Jesse's CornerOutdoor Life Starts Here

Bike Head lamp.. What do you use?

I want one that lights the road up.

Hi Amanda

I Do a lot of riding at night and have done for years. I choose the light that I use based on where I am going and how long I am going for.(You tend to collect a few variations over the years.)

Head lights have two uses. To see wear you are going and so that you are seen by others. If you are riding around town there is often plenty of street lighting to see wear you are going so a simple three or four Led flasher does the job.The battery life is excellent. I tested one and it took after being left on for over a month there was still useful light emitted.

These are quite cheap so get TWO. It dosn’t matter what kind of light you get, they will all fail at one time or another. Don’t get caught in the dark. Same goes for tail lights. By al means get a super bright one but have an el cheapo as a back up.

When I get out into areas wear the street lighting is poor then it is time for the brighter lights. I have a range of choices of 5,10,15 or 20 watt halogen which I select depending on how far I am riding. (Battery life shortens with brighter lights.) (two batteries give about 4 hours of light @ 5 watts 1 hour @ 20 watts)

My favorite is an Ultra bright 4 watt led torch with a lithium ion battery. It is really low weight, gives good light (120 Lumens) and lasts for just over two hours. It has failed due to vibration a few times and was quite expensive to buy though.

I also like a dynamo hub generator front wheel to use on the all night rides.(limited to 5 watts) Use the generator to keep the battery topped up. (goes all night even when stopped.) The vintage ,on tyre generators are terrible by comparision,( noisey, hard on the tyres and like dragging a brake)

For tail lights the brightest, I know of is a brand Basta

http://www.croydoncycleworks.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=750

There are heaps of good brands for head lights and some are ridiculously bright. You need to carry a hugh battery to keep them going for any length of time and they get very pricey.

http://www.lumicycle.com/pages/default.aspx

What ever you choose make sure you have a back up. El cheapo are a lot better than nothing if you have to sneak home after a lamp,wiring or a battery fails.

Even when you light up like a Christmas tree there are some motorists that don’t register bicycles.

Be careful !!!!

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