Bike lights to see the road ahead

Hello everyone,I did a quick search and didn't come up with what I needed.       I am looking for a bike light to be able to see ahead of me. As I ride on the lake bike path, I often times cannot see ahead of me. I have tried the typical lights and they only work a few feet ahead of me.    thank you for your help.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 8, 2013 at 5:02am

My newest bike has dynamo powered lights. 6V of power runs an excellent headlight and taillight that include a standlight feature.  (Lights stay on for a while after stopping to provide visibility at stoplights and stop signs.)  I spent the bucks for the good German ones - B&M Lumotec Lyt Senso Plus and the Braketec version of Topline Line Plus.  Not a cheap set-up, but it works VERY well - in providing good visibility AND lighting up the road surface.

The headlight is mounted just above the front fender and is bright enough to light up street signs and license plates a block away.  The senso feature means that when I go from a bright area into a dark one (under Loop El tracks or a viaduct), the lights come on automatically and turn off when I return to a bright area.  The Braketec feature means that when I'm braking or slowing down significantly, the rear light is brighter, as you would see with a car's brake light. Powering the hub does require a little extra work, but it's not bad considering the benefits - indefinite run time, no heavy batteries, etc..

S said:



Jeff Markus said:
The options for 10/20watt systems are out there all fairly pricey and in need of costly and weighty battery systems. Generator systems require making over 20 watts of power which is taxing on the rider...I haven't run the numbers but the additional load on yer legs would be truely a real load.

That's not quite accurate.  As a rough rule, it takes about 10 watts per mph that you're going.  So if you're going 15 mph on your bike, you're putting out 150 watts.  This is a rough estimate from the power meter readings on my race bike so it's quite possible that it takes more power on a bike where you are more upright or with wider, knobby tires.  So basically, I think 20 watts is a noticeable amount of effort but it's not superbad as things go.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on November 8, 2013 at 6:15am

I’ve become a big proponent for dynamo powered lights.

Unlike some of the high-powered lights mentioned here before (and that I used to prefer too), these lights put the light where you need it, i.e. straight ahead (for visibility) and on the road in front of you (to see obstacles). The high powered ones waste most of their light by throwing it up in the air.

As far as extra effort goes, that is is not a real concern. Your choice in tires has a much bigger impact on your speed than a dynamo powered light has. A low resistance tire can improve your speed by 20%. Dynamo powered lights reduce your speed by 1-2 %



Anne Alt said:

My newest bike has dynamo powered lights. 6V of power runs an excellent headlight and taillight that include a standlight feature.  (Lights stay on for a while after stopping to provide visibility at stoplights and stop signs.)  I spent the bucks for the good German ones - B&M Lumotec Lyt Senso Plus and the Braketec version of Topline Line Plus.  Not a cheap set-up, but it works VERY well - in providing good visibility AND lighting up the road surface.

The headlight is mounted just above the front fender and is bright enough to light up street signs and license plates a block away.  The senso feature means that when I go from a bright area into a dark one (under Loop El tracks or a viaduct), the lights come on automatically and turn off when I return to a bright area.  The Braketec feature means that when I'm braking or slowing down significantly, the rear light is brighter, as you would see with a car's brake light. Powering the hub does require a little extra work, but it's not bad considering the benefits - indefinite run time, no heavy batteries, etc..

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Permalink Reply by David P. on November 8, 2013 at 6:29am

This is a revival of a rather old thread, so I'm pretty sure Molly found what she was looking for by now, but I will still chime in to say that, while not the cheapest, the Phillips Saferide is by a good margin the best battery-powered light I've seen. It's bulky and not the prettiest thing to have on your handlebars, but man, is it good. One may still be able to pick one up on Amazon for $100 or so.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on November 8, 2013 at 6:36am

Are there any decent detachable dynamos out there?

Permalink Reply by Bob Huffman on November 8, 2013 at 1:01pm

You can get more light for your $ if you buy a flashlight and a bicycle mount.  Deal Extreme has hundreds of LED flashlights, many quite cheaply priced.  Shipping is free although it takes about 6 weeks to get here from Hong Kong.  I bought one a couple of years ago that performs well.  They claim 900 lumens.  Reviewers say they doubt that but agree it's very bright.  I can easily see 50 to 75 feet of road and reflective signs a block away.  The claimed run time is 1.5 hours and I think it's better than that.  Carry the extra battery and you're good for well over three hours in bright mode.  It also has a low mode and a flashing mode that is good for getting the attention of people ahead of you.

You MUST buy the batteries and charger too.  They are not sold here.  Look for battery 18650 and get one that has "smart" or "protective" charging.  It has circuitry built into the battery to prevent overcharging.  I paid about $40 total for the flashlight, two batteries, a charger and a bike mount.  Go to dx.com and look for 

SKU: 103738 for the flashlight, currently $15.50.

2 18650 batteries SKU 20392  currently $9.38

charger SKU 3499 currently $4.70  This works but takes a long time to charge the batteries, 8 to 12 hours.  There may be better ones available.

Bike mount SKU 15642  currently $2.79  This is a little too big for my flashlight - I had to put a rubber shim around the case to make it fit tight.  I used a piece of old inner tube.

Permalink Reply by Drewbacca on November 8, 2013 at 4:13pm

Question for those of you using a dynamo but also experience with the higher end usb-charged lights (or anyone else, for that matter)... What is the *right* amount of lumens to compliment the dynamo light? I've heard any thing above 300 would be distractive to drivers (and heavy to wear on a helmet). Is 150 lumens enough for an augmenting light, or would 300 be better? I'm thinking, unlit bike path in the dark @15mph...

Permalink Reply by David P. on November 8, 2013 at 5:17pm

Lumens? I have no idea. But my B&M IQ Cyo is gives me plenty of light where I need it to do 15+ on unlit paths in the dark. My Supernova E3 Triple vomits out tons of light everywhere, and puts enough of it on the road to allow me to do the same.  An IQ Cyo costs about a hunnert bucks retail, I think.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on November 8, 2013 at 5:19pm
A good dynamo light will take care of an unlit path at even +20mph. No need to augment or supplement. If you want to get an extra headlamp to read cue sheets or street lights, any camping light should do. I recommend petzle.
Permalink Reply by Drewbacca on November 9, 2013 at 6:08am

I have the B&M Lumotec LYT, but it's half the output of the Cyo... time for an upgrade, as the LYT is only good for street riding.

I still want a helmet light as well: for redundancy, so it turns with my head, for a blinker during the day, etc.

 
David P. said:

Lumens? I have no idea. But my B&M IQ Cyo is gives me plenty of light where I need it to do 15+ on unlit paths in the dark. My Supernova E3 Triple vomits out tons of light everywhere, and puts enough of it on the road to allow me to do the same.  An IQ Cyo costs about a hunnert bucks retail, I think.

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