Bike lights
Riding to and from rowing in the dark has been proving somewhat scary. I’ve been using a Catseye halogen light set with a head torch but have been finding it very hard to see on dark lanes. As a result I don’t feel safe, go a lot slower and don’t enjoy the ride as much as I would in the day.
I decided to invest in a new front light so I could increase the amount of night riding I could do. My requirements were that it had to be bright, cheap and rechargeable. I also wanted to be able to convert the bike back to race spec quickly.
There are quite option out there, ranging from cheap but heavy to expensive and light.
Cheap
Electron 5W 10W Double Lighting – twin halogen lights and a large battery pack that stowed in a bottle cage. Reviews said they’re great when you replace the bulbs with Maplin high power jobbies. Seem ok for a mountain bike but too cumbersome for a road bike.
Spotted for ~£50
Mid Range
A friend told me about this one; he’d seen them for sale at Mike Vaughn’s cycles and said they were good. I phoned them up and had a chat with one of the guys. He said regular commuter’s had commented how good it was, even in the pitch black.
http://www.niteflux.com/Products_photon4commuter.htm
Bought for £80
Expensive (well to me at least)
Another friend had mention this one a few times. He’d ordered one based on reviews in triathlon magazine. Unfortunately availability and delivery times put this one out of the running.
http://www.use1.com/exposure/products/joystick_maxx/index.php
Spotted for ~£140
Summary
I went for the mid range Niteflux Proton 4 and am very pleased. Its bigger than the Joystick Maxx and has slightly less burn time but its plenty bright enough – even on low beam.
My friend eventually got his Joystick Maxx and we compared them on a night ride the other day. We both agreed that there’s nothing in it. The Joystick Maxx does have the advantage of being light enough to use as a head torch but I’m glad I saved the cash.
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L'Etape du Tour 2008
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Pau to Hautacam - 8,000 riders will take on the 154-kilometre stage from Pau to the summit at Hautacam, via the east side of the Col du Tourmalet.
The Bike
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Trek Madone 5.0 (2007) - I love this bike, some would say too much with the amount of time I spend maintaining it! But if I'm going to be going 50mph down a mountain I want to know its in good shape.
