srestrepo

Warning: Picture Heavy.

I know that these aren't an apples comparison. one of these lights has one emitter and a fresnel lens and the other has 3 LED's and shaped beams. but, I'm a commuter and I'm their target audience so here we go.

I recently acquired a taz 1200. i've been commuting with a cygolite metro 1100 but wanted to try and find something that has more of a focused beam without spending too much money. i still would like to try a B&M set up or even a dyno light to see it the beam shapes for myself. if anyone has one they're willing to trade for a few days for a cygolite or a taz, we can work out the details after.
I generally commute at about 16 to 18 mph unless going up or downhill. i do this is most weather - i haven't been able to ride in snow and ice yet but, i'm looking to change that this year. rain doesn't scare me at all.

below are some pictures of the lights and then the beams. i know that beamshots aren't the best thing as the way the picture is taken can be inconsistent but i used my digital camera, eliminated any automatic settings and set up purely manual settings. for those of who are interested those settings, feel free to pm me for details.

here's a size comparison




Below are some Beam shots on maximum output levels for each. First the Cygolite then the L&M Taz 1200. that fence is exactly 50 feet away from where the pictures were taken and is 6 feet tall. note on the Taz, the amount of light that is directed forwards and on the ground to the left.



While these pictures might look washed out, its important to note the subtle difference. for me, while riding home last night, the biggest difference was the amount of light that the Taz puts out to the left and right. this has made all the difference between a slow upright left hand turn versus being able to lean into the same left hander at the bottom of a hill. Distance wise, the Taz and Metro seem to my eye to have the same throw. Also, the yellow lights that are on the side of the taz, dont currently do anything for me. the light being mounted on my handlebars, my hands block that yellow.

the cygolite is a no frills, sleek, dependable light with a good beam. it packs a lot of punch in a small package, charges pretty fast and the mount is incredibly sturdy.

the L&M is a much larger and more cumbersome set up. the mount isn't ideal and requires extra silicone and stuff wrapped around the bars so the head of the light doesn't start pointing south after a pot hole. But from a commuters perspective, this light has many more features that i appreciate. the additional light on the ground to the sides, the color coded battery indicator on the power button, and the third party support for custom mounts.

let me know if you guys want to see something else or have any questions.

thanks for getting this far if you did...

a1penguin

The Cygolite puts out more light where you are headed 99% of the time. What you need for the corners is a headlight on the helmet that you can point where you are going to turn. It's also useful to give drivers on side street a looksee.

I really like my Cygolite. The compact packaging seems better than the L&M. Also you can get spare holder for the Cygolite for additional bikes. I have no experience with stretchy strap items. My Garmin cadence and speed sensor have rubber band mounts but I only remove them once every 1.5-2 years to replace battery.

Any light from Cygolite, L&M and Niterider are probably all similar quality.

canklecat

I had the same impression as the OP for the L&M Taz 1200 vs the Cygolite Metro and other comparable lights available for display at REI. The Taz 1200 was very good, with a broad, evenly distributed beam. Only reason I didn't buy it was the cost.

I also compared the L&M Urban 500 against every available 500 lumen (or as near as possible) light at REI and a couple other shops. While not as broad and even as the Taz, the Urban 500 beam was broader and more even than other comparable lights. However the difference was much less significant than with the Taz.

So I doubt that most folks who are satisfied with their Cygolites, NiteRiders, etc., would be persuaded by the single LED L&M Urban models. Although prices have dropped on some L&M Urban headlights, so they're more competitively priced.

rumrunn6

everything takes some getting used too, good luck & have fun! keep sharing!

srestrepo

I'm thinking you're right about this. so i've just purchased a helmet mount for my Cygolite. because it has a tighter beam pattern and its the smaller more compact of the two, i'll mount it to my helmet.

because i wasn't able to take advantage of the yellow side view lights on the Taz, i'm going to get a K-edge Mount and use the gopro mount on the Taz to put the headlight out and in front of my hands so i dont block the yellow blinking lights on the side.

it was a tough choice for the money. i had considered adding another Cygolite 1100 to the handlebars but then i thought that might be too excessive. i just needed wanted something that was just a little more, not some eye searing set up. the lights are great, but im thinking (beyond trying one of those Busch & Muller lights) once i get this Taz set up with the outfront mount, i should be all set.

trailangel

I actually like the strap mount of the Light and Motion lights. Fits into your pocket easier, and I've never had a problem with it drifting on the handle bars... just set it one notch tighter.
Exciting times with LED lights and technology these days... all kinds of good lights out there....you can't go wrong.

doctor j

Having ridden quite a few miles "under the lights", I think you made a good decision to add a helmet light.