depends on the user, if you point down to the road it will be ok to use on the road. I would use it in the handlebars not in the helmet on the road.

Kinda pointless buying a 1400 lumen light and have to point it downwards. Why not get a 400 lumen light instead?

Wishbone Ash

gozunda wrote: »

...I have cycled some of the deepest darkest roads in the country in similar and survived ...

It's not difficult to be visible on a dark unlit road - a weak light will stand out. It's much more difficult to be visible in a well lit urban environment where there are many other light sources.

bikedude

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Kinda pointless buying a 1400 lumen light and have to point it downwards. Why not get a 400 lumen light instead?

Depending on what you want a 400 lumen can be as effective as a 1400. The person buying can make the decision.

bikedude

Lumen wrote: »

If it's pointing down then it won't be working very well because it will be over illuminating the spot near the wheel and under illuminating the section 20m or so up the road.

After years of using properly designed cutoff road lights I've recently gone back to round ones on my backup bike and they're total crap by comparison.

Would be great to see the ones you using, do you have any links?

I commute mostly in the city, with a Exposure Link on the helmet and two small Cateye loop on the bike.

gozunda

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's not difficult to be visible on a dark unlit road - a weak light will stand out. It's much more difficult to be visible in a well lit urban environment where there are many other light sources.

Somewhat negative there - ?

Not too sure why the confusion. OP detailed dark roads in adverse conditions

'D13exile" wrote:

However there's no lighting and the road is very very busy.

whether urban or otherwise ie driving rain etc - a light may not stand out. That is my experience. A good reflective gortex will add extra visability - in addition to any lighting source -

Kaisr Sose

bikedude wrote: »

Depending on what you want a 400 lumen can be as effective as a 1400. The person buying can make the decision.

Some lights are not for the road. If you have to point any light down to avoid dazzling motorists, is that not confirming it’s not fit for road use?
Or are you saying the person that buys a strong lamp will determine if it’s suitable for road use?

bikedude

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Some lights are not for the road. If you have to point any light down to avoid dazzling motorists, is that not confirming it’s not fit for road use?
Or are you saying the person that buys a strong lamp will determine if it’s suitable for road use?

A 400 lumen can be as dazzling as a 1400 lumen if not used properly. There is always the option to lower the output depending on the situation. So yeah the person behind the light will make it suitable or not for road use, depending on how they use it.

magicbastarder

gozunda wrote: »

whether urban or otherwise ie driving rain etc - a light may not stand out. That is my experience. A good reflective gortex will add extra visability - in addition to any lighting source -

please leave this debate for the hi-vis megathread; it has the potential to derail the request for light recommendations.

gozunda

magicbastarder wrote: »

please leave this debate for the hi-vis megathread; it has the potential to derail the request for light recommendations.

Ok - though poster was looking to suggestions for dark roads plus is to "being seen" - not incompatible afaik ....

D13exile wrote: »

Hi all,

My commute to work is from Clane to Trim (40kms) on a decent road. However there's no lighting and the road is very very busy. ... So I need good lights for a cross country commute where the roads are pitch black and drivers don't give you an inch even when the daylight is good. As I'll be cycling to work circa 6.20am and home circa 7pm, I need to see where I'm going as well being seen by drivers.

Cheers

Lumen

My good light is a B&M Luxos U with a cheap Shimano dyno hub. I don't use the USB charger often, if I was buying again I'd get an IQ-X.

Macy0161

I used to be ambivalent about the cheap CREE lights, but met a salmon in the cycle lane on the commute home on Friday (whilst still in the urban environment), and got pretty dazzled to be honest which was even less fun on the bike than it would be in the car, so I don't think I'll be going that option again. Well I might, but only for small money and not without testing it first - I do have a chinese cree headlight that allows me to focus the beam.