Let there be light

[majorpat]

Probably already done here somewhere, but I need to get some "real" lights for my commute. Currently using one of those Cateye opticube deals but mostly so that drivers see me, not so much for illumination. Got about 200 clams to spend, Dinotte looks pretty good with the recchargeable AA batteries. Can't/don't want to do a dynamo hub thingamajobber.
Commute is about 12 miles one way, 2 miles in "city" traffic and then out to a wide shoulder 35mph road home.
Any suggestions, real experience would be great. Thanks.
Pat

[fiamme red]

From all reports that I've read, the new Dinottes are great, much better than last year's model. Dinottes are small and very easy to mount and to move from bike to bike.

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10710.2326.eml

LED technology has made great progress lately. Read this:

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10710.2315.eml

Here's a current very handy data base of many bike lights:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176131

[CNY rider]

I'm about 2 weeks into my current lighting setup and it's going well so far.
I have a Schmidt gen hub with an E6 headlight, and have added the 4 AA battery Dinotte on top of my helmet.
My main reason for adding the Dinotte was to keep me lit up when stopped at the 2 stop signs on my way home. I never expected to get so much light from such a small lightweight package! The LED technology just seems to be advancing at an incredible rate. If you have any ambient light on your rides, which it sounds like you do, then the Dinotte should work really well for you. I ride in total blackness so I like the combo of the lamps, but I think the Dinotte will be pefect for you.
I think I saw them on sale recently....Nashbar or Performance maybe?

[fiamme red]

I think I saw them on sale recently....Nashbar or Performance maybe?Here's one source:

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/search_results.asp?man=dl

[Your_Friend!]

Pat!


For About 200.00

Think About This:

http://www.bikelights.com/Products/solo_logic.htm



Love,
Y_F!

[Bud]

I'll let you know how my new Cygolite Dualcross 200 works out when I pick it up in a few days. I got a mad deal on it through Performance a few weeks back. It was backordered but should be in soon. 160 Lumens, Li-ion, luxeon LED, 3 levels + SOS, etc.

[gdw]

The Light and Motion Solo that Your Friend recommended is an excellent light and the NiMi battery model can be picked up at really reasonable prices. The Solo uses 6 volt MR11 bulbs, which are inexpensive and can be found at most any hardware store, and over-volts them with a 7.2 volt battery to deliver 390 lumens of light for a claimed 2 hours. That's almost twice the power of the Dinottes and the claimed runtime for both lights on high settings is the same. Nashbar currently has the Solo on sale for $116.99 and they can be found for less on Ebay. You can pick up a spare battery and quick charger from Batteryspace.com for $65 and still have a few bucks left over. The quick charger will reduce your recharging time dramatically.

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=6000101&subcategory=60001067&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename=Category%3A%20Lights

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2933

[woolly]

From all reports that I've read, the new Dinottes are great, much better than last year's model. Dinottes are small and very easy to mount and to move from bike to bike.

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10710.2326.eml

LED technology has made great progress lately. Read this:

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10710.2315.eml

Here's a current very handy data base of many bike lights:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176131


+10. I got a package deal with the 600L & 200L direct from Dinotte - I absolutely love 'em. Super, super easy to swap between bikes. I wish I had gotten the next package up with their super-bright taillight right off the bat, but later took advantage of a "weekend sale" they emailed about & picked up a AA-powered taillight for $99. If you ride much at night I can't recommend the taillight enough - it was immediately noticeable how much extra room cars gave me.

I still prefer my full set of Turbocat's for higher speed riding, but the super-long runtime of the Dinotte's has me very spoiled.

I found the pricing direct from Dinotte to be very competitive with any other deal on the web - especially if you have to add in tax &/or shipping (which I would have if I had bought from Nashbar).

[paczki]

I love my Dinottes. Just yesterday someone pulled me over asking me where I got them because they couldn't believe how bright and compact they are. I love the taillight particularly.

[petitelilpettit]

Take a look at the Light and Motion Vega. Portable, no battery casings, however, battery time can be an issue. Only lasts for 2 hours on full power, but has a medium, low and flasher setting. I use it for 6am morning rides and evening commutes, and it works great.

Pettit

[MarcusPless]

It might be a bit out of your budget, but HID lights (such as an L&M) simply can't be ignored by motorists. They're outstanding "be seen" lights (as well as outstanding "seeing" lights). I know the LED lights are coming on strong, but I'm not convinced that they've made it yet. Believe me, I really want to buy an LED based light, but so far the technology hasn't convinced me to spend my dollars on expensive LED lights. When I ride with other cyclists that have a variety of lights my L&M HID light still makes them ask "***?". ;)

--Marcus

[BdaGhisallo]

Have you taken a look at the Lupine Wilma and Betty lights? They put out about 840 and 1400ish lumens, respectively!! My Lupine HID puts out about 800.

Very expensive but worth it if you ride in the dark a lot.

www.lupine.de

[Too Tall]

I love my Dinottes. Just yesterday someone pulled me over asking me where I got them because they couldn't believe how bright and compact they are. I love the taillight particularly.
+1 the taillight is outstanding...thank you ZNFNDL :)

[djg]

I haven't tried this year's LED lights, although I've heard some good things. I had bad luck with a minewt last year, although that might just be my own bad luck. By far the best light I've had is my L&M HID -- you see where you're going and you see the road surface and you don't outrun the beam every time you break 20 mph. It's outside your budget, but it's killer. If you cannot find a deal, you might look at their halogen, which is well within your budget -- I've had better luck with L&M over the years than with Niterider, but again, that's not much of a sample and might just be my luck.

[mschol17]

If you have any mechanical aptitude, the way to go is to build your own. You can buy the LEDs and current regulators used by DiNotte. See here for all the parts and sources:
http://www.racedaynutrition.com/Features/bikelight.aspx

I built a 3W taillight using one of the 500 mA high-output chips, essentially copying the DiNotte design. I use 4 rechargeable AA batteries, and it runs at least 2 hours straight. All together, the taillight cost me around $50, and it's really darn bright. I feel much safer on my traffic-heavy commute.

PM me if you have specific questions.

[ClutchCargo]

The Light and Motion Solo that Your Friend recommended is an excellent light and the NiMi battery model can be picked up at really reasonable prices. The Solo uses 6 volt MR11 bulbs, which are inexpensive and can be found at most any hardware store, and over-volts them with a 7.2 volt battery to deliver 390 lumens of light for a claimed 2 hours. That's almost twice the power of the Dinottes and the claimed runtime for both lights on high settings is the same. Nashbar currently has the Solo on sale for $116.99 and they can be found for less on Ebay. You can pick up a spare battery and quick charger from Batteryspace.com for $65 and still have a few bucks left over. The quick charger will reduce your recharging time dramatically.

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=6000101&subcategory=60001067&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename=Category%3A%20Lights
---------------


http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2933

+1 on the L&M lights. I have an HID and also the Solo Logic (older). The Solo Logic should be entirely adequate for your commuting purposes.

On tail lights, no denying the brightness of the Dinotte, but $130 for a tail light? While folks will differ on what is a reasonable price for a rear light, Planet Bike makes a $30 light (which you can always find on sale for $20) that is pretty darn bright; visible from a long way off and very adequate in any conditions except for real foggy conditions (when you might want to think twice about being on the road anyway) -- and you don't have the heavy battery pack that the Dinotte rear light requires.

[znfdl]

I have the L&M ARC HID and also a set of Dinotte Headlights and their tail light.

Both hedalights do a great job of lighting up a road or a trail. The L&M throws a wider beam than my Dinotte headlights.

As for the price on the Dinotte tail light, for me it is worth every penny. When I run the taillight on high, cars give me a 6 foot berth, even on rainy and foggy mornings. Is it worth an extra $100? I analyzed it in this manner. I usually commute 5 days a week, throughout the year, therefore I have many commutes when it is dark in the morning and in the evening. An LED lasts a long time and will not have to replace this light every year. My analysis showed that it will cost me an extra $.03 per commute over a 5 year period. Not a lot of money on a per commute basis. If I were to use the taillight once or twice a year, then I would not buy it.

[ClutchCargo]

I have the L&M ARC HID and also a set of Dinotte Headlights and their tail light.

Both hedalights do a great job of lighting up a road or a trail. The L&M throws a wider beam than my Dinotte headlights.

As for the price on the Dinotte tail light, for me it is worth every penny. When I run the taillight on high, cars give me a 6 foot berth, even on rainy and foggy mornings. Is it worth an extra $100? I analyzed it in this manner. I usually commute 5 days a week, throughout the year, therefore I have many commutes when it is dark in the morning and in the evening. An LED lasts a long time and will not have to replace this light every year. My analysis showed that it will cost me an extra $.03 per commute over a 5 year period. Not a lot of money on a per commute basis. If I were to use the taillight once or twice a year, then I would not buy it.

An example of why this forum is such a good place. znf has a different need than I do --
he's commuting every day, sometimes in rain/fog;
I'm out on sometimes evening or early morning riding for pleasure.
And I certainly see the benefit in spending a bit more to help make sure that
the motorist will see you out there. But here's my question about the Dinotte tail light:
If I've got an HID headlight and a helmet mount light, I've already got a battery on
my top tube and one in my pocket -- where do you put that third freakin' battery pack ???
I mean, a battery pack for a tail light is kind of a pain, no?

[mschol17]

where do you put that third freakin' battery pack ???
I mean, a battery pack for a tail light is kind of a pain, no?

I think the DiNotte has a case with a velcro strap that can mount to your seat tube.

[majorpat]

Thanks to everyone for the input, there is indeed a difference between using a light to see and using one to be seen. So far, the Dinottes look like a frontrunner. Much appreciation for the detailed info on folks experiences. Hope to ride a few more weeks before the white stuff arrives here.
Pat

[dawgie]

Check out the Fenix LED flashlights. Yes, flashlight. I bike commute and get heavy use out of my lights. In some of the other forums related to commuting, I kept hearing about Fenix and decided to check them out. My Fenix puts out enough light to commute with, even in total darkness. It has about 6 different brightness settings run times ranging from 2.4 to 55 hours.

http://www.fenix-store.com/

I bought the L2D Premium model for only about $60. It puts out an incredible amount of light with reasonably long run times. It only weighs about 56 grams or 2 oz. without batteries, and runs on two AAs. You can buy AA rechargeable batteries for a song.

There are better and more powerful lights available, but not for this price. You could buy 2 or 3 Fenix lights for the price of most inexpensive light systems. Fenix also sells mounts for attaching their lights to your handlebar or helmet. These cost about $7 each.

[fiamme red]

Check out the Fenix LED flashlights. Yes, flashlight. I bike commute and get heavy use out of my lights. In some of the other forums related to commuting, I kept hearing about Fenix and decided to check them out. My Fenix puts out enough light to commute with, even in total darkness. It has about 6 different brightness settings run times ranging from 2.4 to 55 hours.

http://www.fenix-store.com/

I bought the L2D Premium model for only about $60. It puts out an incredible amount of light with reasonably long run times. It only weighs about 56 grams or 2 oz. without batteries, and runs on two AAs. You can buy AA rechargeable batteries for a song.

There are better and more powerful lights available, but not for this price. You could buy 2 or 3 Fenix lights for the price of most inexpensive light systems. Fenix also sells mounts for attaching their lights to your handlebar or helmet. These cost about $7 each.This one looks good:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1dce-l2dce.htm

[sevencyclist]

+1 on the Light and Motion HID.

http://www.bikelights.com/Products/arc_li_ion.htm

Helps you see and be seen as others have mentioned.

[dawgie]

This one looks good:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1dce-l2dce.htm

That's the same light I have, except mine is the "Premium" version with a more powerful LED. The Premium version only costs about $5 more than the regular one but puts out a lot more light -- 175 vs 135 lumens in turbo mode.

[znfdl]

If I've got an HID headlight and a helmet mount light, I've already got a battery on
my top tube and one in my pocket -- where do you put that third freakin' battery pack ???
I mean, a battery pack for a tail light is kind of a pain, no?

The taillight uses a 2 cell lithium pack, which I attach to my seat rails, the light attaches to the seatpost. I charge the batteries on my bike, so for me it is not a pain.

[Volant]

I'm of the 'build-your-own" mindset. I've built three now that far exceed what you can buy pre-built. The 1500 lumen halogen variety (overvolted) is the easiest and cost $8 for the light parts and $70 for the battery (Li-ion 14.8v 4.8Ah). That runs for about 2 hours and puts out more light than a HID. If you take this road, carry a spare bulb as the life is shortened to about 60 hours on the bulb (12v MR-16) receiving this much juice.
The CREE LEDs I've built cost more, but are more efficient (about $60 for the light parts and housing) and pump out about 750 lumens.
If you're mechanically/electrically inclined, go the LED route. Almost anyone can do the halogen.
I like to put the LED on the bars and the halogen on my helmet. It's like I've got a set of high-beams on my bike. Easy to see and can't be missed!
I've got pics somewhere. I'll see if I can post 'em.

[ClutchCargo]

I'm of the 'build-your-own" mindset. . . .

I've got pics somewhere. I'll see if I can post 'em.

Pics would be good. Instructions would be good, too!

could be a fun project, but I'd feel kinda lost without a roadmap . . .

[gdw]

This site has general information and instructions on building halogen lights:
http://nordicgroup.us/s78/

The MTBR GPS, Lighting, and Computers forum is excellent and there are a number of threads on building LED lights:
http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=124

Another decent forum worth checking out:
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=259

[Volant]

Pics would be good. Instructions would be good, too!

could be a fun project, but I'd feel kinda lost without a roadmap . . .


Clutch,
I'll work on it this weekend. Take some shots, including beam shots and post back as soon as I'm done (hopefully by Sunday evening).

[Volant]

Surprise mother-in-law visit this weekend (she was just driving through...). She's spending a few days so the night-time shots will have to wait.

Here's a link on a similar build that should get the same results:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=245737

I went by HF and picked up one of these lights and did this build as well. I don't care for the aesthetics as much as building it from fittings (or turning your own housing). But, this is another cheap option. For this type of light, it comes down to bulb and battery.