Zebralight bike set up

[Mr Floppy]

I'm looking at having a Zebralight set up for my bike. This will comprise of 2 front lights and 1 rear.

The lights of choice are the H51w but I'm not sure as to what to do about the rear. H51r Frosted or not frosted for the rear? Should I just get the unfrosted and use a bit of frosted tape or something if I need to? Other than bike use, I don't really have any other use for a red light. Previous set up has been a Fenix MC10 on the rear with a red filter.

My trip isn't fast and is around 30 minutes but will a single H51w be enough? I've previously used a single Fenix L2D Q5 and that was ok.

Also, are the red and regular headbands the same?

 

[eh4]

Personally I'd go with a regular old red flasher for the back and save the bucks for the ZL lights in the front.
The red in the back (to be seen) doesn't need to be nearly as nice and bright as the lights in the front (to see)... That way you could get any ZL you wanted for each handle bar.
ZL are fantastic lights but your regular old red safety light will be visible from more angles than any ZL.

 

[Phireglass]

I just copped a magicshine MJ-818 and man its that thing BRIGHT, for a tail light i dont think you could go wrong with one of these, oh and the battery lasts forever

 

[Mr Floppy]

ZL are fantastic lights but your regular old red safety light will be visible from more angles than any ZL.

I was wondering about that but it's more to do with lighting up the road behind me or like someone else in this forum has done, lit up their backside. I did think about 2 reds just for visibility.

that thing BRIGHT, for a tail light i dont think you could go wrong with one of these

I do have a magicshine with the rear light but that's used for longer commutes and greater speeds.

 

[reppans]

What lumen level did you find acceptable with your previous Fenix? I ask because 1xAA is not a whole lot of juice for a 30 min ride if you need maximum.

Also I'd strongly advise using red in the back. I think numb drivers subconsciously steer to the right of white lights thinking its oncoming traffic.

Lastly have you considered 1 H600 instead of 2 H51s?

 

[reppans]

dupe.

 

[Mr Floppy]

What lumen level did you find acceptable with your previous Fenix? I ask because 1xAA is not a whole lot of juice for a 30 min ride if you need maximum.

The Q5 at the time was around 180 Lumens. That was at a time before ANSI ratings. 50 minutes for the ZL should get home no worries.

Also I'd strongly advise using red in the back. I think numb drivers subconsciously steer to the right of white lights thinking its oncoming traffic.

Yes that was always the plan. It's also the law here too.

Lastly have you considered 1 H600 instead of 2 H51s?

Yes but it was more to do with the spread of light, preference for AA's etc. The L2D has quite a large hot spot and it has worked well. If the zebralight is as large or larger, then that would be great. I'm thinking that a 1 metre hotspot at 6 metres is larger than the L2D but it might be a bit diffuse.

I'm also thinking that the 9 degree red is not enough to light up the sides so the flood version might be the go.

 

[bbb74]

If its for nighttime use, get the h51Fr. It might still be too bright though unless you diffuse it even some more. You don't want to make people behind you even angrier than they might already be

If you are going to stick with sc51's for the front, I wouldn't get the sc51w's. Not as bright, and the cold light helps you to stand out and be seen better against other lights/traffic vs the neutrals.

 

[Mr Floppy]

It might still be too bright though unless you diffuse it even some more. You don't want to make people behind you even angrier than they might already be

I don't mind it being bright at the back. When I'm driving and I have a bike in front of me, I would rather that than a bright white light in my rear vision mirror. Plus I'd rather other riders would have a solid red light rather flashing. Mind you, I don't ride with traffic that much, not a lot of straight roads and lots of turns and hills.

If you are going to stick with sc51's for the front, I wouldn't get the sc51w's. Not as bright, and the cold light helps you to stand out and be seen better against other lights/traffic vs the neutrals.

That is a good point. I was thinking that the neutrals would help a little with pot holes and the like. The L2D can wash the shadows a bit so you can hit obstacles at the last moment. It doesn't have the short distance spill that I think could be helpful. Could be good to combine the H502w and H51w together, with the H502 directed towards the front wheel.

 

[finn]

That's really the opposite of what is desirable. It doesn't take many lumens before the driver averts his eyes, or worse, looks away and veers towards you with mothlike instinct. Also, a solid light is not nearly as noticeable as a blinking light. On a bike, the sweet spot is to be dim enough for drivers to keep their eyes on you as they pass, yet annoying enough that you're impossible to miss. Dinottes are shunned by most bikers for being dangerously bright in this way when used at night. It could probably be used safely with a secondary diffuser like bbb74 suggests.

I don't mind it being bright at the back. When I'm driving and I have a bike in front of me, I would rather that than a bright white light in my rear vision mirror. Plus I'd rather other riders would have a solid red light rather flashing. Mind you, I don't ride with traffic that much, not a lot of straight roads and lots of turns and hills.

 

[srfreddy]

"mothlike instinct"? I hardly think that a driver will instinctually drive towards any red lights on the road, or else the accident rates might be a tiny bit higher than they are.

 

[bbb74]

Lets just say I tried a H51r out one night, without diffusing it, and before testing it out on myself, and I had more drivers doing more stupid/aggressive overtakes than I've ever had in a single trip. When I got home I tried it out on myself and realised why... While nothing excuses risking my life, I can understand their reaction. It would need a *lot* of diffusion to be "safe".

 

[Mr Floppy]

"mothlike instinct"? I hardly think that a driver will instinctually drive towards any red lights on the road, or else the accident rates might be a tiny bit higher than they are.

That explains why my car gets rammed every time I brake my car!

Ok, looks like I'll go for the H51Fr then. I have to say, even when I used the tail light from the magicshine, I never really experienced any different behavior from drivers when compared to the cateye. What is noticeable is that drivers don't like the dual magicshine white light heading towards them.

H51w and H51Fr on my compact fold up bike

 

[lampeDépêche]

I think there is a big difference between what is appropriate and effective for day-time usage and for night-time usage.

During the day, esp. on sunny days, I don't think you can get too much light on a bike. My experience has been that a couple of bright red lights on the rear--and I have both the H51r and a Quark RBG--give cars plenty of warning, and cause them to give me a wide berth.

My wife also had this experience--she is very timid about traffic, but after I put a Portland Designs "Danger Zone" blinky on her rear rack (it has 2 1/2 watt red leds, I don't know their lumen rating), she said that she could not believe how much more room the cars gave her, and how much more comfortable she felt.

Night-time, it's a different game. You can definitely put out too much light. And I think pretty much all strobes are bad news, except maybe a very gentle flicker somewhere in addition to some solid lights. But with the H51r, you can turn it down!! Choose an output level for night that is dimmer than for day. It's courteous, and it's probably safer, too.

It probably also makes a difference whether you are biking in an urban or rural environment. One of the things I need to think about are cars coming up behind me on a country road doing 100km/h. If I can get them to see me 500 meters back, then that's really valuable. That's part of why I like to run with the H51r on full strobe, without any diffusion, during the day time. It lets them become aware of me that much further back.

 

[DIΩDΣ]

I went with the PDW Danger Zone myself. I dont bike much alot at night though, but I have used it alot while jogging at night, it clips onto the back of my zebralight headband - H51w out front and the Danger Zone covering the rear. Only thing I have found is the PDW DZ has a very narrow viewing angle. Not very good for anything that isnt directly back from you. And in the case of me using it on a headband jogging, I have to line it up in the mirror when I put it on and not mess with the headband during the run. and remember to look a certain way when I hear a car comming so I know its shining strait back. Thinking an H51fr might have wider angle, but a lot more expensive and not as catchy of a strobe.

That explains why my car gets rammed every time I brake my car!

Ok, looks like I'll go for the H51Fr then. I have to say, even when I used the tail light from the magicshine, I never really experienced any different behavior from drivers when compared to the cateye. What is noticeable is that drivers don't like the dual magicshine white light heading towards them.

H51w and H51Fr on my compact fold up bike

I think its more to do with drunks... they tend to go towards the things they are trying to avoid. Especially mezmorizing strobes. Watch those 'most shocking police videos' or whatever they are called and in almost every case of a vehicle veering off the road into a police car that has someone else pulled over the guy is intoxicated.

 

[bbb74]

Thinking an H51fr might have wider angle, but a lot more expensive and not as catchy of a strobe.

You know there is a 4 hertz strobe mode on the h51's right? Just checking.

 

[curry__muncha]

Would anybody be able to get a side beam shot of the H51Fr for me?

 

[Bolster]

I think its more to do with drunks... they tend to go towards the things they are trying to avoid.

That's known as "Ironic Process of Control." Happens to me when I'm riding my mtn bike. Run straight into the rock I'm trying to avoid. Without the help of alcohol, even.

 

[DIΩDΣ]

You know there is a 4 hertz strobe mode on the h51's right? Just checking.

Yeah, which isnt very catchy. The PDW Danger Zone has a very random slow-quick alternating between two led strobe. I think the ZL steady strobe would suffice however.

LOL @ Bolster. Sounds about like the time I accidentally fell a ways down a ravine just stopping my bike and getting off it.

 

[tobrien]

get the H51r or H31r. if you decide you want a frosted lens, there are quite a few guys selling diffuser film in the Marketplace so you can add that on yourself and remove it easily (and place the disc of film in the battery tube) when you don't need it

that's what i plan on doing