clarknick67

Hi, there. Was wondering what kind of flashilight do u guys use? anyone ever use this 3W LED Bicycle Light/Flashlight ? My last one was just out of work. Wanna move on to a new one. So happened to find this stuff. Looks not bad. What ya think? What ya sugget to go with?

Juha

Priced at about USD 5-6, you'll get what you pay for. If you read the customer reviews, you'll see they have QC problems, the handlebar mount doesn't get much praise and there's no quantitative info on the amount of light you get. Not that manufacturer's info is to be trusted, the old MagicShine claimed 900 lumens, I believe the consensus was it delivers somewhere in the 400-600 lumen range, at max. Still, you will get a lot more light if you move into USD 30-50 price range. Possibly slightly better QC as well.

You will find tons of threads in Electronics and Gadgets forum (where I'm moving this thread, from Bike Mech) regarding experiences on specific LED lights.

--Juha, a Forum Mod

commo_soulja

Well, there's a saying, "you get what you paid for". Something at that pricepoint, I'd question it's capability for providing lighting that a cyclist needs. When I looked for a light I looked at several factors - lumens, lenses and batteries. I eventually went with a pair of Dinotte 400Ls, one bike mounted and the other helmet mounted. The bike mounted light has a larger capacity battery and long throw lenses mounted. The helmet mounted light has a smaller lighter battery and fitted with one long and one wide angle lens. I can ride high power on both lights for about three days (during the morning and night commute) before recharging the batteries. My setup is great for me as I commute in the dark through a forest and it can get pretty dark with no moonlight.

OP - What kind of riding do you do at night? Is it in an urban environment with streetlights? Rural backroads? Do you need the lights to be seen? or to see? I'd probably consider the light you linked but only as a back-up for riding in the city. It could be useful as flashlight off the bike.

clarknick67

Thanks for your reminding.

clarknick67

Actually, I have a plan to travel around the city by bike these days. So, I have to do some prepration.

socalrider

If your life is worth $6.00 then spend that much, personally I would get something with a little more power and quality, but that's me.

rumrunn6

these are great strobes. good mounts and durable. use a rubber band on the rear light just to be sure you don't lose it. I hear they make a brighter front light now but this front strobe is great

https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-He.../dp/B001G7Q24Y

here's the 2 watt headlight:

https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Bl.../dp/B0015R1NE4

niakapa

I got a couple of them, and they are fine for riding around town (with some streetlights and occasional dark stretches). I am still looking for a more permanent solution but these will do for a few months. The amount of light is pretty good with new batteries; I think it is pretty similar to my old 5W Halogen lights.

When I find my perfect lights (maybe Magicshines when the battery problem gets solved) I intend to pass these on to my children, who ride occasionally at dusk.

I got about 3 hours runtime with them, though the brightness dropped off after 2 hours.

martialman.45

I second the Planet Bike lights. I've had mine for about 2 years now.