I'm on the lookout for a decent, low cost, reliable and waterproof headlamp bike light to illuminate a very dark path on my commute home .Any suggestions and/or recommendations?
Inexpensive 1000+ LM headlamp bike light?
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D
Deleted member 4366
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If you don't mind doing a bit of wiring, this one runs from your bike battery:
http://www.banggood.com/LED10-U_S-CREE-U2-Chip-10W-Motorcycle-Headlight-Motor-Lamps-HiLo-Beam-p-936965.html
If you want to just clip one on and use it, these are very bright and run from a rechargeable pack. You can get them with from 1 to 7 LEDs. One is normally enough for unlit roads:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4X-CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-5200Lm-Bike-Bicycle-Light-Headlamp-Headlight-/231081957971?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item35cd8eda53
http://www.banggood.com/LED10-U_S-CREE-U2-Chip-10W-Motorcycle-Headlight-Motor-Lamps-HiLo-Beam-p-936965.html
If you want to just clip one on and use it, these are very bright and run from a rechargeable pack. You can get them with from 1 to 7 LEDs. One is normally enough for unlit roads:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4X-CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-5200Lm-Bike-Bicycle-Light-Headlamp-Headlight-/231081957971?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item35cd8eda53
cost wiseMusicbooks, I have just bought Dave's second recommendation, and it arrived today.
First impressions of it are way better than I had been expecting. The quality is very good, which includes the light unit, the battery, the wiring and connector, and the battery storage case. It's a bit bigger than I had been expecting and the weight is also far more, but somehow that adds to the quality feel. The lighting is also outstanding, and at nearly four times less than my fenix BT20.
I've mounted it to a cycle helmet, but will see how this one goes, simply because of the weight and bulk reason. The main on off switch is also a guide as to when to charge, green being fine, red recharge. The instructions are very specific in relation to this, and the unit must not be operated once the red glow has shown. With the light being helmet mounted, I shan't be able to see this, but being as it is just a secondary light for off road use, this might not be an issue to me.
If I could find fault, which at the price I can't, then I'd say that I had expected it to work as one/two/three/four operating modes/lights. It doesn't and operates as either high or low, and a strobe mode which in reality could be dangerous and un usable.
I'm still giving a current rating of nine out ten though. Rating it ten out ten wouldn't give me a get out.
So thanks for the link Dave.
Ref the dark pathway. It was pointed out to me recently or else I read it on here, that the darker the route, the less light that you need. That observation made sense when you consider how much light is required in twilight and lit up street areas to make any real difference.
First impressions of it are way better than I had been expecting. The quality is very good, which includes the light unit, the battery, the wiring and connector, and the battery storage case. It's a bit bigger than I had been expecting and the weight is also far more, but somehow that adds to the quality feel. The lighting is also outstanding, and at nearly four times less than my fenix BT20.
I've mounted it to a cycle helmet, but will see how this one goes, simply because of the weight and bulk reason. The main on off switch is also a guide as to when to charge, green being fine, red recharge. The instructions are very specific in relation to this, and the unit must not be operated once the red glow has shown. With the light being helmet mounted, I shan't be able to see this, but being as it is just a secondary light for off road use, this might not be an issue to me.
If I could find fault, which at the price I can't, then I'd say that I had expected it to work as one/two/three/four operating modes/lights. It doesn't and operates as either high or low, and a strobe mode which in reality could be dangerous and un usable.
I'm still giving a current rating of nine out ten though. Rating it ten out ten wouldn't give me a get out.
So thanks for the link Dave.
Ref the dark pathway. It was pointed out to me recently or else I read it on here, that the darker the route, the less light that you need. That observation made sense when you consider how much light is required in twilight and lit up street areas to make any real difference.
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D
Deleted member 4366
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I've had about 6 of the Ebay ones, of which one packed up. I repaired a battery for Alex, which was only a wire broken off the BMS. I've had no problems with the Banggood ones. The one linked to above is waterproof, but the £4 ones need to be sealed at the back to make them waterproof.
I gave this light a proper work out yesterday, and have to say that I'm very impressed with it.
The Fenix is mounted to the handle bars of the bike, and I have attached the new light to what was a redundant cycle helmet. I thought that it might have proved be too heavy, but I can't say that I actually even noticed the weight.
The Fenix is doing a great job of general distance use, and the new light is angle downwards to approx. 3metres in front to eliminate all shadow, and also not to dazzle any on coming drivers. In reality last night was just a test, and I'll be using the new light solely for off road use.
I did have one interesting comment from a driver that had overtaken me down a dark and twisty back lane. He happened to be in the same pub that I eventually made it to some 20 miles later, and he made a point of coming up to me to tell me where he had passed me, and how he was really impressed that the nearly the whole bike had been lit up, and that I was lit up from miles away from behind. He said that it made a refreshing change and congratulated me.
And there was me about to apologize thinking that I might had some how dazzled him.
The Fenix is mounted to the handle bars of the bike, and I have attached the new light to what was a redundant cycle helmet. I thought that it might have proved be too heavy, but I can't say that I actually even noticed the weight.
The Fenix is doing a great job of general distance use, and the new light is angle downwards to approx. 3metres in front to eliminate all shadow, and also not to dazzle any on coming drivers. In reality last night was just a test, and I'll be using the new light solely for off road use.
I did have one interesting comment from a driver that had overtaken me down a dark and twisty back lane. He happened to be in the same pub that I eventually made it to some 20 miles later, and he made a point of coming up to me to tell me where he had passed me, and how he was really impressed that the nearly the whole bike had been lit up, and that I was lit up from miles away from behind. He said that it made a refreshing change and congratulated me.
And there was me about to apologize thinking that I might had some how dazzled him.
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