Dedicated bike light or... ?

If you ride at night…and ride hard….go big or go to the hospital.

Biggest problem night riding in the saburbs is driveway kamakazis and pot holes. Wide, high lumen light is mandatory.

I didn’t pay much attention because i haven’t gone for a ride in a while. Now, I’m looking at the light issue too.

There are a few multi beam lights on Amazon that deserve a closer look.

I use a Zebralight combo :

  • Handlebar : SC600Fd Mark III Plus, this is floody
  • Helmet : SC600w HI, the throwy one

I've had numerous very nice DH/enduro sessions with that in the woods and mountains. It is also adapted to more roady sessions.

I also usually use one the Fd for day runs, in blinks mode.

Playing with the various modes combination possibilites also proved useful to stay adequately enlighted for ~2h sessions.

They are some of the lightest and smallest 18650 (which is very underrated on the helmet), yet great thermal management also helps for D- situation, where I need full throttle, both on bike and lights :)

Here’s my setup.

Convoy S2+ with 3500k SST-20(modded):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Gray-Convoy-S2-with-luminus-SST20-DTP-copper-plate-ar-coated-glass-lens-7135-biscotti-firmware/32969287656.html

Good handlebar setup(the only one that doesn’t fall off and threads on very well):

Strip lens:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/LED-lens-for-CREE-XML-XML2-LED-60degree/330416_1577614278.html

I understand OP wants a removable battery for charging convenience but I prefer bike lights with built in batteries because (usually) they don’t rattle. It’s a pet hate of mine having a rattling battery.

Anyone have any experience with this Xanes DL06 ?

Poor man’s Fenix BC30? :slight_smile:

Here’s my setup. Thrunite TN4A with a “strip” type lens installed, one of the options that BlueSwordM linked to above. For my mount I used one made by twofish, not sold where I originally purchased it anymore. It is a velcro type and wiggles around a bit, but I like that feature as it makes me more visible I feel, and does not really affect what I see much.

Got the TN4A on sale for $40 IIRC, the mount was less than $10. 4 AA eneloops and your off and running. It is a bit big, but I ride with panniers, so carrying it while not riding is never an issue.

My backup is my 18350 D4 with a hand carry. I don’t do this for more than a few miles at a time, but have gotten more miles than I would have imagined with it. Bike strobe mode (like has Anduril installed) is very nice.

The Xanes light you linked to looks like it would be hated by any oncoming cyclist. It may be designed for low and wide, but it doesn’t really say that anywhere, it just says “Floodlight”. Other than that it looks like it could be a good deal if it is somewhat reliable.

What does a strip lens do?

Make a horizontal beam pattern like a good car headlight.

And as a result reduces the light shinning in an oncoming cyclist’s eyes. If you are only riding on the street, not likely a big deal. If you ride on bike paths, your fellow cyclists will appreciate it, or at least they won’t curse you because you don’t have that feature. I think the Fenix BC30 mentioned above is designed to avoid light in the oncoming cyclists eyes as well.

No, it’s not. You can’t assume everyone is running their bike lights at full blast. My bike light mode is pulling 0.2 amps, tilted slightly forward. The spill is not going to blind anyone more than an average car light.

Required amount of light is very dependable on scenery. To have a ride on paved (even) roads 0.2A can be sufficient. To ride in woods you need much more light to see the path well.

Could someone post a beam shot using the striped optics and possibly the light with the optics used?

I went to Carlco and they show a “striped optic family” but I am not sure how you would integrate with a flashlight, they don’t look compatible.

Thanks,

I ride on side roads as well as the woods. That’s why I really like the flood from my Zebra SC600w Plus. Not only does it illuminate off to the sides a bit, but also overhead where branches might be hanging down.

I find my most used mode is 700 lumens. That’s a little over 1A current from the battery. I couldn’t imagine cycling with 5x-10x less than that, though I probably did as a kid when there was nothing better.

Is this a direct fit for Convoy S2+?

Yes. Direct fit.


My TN4A with and without striped optic. It is just a flat lens cover with a stripped countour to it. phone set on auto, but this is likely about the intensity difference when you spread the beam out also.

Here is an S2+ with and without striped lens:

True indeed! Only objecting to the statement that spill will blind people (without mentioning anything about output). 0.2A is sufficient for me on paved bike roads in darkness riding fairly fast, but I sure would turn it up a bit if I was going to ride in the woods in darkness. I wouldn’t be as concerned about blinding people in the woods though.

Thanks. What tool do I need to unscrew the driver/pill in order to get to the lens? Retaining ring pliers, I’m guessing?

Thanks for posting the beamshots and links to optics.

I hadn’t thought about TIR lenses working this way, it has given me a few ideas for biking and running and possibly materials/project inspection.