Regarding international shipping, does it matter to you how the total price is formed? E.g. would something like $26 light + $14 shipping + $10 import fee deposit be ok? I’m happy either way, just trying to avoid misunderstandings.
edit: Still need a bike light, let's try for a Lumintop this time: https://www.amazon.com/LUMINTOP-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Headlight-Flashlight/dp/B07DK4TD86
I like and use this light. On its max setting, it's too bright for lit streets or two way bike paths, but it's nice when I get out into my neighborhood with very little lighting. I usually use it on the first or second brightness setting on paths or roads. I've seen it as cheap as $35 or so on amazon.
When it comes down to it, the other guy is right. It's really all about the angle of the light, not the lumens.
The secret is to let go. Stop giving a fuck. Let them tailgate you and lean on their horn all they want. As you ride more and get more comfortable on the bike, this will get easier.
In my state, under state law, a bike is a vehicle. I'm required by law to ride in the lane. So I ride in the lane. If they don't like it, they can turn down another street and go around. My daily commute route has no bike lane, I just hang out in the rightmost lane of traffic, and if anyone has a problem with me they can tell it directly to my middle finger and my 140 decibel electronic horn. I obey all traffic laws, I stop at stop signs and red lights, I'm generally very respectful of cars, right up until they become disrespectful to me.
You could probably wear a helmet-camera. That may make them less likely to take you on - but it's not a guarantee of course, as they may steal that too.
Also buy the Hornit bike horn - it's 140 dB, and can definitely startle them https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hornit-dB140-V2-Worlds-Loudest/dp/B006TDEV20
Exactly what I was thinking. Link for OP's convenience
Sure! Honestly, I don't see any headlights that I'd buy but the Cygilite 2W is pretty good. For a headlight you could do really well getting a high lumen light from Amazon. I use a rechargeable one that I've used for over a year now and it works great. Similar to this one.
It's loud AF, but it does the job, and more importantly gets the attention of pedestrians blindly stepping into the bike lane: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006TDEV20/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o00\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
$30 is probably worth it..but I did go to a bike PGH event where they gave out free lights to everyone that attended. Maybe if you reach out to them they could hook you up?
Edit: found this one for under $10 on Amazon BV Bicycle Light Set Super Bright 5 LED Headlight, 3 LED Taillight, Quick-Release https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A6TBITM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_ArVywbN1SWFR6
I don't regularly ride the BG but I have ridden the dark sections at night. I run a Light & Motion Viz360 on my helmet and a $35 Chinese LED from Amazon on my handlebars.
Whatever you run pay attention to where the beams are aimed down so they are illuminating the trail and not blinding oncoming traffic. Flashing/blinking/strobing headlights are not a legal option for bicycles in Washington. Only red LED taillights are allowed to blink and you still have to have a rear facing red reflector after dark.
If you're in a city with street lights and you're mostly concerned with being seen than seeing by your lights, almost any cheap lights will work. Here's something picked at random from amazon under $10:
https://www.amazon.com/BV-Bicycle-Headlight-Taillight-Quick-Release/dp/B00A6TBITM/
As something of a side note, blinky rear lights are fairly directional. If they're not pointed straight back they almost might as well not even be on. I routinely see people with tail lights mounted to helmets, clothing or just pointed downward while mounted on the seatpost and they are barely visible from more than 30 feet (but if aimed in the right general direction they're extremely bright).
Also, regarding hi vis vests that people are recommending, they really only work as a reflector. While they are decent to make you visible to cars behind you, they in no way replace having a headlight. Headlights are to make you visible for people who don't have their headlights pointed at you (ie those who are crossing your path). This is why many locales only require a headlight and a rear reflector after dark (but you should really have a rear light anyways).
I've got two types of lights:
SecurityIng 1200 Lumens Headlight for lighting up the road in front of me. A steal for the bargain price of US$20. I paid over $120 for Halogen headlights back in the day that were not as bright as these. Contains a separate battery pack. These will light up an entire rural road from left to right side. Amazon link
Specialized Stix front and back lights which I use to be seen by drivers. I run these day or night. They are amazingly tiny and bright, charge via USB port. So much brighter than the AAA lights I used for years. $40 each. Link.
I have always gotten lights that run on AA or AAA batteries, and I use rechargeables. On sale from Canadian Tire, or cheap off Amazon, rarely more than $10 for a front and back light. Only every had to replace the lights due to my own carelessness (misplacing or dropping them).
Even the cheapest LED based lights are bright enough to be visible and provide illumination far enough ahead to be safe at the speed I ride.
I guess for someone biking daily at 35km/h down a lonely country road, super-duper bright lights might be useful. At that point might as well get a good flashlight that also has a bike mount, that would be more versitale, and would still be less than $70.
I bought, and ended up returning, that "Bright Eyes" 1200lm light. Without the diffuser lense, it is essentially worthless.
This one seems to be a better option (for the same money): http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Eyes-Rechargeable-Bike-Headlight/dp/B00X90ZYJ0/ref=pd_sim_468_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51o0IJWxk4L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0GEA14HE433VGRAY83F2
Comes with newer 6400mah battery & diffuser lense.
For less than 40$ You'll have more light than you need. I run mine on medium. I bought a setup for me and my girl and they work amazing. The one complaint that I saw from reviews were people getting poor battery packs occasionally. With replacement packs being 15-30 bucks depending on size it was a no brainer. Same LED's and housings for much cheaper.
My friends and I use this light. I haven't had it too long so I can't comment on longevity, but it's plenty bright, decent weight, good price, easy to attach. It comes with a rear safety light and a helmet 'mount'. The mount is attached with basic straps around your helmet, it's nothing too special and kind of requires a flat-ish spot on your helmet to stay steady. I'd suggest buying one for your handlebars and trying it on your helmet. If it holds tight on your helmet you can grab a second one (you can ride safely with one light, but two is awesome). Also the owner is very responsive and helpful. I had a slight issue with my charger and he sent me a new one for free.
nothing too interesting! I have 2x these units mounted to a kiddie bar. they drain battery pretty quickly in their highest brightness setting, losing a lot of it to heat (makes sense). I can do about half an hour with them before they get to about half brightness, then a few more hours in that state. tough to find lights that aren’t blinding to oncoming traffic but also have good enough coverage - let me know if you find something you like.
Usb but I like these
Lumintop B01 bike light Micro-USB rechargeable flashlight 21700/18650 bicycle headlight anti-glare design 850Lumens 210 meters https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WFDRPW8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_5K8W5XS5FC1B8VS218RP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
LUMINTOP Bike Tail Light Type C... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098X3QW74?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Both very bright.
The bike industry doesn't sell powerful headlights with replaceable, rechargeable, standardized batteries - but the performance flashlight industry does. Almost all enthusiast flashlights run on removable lithium ion batteries, which are hot-swappable, standardized, and cheap (between $5 and $10 USD). A few flashlight companies make bike lights too. Check out these examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Micro-USB-rechargeable-flashlight-headlight-anti-glare/dp/B07WFDRPW8
https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-bc30-v2-0-bike-light/
Many bike-brand headlights use the same types of batteries, but they're sealed in - there's no easy way to replace them when they deteriorate. With flashlight-brand headlights, you can buy a bunch of cells, cycle between them, carry spares, and never worry about planned obsolescence.
There's lots of confusion and misinformation when it comes to LED light performance. Lumens vs candela vs throw, CRI and color temperature... If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, or visit r/flashlight.
Love this light. Super bright and quickly removable to charge or use as a high powered flashlight. There’s an option to buy with tail light which I also recommend. Lumintop B01 bike light Micro-USB rechargeable flashlight 21700/18650 bicycle headlight anti-glare design 850Lumens 210 meters https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WFDRPW8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_7ZPX3KSM4D5ADKVQBQGJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Bright Eyes Fully Waterproof 1600 Lumen Rechargeable Mountain, Road Bike Headlight, 6400mAh Battery (Now 5+ Hours on Bright Beam). Comes w/Free Diffuser Lens and Free TAILLIGHT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X90ZYJ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TGSYEC45K03N2228K9AQ
For bike mounted Im a fan of bright eye products. I really do prefer the battery pack based lights for bar mounted. It prevents me from having to worry about not charging and many of the internal options are at best 1.5 hours on full power while offering lower luminosity. Battery pack will usually provide a solid 4-6 hours.
Bright Eyes Fully Waterproof 1600 Lumen Rechargeable Mountain, Road Bike Headlight, 6400mAh Battery (Now 5+ Hours on Bright Beam). Comes w/Free Diffuser Lens and Free TAILLIGHT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X90ZYJ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q388QEV06XQFBSA4YY48?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I’ve used this for my night rides since 2017. I’ll do 10-30 miles at night and keeping it on low/medium is more than enough. Medium is probably even overkill. I had to purchase a replacement battery in 2020 for 35 bucks or so. If anything happened to it, I’d buy it again with no hesitation.
Cygolite Metro– 550 Lumen Bike Light– 4 Night Modes & Daytime Flash Mode– Compact & Durable– IP67 Waterproof– Secured Hard Mount– USB Rechargeable Headlight– for Road & Commuter Bicycles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LXTORC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EDY3TQ90HSE2WK5NSXWD
Lumintop B01 bike light Micro-USB rechargeable flashlight 21700/18650 bicycle headlight anti-glare design 850Lumens 210 meters https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WFDRPW8/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_YTBSBJNRKYSSVWJATJXN
I have been using this for a couple weeks now and it's pretty awesome worth checking out. I usually use it on strobe during the day and it has a nice cut off. All right about 200 miles a month for what it's worth.
This one is excellent: Hornit dB140 Bike Horn with Remote Trigger for Cycling (dB140) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TDEV20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AVBCTNE057ZAX77BCBZ2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The only thing I’ve found that actually gets the attention of peds and drivers alike.
Lumintop B01 or C01. There’re bike lights with a reflector that puts more of the light onto the road.
For those of us who do most our riding when the sun is down what do you use to promote visibility?
Here is what I use: Bike: Trek Cobia w/bbshd and 25.7ah 52v Em3ev triangle.
29 rims with reflective rim tape (now on both wheels) Spoke reflectors.
Bright eyes front headlight use the included rear light in conjunction with this set in blinking mode front and back.
What do you run?
This is what I’ve been using and its plenty bright for nighttime road and trail riding. Just went out last night with it and it performed great in below freezing temps. Cygolite Metro Pro - 1,100 Lumen... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4ANAPU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Look at bike lamps. I use this model
I was gifted an 800 lumen light with multiple settings and that's been great to use. I do a lot of night biking in areas with no light so it's nice to have the 800 lumen setting but normally I set it to around 250.
If you get something with removable 18650s that's 800 lumens you really can't go wrong with it, that way you can buy an extra battery and keep it in the pack so if it runs out when you're on a ride you have a backup. apparently the nerds over at r/flashlight recommend this one but I haven't personally used that model:
https://www.amazon.com/Micro-USB-rechargeable-flashlight-headlight-anti-glare/dp/B07WFDRPW8