UKC

my small cateye light died in the rain this weekend,does anyone make a cheap commuting style front light thats waterproof ?.
cheers cliff..

In reply to cliff shasby:

And how much is your life worth?

Quite a few in our club have Lezyne lights (don't know which model), there's also the Moon Comet - http://road.cc/content/review/72538-moon-comet-front-light which will be fine for in-town commuting but you'll need something decent if on unlit roads.

ALC

In reply to cliff shasby:
I've learned to avoid the very cheap ones as they are a false economy, most a bright enough for general use but the brackets snap and the rain gets in. I've got some cheapish Blackburn lights that have outlasted about 3 sets of cheap ones on my other bikes.
It's similar to this one but I got it as a front and rear kit
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackburn-Voyager-Front-Cycle-Light/dp/B00470QLG6/r...

In reply to cliff shasby: Funnily my cateye has always seemed quite good in that respect. But now using these http://dx.com/p/trustfire-tr-801-cree-q5-wc-230-lumen-led-flashlight-1-1865... - loads of light for not much money at all and no problems from dampness. Big hassle though is waiting for them to be delivered from Hong Kong, you probably just need to get to Halfords or a bike shop ASAP - but if you just buy some cheapy thing, keep them in mind for future.

In reply to a lakeland climber: im always on lit roads,been happy with the little cateye apart from not being waterproof,there seems some good value lights about on chain reaction etc but i would like to know the next one i buy is actually waterproof..cheers for the link

In reply to cliff shasby:

Having a rechargeable light is always worthwhile I think - the Comet uses a standard USB mini cable for the job so you can simply plug it in to your computer at work. Has the advantage that you don't need to open it up so less likely to suffer from water ingress.

I had a Cateye rear light (quite an old model using standard AAs) and it burst apart when I went over a pothole recently - not particularly inspiring.

ALC

In reply to cliff shasby:

The Lezyne lights have good waterproofing, and the USB chargeable ones are all-in-one so don't need any extra bits for charging.

They're expensive, but hopefully cheaper than buying several crap lights.

In reply to steev:
I have a Lezyne Micro Drive for commuting. Good O-ring seal on the cover and it just plugs in to the USB on my computer to recharge at work.

N

In reply to all:

Safety point that some may not be aware of (I wasn't till too late):

Some kinds of bike lights, especially new-fangled rechargeable ones, can die very suddenly indeed. They don't give you warning like older-fashioned ones, by going weak and wobbly. They just stop, like someone has thrown a switch.

This is OK if you're in a built-up area where there's plenty of ambient light around anyway. It's not so great if, for example, you're cycling from Kilmarie to Elgol on a moonless, cloudy night and doing about 20 mph along a narrow windy road :-o

In reply to cliff shasby:

I use a couple of Smart Lunar lights on my commuting bike. I've had them for a couple of years now and it can get very, very wet in the Highlands! No issues with them so far.

In reply to cliff shasby:

I always go for the approach of having two inexpensive lights front and rear. They are never both going to fall off / get wet at the same time

In reply to cliff shasby: In reply to cliff shasby: Ironically enough I've used a bog standard Cateye front light for years with no problems in the rain, this sort http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/HL-EL135/

However I just decided I needed to up the mobile-disco level so bagged a Lezyne too (Macro Drive). It's about as bright as you'd ever need a commuter light to be. Hopefully the above reports of decent waterproofing will be accurate! Micro Drive is cheaper but lower run time, looks like there's now a Hecto Drive below it in the range too.

At the other end of the scale Smart do a lot of dirt cheap front light options, I've had a rear light of theirs for a while with no problems, but then it's always been below a saddle and above a mudguard..

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Wow, I was almost there with you on that description.....not good!

I use this http://use1.com/exposure-lights/cycling-lights/front-lights/toro-mk5
Has good 5 bar countdown for battery, never had problem with water and while the op is on lit roads it's all about being seen, I promise you won't be sideswiped from a junction with one of these on.

Try C&B seen (search on web) I have one of the 1200 lumens lights and it is amazing. While it is an off-road rechargable the price is pretty competitive.

I don't have the water proof battery but regularly cycle in all weathers and never had a problem.

Unlike my older lights (which I can't recall the name of) it isn't difficult to take off / put on.

It has a colour coded LED countdown on the battery which gives me plenty of notice and I've never had it die suddenly.

Got one of these (like the magicshine one):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A6KD2QS/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie...
and one of these:
http://tinyurl.com/qhlyk96

which is a great addition.

and a couple of Phaarts:

The above give a great combination for trail/road/commuting and are def not expensive (at least not enough to get precious about) the Cree one also doubles as a mentally bright headtorch.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/LIPHDST3W/phaart_dark_star_3_watt_led_f...

In reply to DefenderKen:


Fortunately I had two front lights, the other one on my head--but as soon as the main light flipped off, I realised how weak my head-torch beam was.

It was an interesting couple of seconds

In reply to stouffer: thats the one that died..!

In reply to cliff shasby:

My commuting setup is:

Front - SON dynamo hub with B&M Cyo LED light (complies with some German standard) and a Moon Comet light as backup and to run in flash mode in high density traffic so that I get noticed.

Rear - One of these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-tl-ld1100-led-rear-light-2013/ with a Moon Comet rear light as backup.

I can accept that the dynamo light is a bit overkill for most but it has the advantages that you can't forget it and you aren't going to have your batteries run out. You can run a rear light off it as well but I didn't go that route.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:

Sorry, not a Cyo but one of these on the front: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s197p1087

ALC

In reply to cliff shasby: Oh dear. Bike lights do seem to be the ultimate case of YMMV!

In reply to stouffer:

No-one's linked to it yet but Chris Juden's summary of the lighting regulations is worth a read - http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

ALC

In reply to cliff shasby:

I have two on the front and two on the back - each pair is a main and a reserve/

The main front is a Lezye Macro drive (about £60) - good for up to 26mph on unlit roads - above which it just shows me the hole I'm about to hit.
The subsidiary is a tiny Bontrager flickery thing - about £12 - very good amd sparkly bright and runs off 2xCR2032. Needs a turn of self amalagamating tape around it to really keep the water out.

Back - some Cateye thing - no idea what, but about £30 worth. Bright. The reserve is a Lezyne Femto (i think - the smallest cylindrical thing that they do). Another 2 x CR2032 offering, but pretty crap really, and definitely in the 'reserve category and not as good as the Bontrager one.

The Bontrager one used to give up in the rain eventually, but not now its got the extra tape around it.