All:
…so - need your opinion on a bike light which i will use mostly for commuting during standard time here on the east coast where it gets dark an hours before i could reasonable leave work. Did some research - read the boards. I’m down to 2 choices - which i kind of broke into 2 groups…thei high-er end and the readily available at the local retail outlets. The first is the lightOn900 - which is made by a small company in oregon. Great light…VERY bright (900 lumens - about as bright as a car headlight) Good battery life…and pretty sizeable price tag…about $450. This has the best light pattern of all the high end comptetiors i saw. some lights had extra doo-dads and bigger batteries- but none were brighter, none had a cleaner, wider light pattern …and realistically i only need this battery to last 1 hour for an evening commute home (it actually goes 2 hours on high pwer and 9 or 10 on low power) The upside - great light, great product from a small company, made in USA …downside - expensive…and, the company could be gone tomorrow - as it looks like its just a oneman shop. …one other thing - for 50 bucks they will ship me a used one that i can try for 7 days…if i like it, i send it back, then they send me a branch new one and credit the 50 towards the purchase. …basically a “try before you buy”. - i’m sure i’ll like it though.
the Niteride is a major national brand that sells lights through major retailers like REI, Performance, Bikeline etc. It has a dual light system and makes about 700 lumens - so its not as bright as the lightOn900…buts its also cheaper. Can eb bought onsale at REI for 269. Battery life is basicallyt eh same. Nite rider has beena round for a longtime (was the light i had on my bike for the Boston-Montreal-Boston ride in 1993)…so i imagine they will be around if and when i need stuff for it. Being realisitc - i’m not using this light to ride single track trails at night…i’m going to be on a PAVED trail (but unlit) for 75% of the commute- and going through part of a small town for the other 25%…, its pretty well lit. - do i really need 900 lumens?
Would like opinions from commuters…thoughts? Not against spending the $$ for the better light - but also want to make an appropriate choice - i don[t need the best of everything just to have it - i just wanna get home in one piece. …also could use a recomendation for a red-tail light --as i think being seen, especially going through town will be at least as important as seeing (unless you are a bike cop - those guys in my town \have black bikes, wear black jackets and pants, have no lights and are basically a hazzard)
I gotta do something soon - i verge on roadrage every morning i’m out there sitting in 422 traffic when i could be out on the trail
I like the dual light idea, as it makes you ‘wider’ from the cars point of view, and you can point them independently to get coverage where you want it.
I can see the ground pretty well with waaay less lumens than 700, I would think 700 would be plenty.
for the rear I use the cateye vertical light, one on each seat stay as shown here:
buy two of these flashlights & then buy an aftermarket helmet mount & handlebar mount. 900-lumens from a cycling company like Niterider would easily be over $400 per light, you can get two of these 900-lumen bad boys for $44 total. These are so bright they’ll kill zombies.
I am reviewing the new NiteRider MiNewt.250 Cordless LED Lithium Ion light.
The schtick on this is no cords- it is a bright, rechargeable, self contained unit that throws a significant amount of light- almost like a motorcycle head light. Plenty of light for a bike.
I’m a fan of cool flashlights (Fenix, Streamlight, Surefire) and this light uses a lot of the same technology. The price is right too. The 250 lumen unit with three light levels and an obnoxious blinking function that will give drivers seizures and they can’t help but notice is $129.95 including a heandlebar mount that works on aerobars with no adapter, a helmet mount, a USB chrger (charge from your laptop) and a wall charger unit.
It’s nice.
Here is the link to the NiteRider page for the light:
i have a NiteRider TriNewt that’s a couple of years old now, and the battery is still going strong.
500+ lumens and bright enough that car drivers have thanked me for being so visible.
NOTE: i also don’t point the light ‘up’, just up enough to throw about 100’ ahead; drivers don’t like it when you blind them
that said, my opinion is , ‘more light is more better, so get as much as you can afford.’
but i think you can compromise with good battery life(rechargeability) and sufficient brightness.
you could also consider a TwoFish LockBlock and flashlight(surefire/fenix) and you’d have a handy flashlight
to use OFF the bike. also consider a backup, just in case, even if it’s a small light.
for more info see here(one of those ‘other’ places i spend time at):
buy two of these flashlights & then buy an aftermarket helmet mount & handlebar mount. 900-lumens from a cycling company like Niterider would easily be over $400 per light, you can get two of these 900-lumen bad boys for $44 total. These are so bright they’ll kill zombies.
If you can’t stand to not spend money or need longer runtime, search for Magicshine. Some people I bike with ride with these and they are incredible for a ~$80 bike light.
I’m totally paranoid, so I try to light myself up light an XMas tree if I’ve got to ride in the dark (or near-dark). Most people forget that it’s CRITICALLY important to light up your rear so cars see you from a safe distance. I’ve lost track of the number of cyclists I’ve driven up behind to be startled at them “de-cloaking” at the last moment. Knog lights are great little lightweight things that you can put on the bike and on even your body (helmet!). Bike Wrappers are highly reflective removable wraps for your bike frame. I took the cheaper way and bought a 3M reflective decal from the hardware store and cut it into little triangles that I put on my wheels and little strips that I wrapped at various points (tip of the forks; down tube, seat stays, chain stays. Helmet too! It helps that my bike is the same tone of yellow as the reflective strips, so during the day you don’t really even notice them). And of course, reflective clothing. I add on blinking arm (just above the elbow) & leg (ankle) bands. Again, I’m paranoid. But I’ve also never been hit. Yet.
I usually buy a few cheap ones from amazon. I just cant spend $400 for a bike light. I’d worry too much about it.
$20 Petzl Headlamp, $18 Spoke Lites, $25 Planet Bike Super Flash (for rear) and $2 Reflector Tape = $65 of excellent commuter lighting
i have a NiteRider TriNewt that’s a couple of years old now, and the battery is still going strong.
500+ lumens and bright enough that car drivers have thanked me for being so visible.
NOTE: i also don’t point the light ‘up’, just up enough to throw about 100’ ahead; drivers don’t like it when you blind them
X2 - very good light, about all you need for paved trails and roads. Battery lasts forever.
Don’t ride with 900 lumens on paved bike trails. Seriously. Its blinding and dangerous for oncoming bikes/joggers. Like many things in life, its not the amount of lumens, its the way you use them…
Purchased the niterider MiNewt 700 Dual last nite. Is a great light and more light than you’d need if you were riding anywhere with any sort of ambient light (street lights). I can see the light at least 75 yards in front of me. I checked out the 350 version - which also had plenty of light - but with much of my ride going through vally forge national park, there will be several miles of very dark (and spooky) roads with lots and lots of deer and other wild creatures to watch out for, so iw ent with the more powerful 700. Also has a flashing mode which has caused several of my co-workers to have strokes when i turned it on in their offices.
I think one main issue with these powerful LEDs is they are so concentrated and so bright that you really can create a hazzard for drivers and other pedestrians - i will need to be careful that these lights get aligned properly on the bike so they point downward ebough so as to not blind other people.
Also got a flashing red for the rear of the bike.
glad you guys talked me out of the more powerful lights…any more power than this thing would have been rediculous overkill.
