Twofish block, G2 and what drop-in for bike light?

[BigBluefish]

I'm an absolute, complete noobie to bike lights.

My wife recently got me a bike. I guess it's a mountan bike, or hybrid. Honestly I haven't ridden a bike since I was just out of college and that was an old Rampar ten-speed road bike. This thing is a Raleigh (didn't they also make Rampar back in the day?) has something like 20 gears, two sets of tires, one for street riding and I guess one for off-road, and looks pretty sturdy. Which is good, 'cause I'm 6'3" and 230 lbs.

I thought I'd like to ride this around the neighborhoods on the roads in the evenings after work, and maybe down several paved biking trails as well, after dark. Though there's probably some ordinance around here that says i'm not supposed to do that.

So I'll need a light for the front. I was thinking a SureFire G2 would work OK.

My questions: can I use one of those Twofish mounts sold by 4Sevens with the G2?

What type of LED drop-in should I get. I was thinking perhaps a Malkoff M60LF or M60LL, as much becasue they are on sale now, as for the longer runtimes over the reguar M60s. But I'm not sure what beam profile I shoudl get, or what lumens level is really appropriate for a bike light, given that the light should keep me from running to things I can't see, and also keep people from running into ME. Flood, throw? 60 lumens? 100 lumens? 500 lumens?

With that in mind, I guess I should some of red light on the back of the bike. Any suggestions?

 

[idlejam]

Well I'm not sure about the LED drop-in to use, but as far as the Twofish parts, I've got a couple and have been very happy with them.

I use mine with either a Romisen RC-N3, or 4sevens Quark R2, and it works beautifully. The rubber blocks are pretty flexible, so you shouldn't have any problem fitting the G2 into it.

 

[carrot]

I think the M60LF would do well for you.

And yes the Twofish will work on the G2.

 

[peak_oil]

I'm just getting the same setup as you. Can you guys recommend a couple lights for me? I want to get three of these brackets. One for a light that's all throw, one that's all flood, and one in the middle. The flood is going to illuminate a spot about six feet in front of me in strobe mode. That is to alert drivers to my position, not to light my path. I might want to put a blue filter on it to soften it a little... maybe not. The throw light will be mounted on the handlebars, and the one in the middle also on the handlebars. The middle light reaches out to about 20 meters or so, and the long throw is almost totally straight ahead. There is some danger of running into deer out where I am and I want the earliest notice possible.

Because my commute is over a low mountain range, I have a 3000 foot climb early in the ride. The 3000 foot descent is going to be a very high-speed run, I want to see what's coming a long way off down that hill. On the way home, the lighting aspect is going to be critical for safety. It's a big deal. I am prepared to spend money on this, but I'd like to choose off the cheap lights list if they will do the job.

I'll buy any set of rechargeable batteries so it doesn't matter if it's a creek 123 or whatever, I'll do it. Of course, it would be nice to use a 3xAAA so I can use my Eneloops, but whatever.

Right now I have one of the amazingly bright Husky lights and I kind of want to use that for the long throw light. That thing sends a beam.

For the all flood, I have a little 1xAAA Fenix E03 that would be perfect if it flashed... but it doesn't. I DO have a couple of little 2xaa Maglites with the drop-in triple LED and a tailcap that flashes... is that a good idea? Now that I think about it, I could get a fourth mount point and use one of the Maglites on the frame in the back, illuminating with a strobe pointing down past the back axle to the ground behind the bike. That would alert drivers to my position without the strobe messing with my night vision.

And I have absolutely no idea for the mid-range light.

For runtimes, I want four hours. If I use the Husky light, that means I have to carry four sets of D-size batteries, or use the AA Eneloops with spacers for the D-size. What would I need, five or six sets of AAs for the Husky light?

 

[yellow]

both askers:
18650 light and probably one spare cell --> 5-6 hours with ease
MUCH better than any 3*AAA, or 2*AA version

cheap but working options:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450, or
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450, or
the insert: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32953

bar holder:
I dont think twofish' and similar are any good - the can not be tilded sideways, so when the part of Your bars, where You mount the holder, is not perfectly 90 deg. to the direction You drive, the light points somewehre else.

Therefore: cheap bar holder (for light lights): http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24355
(to be on the safe side, use an additional rubber band: over body at front, down under bars, over body at end)