Best bike light for the money?

[jawnn]

what is the best light for the money? this must have been asked before, but they change every year.....

some one suggested that I get a Nite Rider Minute USB.... I need a lot of light but I refuse to spend over $175

 

[Eamon]

To paraphrase a truly good engineer:

Throw-weight
RunTime
Price

Pick any two.

Eamon

 

[jam]

What do you mean by "best"? And what sort of riding are you talking about- commuting, road, mountain? The lighting requirements are different for each.

If you want cheapest, then buying a couple of DX flashlights, hacking them in half and rigging them up to a NiMH AA pack would be cheapest.

If you want lots of light and convenience, the cheaper Ayup kit would be worth a look.

 

[michaelmuller]

The best bike light has to be something green, and do nothing harm to the enviroment, Batteries for me is somehting that I don't want

 

[jawnn]

generators or what?

I would realy like to find an afordable generator (regulated) that will run an LED light but it should produce 250 lumins or more.

I commute and need 3 hours or more.

 

[rideandshoot]

How much run time do you need?

I really like 18650 powered flashlights. Batteries are cheap and there is no battery pack to mount.

Trustfire 2500 MA batteries $10/pair
DX charger for the same $12

Cheapest...

Dual Trustfire 801 single mode $18 each. Mine is reliable once I cleaned it up. 150 lumens each my estimate

Most Reliable...
Dual Jet III Pro with OP reflector... $66 each with CPF discount

Best light... MTE SSC P7. $38 but only 45 min on high. Med is plenty bright though probably close to 250 Lumens IMO. If you are riding in the rough this one tends to be finicky (see my recent post)

 

[Eamon]

250+ lumens
3hrs runtime
preferably dynamo-driven
under 175$

I suggest you start playing the used market, or start building something.

I know of two production lights that evolve over 250lm from a dynamo, and they're priced at 200$ and 300$ respectively (roughly). Although, one of the BUMM IQ lights might do for you. The IQ beam control compensates for a lower total throw-weight.

A new shimano dynamo wheel is going to run you over 200$. A sidewall dynamo can be had as low as 60$.

Eamon

 

[yellow]

Dynamo driven:
HOMEMADE light, there is on other possibility. Ideally with three individual led

high budget:
Lupine Tesla

"higher" budget and builder:
Lupine Tesla head + homemade Li-Ion pack

budget and heavy builder:
any 3-/ 4-Led or MC-E or P7 light from Dealextreme or Kaidomain, or ..., used just the head and with homemade Li-Ion batt pack.
If ever something of the cheap components fails: remove it with a good one (refers to driver or led or soldering)

budget and starting builder and flashlight user / backpacker:
any good actual led light (means Fenix, Jetbeam, ...) with the battery setup You like + homemade light holder for bars
example:

budget:
Sigma Powerled black, or
Sigma Karma

feeling to be the lucky guy:
same as budget, starting builder / backpacker but using a ceapo light from DX.
Maybe the one ordered survives


imho: the best and cheapest is homemade with using an existing flashlights head,
the most useful is starting builder + backpacker, because one gets a light that is enough for trail riding and also has a nice flashlight for other things than biking.
That is my setup for nightrides (very rough or unknown terrain: add a headlamp)
With a spare set of batts, 4 hours of full power light. Still smaller and lighter than any other setup. Less bright than powered light (Tesla), but brighter than three-led w. dynamo.

 

[jankj]

budget and starting builder and flashlight user / backpacker:
any good actual led light (means Fenix, Jetbeam, ...) with the battery setup You like + homemade light holder for bars
example:

Let me paraphrase this: If you don't want to build your own, the twofish lockblock works just great!

the most useful is starting builder + backpacker, because one gets a light that is enough for trail riding and also has a nice flashlight for other things than biking.
That is my setup for nightrides (very rough or unknown terrain: add a headlamp)

+1 for that! At dark trails I use a fenix L1D on the bar and a L2D on the helmet. Works for me and my kind of ride. In traffic I supplement with a blinkie because the L1D/L2D is too narrow for a "be seen" light, IMO.

 

[jawnn]

batterys in paralel

I need a p7 flash light or equivelent that uses 3 or 4 of the 18650 batterys in parralel to realy get more run time.
But where can I get one?:candle:

 

[yellow]

have You seen this:

budget and heavy builder:
any 3-/ 4-Led or MC-E or P7 light from Dealextreme or Kaidomain, or ..., used just the head and with homemade Li-Ion batt pack.
If ever something of the cheap components fails: remove it with a good one (refers to driver or led or soldering)

Get any 2*18650 P7 or MC-E light from DX,
use just the head of it,
mount a back plate that features connections to driver, a switch and connector for wire to battery
and drive the whole thing by a 7.2 V Li-Ion Camcorder pack (like BP945)

there is no cheaper way to come to an extremely good bike light


(if You want "the best", then change driver with one that is "better". Like the models from Sandwich Shoppe or Taskled, or ... Same for led and possibly reflector/Optic. But for starting, it should work just as is)


PS, to Your question: there is no such light, but You could use Your single cell light and add wires to an external batt pack, like in the mod above

 

[rayman]

Best bikelight for me :

Maglite P7 bikelight

Isn't finished yet waiting on a PWM-dimmer so I can also use it in the streets :huh:.

rayman

 

[Ryan7257]

Bump for continued opinions.

Cheap is good.
18650 batteries - ?
charger - ?
One light for helmet mount - ?
One light for handlebar mount - ?

 

[Offroad'Bent]

what is the best light for the money? this must have been asked before, but they change every year.....

some one suggested that I get a Nite Rider Minute USB.... I need a lot of light but I refuse to spend over $175

Do check out the bike lights database:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176131

 

[jawnn]

well I think I should give up this insane idea....I can't understand most of what the advice is and can't order anything from china.

I would love to get a couple of lamps from Shining beam.com (not so good?) or better???

And use the defuser lens that has to come from China? http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1918
(wish I could find one in amerika.)

Is there not a good long running tourch I can order inside usa? And that has a defuser lens?

 

[Ziemas]

well I think I should give up this insane idea....I can't understand most of what the advice is and can't order anything from china.

I would love to get a couple of lamps from Shining beam.com (not so good?) or better???

And use the defuser lens that has to come from China? http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1918
(wish I could find one in amerika.)

Is there not a good long running tourch I can order inside usa? And that has a defuser lens?

Why can't you order from China? Dx and the like ship worldwide.