General Use / Biking Flashlight Recommendations

Hi, I am new to the forums, although I have been lurking for a bit now, and I am looking to buy a flashlight to mount on my bike. I am looking at zoom lens, because I need to be able to switch between throw for streets and flood for trails. Also memory was important to me so I don’t blind everyone in sight every time a switch it on or off and it needs to be reasonably small and light to fit in my 2-3 cm diameter mount. Being stuck in the woods without a light also is not fun, so prefer longer battery life. Basically I narrowed it down to these two lights:

http://www.lightmalls.com/trustfire-z5-cree-xm-l-t6-1600-lumen-5-mode-zoomable-led-flashlight-2-18650

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MCE-4-Core-LED-1600LM-Torch-Y2-Zoom-Flashlight-5-Mode-2x-Battery-Charger-CREE-/281168810364?pt=AU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches&hash=item4176f7917c&\_uhb=1

Any thoughts on which is better?
Thanks

IMHO… stay away from those… as it will not gives you much light on the street nor the woods.
Stock zoomies generally is not bright enough to see past 30’ however they’re excellent light for working within close environment.
You might want to check this Bike light .
I have one of these light and it’s bright enough to see 50’ ahead of you and has separate button for strobe.
but if flashlights is what you want, then a pair of XM-L2 C8s with of of them using this wide angle lens they should be enough for any rides at night.
or if you like zoomies light for personal taste, then probably Uniquefire T20 is the most popular and probably the brightest of them all stock zoomies :smiley:

Thanks for replying. I think I will go for the Uniquefire T20s then, I like the convenience of being able to switch from flood to throw without popping lenses. One question though, what would the battery life of the uniquefires be like, on say a 2600mAh battery? Changing batteries in the middle of a ride sounds annoying.

Edit: Did a bit more research and seems that the PWM on the T20 causes noticeable flickering, which is not good. Are there any other bright budget zoom flashlights?

that will depend on what kind of “2600 mAh” battery is that… if it’s ultrafire?.. maybe 30 on HIGH? :bigsmile:
sorry… I wish I could answer your question about the battery life, I never ride with T20, let alone run it over few minutes at a time.
Heck… come to think of it, most of my flashlights has ever been run more than 2 minutes at a time :slight_smile:
mostly 30 secs to 1 minute after purchase just to make sure the light is working :smiley:

Dude, I am going to tell you the best light you can get for your money. I have been searching for the right bike light for months now, reading 10's of thousands of posts and hundreds of review's. I am going to recommend to you a light that will give you throw when you want it, and flood when you want it, and the best of both world's with both throw and flood also, when you want it... It also comes with a remote lighted switch, and is very, very affordable. It also comes with a battery pack. I guarantee you will love this light. Guarantee it!!! So are you psyched yet? Ok, ok here it is! Scroll down

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Here it is,my hidden gem I have not wanted to share with the world yet, because it is so cheap and works amazing, and I want to buy all of this guys inventory, lol. I know foolish right? OK, here it is:

The ultimate cheap bike light.... Drum roll please....

3x CREE 1800 Lumens XM-L T6 LED 6400mAh +2x XPE R2 LED Bike Bicycle Light for $23

Yes, it is a Magicshine MJ-816 clone, and to be totally honest is actually the Trustfire TR-D003. And a dang well good one to be totally honest...

It is the best light to be had for the money. It will run a pretty good time when you need it, you can put the remote switch close to your handlebar for fast switching, and it will be the best $23 you ever spent on a bike light. I BLF guarantee it!

I’d get a zoomie that is mod friendly in your case

I find throwers to be better suited for the outdoors myself, when I’m biking in the city they tend to blind drivers but then again I don’t bike fast in the trails.

here’s some beamshots.

You could also get a diffuser for the thrower as well

I had one of those bike light… albeit mine is much more expensive and comes with 3 XM-L T6.
it’s a very nice and the remote switch is convenience, I changed the lens on the outer lights to make it floodier.
I doubt it very much that this light will put the same amount of lumens as the old ones as this light has XP E on it.
the battery pack that come with it will run out of juice in about half hour on HIGH mode ( all lights are ON)
but it is cheap for that price and can be easily mod with resistors for extra oomph :smiley:
but the battery will run out faster too :stuck_out_tongue:

That specialized bike light looks great for only 20 dollars! The only thing is that I use my bike for commuting as well, and the first thing a biker learns (painfully) is that stuff like that is the first to be stolen, and I don’t want to be taking it on and off when I want to switch from commuter bike to trail bike. So, so far I am looking for a good zoom flashlight with a decent battery life. Although, if that is too difficult to find, I am not opposed to going for something like this as suggested by daylighter:

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-c12-cree-xm-l-t6-1200-lumen-5-mode-led-flashlight-2x18650

Well, after using this and as well as my flashlights on my bike and baby jogging stroller, I will tell you that there is literally no difference in time to mount or remove with. The bike light I recommended using super thick, fast rubber bands to hold the light and remote switch in place, and the battery has a strap to mount anywhere you want. Literally, it takes me about 15 seconds to remove this thing from my bike, and takes about the same to unscrew the flashlight's I use to use on my bike from the flashlight holder. I would probably never go back to using a flashlight on my bike, and I use to use my $250 Nitecore TM26 on my bike, and trust me, the bike light I recommend is way better suited for a bike. Flashlights I use to use on my bike were my solarforce l2m first, then my Fenix TK-45, then my Skyray King, then my Nitecore TM26.

Now, I only use the bike light I recommended to as my sole bike light, and could not be happier. Killer throw, amazing flood, remote switching in the blink of an eye, and battery last about 2-6 hours depending on which mode I use with the included 4x18650.

I am now in the process of building myself a 16x18650 battery pack and using it with a Magicshine Y cable and the Magicshine MJ-6086 USB Power Bank Adapter so I can charge my phone or whatever other USB device I want, and still have like 10-14 hours on the highest mode.

But if you don't want to take my word for it, then you will find out for yourself.