Associate
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 1,225
Hi guys. Do you own a front road bike light to view dark unlit roads which you are happy with and can wholeheartedly recommend?
Front Road Bike Light
- Thread starter maklabouhlel
- Start date
Man of Honour
Bought this Smart 700 about 3 weeks ago and I'm very happy.
After I bought it I found out that a lot of my (more serious) road cycling mates use the same one.
After I bought it I found out that a lot of my (more serious) road cycling mates use the same one.
Cateye Volt series are recommended, Leyzene as well. I run a Moon Xp780 superceded now by some other model. Plenty enough light for road use in fact more than enough even on medium power. All those chinese cree front ights purporting to have a gazzilion lumens are bright alright but blind every other f....r on the road and generally are of crap quality as well, been there and have the t shirt.
Man of Honour
Apparently the one above isn't a Chinese LED.
The Smart 700 is way brighter than my Chinese 2000 and somebody said in another thread that UK ones do have the proper power put on them.
The old moto you pay cheap you pay twice, certainly my experience with the chinese lights. However others will say different which is also fine. Don`t think you need anything stupidly bright for even dark country lanes, ruins your own night vision anyway.
Man of Honour
Here in Stoke I have lots of incidents with cars taking no notice of me with my normal Cateye light.
Since I've had the Smart 700 above I've noticed a difference already with how I'm treated.
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Oct 2006
- Posts
- 3,615
TBH you are probably blinding the driver to the point they can barely see anything. This is very common on my commute into Edinburgh just now with a large number of cyclists using head torches and miss angled bar lights, it is like a car driving towards you with the high beams on. (I am a keen cyclist and also commute but I make sure my lights are at a suitable angle)
Man of Honour
You know what? I really don't care, they can now see I'm on the road where before with my Cateye they would just pull out or in front of me as though I wasn't there.
To be honest it would not matter a jot how visible you are there are poor drivers on the road end off but there are also some right numpty cyclists, just glad I don`t cycle in city centres !
So what route you taking into town, normally I come in from Fife but thats off limits till new year, champin at the bit get out on my bike at the moment.
Soldato
I do try my best not to blind drivers with my Cree (angled down, different lens fitted) but let's face it, the majority of new cars come with ludicrously blinding HID lights fitted as standard that are seemingly legal. A 4x4 behind you on the motorway at night usually makes your wing mirrors useless. In the face of that I'm not that bothered if drivers find the glare a bit much.
Man of Honour
I agree but I've already noticed a difference in how I'm treated.
Of course I know that it could just be different drivers in these black spots but I feel safer.
I'm still riding as though they are all out to kill me though.
I have always found exposure lights to be great, they're a little expensive but good quality and reliable. I have some ayup lights that go on my helmet for spot lighting but I don't always wear these as it's hassle compared to the all in one bar light
Man of Honour
This is pretty much my approach. I've taken to shouting at cyclists on the floop that angle their blinding lights upwards though...
Soldato
There have been way too many cyclists with blinding light lately! Saw one with 3 at least 1000 lumen lights on the front, in london!! It's hardly dark here with all the street lights yet those idiots insist on blinding everything.. Want to shoulder check? Blinded.. Idiot approaching you from the other side? Blinded.. All you see is a ball of light, no idea where the bike is, where the bars end/start etc.. Can't make eye contact nothing! Totally useless IMO! It's not that drivers don't see you, its that they choose to not see you.. The same way I get close overtakes during the day, with my lights on.. They see me, they just choose to act like idiots.
So yeah, I'm not a fan, massive hater tbh of stupidly bright lights.
It's as bad as driver behind you sitting with his main beams on.
So yeah, I'm not a fan, massive hater tbh of stupidly bright lights.
It's as bad as driver behind you sitting with his main beams on.
Man of Honour
If they see a blinding light then they won't try to maim you so not useless.
And don't talk to me about eye contact, I choose not to have eye contact anyway because that's also a sign that I've given the motorist permission to maim me.
In one accident I was lying on the floor and an idiot said 'But you were looking at me'.
Man of Honour
There are definitely plenty of idiots on the road but that doesn't mean that you should purposefully try to blind people. I have no issue with bright lights but you shouldn't have them pointing in any direction other than down.
edit: bright, not bring...awesome typing
edit: bright, not bring...awesome typing
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Soldato
Yeah, it's annoying. I tend to turn my Cree off when approaching riders along the canal as it is pretty bright with no other lights around. No one has ever done the same in return sadly.
Someone needs to invent a cheap light with a high beam switch accessible from your normal riding position.