You are reading a single comment by @lae and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@lae
Yep, I have the Cree XM-L T6 whatsit for my MTB. I would take the lumen rating with a pinch of salt - the units seem to be the same regardless of whether the lumen rating is advertised as 900 or 1600! The quality seems variable, but mine was fine; if you get a duff one you can send it back, anyway.
They are un-usably bright on high beam; on low beam they are fine for road use. I haven't run mine flat so I don't know what the battery time is, but other internet users suggest that it is about three hours. I have bought a diffuser lens for mine as the beam is too narrow for MTBing (might be okay for road) - also, they don't have any side visibility so you'll need another backup light, too.
The value is stunning - you'd have to spend £150 to get anything as bright from a UK bike shop. No idea how long the chinese ones last; for £25, even if it just lasts for a year, that's still cheaper than a bike-shop one that lasts for three or four years.