Recommendation on MTB Lights?

[Jussa]

Ok, despite the clocks changing this weekend and the nights drawing out Mountain Mayhem 2013 will soon be upon us and along with it some dark night riding for those entering.

So what the best MTB Front light unit?

I've read review after review and still no closer to selecting a front light i've got approx £100 to spend so should get me a resonable one. I have looked at Hope, Lenzyn amongst others.

What are you using out there? and what are your reviews?

Waiting to be illuminated,

Jussa

 

[makster]

Have you read through the thread on the cheap Chinese units?
I've had a few of these and wouldn't bother buying anything more expensive

 

[Pierre]

yep - as makster said, as long as you can wait a couple of weeks for shipping, some of the Chinese lights are superb value. Have a hunt round dealextreme.com (search for "Cree", for an example or look in New Arrivals) and £100 should easily buy you something bright enough for Mayhem (1000lm+) as well as plenty of spare batteries and a charger, probably with some money left over to browse the $2 specials department.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

^+1. After some doubts I acquired one of the 1600 lumen Chinese jobs. Apart from an iffy look on battery pouch the quality is excellent, and the performance befitting a £200 unit. It lasts me 4 days of 16 miles a day commuting with no dimming, and I once discharged it totally to see how long it.d last and it was almost 7 hours before it started to dim. I run it with a Blackburn Scorch as a flasher/back up and there's no way in he'll I'd ever spend £100 on a light again.

Handy tip - remove the battery pack from the pouch and slide it into a section of inner tuber. Glue the ends down with rubber cement and it forms a waterproof and compact package that can be concealed inside the bikes saddle virtually invisibly.
Sellers
Edit - I paid £33 for mine around a year ago, but if just checked eBay and load of UK sellers are punting them out in 1600 and 1800 flavour for under £25, which has gotta be the bargain of the century.

 

[legrandefromage]

Swings and roundabouts here:

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=111279

 

[kaiser]

Have a look at this guys offerings

http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain- ... lumenator/


I've the Chinese light and I'm more than happy, should it give up the ghost and I have the ££ I'd get one of these. A friend has the Lumenator and its a top light.

 

[drystonepaul]

I've had an Exposure Maxx-D for about three years now and it has been faultless. It cost nearly £300 and being the first generation Maxx-D puts out around 900 lumens on full power. Newer versions put out around 1200 lumens.
The battery life is excellent and the cable free design is a real bonus.

I wouldn't recommend getting one though.

On a whim a few months ago, I decided to try one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XML-XM-L ... 20c5013dc9

The promise of twice the lighting power for a fraction of the price was too much too resist.
It's now the only light I use off-road and so good I bought a second one as a spare.
The Maxx-D has been demoted to the road bike.

These Cree XML T6 lights are brilliant, but not without a few minor issues that can easily be sorted.
Firstly, the battery isn't waterproofed at all, so it's a good idea to wrap it it cling film, a plastic bag or a condom to keep it safe and protected.
Secondly the stitching on the battery bag strap wasn't great on mine. So a bit of additional needlework was required.
Finally, the beam spread isn't that well controlled. I bought one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wide-Angle-Le ... 3a7fbbefe1
It transforms the beam into a nicely diffused horizontal spread which is perfect for those dark nights in the forest.

So for £25, a bit of stitching and a condom...
(but that's another story)

 

[makster]

So for £25, a bit of stitching and a condom...
(but that's another story)

This sounds like a story that needs discussing over giant jenga

 

[gtRTSdh]

This, zoomable, under £30, I paid £35 for mine in January, high-med-low brightness settings, what more could you need?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zoomable-CREE ... 35c164f0d4

 

[JamesM]

The promise of twice the lighting power for a fraction of the price was too much too resist.
It's now the only light I use off-road and so good I bought a second one as a spare.
The Maxx-D has been demoted to the road bike.

I'm amazed you think the chinese light is better than a Maxx-D. Those XML-T6 lights aren't 1600 or 1800 lumens as advertised, they are around 700, so less than the Maxx-D

This, zoomable, under £30, I paid £35 for mine in January, high-med-low brightness settings, what more could you need?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zoomable-CREE ... 35c164f0d4

Quality and Reliability?

An Acera mech does the same job as an Dura-Ace but cost an awfull lot less. They even look the same. Why would anyone buy anything over and above the Acera???