Fenix EO1 As Bikelight?

RemcoM

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Hi all,

I really want my Fenix EO1 with 13 lumens on my bicycle as a bikelight,

Is that a good idea, or not?

I want a good light on my bicycle.

Is it an idea?

Remco
 

RedForest UK

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It'll be way too dim for actually lighting the way, certainly not a primary bike light. If your only aim is to be seen by other traffic though in an already well-lit area then it could do a job.

You really need 200 lumens plus though for decent lighting on a bike.
 

reppans

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If you're riding in a rural area with little artificial light pollution (including on-coming cars), you could get by with your night vision &13 lms at slower paces. I usually use my 1xAA EDC at 20 lumens for the flats and uphills (<13 mph), but switch up to 75+ lms for the faster downhill runs. That said, I'm the low lumen junkie around here.
 

Al Thumbs

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Hi all,

I really want my Fenix EO1 with 13 lumens on my bicycle as a bikelight,

Is that a good idea, or not?

I want a good light on my bicycle.

Is it an idea?
Remco

It is an idea. A bad idea.
 

tam17

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If you want a good bike light, it is best to buy a purpose-built one. Some hand-held flashlights on a handlebar mount might also work, but be aware of glare issue (possible blinding the oncoming drivers/riders).

As reppans said, 13 lumens might be enough for low or zero ambient light conditions, but E01's range is severely limited and you'd need more lumens with correct beam pattern for any faster riding.

So, there are better options.
 

N_N_R

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Lol, no, it's too.... close-range flashlight to do the job. It would be good if... you maybe pushed your bike in complete darkness, but otherwise.. at higher speed the light would be way too insufficient and you'd just end up breaking your neck..


P.S. sorry, it seems I just repeated what the person above me said, I just hadn't read the responses before mine.
 

RemcoM

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Thank you for all your help.

So, its not a good idea to use the fenix EO1 as bicyclelight?
 

nbp

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It simply is not bright enough to use safely in that capacity. It's perfect for rummaging around in a dark closet or navigating a campsite or something, but you will not be pleased with its performance as a bike light.
 

Mr Floppy

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So, its not a good idea to use the fenix EO1 as bicyclelight?

no but it hasn't stopped some people from using something dimmer than an E01 as a bike light in my part of town. As a driver on busy cycle roads, more light is better, and no flashing, thank you
 

NorthernStar

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Your Fenix light is to weak to be used as a bike light,both because of you are not being seen and that you will have a very limited light in front of you when riding. The faster you are riding your bike,the more powerful and wider beam you need. I have been experimenting with small lights using them on my bike and got mixed result. The best result i´ve got so far is attaching a Sunwayman R10A running it on a 14500 battery. Then it got 200 lumens effect and works quite well.

r10a012_zpsd6a50c40.jpg


However i have to recharge it several times a week since the burntime is short.To the winter i have been thinking of getting a real bikelight.


Xtarbike2_zps5c4470a5.jpg

I was thinking about the Xtar BK12 wich is a real bikelight.

I have not seen any reviews of this light yet,but i think this light has a good combination of both output and a good price.At medium output one can get 200 lumens up to 8 hours.The light is powered by a 18650 battery.
xtarbike_zps3f43840d.jpg


If you are searching for a real bike light,then a light like this might bee what you are looking for. Are you limited to specific types of batteries, or are 18650 batteries fine with you?
 

Etsu

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13 lumens will certainly get you laughed at nowadays. But in my youth, a 13 lumen bike light was pretty standard. Expensive lights were brighter, but your typical 2D incandescent light was about that bright. Probably a lot dimmer by the time the alkaline batteries were half-drained.

So, unlike everyone else on this thread, I say, yes, you could use an E01 as a bike light. It would be functional, but there are much better options for bike lights now, just by picking up a cheap bike light at a department store.
 

Chodes

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13 lumens will certainly get you laughed at nowadays. But in my youth, a 13 lumen bike light was pretty standard. Expensive lights were brighter, but your typical 2D incandescent light was about that bright. Probably a lot dimmer by the time the alkaline batteries were half-drained.

So, unlike everyone else on this thread, I say, yes, you could use an E01 as a bike light. It would be functional, but there are much better options for bike lights now, just by picking up a cheap bike light at a department store.

The op says he wants a "good light"
Would you rate your youth bike light as good?

I belive you already answered with "there are much better options" ie, Fenix E01 would not be classed as "good"

To the OP - 100% of responses say no. (excluding the response from self confessed " low junkie" )
 

Etsu

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Would you rate your youth bike light as good?

It's all relative, that's all I'm saying. Yes, in my youth, my ~13 lumen bike light was quite good. Just as good as what most other people used.

There's much better options today, for sure. But that doesn't make something that was quite adequate before, suddenly useless.

Everyone loves playing the lumen game, now. But sometimes, what used to be good is still good. You just won't be the envy of the Jones' family that uses 500 lumen lights.

There's also something to be said for using only enough light as you need. One of the problems I face is when I'm out walking (or sometimes biking), I start out on a low-light setting. Every time I hear a noise or want to see something more clearly, I turn up the light a notch to check it out. Then my eyes lose some dark-adaptation, and my new baseline setting for my light is brighter. Eventually, my flashlight is turned up many times brighter than I started with, but I'm not seeing any better with it.

In a dark area with dark-adapted eyes, 13 lumens is actually quite bright. In an area that isn't very dark (suburbs or city), you don't need any light at all, so a bike light is only used as a location device anyway.

Given a choice, I'd take a 500 lumen light over a 13 lumen light, for sure. I'm just not convinced it would allow me to see that much better.
 

Chodes

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I hear you Etsu.
I tend to try to specifically answer OP's question, and he used "good"

IMHO, for bike light, I think 100 Lumens or so would be a reaonable starting point.
Anything less I would consider inadequate (for any "normal" bike situation I can imagine)
 

RemcoM

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I have ordered, and received the Fenix BT20, with 750 Lumens, And i can tell you, thats crazy bright, WOW!! UNBELIEVEABLE! Like a carheadlight. Just have it on. But tonight, i go test it on my bicycle, and it must be crazy bright.

So, the Fenix EO1 is dim for a bikelight, so i ordered the 750 lumen version of Fenixbikelight.
Im very happy now.

Remco
 

Alexr1946

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Excellent choice, RemcoM...
I'm also looking for a good light for my bike, and based on your post, I think that I'm going to order a BT20 too.
Have you checked its battery duration on high mode...? I've read that it lasts about 4 hours.
Thanks, and congrats for your adquisition !!! :twothumbs
 

Etsu

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I can just imagine a future thread in 10 or 20 years, asking whether it's okay to use a BT20 at only 750 lumens as a bike light. :)
 

RemcoM

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Now i have my fenix EO1, 18 lumens, 20 meters beam distance, and a 40 lumen , 70 meters beamdistance flashlight mounted on my bike, and i still get reactions of oncomming drivers, that my lights are to bright.

Why is that?
 

martinaee

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What do you mean by "reactions"? That's not that bright at all as long as you have them aimed more or less towards the ground five to 25 feet in front of you.

And I'm not trying to be a douche, but aren't you the one who was wondering if your TK75 was bright enough? LOL. If you are willing to spend 250 on a light I'd suggest getting something like a Fenix LD22. You can have between about 5-215 lumens that way and adjust it depending on how loud people are yelling at you. :devil:

Seriously though. As a driver I'd much rather have a biker using at least 200 lumens for their front light during the night with the hotspot aimed about 20 feet in front of them. That way you get spill that allows them to be seen in the sillouette and as a driver you can quickly tell that a biker is there. Be sure to have a good rear red light *blinky* as well.

As far as the E01's--- I'd say it is a possible way to go if you are casually riding if you use maybe 6 of them. You could have three on each handlebar with the inner most two facing more downwards than the others so that you get illumination directly in front of you and further ahead as well. If somebody wants to donate 8 of them to me (maybe all in gold?) I'd definitely figure out some sort of setup and post the results here on wonderful CPF. It would be a pretty dang semi-floody purple mess, but it would get you noticed and from point a to point b on your bike.

Edit: I can see how a driver could be annoyed by a high intensity light like the ones we yammer about here, but it makes them aware you are there which is much better than not having them aware you are there at all on a bike and then having something very bad happen.

2nd Edit: Personally this summer I've been using a TK11 R5 as a bike light with a velcro strap handle-bar block. I'm going to get one of the newer Fenix light bike mounts. I got one of those for my dad along with a Fenix E25 and he's been loving it. He was blown away how well the night was lit up with the E25. ---- Speaking of which the E25 might be a cheaper and just as good alternative to the Fenix LD22. They have more or less the same max output (180 vs 215 which is not that perceptibly different).
 
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