please advice me a bike light, budget is about $40

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
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totilde,

Most positive comments about this lights come from bikers and the test on mtbr forum (40 Lux model) that do some serious testing. If I buy it I will know for myself but right now all the info I get is from other users. The other issue is that the Saferide 80 Lux model only gets 4xAAA batteries and the Activeride version with the Lithiums costs about 180 Euros. I don't ride more than 1-2 hours per session in the dark of course but still, I am used to the charge and forget convenience of my other lights with a custom 12 cell 8.4v 14,400 mah pack and I also find great fun trying out those Chinese lights which are cheap. If I find the time I will write a small review (no light meter) about the Trustfire D009 that i have and D010 that I am waiting to arrive. So far the D009 with my custom battery pack does a great job for the price and I use it on medium with no heat issues. On high you better be moving at some pace or it will get hot soon.

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Hi jargon, don’t get me wrong. I respect your suggestion, and I am not saying that this is a bad light, I don’t know it. I am complaining about the lack of actual specs from Philips, lumen equivalencies is nothing real. A picture is not worth seeing, except to see the beam profile, if you don’t have the metadata, or something known to compare ( that second pic you posted is a long exposure one, the clouds and light posts are excessively bright) so I don’t know what you can expect from this light before buying it. I really don’t understand why Philips did this, I can only imagine its to hide the bad numbers.

I would like to have a dedicated bike light with that good specs, but I prefer to assume the 15$ cost of the c8 and lens to have similar results (and probably brighter, even though it can be bulkier. you can use the lit out of the bike as well). That’s my opinion, and I consider yours as valid as mine. Sorry if I sounded rude or something, this is obviously not my language and it was not my intention

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Jargon, I do miss the beauty of incandescent lighting! Those pics are nice :slight_smile:

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Hey Jargon,

I’m interested in the Trustfire D009 and D010 lights, you mention it’s floody, how wide is the spill and does it give good peripheral vision? How does it compare to say a flashlight for spill width?

The one advantage my old magicshine light has is it does have a wide spill and therefore a good peripheral, however there are flashlights that provide good floody hotspots (like the S3) and wide spills that aren’t too far off. I just want to know if I get one of these lights if I’m getting something that I haven’t already got, namely I want a super floody light that provides a very wide spill and makes turning corners at high speed possible without headmounting.

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totilde,

I don't get you wrong no worries and you are obviously much more experienced than me with lights since I have only started with flashlights 3 months ago and my only experience with light before that are with Home Theater projectors which are part of my main hobby. I only take the first picture from mtbr seriously since if you visit that site the present their full methodology, the very expensive equipment used to measure, and all the picture info you need. Perhaps if you want to know more about the 40 Lux version of this light, a visit to their site in the 2012 Lights roundup can help since they compare a lot of lights and they give a good review to this (the 40 Lux light).

Yet, the comments of other users led me to believe that Lumens is not an issue. If you ask any of the hard core mountain bikers in mtbr about using a flashlight as a bike light they will bring up a million reason why they are not suitable at all for their needs. From bad mounting and vibration resistance, to beam profiles (you don't want round beams not height), battery capacities among other reasons, flashlights are in general not considered a good choice for them especially when the market is flooded with cheap Chinese knock-offs and some of them actually work pretty well! If you want 1000 Lumens on medium fro 2-3 hours you will hard pressed to find a reasonably sized flashlight (try 12X18650) that satisfies all the above criteria while having no thermal issues as well. Not to mention the tail lights that no flashlight can replace especially the higher-end ones but this is totally different category.

About the Philips, if I finally get off my impulse with cheap "super lumeny" lamps that I just plug to my big battery pack, I might get one but up to now the 4XAAA batteries on it have put me off while I can't justify the 190 Euros price for the Activeride model that comes with lithium batteries but also has some issues from what I read. Nonetheless, I might buy it for my wife's bike....hehehe.

whokilledJR

I have not received the D010 yet but other than a report from a user that it puts out an astounding amount of light I will have to get it and find out myself. The same user has reported that there is an issue with its mounting plate and that it is too loose. I know that it uses the same mounting as my D009 and I have no issues at all so maybe it was a bad piece the one he got. Nevertheless, I am willing to go through the trouble to fix it through DIY if there is any issue. When I receive it I will write about it here.

The D009 is floody and for the price really convenient with the remote button placed next to the handles. Don't expect 2000 Lumens from it and unless you pick up some speed for airflow it will get hot on High but I mostly use it on medium and I find it more than enough in suburban city rides. I am testing it with flashlights as a couple for more through and the dual beam works like a charm with the flashlight used for through. I am only testing with a Nitecore EA1 which works nice and no issues with vibration (it is very light) but run time and heat if on high are another issue. With a Black Shadow Terminator the combined light output is impressive but the BST needs serious mounting or it swindles a lot and if on soil it vibrates as hell since it is heavy. The good thing with the BST is that set on medium you still get lots of Lumens (more than the D009).

I would like to write a review but I must find the time to do it and I don't have a light meter. I can take some photos though at night so once I receive the D010 I will make a comparison of the two.

I also hear good words about the Solarstorm X2 which is recommended a lot on mtbr and it is cheap as well but I don't like it's sharp edge a lot. With these Chinese lamps, although cheap its a bit of lucky draw game to be honest but for me the D009 was worth although I am not using it with its battery (magicshine connector).

I will see if I can take some pictures tomorrow in the garden.

Finally, you could always use two lights if you need more lumens and/or a headlamp in conjunction with the bar light(s).

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Oh yes! My next flashlight will be NW and I have two in mind! The Sunwayman EA4 equivalent and the FF4 HID!

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The Convoy S3 is a great bike light! Just got one in yesterday.

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For an extra 23$ go with the SKYRAY J58 4 x XM-L T6. I have the SKYRAY KUNG M4 4x CREE and it’s a looootttttt of light!!!

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/skyray-j58-xml-t6-led-bicycle-lightheadlight-steppless-brightness-control-18650-battery-pack-inlcuded-p-12224

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Have this for over a month now,
holding up pretty well :slight_smile:

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I commute home at night and bike to work about 100 days per year. I live in a city but some of my ride is on the MUP where it is dark. My typical speeds are 16-18 mph.

I prefer flashlights to dedicated bike lights that have wires and battery packs to deal with.

On the bars, I have a KD C8 (I got an XM-L C8 when they first came out). On the helmet I have a Shiningbeam S-mini R5 which I selected for the size and weight. This combination works for me.

It’s also cost effective, around $100 if you include batteries and charger.

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I have received my first xintd C8 from intl-outdoor.com and get a wide angle lens from ebay.
The C8 has 80+CRI led. Its noon now, I hope to test it this evening.

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I hope you like it, let us know your impressions. Pity you missed the 3 XML bike light offer from fasttech

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Maybe a little out of budget, but this one looks cheap and interesting. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cree-XML-T6-6-x-Led-8400-LM-Bicycle-Headlight-Flashlight-Lamp-6400mah-Battery-/321130036079?pt=AU_Cycling_New_&hash=item4ac4d77b6f

Maybe not hard driven because of heat, bus more leds means more efficiency.

The only reason I didn't bought this one yet is because it is going to interfere with my heart rate monitor (stops working) and speed meter show random values :/

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I find a Convoy S3 or S4 or S7 to be very nice for biking. Combine it with a ~$1.50 rubber+velcro bike light mount from DX, and it’s quite effective.

The S3 is probably the safest choice, since it has the widest spill. I like the beam on my S7 a bit better though because it has less of a spot+spill pattern and more of a diffuse gradient. However, it gets hot and the spill isn’t as wide and it can’t use protected batteries. The S4 should provide the nice beam of the S7 and the better heat management of the S3, but is still a relatively narrow spill and can’t use protected cells. Comes with a clip though, for easier carry while the bike is parked.

I suggest getting a 2100mA model and running it on medium power, or a 1050mA / 1400mA version on high. As for tint, I’m pretty happy with 3C.

My other favorite bike light is a Zebralight H51, worn on my head. It’s very handy being able to shine light wherever I’m looking, though that can be a little dangerous if you don’t also have a forward-facing light on the handlebars. I’ve run into things before because I was looking sideways and didn’t have any light going forward.

Be careful not to use anything too intense, if you’re biking near cars or other people. A lot of budget LED lights actually exceed the legal brightness limits for car headlights in my area, and could make drivers angry or catch the attention of the police. For example, a C8’s hotspot easily outshines a car, so be sure not to aim it directly at anyone. I tend to carry my XinTD C8 while biking, but only use it when I want to look at something far away.

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That is why I have purchased wide angle lens, it will distribute the hotspot,
Even my p60 light may annoy if aimed directly to people or cars.

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Here are the pictures of XinTD and wide angle lens.