Cycling UK Forum

I know it is not everyone's choice but I intend to use flashing lights on my solo dayrides and am thinking of a helmet mounted light. Any thoughts on battery or usb please.

I have little lamps on my helmet that take button cell CR batteries. I've given members of the family USB equivalents. I don't think that there are any advantages or disadvantages or pitfalls that aren't obvious.

Jonathan

Hub dynamo.
Wire them in, turn them on, and forget about them.

I tend to use a flashing front / rear light most of the time now and I see many other cyclists doing the same.

On my tandem, I fitted an 'accessories' bar clamped to the handlebars and I use it to mount 2 x led lights. I run these in flashing mode and it does make you a bit more noticeable to other road users. The ones I bought are these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/HeroBeam%C2%AE ... B01A4I5UFW and I've been very pleased with them. I use similar lights on my solos.

My preference is for lights which can take normal or rechargeable batteries. I'm not so keen on the USB types which are essentially throw away items when the batteries (eventually) give up. I accept that this is probably a dinosaur view by today's standards, but I just prefer normal AA / AAA cells.

I also have a fairly bright button cell rear light on my helmet, but generally use the bike mounted ones in preference.

andrew_s wrote:Hub dynamo.
Wire them in, turn them on, and forget about them.

Yep.

Got one on Moulton, and no doubt I'll get round to it with Mercian too. I have battery stuff for Mercian.

Not exactly expensive as the hub I have was only £60odd from Spa.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s133p4 ... YNAMO-PV-8

Front and rear lights are cheap enough unless you want something special.

Helmet lights are evil and misleading, showing white and red in wrong directions when you turn your head.

Daytime lights are basically pointless to unhelpful but low and non dazzling if you must, please.

andrew_s wrote:Hub dynamo.
Wire them in, turn them on, and forget about them.

+1
two years ago I worked late in the summer and it was dark when I came home- and my lights weren't working. Swearing quietly I fished my emergency lights out of the bag and got home. Next day I tried to work out what had gone wrong. Hub was still generating, wire still intact. After a lot of thought I eventually worked it out.
Did you know that the front light has a switch on it, that you can turn it off with?

I too am a convert to a dynamo hub but the OP wanted flashing lights. As far as I am aware none of the dynamo powered lights, front or rear have a flashing mode.

Isn't a hub dynamo going to be an expensive solution? I use daytime lights on flashing mode during the darker winter days, I woudn't like them helmet mounted as anything that adds weight to the helmet could get uncomfortable in my view. There are sets of lights by Cateye which are very good when mounted on the handlebars and seatpost or rear forks.

Hub dynamos aren't that expensive, check out Spa Cycle's website or Rose cycles in Germany. Rose will also build them into wheels and mail them to you, as will Spa.

The ultimate fit and forget solution, wire up the lights and leave on the bike for say 6 months of the year, remove in Summer to save a little weight. The extra drag is almost unnoticeable, far less than the old-style bottle dynamos.

If we're not restricted to lights on helmets...

... my set-up for town and country is:
* Hub dynamo with front and rear lamps. Brake light option turned off.
* Battery lamps at front and rear. Flashing with the dynamo lamps on steady. Front lamp used as torch if needed.
* Front and rear lamps on helmet. Flashing.
* Automatic turn indicators on wrists.

For touring I add:`
* Head torch. That's the main lamp for camping. It would work for riding if the three others failed.

Jonathan

bgnukem wrote:Hub dynamos aren't that expensive, check out Spa Cycle's website...

I've bought all of mine as bundles from Spa:
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m10b0s209p0/Wheels/Dynamo-Wheel-and-Light-Bundles

Jonathan

On the front, I use a Cateye Volt 200 XC. Rechargeable, last for 8 hours plus on flashing mode, easily swapped from bike to bike and costs £20. I actually used my reward points from Rutland Cycles, so mine was free.

On the rear, I use either a Cycliq Fly 6 camera light, or a Garmin Varia, both last 5-6 hours on a full charge, but there are plenty of cheap rear LED lights. Cateye do a front and rear combo including the Volt 200.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-a ... usQAvD_BwE

I recommend the exposure link (there is also the link plus version that has a bigger battery but it's longer than I like for a helmet mount, and the standard link has good battery life anyway). Has a red and white light back and forward. Comes with a good helmet mount. You can't really turn it on and off with gloves on. Has a good bright pulsing mode, along with all other combinations.

I've been relying on my dynamo set up for a good while but have started using the exposure again in conjunction with the dynamo lights because someone pulled out right in front of me as I pulled alongside a junction. I was well out into the road and staring right at them the whole time! With a helmet light I can always stop people if they try such funny business. I have it pointed slightly down in normal use, but just tip my head back a little when people decide that a person on a bike is a bit too non-consequential, and that always works.

I do think that a fork crown mounted dynamo light is occasionally a little too low to be easily noticed by drivers. I know car headlights are about the same height but they have a much larger surface area and also the bulk of the car is much more visible without properly looking.

gregoryoftours wrote:I recommend the exposure link (there is also the link plus version that has a bigger battery but it's longer than I like for a helmet mount, and the standard link has good battery life anyway). Has a red and white light back and forward. Comes with a good helmet mount. You can't really turn it on and off with gloves on. Has a good bright pulsing mode, along with all other combinations.

I've been relying on my dynamo set up for a good while but have started using the exposure again in conjunction with the dynamo lights because someone pulled out right in front of me as I pulled alongside a junction. I was well out into the road and staring right at them the whole time! With a helmet light I can always stop people if they try such funny business. I have it pointed slightly down in normal use, but just tip my head back a little when people decide that a person on a bike is a bit too non-consequential, and that always works.

My helmet lights are much less bright than that. Couldn't dazzle anyone. Basically position markers. Not used in daylight.

gregoryoftours wrote:I do think that a fork crown mounted dynamo light is occasionally a little too low to be easily noticed by drivers. I know car headlights are about the same height but they have a much larger surface area and also the bulk of the car is much more visible without properly looking.

Mine is a few cm up from the fork crown. But the flashing battery light is a few above the handlebars.

One of my children had the front lamp that illuminated the front of the rider's torso.

Jonathan