Commuter Lights

[macdaid]

Yo,

Can anyone recommend a solid, budget commuter light, or combo front & rear,
for around 20 bucks?

Thanks,

) /\ \/ |=

[markie]

Nope.

I do really like the planet bike super blinky:

http://www.rei.com/product/756360

which can probably be found for $20.....


As for front lights, if you are serious about commuting and have a long ride, I highly recommend getting a proper light. Road users treat you more like a car if you have as much light as them. Plus you can use your new investment to go night-riding on the trails.

I like my Lume HID and my cateye doubleshot pro.....

[markie]

If I was on a super tight buget I would definitely get this:

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/11536-225_VISTE0-2-Accessories-35-Lights/VistaLite-Total-Eclipse-Rear-Safety-Light.htm

and would think about getting this:

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14268-225_SIGEX5-2-Accessories-35-Lights/Sigma-Sport-Evo+Evo-X-Dual-Light-System-5_10w-Lead.htm

or something similar.

[Squirrel Girl]

I really like:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19994&subcategory_ID=4322

It seems to have a better mounting system that some of the others I've tried. Plus it's reasonably bright and the switch also is better than some others I've tried.

Markie's light looks good, too.

If you're trying to deal with a lot of traffic, Markie's advice is probably very good. On the other hand, if you're on a MUP for most of your ride, you can get by with a lot less light on your road bike than out on the trail. I'm still looking for a good front light, myself. I want to a have flashing white on the front to use, even in the day, just for that extra safety. My problem is that my bike has a flat handlebar and with aerobars on it, there's not much of a place to mount the thing. I tried one that seemed good, but then it got loose and flopped around.

I have an old Nite Hawk 1W emitter. It was nice for riding on paved trails. But the mount for that sucked, too. I guess I can say they are sturdy, as it was still shining on the side of the Custis after flying off at about 15 mph. I think they may have improved the mount since then--it was about 2 years ago that happened. I hate having to use duct tape to hold the lights on.

[markie]

some of the knog lights look like they would be good fo you S.G.

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=LT0506

[jabberwocky]

For taillights, I like the Cateye LD-1000. It has two banks of lights, with each bank having one side-facing light and 3 rear facing. Each bank is switched separately, so you can set the top row to blink and the bottom to be solid. I like having both a solid and blinking light on the back (the blink to help get attention, and the solid to make it easier to judge distance/position).

I think I paid like 25 for mine. Cateye replaced the LD-1000 with the LD-1100 recently, but I believe the only difference is the new one has brighter LEDs.

I picked up a Dinotte taillight in the fall. It can't be described as cheap (150ish) but its insanely bright (nearly as bright as my HID headlight). The downside is that it eats batteries like nothing else. I usually switch it on for the on-road portions of my commute but turn it off while on the W&OD. The Cateye runs forever on a set of batteries. I tend to turn it on even during the daytime if I'm going to be on the road.

I can't help you with headlights. I've always run my Light and Motion HID mounted on the bars. I definitely believe in running as bright a light as possible.

[crack monkey]

$20 might get a good rear blinky, but none of the headlights in the price range will provide enough light to ride by. They might work for cars seeing you, if used in blinky mode.

I use a Dinotte rear light with the lithium-ion battery. Also have a $10 blinky on the seat stay. And red led bar plugs.

Up front, I have an old NiteRider 6v 10w halogen on the bars, a L&M Stella 180L on my helmet, and a cheap Cateye white blinky on the bar.

[jon_baler]

I use this for commuting:
Cat Eye EL410
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23489&subcategory_ID=4320
I like how easy it is to remove/install, and common batteries with my rear lights (AAA).

It depends on what your conditions are like. For faster road rides on darker roads, I use this:
NiteRider SolMate
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=24410&subcategory_ID=4320

I have/had the Blackburn Mars 3.0 Taillight and the Planet Bike blinky lights. The planet bike light is much brighter.

[bikerRob]

02/17/08 >> People seemed to have forgotten that $20 was the budget. Need I say, you don't get much for $20...so
My .02 for what it's worth. I've bought stuff myself from this Chinese web site before. This light here looks interesting. I will probably buy one myself when I buy another Cree powered flashlight. >> http://www.szwholesale.com/4mode-bicycle-light-p-400.html
....then I recommend the Visalite rear blinky that Markie mentioned. I have this blinkie too and it works very well. The shipping from the Chinese web site is free, that should leave you a couple bucks to buy some cheap AAA batteries..or for a little more money you can buy the rechargeable AAA NiMh batteries ( Charger too ) from the Chinese site. ( The Chinese site sends the stuff "Air Mail" and usually takes about 3-4 weeks to get here. ) (*Note, you need a Paypal account to order from the Chinese site )

[macdaid]

Thanks for the price re-align Rob.

And thanks also for the other fine suggestions y'all.

I'm on a budget so it needs to be cheap, and convenient to use.
I've got a 10w/20w Halogen ViewPoint kit that I got for off road, but the mount isn't great and the bezels tend to strip out very easily requiring the abandonment of the o-ring seals to get them back on. So the kit isn't waterproof either.

Not to mention the lousy aesthetics. I want to keep my commuter clean & simple.
Sheesh ! I want it all, don't I? :rolleyes:

The $20 part of the question came from this:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19272&subcategory_ID=4320

It looks like a good deal, but given my experience with the ViewPoint kit above well,
I guess you get what you pay for....

People seemed to have forgotten that $20 was the budget. Need I say, you don't get much for $20...so
My .02 for what it's worth. I've bought stuff myself from this Chinese web site before. This light here looks interesting. I will probably buy one myself when I buy another Cree powered flashlight.

$6 ? Certainly cost effective. I'll consider it.
They must be counting on selling trillions to make a profit.

BTW; What is a "cree" powered flashlight?:confused:

Thanks again.

) /\ \/ |=


.

[gunboats]

I believe Cree is a company that makes very bright LEDs. You may want to check out the Bike Lights forum on MTBR, which seems to have a lot of threads on DIY lighting systems. "Cree" also pops up in a lot of threads there.

As for the budget, as a daily commuter I rely on my lights as a primary means of survival and one of the most important parts of my setup (as others have mentioned). If you plan on riding when it is still at all dark out, I would consider spending as much as possible on lights, even if it means spending less on other less-necessary equipment. Performance usually has cheap lights. The ViewPoint Flare 5 is bright and blinky and cheap, but would be much better as a "be seen" light than anything else (link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20472&subcategory_ID=4320)). Also, the ViewPoint FlashBack tail light (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17652&subcategory_ID=4322) is cheap when on sale (about $5) and a few of those should make you fairly visible (I have three of them on my bike and bag). It is a little oval thing with five LEDs, and Performance sells the same exact light under several different brands at different prices, with the ViewPoint being the cheapest.

Hope this helps, but I can't emphasize enough the importance of lights on a commuter, especially if you plan on traveling on roads.

-Steve

[macdaid]

Thanks Steve,

Since I posted that Perf. combo earlier, I noticed the Flare, and it's on sale too.
I'm also going to DIY some reflectors with some reflective paint I've got that has glass beads mixed in. Testing it tonight....

The ViewPoint Flare 5 is bright and blinky and cheap, but would be much better as a "be seen" light than anything else (link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20472&subcategory_ID=4320)). Also, the ViewPoint FlashBack tail light ([url]http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?, especially if you plan on traveling on roads.

[jabberwocky]

Depending on where you intend on riding, you may want to reconsider your price range. If you want to ride on public roads at night and value your life, you really need to spend more than 20 dollars on lights.

If you are only planning on riding very well lit roads with big shoulders or only on paved paths, cheapie lights might work.

[eloach]

Depending on where you intend on riding, you may want to reconsider your price range. If you want to ride on public roads at night and value your life, you really need to spend more than 20 dollars on lights.

If you are only planning on riding very well lit roads with big shoulders or only on paved paths, cheapie lights might work.

Yeah, don't get killed. I run a MOAB and still have an occasional idiot that cant see me. I picked up reflective tape at www.steetglo.net. For the money you pay, it has a big effect on visibility.

Also Jenson has a Blackburn X6 on sale for $99. I picked one up for commuting. It's not as bright as the MOAB, but it is okay.

[bikerRob]

02/17/08 >> People seemed to have forgotten that $20 was the budget. Need I say, you don't get much for $20...so
My .02 for what it's worth. I've bought stuff myself from this Chinese web site before. This light here looks interesting. I will probably buy one myself when I buy another Cree powered flashlight. >> http://www.szwholesale.com/4mode-bicycle-light-p-400.html
....then I recommend the Visalite rear blinky that Markie mentioned. I have this blinkie too and it works very well. The shipping from the Chinese web site is free, that should leave you a couple bucks to buy some cheap AAA batteries..or for a little more money you can buy the rechargeable AAA NiMh batteries ( Charger too ) from the Chinese site. ( The Chinese site sends the stuff "Air Mail" and usually takes about 3-4 weeks to get here. ) (*Note, you need a Paypal account to order from the Chinese site )

03/04/08 Hi all...this is just a quick-o update: I just ordered the bike light I mentioned above. Yes it is cheap. I'll let you know just how cheap it is when I get it. Unfortunately I had to order thru the wholesale site ( rather than retail ) because the Retail site didn't list the bike light. That means I have to pay shipping for my entire order. :mad: Since I ordered a couple Cree LED flashllights and some Li-ion batteries/charger the shipping was about 30% ( about $19 ). If you order stuff off the retail site the shipping is free although the items are a little higher. If I had not of wanted the bike light I would have used the retail site which would of been a bit cheaper overall.