Are USB-rechargable lights any use ?

DaveyDave · 30-12-2021 5:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118391370#Comment_118391370

I wasn't sure if you'd get a decent enough light for €30, specifically with unlit roads in mind, sure enough Mantel have a 400 lumen Lezyne Mini Drive for €28. Obviously shipping on top of that and 400 lumens is just about enough for unlit roads, but you'd get an hour battery on full blast. Not bad.

mh_cork · 30-12-2021 5:24pm

Slightly bemused by this post, if USB lights were of no use then they would not be a market for them.

I've used USB lights for commuting and for overnight rides. A few tips I'd give are:

(a) Get a powerful light and run it at 20%-50%. For example, I have a Halfords 1000 lumen light, but I never run it at max. At a lower setting, I'll get 8-10 hours (night-time country riding), or 24+ hours of flashing (commuting)

(b) Find one with that tells you what time you have left in the current mode instead of some type of colour indicator. The last thing you want to do on a night ride is to try to remember if flashing red means 1 hour or 10 minutes.

(c) Dont pay too much attention to stated run-times. Cold weather can reduce run-times.

(d) Regardless of whether you use USB or battery lights, have a small backup light. I use one good light, but also have a second light that will last 1-2 hours (e.g. Aldi light). If first light fails, then I just switch to the backup to get me home. If commuting, I'll use this light once a week and recharge it along with the main light.

I have the 1000 lumen version of the light below. I run it at a lower setting (200 lumens?) on overnight rides on the flat and uphill, switching to a more powerful mode on descents. Whatever mode I pick, it tells me roughly whats left in the battery in hours - no trying to remember what a flashing red icon means and if I can get home on it.

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-lights/halfords-advanced-1600-lumen-front-bike-light-253334.html

tomasrojo · 30-12-2021 8:43pm

Don't think anyone said USB lights were useless. They're less convenient for me personally, in ways I've already outlined.

(EDIT: I see now the question about being of use is in the thread title. Yes, USB lights are definitely useful.)

tomasrojo · 30-12-2021 8:43pm

I could live with a USB headlight, and might yet have to, as decent-ish focused AA headlights seem to becoming rarer all the time.

TaurenDruid · 30-12-2021 11:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118391801#Comment_118391801

Ah Halfords. Had a look at that light. €72. Or you could buy a bundle - that light and a rear light, for €72! Click on that... nah, not available. But if you're looking at this bundle, have you considered this front light, for €72? 😁

Large bottle small glass · 30-12-2021 11:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118392785#Comment_118392785

https://www.rosebikes.ie/b-m-ixon-iq-premium-led-light-kit-80-lux--703614?product_shape=standard&article_size=Standard

I've found that very good for last 2 or 3 years, use regularly on fairly challenging country lanes, and have used for 3-4hr spins in the dark.

€51 without charger and batteries, but worth it for the charge and batteries; you can just leave them in the light.

Hard to find much under that price bracket

tomasrojo · 31-12-2021 1:25am

Thanks LBSG. That is very good. Better than I need (not many ex-urban cycles; darkest places mostly parkland). When my current one packs in, I'd consider that one alright!

osiri · 31-12-2021 8:11am

I've got knog , lezyne, cateye and some other less well known rechargeable lights and they all go from 100% to 0% which is not ideal. However they are all much more powerful than most lights I've used which run on disposable batteries. Also the disposable battery lights can still be 'working' for years without changing the battery but the light output can be very poor as the battery runs low.

The low battery indicator on the rechargeable lights is generally ok and I might get a few trips before charging, but if I'm using them daily I just get in to the habit of recharging daily. Also ideally I use a second set as back up. There is huge variation in battery life depending on power setting though.

The rechargeable lights are usally smaller and lighter and easier to throw in the pocket.

Edit: dynamo light for the win

CramCycle · 02-01-2022 2:34pm

Aldi rechargable light has lasted me almost 5 years of daily use through the winter, more than enough light for my commute and a low battery light comes on when there is only a short time left. Lezyne failed within a week, oddly enough, the exact one that Aldi ripped off, all due to water ingress. Last was my Cateye Volt, fantastic light, better beam shape than the Aldi one but the bracket failed but it still works and stays in my bag as a back up. It is older than the Aldi one. The convenience of them is just fantastic, I will never go back to AA or AAA battery lights.

smacl · 02-01-2022 6:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118393853#Comment_118393853

I've been using one of these for a few years now and find it excellent. On a longer spin I carry spare batteries, though haven't actually needed them as yet. I picked up the next model down for my daughter, also a good light and uses a USB type charger which is handy for her. Same handlebar mount so we can swap if needed.

harringtonp · 04-01-2022 9:36pm

Have noticed the Aldi rechargeable lights go out suddenly. Hasn't bothered me as I have 2 rear and 2 front though only one is on at a time. Either of the front is sufficient on its own.

The Aldi lights are also sufficiently cheap that I'm not concerned about charging cycles

harringtonp · 04-01-2022 10:10pm

Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 21.00.33.png

Actually the rechargeable Exposure Maxx shown in the attached image and bought in 2009 is still going strong and fades gracefully. There are 3 different brightness levels and it switches to lower levels once the battery goes low.

Back in the day this was the Rolls Royce of lights. Expensive and heavy compared to what you get thesedays. The tech and price has come on a mile since. Bought it for night time mountain biking, did a thing back then called the Ballyhoura Spook with it.

G1032 · 06-01-2022 5:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118377504#Comment_118377504

Interesting. Have a Cateye Volt 400 that has never let me down but by I miss placed it a couple or 3 years ago. Ended up buying a Cateye replacement off this forum. That one also leaked in the rain and the front used to fill up with tiny drops of moisture. After a day or two in the hotpress it'd dry out. After a few times of this happening I wrapped gorilla tape around it, something like you've done there and that helped a lot. V poor design.

Gerry · 08-01-2022 9:55am

I've a lezyne microdrive, bought as a recommendation from a work colleague. I think its 1000 lumens but as above I don't run it at full power. its a great light, has given no bother in 1.5 years. It was around 60 or 70 euro at the time but I think it has paid off.

I have some ebay lights I bought for mountain biking which need to be revived with new battery packs. The lights themselves were of good build quality to be fair.

This thread has been interesting as it has confirmed my suspicions of cateye being basically overpriced.

tomasrojo · 08-01-2022 12:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437817#Comment_118437817

All the same, my GVolt 20 cost €20ish and, for the way I need and use a headlight, is the best headlight I've had. (I also have vendor lock-in though to some extent; I have their (very good) mount on all three of my bikes, and I dislike strap-based alternatives.)

Gerry · 08-01-2022 7:33pm

Sure, and if it works for you that's what matters. just relating my experience which is that cateye generally cost a lot more than 20 euro back when there were fewer brands on the market. They've probably had to up their game.

Are USB-rechargable lights any use ?

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