Single LED lights - advice from a motorcycle courier

@Villa ru, pray tell??

What Mattster said, probably. MTE P7. Quite floody, so all the rage with the mtbers. I didn't want the faff of buying yet another type of battery+charger, but it's a lot of light for not much cash if you don't mind all that.

Dealextreme, init.

I get confused with cyclists wearing lights on their helmets. They remind me of Orbital playing Dr Who.

A good rear light is cheap. A good front light is expensive. Simple. I don't have cash to spunk on a good front light. I do, however, wear a fluoro jacket which I despise. Not having money to buy a less fluoro jacket actually makes me safer. Who would have thought?

Depends what you want that front light to do. If its just to be seen, exactly the same as your rear but in white is perfect.

But if its to illuminate the street I see your point.

@bumpf, thanks

Depends what you want that front light to do. If its just to be seen, exactly the same as your rear but in white is perfect.

But if its to illuminate the street I see your point.

No it ain't, it's better to have a brighter front light, in the city too.

What Mattster said, probably. MTE P7. Quite floody, so all the rage with the mtbers. I didn't want the faff of buying yet another type of battery+charger, but it's a lot of light for not much cash if you don't mind all that.

Dealextreme, init.

Probably right. I've got a few of their lights and can reccomend the Trustfire TR 801 for London use. Costs about $20, is fucking bright (some mtbers use them for night riding) and is more slimline than the P7s so it takes up less space on the bars or in your bag. I mount mine using an inch or so of road inner tube over the body of the torch and then a 32mm O ring around the bar dinotte style. Batteries and charger also available from dealextreme.

I also got a MTE MC-E torch which is like turning on the sun. I think it would be too bright to safely use on the road as it lets you see for about 70m in the proper dark.

2 front lights FTW!

1 Cateye on my bars.
1 Blinky on my shoulder strap

:)

IMO front lights are far far more important than rear lights. You are really unlikely to get hit from behind and much more likely to hit someone pulling out at a junction who didn't see you. it's all to do with time.

No it ain't, it's better to have a brighter front light, in the city too.

Maybe, but then again you've got eyes in the front of your head, so you can see and anticipate any hazards ahead of you. Those approaching you from behind are harder to spot.

Probably right. I've got a few of their lights and can reccomend the Trustfire TR 801 for London use. Costs about $20, is fucking bright (some mtbers use them for night riding) and is more slimline than the P7s so it takes up less space on the bars or in your bag. I mount mine using an inch or so of road inner tube over the body of the torch and then a 32mm O ring around the bar dinotte style. Batteries and charger also available from dealextreme.

I also got a MTE MC-E torch which is like turning on the sun. I think it would be too bright to safely use on the road as it lets you see for about 70m in the proper dark.

I was considering giving one of these a go. @ 4 watts they seem like they would be bright and there is some talk about them on candle power forums. Biggest down side is the length of them.

I cannot believe candle power geeks on here too, my geek world collides.

Guilty... at least recently. I've made my purchases now, posted some info, and won't be hanging around there again any time soon. Got to get some cred back.

I was considering giving one of these a go. @ 4 watts they seem like they would be bright and there is some talk about them on candle power forums. Biggest down side is the length of them.

Mate of mine uses & swears by them. Bright as buggery and last fer ages!

HI all - sorry - work called, but yes is it an MTE P7 from deal extreme $38 for the torch, $12 for charger & $10 for 2 batteries. Amazing amount of light for the money and lasts a reasonable time between charges.

I use the canal for a couple of miles so need more than a flasher and this is great. Although virtually every night someone tells me it is too bright, so I figure it's working. Will take it for an off-road night ride soon.

Just don't be one of those jerks that has their lights pointed at eye level to cyclist coming the other way.
There are two pricks that ride along the canal that make it so i have to slow to a crawl because I get blinded.

(I'm guilty of the key ring light at the moment because I broke the mount for my proper light)

2cents

Another tip for junctions from motorbike riders:

When approaching the junction, wiggle your front bars - they do it and the movement of the light catches the car pulling out/across eyes better.

Ive been doing this for a few days and it works really well.

I run P7 5 mode on my helmet, and at 40 quid parps on the lumicycle I was previously running on the lid and there are no cables. Run it a full blast and just shine it in drivers eyes at junctions, they hate it as it literally is brighter than the sun but no-one pulls out on you, probably as retinas are burnt. I ride a couple of heavy stationary traffic areas on the way home so when riding down the middle just switch it to flash and watch the parting of the waves as cars pull over. For the money I haven't seen a better light.

Whats a p7?

The light nerds on singletrackworld.com use the Tesco torches to good effect, I think the benefit of them is they take AA batteries and, if you can be bothered, can be modded. Do a search on there for either the Lumix, Tesco Torches or MTE and all questions will be answered.

Sorry Paul-Michel MTE P7. from www.dealextreme.com

How the fuck do you attach that massive appendage to your head?

(Although many fixed riders have bigger dicks attached to their head) :)

I get confused with cyclists wearing lights on their helmets. They remind me of Orbital playing Dr Who.

I'm one of those.

Alpkit Gamma on flash gets you noticed lots, and is only £12.50. Not strong enough for out of town use though. The really bad news is they're out of stock until April.

Works a bit like this.

i got a lupine wilma recently. 960 lumens for the light geeks.

i got it for off road riding, but it's amazing on the road. cars just don't know what is coming towards them, nobody pulls out on me, and they always give me loads of room. i think that, even for city riding, the brighter the better.

How the fuck do you attach that massive appendage to your head?

(Although many fixed riders have bigger dicks attached to their head) :)

I like the newly improved sweary, assertive Paul-Michel. Good to see someone corrupted so quickly by the forum.

which batteries and which charger do people suggest? for the MTE P7

how easily does a USA charger work here, or does one need a step transformer (forgive my ignorance re foreign electricals)