I am planning a cycle tour and havn't decided on what to use for lighting. As I dont fancy riding during the dark hrs whilst abroad there is a possiblity that it could happen.
I have thought about dynamo lights but are unsure about having the parts permanantly secured to the bike with the possiblity of damage during train or bus transfers.
The Cateye EL500 looks like a good alternative for a front light and I would like to have a battery LED rear light on either setup.
I have read about problems on many dynamo setups with bulbs blwing and unable to run just a front light. So which dynamo/lights is suitable or battery power?
Lights ! which ones?
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Steve
Re:Lights ! which ones?
I prefer a hub dynamo.
If you want batteries, get a front and rear than use the same cells, and a front which you can use for general poking aound if you intend to camp.
Carry spare batteries
If you use bulbs, carry spares.
A bonus -
If you have any sort of dynamo, you can get it to charge some kinds of rechargeable battery as you ride along.
Steve
If you want batteries, get a front and rear than use the same cells, and a front which you can use for general poking aound if you intend to camp.
Carry spare batteries
If you use bulbs, carry spares.
A bonus -
If you have any sort of dynamo, you can get it to charge some kinds of rechargeable battery as you ride along.
Steve
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Ian
Re:Lights ! which ones?
I run the EL500 on a regular 2x32k commute. A lot of it is through countryside and requires a good beam in the dark. I've found this light very useful with a long battery life. It's robust and waterproof. Would certainly recommend it as a back-up (at least) for a dynamo set-up.
Ian
Ian
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Pat
Re:Lights ! which ones?
The lights I use are Cateye L.E.D.s, the front one is an Opticube light (british standard) and the rear one (british standard)is also a very powerfull light with integral reflector. So far I have not needed to buy new batterys for the front one, and I have been using it for commuting for 9 months now.
The only problem with L.E.D.s is the cost of the lamps themselves, about three times the cost of traditional lights.
Still I had to have them as you can,t fit dynamos to my chunkey mountain bike tyres.
I would think that for touring Dynamos would be best as even L.E.D.s would wear down after 100 hours or so, but L.E.D.s come a close second.
They are so cheap to run that I would never go back to traditional filament bulb lights.
Pat.
The only problem with L.E.D.s is the cost of the lamps themselves, about three times the cost of traditional lights.
Still I had to have them as you can,t fit dynamos to my chunkey mountain bike tyres.
I would think that for touring Dynamos would be best as even L.E.D.s would wear down after 100 hours or so, but L.E.D.s come a close second.
They are so cheap to run that I would never go back to traditional filament bulb lights.
Pat.
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pwd_stone
Re:Lights ! which ones?
I'm new to CTC, and haven't yet had the opportunity to go touring, but I've found the Cateye TL - LD 600 and TL-LD1000 both excellent rear lights and (using both) I've never had any visibility issues. I also use the Cateye Compact Opticube EL 400 3-LED Front Light and a (now out of fashion) Krypton bulb front lamp for forward visibility. Although this front set-up is excellent for being seen on City streets, you might want to look into something a bit more powerful if you're looking to illuminate the path ahead in total darkness. I guess the point of this is that I can't recommend Cateye enough, and the LED lights are so lightweight you'll barely notice you're carrying them. Don't know if this helps, good luck on the touring. Peter