Which rechargable bike light(s) please?

[AuraTodd]

I hope this is the right forum.

I am after some rechargeable lights but I am not sure which one’s to go for. Have been to my local bike shop and seen Moon XP500 at 500 lumins which includes the back light as well. Price for this is £85 which is in a sale reduced from £160 I think)

[url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00APFUPZA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=SZ5DJWHXE28B&coliid=I2PX8TNZWO69XM&psc=1
[/url]

I have also seen One23 Extreme Bright 1000, Front Light in a Weymouth bike shop at 1000 lumens max output £79.99 (for front light).

[url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008XH6S4O/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=SZ5DJWHXE28B&coliid=I3PVB0N976ZKV7&psc=1
[/url]

Would like lights for cycling round town and unlit country roads. Can you advise me which of the two listed above I should go for?

Many thanks.

[Robzere31]

I use the following

Cateye Volt 400
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-volt-400-rc-front-light/

Cateye Smart Lunar R2
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... 9000000000

I can recommend them both, the Volt comes in various guises, from 100 lumens right up to 1200, I find the 400 fine for night riding on country lanes at 20-30 mph

[freeflow]

The considered response would be neither as they don't have a suitably shaped beam. I say this as a recent convert to shaped beams having previously used the megabright (1000+lumen chinese cree lighting sets). You need to look for lights that comply with german stvzo regulations. The advantage of shaped beams is that they put the light on the road where it is needed. My main reason for changing was that I got fed up of light reflected back at me from other peoples high visibility tops. The other advantage I found with shaped beams is that they are a lot wider so that I no longer need a light strapped to my helmet for going around sharp bends.

Examples would be a light with replaceable AA batteries (but which can be charged in situ)

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s38p2028

With built in Lithium battery

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s38p3197

Looking on german web sites will likely find you a cheaper price.

An alternative, which doesn't have as good a shaped beam as the above is the Fenix BC30 which has some popularity in the Audax world.

http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/Shop/Fenix- ... Light.html

[gaz]

Lighting is an annual discussion on the forum, you'll find one of last winter's here.

Personally for on-road riding I'd look for a front light that meets German StVZO regulations (bearing a "K" mark) and a rear light marked to BS6102/3 (or a "K" mark).

[Samuel D]

I wish bicycle lights were regulated a bit more tightly in the UK and France. The Chinese stuff and many other lights would be outright banned if I had my way.

For a battery light with a proper shaped beam, consider the Philips SafeRide LED Bike Light (80-lux model if there are multiple options). Expensive and not available everywhere but very impressive. It uses rechargeable AA batteries but you can recharge them in the light via USB.

[TrevA]

I have both Phillips Saferide and B&M Ixon IQ. Both good for country lane riding, but both quite big and heavy. I've recently bought a Volt 400 and I've not used it on a dark country lane yet, but it gives out a decent amount of light and is much smaller and lighter than either the Saferide or the Ixon. I paid £54 for the Volt.

Phillips have stopped making the Saferide so you might have trouble getting hold of one.

[g.meredith]

Lighting is an annual discussion on the forum, you'll find one of last winter's here.

Personally for on-road riding I'd look for a front light that meets German StVZO regulations (bearing a "K" mark) and a rear light marked to BS6102/3 (or a "K" mark).

The K mark can save you a lot of trouble should you ever end up in court seeking compensation, following an accident. There is no point in buying illegal lights.

[AuraTodd]

There is no point in buying illegal lights.

Stohenge cycles in Salisbury wouldn't do that would they?

[IanW]

There is no point in buying illegal lights.

The use of the word "illegal" is probably a slight misnomer.
It probably ought to be "non-legally-compliant lights"
as in they do not meet the road vehicle lighting requirements (RVLR) legislation.

Stohenge cycles in Salisbury wouldn't do that would they?

It is quite possible that none of the lights that they sell meet the RVLR
unless they happen to sell some lights that meet the German StVZO regulations (see references to "K" mark)
which would then meet UK RVLR requirement under European standards equivalence clause.

It is getting very difficult to find any lights that are actually certified as meeting the BS6102-3.

But almost any working bicycle light, even a non-legally-compliant one is better than no light or a non-working light.

[gaz]

The legal requirements for UK cycle lighting are summarised here.

Many of the lights on sale in UK LBS / on-line do not meet the legislative requirements for use as the only front / rear light on a cycle ridden on a UK road at night. That does not make their sale illegal. They can be sold for many legal uses including off-road / daytime / secondary lights to accompany an approved set, etc. They would be illegal if they dazzle other road users in such use.

More about dazzle here.

Edit: Better version of the info in the dazzle link here

[Bmblbzzz]

I think just about light will satisfy RVLR, what is very hard to find is lights that meet the relevant BS6210 (I think that's the number) or equivalent EU standard.

[edocaster]

I do find it funny that almost any lighting thread here will immediately turn into a list of K marks and obscure regulations which either prove impossible to adhere to the letter, or are observed by less than 0.1% of the cycling population. Yet just a couple of threads around the corner you'll have people advocating lying about the carrying of knives or trespassing to illegally camp on someone else's land.

[Samuel D]

I suppose that’s because carrying a knife harms no-one unless the carrier actually intends to do harm with it. Likewise, camping on someone’s land may be against the law, but the camper doesn’t think it harms anyone (and in most cases it doesn’t).

On the other hand, lights without a properly shaped beam harm every other road user, waste power (usually battery, since dynamo lights are often better designed), and don’t put the light where you need it to see and be seen (the latter especially important with rear lights, which are also badly designed more often than not).

So the German regulations are interesting not just for legal purposes but for simply discovering which lights are any good!

[John_S]

Hi AuraTodd,

With respect to the lights that you where will you be using them, for example in well lit urban areas or unlit rural roads? Also what do you want from the lights that you're looking to buy now for example are you looking for something to see with or to be seen?

I've not tested loads of lights but as a light to see with I have the Trelock LS 950

https://www.trelock.de/web/en/produkte/fahrrad-beleuchtung/batterie-frontscheinwerfer/8002095_LS_950_ION.php

http://road.cc/content/review/47688-trelock-ls-950-ecopower-control-front-light

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/accessories/lights/front/product/review-trelock-ls950-ion-front-light-46774/

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/trelock-ls-950-control-ion-battery-front-light/aid:470889

The light works well and it lasts a long time between charges. The negative thing about it is the quality of the mounting bracket is in my opinion poor but then it's not fallen off my bike so I suppose it does the job but the bracket just doesn't feel very sturdy.

If you're after a light to be seen with then the lights from this company, who I think are based in Northern Ireland, do a good job.

http://seesense.co

I'm sure that there's already loads of advise on this forum about lights, such as from the link posted above, from people have way more knowledge than me and have also tried more lights than me but I just thought I'd mention the ones that I have used and have been impressed with.

Good luck finding the right ones for you.

John

[rualexander]

Good lights at great price at the moment from Rose in Germany, postage adds an extra £7.60.
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/axa- ... aid:745917