Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by S on November 22, 2012 at 6:17am

There's a few lights that have shaped beams like with car headlights so that the beam shines downward and there's a sharp cutoff at the top so that the beam doesn't shine into faces of oncoming people.  I'm a bit surprised more lights don't do this but I guess the few dollars it takes to design and put in lenses into lights is too much for something that doesn't benefit the user directly.

KatieP said:

I love this discussion. I didn't even think about light angle before.

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Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on November 23, 2012 at 6:41am

I for one do not like removable lights, but also dislikes ones that are too big mounted on bikes.

So far, these have been my favorite, because they are attached to the handlebar and the seat post permanently.

http://bit.ly/WGIXTH

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on November 23, 2012 at 6:57am

Nice price!  And I assume the requirement of 6 AA batteries means three in each light?

Just Will said:

I for one do not like removable lights, but also dislikes ones that are too big mounted on bikes.

So far, these have been my favorite, because they are attached to the handlebar and the seat post permanently.

http://bit.ly/WGIXTH

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Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on November 23, 2012 at 7:20am

Yes, three in each.

Lisa Curcio said:

Nice price!  And I assume the requirement of 6 AA batteries means three in each light?

Just Will said:

I for one do not like removable lights, but also dislikes ones that are too big mounted on bikes.

So far, these have been my favorite, because they are attached to the handlebar and the seat post permanently.

http://bit.ly/WGIXTH

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Permalink Reply by Julie M. on November 23, 2012 at 7:45am

I have the reelights installed on my commuter bike (after reading the reviews on Amazon I purchased them at Roscoe Village and had them installed there).  I'd say they're good backup "be seen" lights but shouldn't be used for a primary light.  They're lower on the bike near the wheels so not as visible, and I don't feel they're that bright.  That being said, I run lights day and night on my bike and I like the fact that I don't have to worry about forgetting them/having them stolen. 

Anne Alt said:

Thanks for the reminder about the Get Lit commission link.  


I'd also be curious to hear about anyone's experiences with the Reelight.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on November 23, 2012 at 10:04am

Maybe I'll install my Reelights today...

As long as they're visible to someone 500 feet away, they meet Illinois and Chicago laws for biking at night. That should only be to your benefit if you get in a crash at night and the other party tries to make a claim that they didn't see you. 

Julie M. said:

I have the reelights installed on my commuter bike (after reading the reviews on Amazon I purchased them at Roscoe Village and had them installed there).  I'd say they're good backup "be seen" lights but shouldn't be used for a primary light.  They're lower on the bike near the wheels so not as visible, and I don't feel they're that bright.  That being said, I run lights day and night on my bike and I like the fact that I don't have to worry about forgetting them/having them stolen. 

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Permalink Reply by Zach Roberts on November 23, 2012 at 3:45pm

While we are discussing powerful lights, can we also discuss (ok, rant a bit) about the use of strobing, powerful lights on the LFP or other dark places.  The few times I have ridden the path at night the strobe of riders going the opposite direction, while certainly making them "visible", also has the wonderful side effect of blinding the oncoming traffic.  It makes me feel like Hit Girl is coming for me (WARNING: if you don't mind ridiculous violence, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbnqIIkXQc#t=02m00s).  

Because of the ambient light on normal city riding, or while driving, strobe is a great additional way for a rider to be visible.  However in dark situations the strobe can create more problems than it solves.  End rant.  

As for the current generation of lights, all I can say is wow LED's are getting crazy.  1000+ lumens is a ridiculous amount of light, which is nice but may be a bit overkill for your average rider.  For relative comparison, the modern 2 AA cell LED Mag Light claims 100 lumens.  A really powerful "tactical" or law enforcement style flashlight is in the range of 300-400 lumens.  A few years ago, 200 Lumens was the upper end of what a bicycle light would produce from the high end companies like Dinotte and Niterider.  Now, 300+ lumen lights are as cheap as 55$ (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=5368...).  I have a few year old PrincetonTec Eos which claims 80 lumens and works just fine for city riding.  I certainly don't feel invisible with it on high beam.  When it is dark enough that I need street illumination, it lights up the road about 15 feet in front of me well enough to see the next pothole, glass bottle, or other Chicago detritus.  More is always better, but this is good enough for my purposes.  Granted, at night, I am a much more conservative rider, and the same rule applies to riding as with cars, don't over shoot your range of visibility.

Lastly, I'll plug http://www.bikeglow.com/, in the name of enhancing your visibility to others around you.  I have a few of these and they work well, and some people enjoy a ride with a little bling.

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Permalink Reply by Sol on November 24, 2012 at 9:35pm

Here is a sexy bicycle headlight for just under $20--

http://www.tmart.com/Q5-3-Mode-LED-Bicycle-Headlight-with-Bracket-1...

It ships from a US warehouse and comes with a bike bracket (which rotates 360 degrees), an 18650 rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, a smart charger (which can also charge NiMh AA and AAA rechargeables, but only one at a time), and the flashlight itself which has high, low, and blinky modes.

What they don't show you or tell you on the web site is that the light is sexy. No seriously, the word "sexy" is printed on one side of the flashlight; the other side says "Cree" which is the brand of the LED emitter.

The light is bright enough to both see and be seen. I have had the light for over one year with no problems. Also, the Lithium Ion battery works very well during cold weather riding, unlike alkalines. For anyone who might order this light, the instructions are non-existent--VERY IMPORTANT--the positive side of the battery (the cathode) goes into the flashlight shaft first with the negative side (the anode) pointing toward the end cap. Reversing it can fry the LED emitter. The battery doesn't have much of a bump out on the positive side, but it is labelled as to which side is positive and which side in negative.

The same web site has a bunch of other very affordable bicycle lights and a few flashlight brackets as well. Happy cycling to all.

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