Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

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Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

PH wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 8:30am
Tangled Metal wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 6:49am II think I'll try it out. I've seen it with smaller diameter mount extra for £122 on amazon.
Do you really need that? I've just used insulation tape to build bars up to the desired diameter.
22.2mm up to 25.7mm is a lot of tape I reckon and the std bracket is a hinged cnc made one with a screw on the non hinge side. Once you reach the minimum there's no more tightening. Reading brompton forums it seems people who bodge end up getting the bracket later anyway.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

There's two sets of buttons on the actual light to control the light settings. The remote is basically a high/ low beam function or to change from road to offroad mode which is effectively the same thing. Iirc the road mode has a top brightness of 900 lumens and longer endurance. The 1600 lumens is the full spot beam meant for offroad cycling without the attempt at a cutoff for the beam.

It all sounds well thought out and all for a good price.
pwa
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by pwa »

PH wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 8:30am
Tangled Metal wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 6:49am II think I'll try it out. I've seen it with smaller diameter mount extra for £122 on amazon.
Do you really need that? I've just used insulation tape to build bars up to the desired diameter.
Me too. There is always something in the back of the garage to pack beneath an oversized clamp.
Jdsk
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Jdsk »

Tangled Metal wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 1:24pm
PH wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 8:30am
Tangled Metal wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 6:49am II think I'll try it out. I've seen it with smaller diameter mount extra for £122 on amazon.
Do you really need that? I've just used insulation tape to build bars up to the desired diameter.
22.2mm up to 25.7mm is a lot of tape I reckon and the std bracket is a hinged cnc made one with a screw on the non hinge side. Once you reach the minimum there's no more tightening. Reading brompton forums it seems people who bodge end up getting the bracket later anyway.
For 3.5mm I'd try a firm rubber strip.

Jonathan
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I always hang on to bits of rubber pipe, Even hosepipe, water pipes of engines, et cetera.

If you need to use a bit of tape I always prefer using cloth Self-adhesive tape, TESA electrical tape or some old handlebar cloth tape.
The TESA tape there is much thinner than Handlebar cloth tape.
it's much better than PVC tape looks better and doesn't end up with a sticky mess.
Bits of old innertube will do as well.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

We moved house earlier this year and threw out a lot of old inner tubes and other things like that. We get too few punctures to get used tubes and besides we tend to patch it we can. I'm too cheap to cut up a new tube!

Prefer to get the ravemen bracket for smaller diameter bars costing a fiver
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
The trouble nowadays is that things have moved on and 31 mil bars are the norm.
So it's not uncommon to find clamps are made for this size even if they come with packing pieces.
I'm still using 1 inch stem clamps, My 1 inch part of handlebars is not enough room there on old style bars (is there any room on a 31 mil stem clamp bar?), So the product goes out to 31 mil and your bar is where you would mount is 22 mil.
I have rounded 31 and 22 As I would have to go looking for exact sizes although I'm guessing well 22.2 Is common grip size.
Well it is on my bikes anyway.

https://bike.bikegremlin.com/3784/bicyc ... standards/

I'm using mountain bike old style, Which has a very short land for the stem clamp, So lights et cetera or was clamped to the 22.2 mil grip.
Modern drop bars mostly 31+ millimetre stem grip And the land is considerably longer, so you can mount things on this diameter.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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PH
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by PH »

Tangled Metal wrote: 11 Oct 2021, 11:34pm Prefer to get the ravemen bracket for smaller diameter bars costing a fiver
For a fiver I'd probably feel the same.
But there's £17 difference between the link you supplied (£105) and the Ebay price you quote (£122), which is why I suggested alternatives.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

£105 was light only at fawkes without the bracket in stock and a long delivery date. A good example of buying cheapest not being the best option. I suspect the lead time means they're ordering it in from distributor then forwarding on or getting it sent direct to me.

£122 with bracket was based on a more expensive amazon based retailer for the light but cheaper bracket available on Amazon with next day delivery for both. I got busy and didn't get round to buy it so can't see it now.

I've been coping with existing light and last two days with a head torch for the dark and dodgy sections. A good, light petzl one but it's not bright enough imho. I can't see it making the road easier to see so helmet light isn't my thing, don't wear a helmet so not going to now that I'm not impressed by a head mounted light. Perhaps the 200 or 300 lumens isn't enough.

My current bike light feels like the light is worn where it locks into the mount. I've bought a new mount thinking it's that but it's made no difference. Both light and original mount are worn so just a new mount isn't secure. I need a new light a I reckon I'm one bad bounce away from a flying front light I fear. So I need to order the light ASAP
Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Bracket now in stock at fawkes. Are they a good bike shop?

Never used them and they often come up as cheapest in Google shopping.
pwa
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by pwa »

I commuted for a good few years on dark lanes with around 200 lumens or less, but I was relying on the fact that I was on familiar surfaces with just a few potholes to remember. I think if I had been riding a small wheeled bike on gravel I would have needed more than that. Quite a bit more, and directed quite low down so that I could ride slowly but safely, seeing the way ahead clearly for maybe 20 metres. I do think that needs more ooomph than you get with a 200 lumen light.

I have had very good service from an earlier version of this Exposure Sirius, which casts a wide beam. It creates a very nice pool of light. But the remote switch is an optional extra you would have to buy. And you would need it if you intended using the higher settings at any point on your ride. Exposure lights are very simple to set up so that you have, readily to hand, two or three settings (I go for two) to click between. And run times are long and reliable. The simple brackets can need a bit of tinkering to get absolutely rock solid but once fettled they work nicely. This would be a light I would consider at your chosen price point.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-siriu ... ront-light

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-smart ... ote-switch
Tangled Metal
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Currently using a volt 300 and a petzl nyo at 200 and something I think. Neither helps. I'm faster walking on the rough section. Even the downhill cut through there's enough bumps and holes to slow me down.

It's telling that from March until it was dark at about 7am I was 2 to 4 minutes early. Now I'm 2 to 4 minutes late. Part of that is train consistently 2 minutes late but the rest is from caution being the better part of valour wrt the bumps and holes.

1600 lumens top in mtb mode or 800 lumens Road mode. Is it too bright and could I save money getting the pr 1200 or pr 900 instead? What is bright enough for a small wheeled bike on gravel offroad? It's a road but it's deep gravel and as good as offroad. Wish I could film it to show but I'm not riding it holding my phone! Lol
Tangled Metal
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Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Got the ravemen pr1600 today. It's a solid lump of light. I hope it fits in the bottom of the brompton bars next to the stem.

Hard to see how bright it is in daylight. It has the dipped beam which looks like a flat line in the middle of the beam rather than a cut off normal beam. The full beam looked bright. Then I noticed the screen saying 3 minutes. That meant it wasn't even on full beam! Pressed the button until screen said 1.0 hour and it's even brighter. Should be good on the rough bit. The good thing is the remote which is a simple velcro strap so can easily be moved from bike to bike. The mount that came with the light can go on. My normal bike leaving the extra small diameter mount for my brompton.

It looks solid and well made light. The remote looks a little disposable. I think the edge where you split it to put the coin battery in looks a little chipped at the edge. If I did that opening it then not impressed. Still I'm used to the button being on the light so if the remote breaks I'll not replace it.
hufty
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Re: Any opinions/experience on these front lights?

Post by hufty »

There's another website for cyclists and it has a front light comparison thing that is quite useful:
https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/up ... ine-212914
Please do not use this post in Cycle magazine
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