Budget LED light for commuting?

06-09.-2006, 04:00 PM	#1
rigel Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 4	Budget LED light for commuting? Can someone please recommend an inexpensive, compact LED bike light? My ride conditions are as follows - dusk to early evening (the ride home) - road commute on fairly well-lit streets with heavy to moderate traffic - occasional not-so-well-lit portions (but usually low traffic) - lots of potholes and generally bad road conditions in some sections My requirements for the light - LED - 1 watt output or less (but if you can recommend a budget light with >1W that would be great!) - if less than 1 watt, good brightness to power output ratio - compact - weather-proof (water-proof much better) - AA or AAA batteries (can take rechargeable NiMH) - inexpensive! (say $40 or less) I need something not so much to see but to be seen. Although I need something bright enough to help me avoid the occasional pothole and road debris I'm considering some Cateye models. For compactness (and it's waterproof to 50m!), the HL-EL410 is on top, but it may not be bright enough. The EL320 and EL520 have similar candlepower but the latter seems more compact. The EL530 has the highest output rating but looks bulky. The Topeak lights look interesting, but I don't like the fact they use hard-to-find batteries. I'm leaning towards Cateye since they're easy to find locally. I'd appreciate inputs on any of these lights if anybody here has any experience with them. I'd like to add that I've forgotten my high school physics, and so can't relate candlepower to lumens to watts and whatnot I'd appreciate input on this too. Different light manufacturers seem to use these units loosely, so I can't compare across brands.

06-09.-2006, 07:32 PM	#2
HowardSteele Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tokai,CAPE TOWN,SA Posts: 511	Re: Budget LED light for commuting? I use this light while ridding up mountain roads and between two of us we get by, in the suburbs with street lighting it’s more than adequate.at about R150/$20 very reasnable. http://www.s-sun.com.tw/p1.htm Attached Thumbnails

06-09.-2006, 09:56 PM	#3
stevebaby Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Craggy Island Posts: 2,825	Re: Budget LED light for commuting? The niteflux vector 5 LED front light is excellent.Similar to the one Howard has shown but with 5 LEDs.These lights are sold under a few names...mine are identical but sold as "Kathmandu" brand.They are made in China. They are much brighter than the Cateye and much cheaper (almost 1/2 the price of Cateye) so at the price you could afford 2 on the front.They pick up street signs at 100m or so and when set to flash mode the batteries last forever.They also take AAA batteries and even on constant mode will outlast anything else. I don't know which country you're in but these lights should be available everywhere. They're compact and look good too! http://www.cellbikes.com.au/product.php?id=223 Cell Bikes - Australian Bicycle Online Shop __________________ I'm Rooting for Chiara! Drink!Feck!Arrse!Girls! bastard

06-09.-2006, 10:46 PM	#4
HowardSteele Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tokai,CAPE TOWN,SA Posts: 511	Re: Budget LED light for commuting? check out this site for lights,they have the identical light I mentioned http://www.bikepartsusa.com/view.asp?f_c=Lights&cp=4 but named Pyrymid, METRO, Front, TOURCH-3 LED, Light Otherwise the site shows you about all the lights availible for bikes.

07-09.-2006, 04:59 AM	#5
Ellis456 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bexley, SE London, UK Posts: 8	Re: Budget LED light for commuting? If you live in the UK wilkinsons stores have them for £2.99 front and rear, really good quality to, they can flash, stay on or night rider mode.

07-09.-2006, 06:27 AM

stevebaby

Registered User