Need front light for night riding
 

**I decided to put this thread here, instead of electronics, as endurance cycling light needs are usually much different**


Needing to replace my old Serfas True 350. They no longer make this rechargeable light, which featured a convenient lock in replacement battery. It gave me many hours of decent light between the two batteries I had. I backed it up with a 250 lumen AA powered light. Now as I'm looking at getting a replacement, I cannot find one like it. I've thumbed through the special lighting threads and they have quite a little age on them. As of late, it looks like companies like Serfas have went away from this type of light. I do not, at this point in time, want to go with a dynamo. I currently use a GoPuck (10,000 mAh) external battery. I use it during the ride to charge my iPhone and Garmin. It will do that and have about1/3 to 1/2 of the battery left. Thinking one option would be to go with a more powerful external battery and getting a light that will charge off of it.(I've read that some only charge off of AC). Any suggestions?

All the distance riders I knew that use battery lights used Cygolite Expillions. But that seems to have been discontinued.

Most rechargeable lights these days will charge from USB, and don't care whether there's a wall socket or power bank behind it. But not all of these will run while charging. There was a discussion about this on the Electronics board. I've got a Lezyne headlight that will not (technically, they do sell their own special power bank that does not connect by USB for extending runtime); I think B&M lights will run while charging. Something to bear in mind. Outbound has their Hangover off-road light that has a short runtime on its internally battery, but is intended to be used with an external power bank. They've been talking about releasing a version with road optics for quite a while [taps foot impatiently].

There aren't many lights that let you replace the cells directly, but Fenix does have one—uses two 18650s.

These days I run a k-Lite Bikepacker Ultra MTB version running off a SON28 dyno.
https://jefe.bike/collections/klite-...lite-wire-loom

I have been looking at a Gloworm light for a helmet light, as it has USB-C end to end with a separate power bank, opening up possibilities with being able to use off the shelf USB-C cables.
https://www.glowormlites.co.nz/produ...lightset-g2-0/

Few choices these days

Acebean BK10 or Lumintop B01 runs on a rechargeable 21700 (big brother to 18650)...one of them runs also on 18650, I think

B & M Ixon Space does not have a removable battery but all reports indicate it can charge and run at the same time making that a good choice with its shaped reflector beam but very expensive, cheaper if bought in Germany

For 40 bucks, the Lumintop with its shaped beam and ability to run while being charged is what I would try on a budget. The do give you a modest quality 18650 battery, but you really need to buy a couple good 21700 batteries. They have 5000 ma vs 2600 with the supplied battery, top quality 18650 will yield almost 3400 mah. Th MB Ixon Space with an external powerbank is another option, one that I have been contemplating

I have no idea if they meet the OP's requirements, but I have thought of getting a B&M Ixon. They have one that will act as a usb charger for your other devices.

Also, the Outbound road light looks good. https://www.outboundlighting.com/products/road-edition.

If you are doing a multi-day ride like a 1200k, you are going to have to charge something. If the light lasts long enough on its own battery, it seems like charging it isn't any more onerous than charging a big usb charger battery pack. And for a single day ride, those two lights should suffice without charging. If you are doing a multi-day ride where no charging is available, then at some point a dyno makes a lot more sense than trying to manage the logistics of a battery light.

The nice thing about the Ixon Space is the adjustability of the power from 10 Lux to 150 Lux in small increments. I had estimated that 80 lux is what I would need riding solo, this would last around 4 hours on a single charge on a medium setting and 2 hours on high. But if riding in a group, you can use a very low setting in the group and then turn the higher power on when at the front, hopefully making it thru a night of riding. The very modest internal battery is only 18 WH. For reference, my external battery powering my Fenix BT20 is 78 WH (3S2P).

The Nitecore NB10000 powerbank is only 5 oz and might be enough supplemental juice for a 1200k depending on how much night riding and power levels. I would slip it into my handlebar bag with USB cable to the light

Something you'll want to pay attention to with battery headlights and power banks alike is charge time: with a multi-day brevet, you could get into a situation where you don't have enough time to fully recharge your gadgets overnight.

Having a light or power bank that is capable of (relatively) fast charging is only half the battle: you also need a charger that can give them the current that permits fast charging, and probably the right cable too. There is a confusion of standards around this. There's USB Quick Charge, which is a proprietary standard, and runs over USB-A ports, and USB Power Delivery, which comes from the USB standards body and runs over only USB-C ports (I think). Both work by delivering higher voltages. USB-PD has more voltages, and higher voltages, than Quick Charge. Some chargers support both.

Thanks for the information GR! Trying to sort through it. Thinking that the way to go would be to find a light that will work while being charged. I think for a primary light, I wouldn't want to go under the 350 lumens that I had before, although most of the time I did not run it on the high side. Some conditions warrant more light, so it would be good to have at least 350.

My ultra-distance experiences have mostly included motel stays. When unavailable, I have slept in post offices and restrooms. All have had AC outlets. So my mode of operation is to plan for daily charging, but with some wiggle room just in case. Also, even though I have 2 front lights, I need each of them alone, to have the ability to get me through the night. Overkill maybe, but in 2019 I was climbing Lolo pass in the rain in the dark night, early morning. My primary light (rechargeable) stopped working. Not a battery level issue. (Turned out it was a problem with the switch). So now I was down to one light. In the dark, in the rain, in bear country. (Didn't see a bear, but it makes the story better.:) ) It turned out all right, as my backup was a 250 lumen AA powered light and I had spare batteries.

For sure if I was camping, I would get a dynamo. Since my old back and neck object to such on a regular basis, I prefer to motel it. Of course, with fewer lighting options and figuring out additional external battery capacity, a dynamo is making more sense these days.

Comparisons are hard. Some are rated in Lux and others in Lumens. More importantly is the shape of the beam. For me, the "color" or hotness of the emitter matters a lot. Some are just too hot and I find them fatiguing at night. I like a cooler beam. I actually know which emitter I like. Crazy.

My light has 100, 300, 450, and 750 lumens running 25, 8.5, 5.5 and just under 3 hours on the stock pack with good batteries, respectively. I triple those times with my external pack. I find 300 and 450 to be the sweet spot. I can descend fast on 450 lumens with no worries. 300 lumens is more than enough for me. The beam patterns are hard to evaluate online. Mountain bikers are probably the best source of those comparisons. I am guessing 300-400 lumens is about what a top dynamo light puts out onto the road, but does it with about half the amps

Again sorting out information. 1 Lux = 1 Lumen from what I've read. I'd like at least 350 lumen for my primary light. Good point on the group riding. It does help with lighting. I like group rides, but I find myself riding solo most of the time.

The Nitecore NB10000 looks similar to my GoPuck x36r. 10,000 mAh. I have an older GoPuck that is 6600 mAh. Might just throw it in the pack for extra capacity. Of course then I have to charge 2 external batteries at times.

No, 1 lux is 1 lumen per square meter. Lux is a measurement of light "density" (intensity) instead of total light, like lumens. A lot of lumens spread out over a large area wont have a very high lux. A lux value doesn't tell you anything about the total amount of light, or how big the beam is. German lights rated in lux are measured at the brightest point on the center of the beam.

Good points. When ordering chargers, I looked at amperage output for my selections. 2.1 amp is what I went with for a couple chargers and the other was a plain 1.0 Amp. They did the job with what I had to charge in the rest time I had. On the Trans Am, I went with 6 hours sleep (most of the time). More than sufficient time to charge everything On a 1000K, after a brutal day, I had to conserve on a short 2 hour overnight.

I need to educate/re-educate myself on the issues you brought up. One thing I do know, when figuring out the electronics, I need charging cords that can be replaced on the road. My Garmin used a mini. Not not readily available on the road. So when the mini cord was acting up, my Garmin was useless.

Thanks for the clarification! Makes it a bigger challenge to compare between lights.

I haven't found a battery powered light that I like better for randonneuring than the B&M IXON IQ Premium. I run mine with a fork-crown-mount so it's out of the way and carry as many batteries as I need for the ride so I never have to recharge. I carry an IXON pure as a backup since it's smaller and uses the same mount and batteries, but it looks like they stopped making the pure.

I did not mention the Fenix BC30. I own V1 and have some reservations on it. The V2 uses different emitters and has an bluetooth button to change power levels. The battery compartment was also redesigned.

The BC30 V1 has a broad almost floodlight swath of light, which is very nice off road. The low power at 200 lumens did not have enough throw for me whereas the 500 lumens burned too much battery life. However, the tint and warmness of the light suited my eye. It is a solid chunk of aluminum with a solid clamp. It works well on a handle bar but is a bit chunky to mount by the fork race, my preferred location. V2 uses a more efficient emitter. Low is still stated as 200 lumens (probably more like 250) and medium is 600 lumens and the reported throw is substantial. The V1 battery case was hard to open and close. Supposedly, V2 is much easier. With 3400 Panasonic 18650 batteries, V2 should run 7-7.5 hours on medium and 20 hours on low. At 90 bucks, it is worth considering.

At the other end of the price/quality rapport is the SuperNova M99 MiniPro B54. It allegedly can melt ice. The lamp and remote are available separate from the battery. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine whether they sell spare batteries. One very nice feature of this light is a high and low beam. The high beam does not use the cutoff and this is useful on sharp turns where you lose the light on the inside when leaning. Battery charge time is short. If my calculations are correct, a 1200k would only require one spare battery. Oh. Wicked expensive. If my evaluation is correct, it is the top dog for dipped battery lights. Another nice.....iphone AP integration and 2 H reserve battery if you mess up. I want one.....but need to see the light before spending that kind of coin. I'd like to know what emitter it uses, too.

https://supernova-lights.com/m99-mini-pro-b54/

If you want to look at crazy-powerful German headlights, also look at Lupine. They do sell their batteries separately.

Some owners have complained that the Lupine beam pattern in the near field is very narrow. It has a killer feature......ability to tune the automatic turn on/turn off. So, it comes on at dusk or in a tunnel but not on a cloudy day. 3 hour battery on standard battery and 6 hours on the bigger battery. I had looked very carefully at this light when I spec'd out a velomobile. The throw is phenomenal......just need a lot of spare batteries. If the controller let you use the daylight power setting say when climbing at night, it could work on brevets for sure.

https://velomobil.blog/en/test-lupin...cle-headlight/

https://thesweetcyclists.com/lupine-...dlight-review/

Wow, the SuperNova looks like the Cadillac of lights! Probably overkill for me, but it would great to demo.

The BC30 V2 looks interesting. I thought the same thing about the gap between 200 and 500 lumens though. But I'm sure it would do the trick and looks like it compares favorable to lights with a higher price point.

Further research of the BC30 V2 and wondering about battery recharge? From one Youtube video, it looks like there is a large battery charger used to charge the Fenix 18650 batteries. Wondering if another method of charging and/or a different type of 18650 can be used for the sake of reducing the pack? Getting my education on new (to me) types of batteries.

On the BC30, there is a battery tray with a half turn latch and then it slides out, IIRC. You replace the batteries with fresh ones. The discharged batteries are charged in a dedicated charger back home. You must buy the batteries and charger. Fenix used to offer a BC21R using one 18650 that could be charged in place with a USB cable, like the way you charge a phone. That is my backup light. It is very light weight. Could also be used in a pinch to charge a Garmin nav device up.

The V2 BC30 requires button top 18650 batteries OR you have to shim the case to keep the batteries from jostling around. I have about 20 or so Panasonic 18650 flat top batteries, which is one reason I did not buy a V2. Although the bluetooth remote was almost enough.....the case just does not fit on my mount on my recumbent. The remote switch would have been awesome. The V1 low beam (200 lumens) was not quite sufficient in throw for me. Looking at the specs on the V2 emitter, it probably is pushing 240-250 lumens. I also tend to be a faster rider than many randos at night, so, throw is important to me. My ancient BT20 has a nice wide pattern up close and a long spot in the distance, but maybe time to upgrade? To what.

I recently bought a Lumitop B01 light that can be powered by either a removable 21700 or 18650 battery. Burntime is very impressive with a 5000 ma 21700 battery. The LED is projected downwards onto a reflector lens that projects a cutoff beam. I used it on a rainy 400k recently and it was acceptable although this was my first time using a cutoff beam and frankly, it isn't my cup of tea. Cornering takes extra care and I cannot see the street sign names. I do wish the roads were dry to have a better sense of the light's throw. I was also riding in more suburban roads with background lights, so, I suspect its performance on country roads on dry roads would be very good. Rain did not help the situation either. At the minimum, it would be a great backup light. It uses a thumb screw ratcheting mount and being very light and compact and cheap.....for $36......a great backup.

Fenix has a new BC26 that just came out. It also uses a 21700. I have one on order. I like how Fenix shapes the beam with a lens, it puts most of the light onto the road with just some being wasted but this wasted beam helps see on corners and street signs.

Fenix also has an adapter to use 18650 batteries in the BC26. It's an ALF-18 Battery Holder.

I should have mentioned that the lumitop has an adapter included or actually that they only give you an 18650 battery whereas Fenix comes with the larger and nearly twice the capacity 21700. The 21700 is a touch longer but fatter. The included Lumitop adapter is just a hollow plastic cylinder for the 18650 to slide into, sort of like a spacer.

The Lumintop has a much softer tone to the light, not the really harsh white.....cooler (or is it warmer) than most which is also important to me. (probably 4500K vs 6500K)

Runtime at the medium 260 lumens is 11 hours and 5 hours at higher setting of 550 lumens. The 260 lumen setting was comparable or maybe slightly brighter than other rando's lights that day but wet roads is hard to compare apples to apples due to different emitters

https://lumintop.com/product/b01/