Mountain bike/ road bike lights set up

[Davidh]

Dark nights are comming soon. Lets talk about serious front light set ups for the bicycle.

What are you using?

....dedicated bike lights, torches, homemade stuff and maybe we need to talk battery packs too.

[Andy]

Home made job

It's a 20w MR16 bulb (philips masterline which claims to have the output of a 50w normal bulb) and then driven at 14.8v rather then 12v (lithium pack) for around 1,000 lumens

[Stew]

Headtorch, when I can find it!

[651bobby]

I use an LD20 with the handle bar clamp. Low mode for city, high mode of offroad, track, trail, dark country roads.

Works well, perhaps not enough flood for city use, but it works.

[rapidboy]

something fit to melt the dog walkers would be good

[dogman]

I used to commute cross country, so needed a decent beam, i just used a standard dynamo, with led support(for when i stopped) and 4 led's on the back.

Rob

[Andy]

something fit to melt the dog walkers would be good
Mine wont melt them but you get noticed.

I have a spare battery (had to buy in pairs) so if anyone wants to build something similar let me know

[Knife-Man]

Two modified tesco's torched at the front on it's own battery pack + frount and rear LED's with battery pack recharged from dynohub.

I can also run the tesco's lights off the dynohub but it's a little dimmer.

+ spare set of frount +rear LED's in case of catastrophic system failure.

+ I have justrecently converted the holder that came with the dynohub to 1W LED so may be utilising that at some point

and Im working on a 3 x 1W LED light


Overkill perhaps .. but I like tinkering

[rapidboy]

pics ?

[Davidh]

...

[Davidh]

Mine wont melt them but you get noticed.

I have a spare battery (had to buy in pairs) so if anyone wants to build something similar let me know

Andy, what battery are we talking about to run the 20W MR16 and how is the runtime and what charger.

Thanks

Yes, the Tesco 3w , I have one fitted, perfect for snooping about places that are street lit but it's no good in blackout situations.

[Potatohead]

Onroad - My Zebralight H50 on front with a red Cateye led on the rear.

2 x SF6p's with Malkoff m60's Strapped to My bike helmet (cable ties) for offroad boogie. 1 with a flip down diffuser for wide angle when needed. (a Malkoff MC-E drop-in would be better at blazing the night but can't seem get one now )
Have learnt from experience that for offroad night riding it's better to have the Light pointing where you are looking rather than where your bars are pointed.
No need for battery packs when the M60's get 1 1/2 + hours out of a set of 123's. Super lightweight option even carrying spare 123's and pleny of welly for offroad hammering (oh for an MC-E.)

[Essexman]

Two modified tesco's torched at the front on it's own battery pack + frount and rear LED's with battery pack recharged from dynohub.

I can also run the tesco's lights off the dynohub but it's a little dimmer.

+ spare set of frount +rear LED's in case of catastrophic system failure.

+ I have justrecently converted the holder that came with the dynohub to 1W LED so may be utilising that at some point

and Im working on a 3 x 1W LED light


Overkill perhaps .. but I like tinkering

Oooo what mods have you done to the tesco lights? Which lights were they 2AA, 2C,2D?

I've just modded a 2C Tesao torch with a 3*Cree XPG+ optic, now I'm thinking about another for the bike.

[Knife-Man]

Yes, the Tesco 3w , I have one fitted, perfect for snooping about places that are street lit but it's no good in blackout situations.

I beg to differ .... more then enough light unless you doing D/H.

[Knife-Man]

Oooo what mods have you done to the tesco lights? Which lights were they 2AA, 2C,2D?

I've just modded a 2C Tesao torch with a 3*Cree XPG+ optic, now I'm thinking about another for the bike.

There is a thread about it around somewhere will see if I can dig it up.

Found it.

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?78684-My-new-bike-light&highlight=bike+lights

[pastymuncher]

Simple but effective for road use.
Led lenser for use when there is no street lighting.
Around town I use the flashing cycle lamp.
http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt33/buick1d/DSCF1317a.jpg
http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt33/buick1d/DSCF1318a.jpg

[rapidboy]

Just had a wee run, 6 miles along an unlit cycle path, good moon but no way you could even walk it without a light.
I had a ZebraLight H60
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/DSC02773.jpg

and this (no sniggering at the back)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/DSC04250.jpg

With just the Zebralight i could mange about 10 miles an hour , it has plenty of spill but no throw.
The Ultrafire WF-1000L (well WF-1000L body with an WF-1200L pill) was only lashed on to give me an idea of what it could do, i was getting some glare from the cables and front wheel because of the mounting position but set about 25 yards ahead i had a nice beam with just enough spill for me to be quite happy shifting at 15 miles an hour.
I attempted some beam shots but my phone was having none of it :rolleyes:
A proper mount would make a job of it.


Has anybody tried one of these ?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

[andyross]

I was thinking about one of these for myself, good reports on sites.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30864

Cheers Andy

[Andy]

Andy, what battery are we talking about to run the 20W MR16 and how is the runtime and what charger.

Thanks

Yes, the Tesco 3w , I have one fitted, perfect for snooping about places that are street lit but it's no good in blackout situations.

Hi,

It's a 14.8v lipo pack that claims to be 4000mah, I've only ever used it for a little over an hour. I charge it using a RC model charger that I use for this, my airsoft packs and can do my motorbike if needed.

[spankone]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/spankone/P1100516.jpg

thats a surefire 6p which has now been sold I now use a solarforce l2 with a cree xp-g drop in I've got 3 l2's... one on the bars running a dual xpg dropin lasts about an hour on high but it's floody and bright (500lm) and a singal cree xp-g in the head mounted one. the 3rd is spare just incase

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/spankone/P1100720.jpg

[Essexman]

There is a thread about it around somewhere will see if I can dig it up.

Found it.

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?78684-My-new-bike-light&highlight=bike+lights

I'm getting old, I even posted in that thread!

There was a thread over at CPF where a chap replaced the XRE LED in the 2C Tesco torch with a 4 die Cree MCE LED, added a driver and run it off a batt pack. He kept the std optics and it worked well.

I've just been in the biggest tesco's I've ever seen, no more of those torches, I don't think they sell them any more.

[Knife-Man]

you can still find a few here and there.

I don't think they sold all that well TBH .. tesco's own fault .. they put a £9 LED torch on display next to several <£3 LED torches , several even cheaper incandescent torches and next to the super power torches. and of course in-store they all look about the same brightness The ones you could test anyway

So only jamies really bought them.

IMO anyway. and as a result quite a few store still have a few in stock. keep thinking about buying a "spare" as such a good deal isn't likely to come up again any time soon.

[mrcharly]

I've been running a fenix E20 on my road bike (mostly used for commuting on busy roads). The adjustable focus is very useful - narrow beam for the main roads, then flood for the country lanes.

Just picked up a Saik torch for £5 - not tried it on the bike yet - 3 aaa batteries, I reckon it gives full power for about 2.5hrs with 850mAh batteries, so is running at about 1.25W. Tried it in dark room against a colleague's E20 and I'd say the light beam is similar intensity to the E20 on narrow beam.

Saik torch in ebay (http://tinyurl.com/35odxxp)

[imagedude]

Lumicycle halide system with twin tungsten backup.

[rapidboy]

That looks like a tidy bit of kit, good job is it ?

[numbersix]

On my Trek (although It's been a while due to work) i have a Ultrafire WF1000L for distance and 2 MR16 250 lumen LED bulbs in plumbing fittings for all round the bike throw to avoid the stuff on the floor. On the rear I have a Blackburn Mars 3.0 which does the job fine.
I ride with a guy with twin 50w Philips Masterline and far too many li-po batteries to power them! He gets the longer throw and I get the longer run time. It works for us.

[ubermeister]

BLT Firewire (http://www.blt-lights.com/product/headlights/firewire/) for me. I think it gets to the point of having 'too much' light. It makes night riding too easy. Going up in the Peaks for a night ride tomorrow, and will be using just these and a Petzl on the helmet.

[Knife-Man]

BLT Firewire (http://www.blt-lights.com/product/headlights/firewire/) for me. I think it gets to the point of having 'too much' light. It makes night riding too easy. Going up in the Peaks for a night ride tomorrow, and will be using just these and a Petzl on the helmet.


Exactly!! Whats the points in going out night riding .. if you carrying the equivalent of a small sun with you ?

Is it not easier cheaper and lighter to just go out while the light is free?

[rapidboy]

Is it not easier cheaper and lighter to just go out while the light is free?

and not buy stuff ? :S

[Knife-Man]

and not buy stuff ? :S

spend the money you would have payed for light's on OTHER stuff.

OR still buy the lights but use them while the battery is half dead. :lol:

[ubermeister]

and not buy stuff ? :S

Yeah, but just not stupid-massive bike lights.

[rapidboy]

Yeah, but just not stupid-massive bike lights.

But you need stupid-massive bike lights to blind the glue sniffers that appear on the cycle tracks after dark.

[Knife-Man]

But you need stupid-massive bike lights to blind the glue sniffers that appear on the cycle tracks after dark.

I have suspension for those :]:] :lol:

[rapidboy]

:lol:

[Ken_Lau]

Oooh can I show off my cheapskate DIY lights - I used a salt shaker, some SS tube from those cheap solar garden lights and Ikea curtain pole accessories - along with some decent 5W luxeon LEDs, heatsinks and controllers. The large one runs great off a 14.4V nimh battery stuck in a large water bottle converted for the job. And the small lights run off AAs. All work great. Never been out when it's chucking it down so dont know how water proof it all is. But it was immense fun to make.

Here there are...

http://www.yungama.co.uk/light_pots.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/light_bits.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/3_on.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/L001.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/L004.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/L009.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/L012.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/twin5W_detail.jpg

http://www.yungama.co.uk/twin5W.jpg

[Knife-Man]

those are the same bar clamps Im using .... do you find you have to use a load of padding to make them fit?

[Ken_Lau]

No, I have oversized bars - (31.8mm diam if I remember correctly). But I'm sure they fit my sons bike though and he has regular bars.

[Davidh]

The bike lights are sorted.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.hull35/Misc./IMG_1334.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.hull35/Misc./IMG_1345.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.hull35/Misc./IMG_1346.jpg

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13977

Have a google for this light, there are plenty of reviews. There is a brighter version with much less runtime...I don't need it and I can't think how anyone else would for this application.
I am already committed to AA batteries with other stuff so I tried hard to come up with something that was also AA powered.

This has worked out well. No wires, packs, velcro, cable ties....and has plenty of output and runtime. The spot is fairly tight but as I have two, one above the other, then the combined beam pattern is just what I was after.

Usual Chinese quality. On my second outing one of them didn't work! So opened up and scraped off the soldering flux from where it shouldn't have been and now all is good.

So the output, runtime, AA powered and price(£35 for two lights and second stem) are good but alltogether a long way from Surefire quality.

No beamshots right now....somebodys knickers are on the clothes line....but we all know what bright lights are like:rolleyes:

The RHS light is the normal beam and the LHS is set as a high beam. Independantly adjustable. As you can see I have machined two plastic bosses to mount the lights. A bit of a wierd setup but I struggled to find a mounting solution that I felt like buying....The handlebars are tapered and bent every shape so the available mounts just weren't doing what I wanted.


The only other problem with the project was by the time the stuff came from Dealextreme I had forgotten why I ordered them:(


http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.hull35/Misc./IMG_1343.jpg

[bonzodog]

i was happily running cateye untill now,reading this means i now need more lights

[Knife-Man]

I don't have that much steerer tube left on any of my bikes ... what fill's that space when the light's are not on ?

[Davidh]

Good point. I had 40mm of spacers. If yours is shortened to its minimum then this is not going to work.

[Knife-Man]

Ive worked out the lighting for my new toy , the front lighting anyway

pretty simple http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a231/knife-man/Recumbent/08092010117.jpg

Front light which came with my dynohub but only briefly fitted converted to 3.6v 1w LED .. not tremendously bright but the optic is specifically designed to make best use of a limited amount of light for use on a bike .. + mounted down there it's very effective.

[carbongerber]

Hope vision led lights and a surefire helmet light are what i use for treks through the forest in the dead of night and its super fun.