Night p*nct*re scenario comes to pass

[mjr]

Definitely worth having a headtorch for night time punctures and other mechanicals. If it's bright enough to use as a back-up light for riding by, extra good.

Just carry a back-up light. Headtorches are never suitable for riding by, because they show a white light, which means front, to the rear when you look backwards. Most of them also dazzle whoever you are looking at, which is illegal whether or not the light is attached to a bike, and a really dumb idea when the victim can injure or kill you.

[Cowsham]

The best head torch in my long experience with them ( I've had many different makes since the 1980's ) is Unilite but I buy the one with the single AA battery because it's a lot less fiddly than a 3xAAA when changing the battery in complete darkness ( which happens although with the Unilite you get plenty of warning as the light gets gradually dimmer near the end of the battery) one AA lasts a full day of non stop working in darkness ( I've done it many times )
I change my bicycle bag head torch battery once a year just before my first cycle / camp excursion of the year.

Also it's extremely lightweight

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274749425108 ... media=COPY

It's not the best Unilite torch -- it's no longer available -- slightly heavier but extremely robust is my old Unilite waterproof shock proof one in which the battery was even easier to change ( I can change it just by feel -- have done many times and demonstrated this to many friends )

Edit -- found one -- https://www.pewelectrical.com/site-esse ... -uk172.htm?

The new H2 is very good too because of it's much lower profile but the old one was bullet proof.

[Pebble]

Definitely worth having a headtorch for night time punctures and other mechanicals. If it's bright enough to use as a back-up light for riding by, extra good.

Just carry a back-up light. Headtorches are never suitable for riding by, because they show a white light, which means front, to the rear when you look backwards. Most of them also dazzle whoever you are looking at, which is illegal whether or not the light is attached to a bike, and a really dumb idea when the victim can injure or kill you.

aye - but it might mean you can continue to ride on an unlit road if the main light fails and you are miles out in the countryside. (you can always stop and get off if a car comes along)

I got a little head torch in poundland a few years ago, (£1.50 or something) I was so impressed I went and bought half a dozen of them, have them in the van and car and tool box, bike as emergency ights... fantastic little lights, I think they all still work.

[Bmblbzzz]

The best head torch in my long experience with them ( I've had many different makes since the 1980's ) is Unilite but I buy the one with the single AA battery because it's a lot less fiddly than a 3xAAA when changing the battery in complete darkness ( which happens although with the Unilite you get plenty of warning as the light gets gradually dimmer near the end of the battery) one AA lasts a full day of non stop working in darkness ( I've done it many times )
I change my bicycle bag head torch battery once a year just before my first cycle / camp excursion of the year.

I don't know the Unilite brand but totally agree on single battery being much more convenient, and not only when changing it. In fact one of the things that put me off Petzl was their use of 3 x AAA!

[Cowsham]

Definitely worth having a headtorch for night time punctures and other mechanicals. If it's bright enough to use as a back-up light for riding by, extra good.

Just carry a back-up light. Headtorches are never suitable for riding by, because they show a white light, which means front, to the rear when you look backwards. Most of them also dazzle whoever you are looking at, which is illegal whether or not the light is attached to a bike, and a really dumb idea when the victim can injure or kill you.

aye - but it might mean you can continue to ride on an unlit road if the main light fails and you are miles out in the countryside. (you can always stop and get off if a car comes along)

I got a little head torch in poundland a few years ago, (£1.50 or something) I was so impressed I went and bought half a dozen of them, have them in the van and car and tool box, bike as emergency ights... fantastic little lights, I think they all still work.

This is one of the reasons I singled out the unilite because of it's more focused beam which is good enough to light a pitch dark road well enough to get home ( did 20 miles with one of my head torches I bought about 3 more of the H2 's they are just that good -- all of them still work perfectly -- I lend them out to sons various times but always make sure they return. )

It's always the front cycle lamp that gives up first cos you need it to see the road/lane so it's on continuous -- the rear is blinking and only there for your visibility reasons so it lasts for days. So it's vital to carry a back up or a good head torch.

[Pebble]

Just carry a back-up light. Headtorches are never suitable for riding by, because they show a white light, which means front, to the rear when you look backwards. Most of them also dazzle whoever you are looking at, which is illegal whether or not the light is attached to a bike, and a really dumb idea when the victim can injure or kill you.

aye - but it might mean you can continue to ride on an unlit road if the main light fails and you are miles out in the countryside. (you can always stop and get off if a car comes along)

I got a little head torch in poundland a few years ago, (£1.50 or something) I was so impressed I went and bought half a dozen of them, have them in the van and car and tool box, bike as emergency ights... fantastic little lights, I think they all still work.

This is one of the reasons I singled out the unilite because of it's more focused beam which is good enough to light a pitch dark road well enough to get home ( did 20 miles with one of my head torches I bought about 3 more of the H2 's they are just that good -- all of them still work perfectly -- I lend them out to sons various times but always make sure they return. )

It's always the front cycle lamp that gives up first cos you need it to see the road/lane so it's on continuous -- the rear is blinking and only there for your visibility reasons so it lasts for days. So it's vital to carry a back up or a good head torch.

mine are a wide beam so not at all good for riding, maybe 10mph tops. But it would get me home on a moonless night. otherwise I would be walking
Saying that, I have never had a front light failure (never temp the devil)

[Bmblbzzz]

I've just noticed this is on the e-bike board. I'm in the dark* as to why many manufacturers don't take advantage of that lovely big battery to tap a tiny fraction of the power for built-in lights. I know some do, but I really can't see any reason not to do it on all of them.

*

[Cowsham]

Saying that, I have never had a front light failure (never temp the devil)

I've never had a front light fail either but have had a battery run out cos I was testing how many commutes I could do on one charge when I first got the 400 cateye.

The cateye 400 was more powerful than the 100 lumin cateye I'd had before but did less time surprisingly even though it is much heavier.

[simonineaston]

I've just noticed this is on the e-bike board. I'm in the dark* as to why many manufacturers don't take advantage of that lovely big battery to tap a tiny fraction of the power for built-in lights. I know some do, but I really can't see any reason not to do it on all of them.

I was offered the facility to power the front dynamo lamp on my Brompton from the battery pack, once converted to ‘leccy power, by nano, the company offering the conversion. In spite of that, I still always carry a head-torch separately. It’s one of those accessories that are only occasionally needed but are often indispensable when the need arises, especially as eye sight deteriorates with age.