I’ve decided I need a new light for my road bike after I nearly lost my last one (why are there no good bike light mounts for tube lights??) I want something that’s microUSB rechargeable as I can then improvise some extra measures to keep it in place, knowing it won’t ever actually have to come off the bike as I can charge it in situ where I store the bike. And I don’t want something with a separate battery pack.
So. I currently use a BLF A6 and the beam is pretty close to what I want - floody up close to avoid potholes, a bit of reach down the road to pick out hazards. I wouldn’t mind a touch more throw - so a tighter hotspot but still with usable flood - but it doesn’t need to be especially throwy. Really I just want an extra 20-30m range when the light is on the higher modes.
Runtime shouldn’t be an issue as I’ve never found the A6 to run out but rides of up to 4 hours are possible - I do flit between modes depending on the surface though to manage battery life.
And a decent switch/UI system finally - I need to be able to use it with thick gloves. At times the A6 has scared the beejesus out of me when an unnoticed pothole has caused enough vibration to knock the light from turbo into moonlight, leaving me riding blind.
What are my options? I’m looking predominately at flashlights rather than bike lights as from what I can see most bike lights are c**p (unless you go high end.)
Hi,
I use the Fenix BC30 for single track mountain biking, I like it it may not tick all the boxes for you though
I also use the JetBeam BR10GT I admit I’m not a big fan of the UI, and the mount needs improvement
A similar light is this Wiz20 there are some favorable reviews. Look at the MTBR.com forums. And the Wiz1 uses a 26650 not an 18650 cell
I haven’t tried thes Ituo lights myself, but if I were replace what I have I would consider them.
I like Jetbeam stuff generally but I can see that the mount is less than ideal.
I’ve heard of issues with some of the Fenix bike lights that put me off - poor heatsinking and water being let it in etc.
The Wiz1 looks pretty interesting but is out of budget.
Seems like the standard - the good bike lights are expensive, the cheap ones are flawed. Which is part of the reason that I’m focusing on a normal flashlight - I know that system works for me; it’s now more a question of ‘which 18650 or 26650 light.’
Eagle Eye X5R or X6R Very similar to the BLF-A6 and BLF-X6 respectivly, but with built in micro USB recharge circuit.
Any of the BD01 - BD06 series, available from Convoy and other brands, some of which add zoomy options or 26650 capability.
I think Convoy has some bike mounts for reasonable prices that look like they may work well, but the store is down for CNY until around Valentines Day.
Fenix E35UE is my best… for the sole reason that it doesn’t switch modes or anything like that when I hit bumps. Multi-mode lights that rely on power interrupt can switch modes automatically going over bumps… so watch out for that. Its not really throwy, but it throws far enough for me to identify things. I have never had a problem with water / rain resistance and I have gotten it wet many times. It also doesn’t weigh much so thats a bonus too. Its 460 Lumen hi mode is perfect for me, stays cool too in the rushing air. Have you considered a helmet mount light? I don’t have any experience with them but know a couple cyclists that use them.
Oh regarding mounting it and removing it… I just unscrew the head, tip it forward to slide out the battery. So the battery tube never needs to leave the bike.
I’ve got a Convoy bike mount - they’re the same as all the others available from Amazon/GB/BG et al. And they aren’t great - ratchet adjustment means you can have it pointed slightly too far to the left, or slightly too far to the right.
I like the look of both the X5R and X6R. I think the X6R - despite being nearly double the weight - is the better candidate judging by the beam. The side clicky modes is definitely a good idea.
It rotates, there’s a Youtube video showing it. And like all the other mounts I’ve come across the rotation system is flawed - it clicks around rather than being something you can free-rotate to the right point then lock into place. (I haven’t come across a mount with that system.) All of the clicky mounts I’ve come across just can’t be adjusted finely enough - the smallest adjustment is a difference of several metres horizontally 50m up the road. Is the Fenix the same?
My current mount is a plastic and velcro thing which - by chance as much as anything - points exactly where I want it. I’m inclined to keep it.
oh one more thing… your BLF A6 surely out-throws my E35UE with almost 4x the total lumen output at its highest setting. I was merely suggesting it as a form-factor, with its side electronic switch, and how it does not change modes from bumps.
My A6 jumps modes while I ride with it on my handlebar mount. I don’t think the springs are stiff enough. My Nitecore MH12, MH20, Astrolux S41 and custom Convoy S2+ all have stiff enough springs. The one that works best is the Convoy S2 with the triple emitter set up. MH20 definitely throws the farthest.
I agree that there don’t seem to be any good tube style handle bar holders, just a bunch of flimsy cheap ones.
All of the dedicated bike lights seem to not give you very good performance for your buck, but I like the idea of an external battery pack of cheap 18650’s. I end up running my lights on one of their medium modes (~300-500 lumens) so that I don’t run out of juice half way through a ride.
I don’t really think 1 18650 has enough energy for the brightness and ride time I need at night.
The $25 amazon bike lights do.
They use 4 18650s in 2S2P, running at 8.4V.
plus they are waterproof and already come with mounting systems that work.
and the light pattern is usually pretty good, hot spot and big flood zone.
one of those i could use for 2 9 mile night commutes, back when i was doing that., at about 14 mph.
higher speed needs brighter light but obviously shorter trip.
I concur with Freeme… I have been using that same mount for mountain biking going down some pretty rough
trails at speeds that terrifies me but that mount and projected beam has been rock solid. I have 2 of them and
have bought 4 more for riding buddies. On one of mine, the rotating “head” has a little play, I just wedged a thin
twist tie under and it’s been just as good. Cheapest on banggood, do a search for a coupon or use “BLF”.
I’m against the battery pack idea, it’s just overkill for me. The longest I’ve needed to run the light is about 3 hours in a day, total, and with an Efest purple the A6 runtime was more than enough. That’s averaging 20mph over that period - some unlit country lanes (where I bumped up the output) and other well lit areas (where I knocked it down.) The extra weight, bulk and faff of a separate battery pack just isn’t worth it for me. If I needed 1000 lumens+ continuously I’d consider it.
Right now I’m looking at the X5R in the absence of anything else that looks close. Out of curiosity, does anyone know if it will run whilst being charged? It’s not a feature I need or want, I just wondered if it would do it.
And I agree with Gangstead - when it comes to bike lights you don’t get anywhere near as much for your money as with conventional flashlights.
i use zebralight h600. love it, i tried few bike lights including bc30, but for some reason i like it better when light shines where i turn my head.
i still have small white light on the fork, and red light under the seat, but those are just so i’m visible at night, not to actually illuminate.
I have a spare X6R at hand, just plugged in the charger with no battery and turned on the light, all modes, no problem. I put a battery in and got the red charging indicator, and still can turn on the light, all modes.
Without a lot more fiddling and or time, I can’t prove that the battery is charging, but I’m guessing yes. I also am not certain that the X5R and X6R have exactly the same circuits, but why would they change it?
The X5R has a timed turbo limiter. It will drop out of turbo after 3 minutes. That might not be best for a bike light that gets plenty of circulating air to keep it cool.
Thanks for that both. Due to runtimes I won’t be running it on turbo for long - short bursts for specific issues, but I’ll keep that at the back of my mind.
I had put the X6R to the top of the list as it has the features I want and the beam pattern looks perfect but it looks like it’s a nightmare to get hold of - everywhere has sold out (except Fasttech, who are selling it as a 350 lumen single mode light according to the description.) Anyone know a) where I could get one, or b) the nearest beam pattern/output I can get whilst still having a charging circuit?
This place still has them, but I am not sure how good they are. Note also that youre approaching the lunar new year holiday so shipping from CHina tends to be slower than usual this time of year.
