Dipped Bike Lights

[lune ranger]

Do bike lights that dip like a car, either automatically or using a switch exist?

I find road beam lights to be inadequate on the country lanes I ride most but don’t want to dazzle drivers with 1000 lumens directly into their retinas.

I can see loads of lights with adjustable brightness but not adjustable beam pattern. There are also plenty that adjust the brightness according to speed.

I can’t seem to find ones with full and dipped beam. Am I looking in the wrong places?

[ScotRoutes]

https://www.ravemen.com/PR/PR1200.html

I don't have one but I've looked in the past.

[Rob S]

I asked about this last year, didn't get any real answer though. I select medium power and angle the light down a few degrees, I haven't had any drivers flash or 'beep' me so I presume it works. Not an ideal solution obviously.

[Boab]

Pricey no doubt, but I've found it to be pretty good - Strada MK10 SB AKTiv It mostly dims automagically, but sometimes that cars need to be pretty close for it to happen. I've not used the supplied button and just relied on the automagic feature...

[ledburner]

Pricey no doubt, but I've found it to be pretty good - Strada MK10 SB AKTiv It mostly dims automagically, but sometimes that cars need to be pretty close for it to happen. I've not used the supplied button and just relied on the automagic feature...

I try to set the light so the upper edge of the main beam is about horizontal if on the road alot..

[pistonbroke]

I've got a Raveman light as linked by Scotroutes, apart from it being the 1600. The output and life seems good, there's a definite cut off on one of the lights and you can flick between full and dipped using the included remote. Not sure about it's non dazzling credentials as we don't get much traffic around here. Good build quality, it survived falling into the road at 20kph now fitted with a lanyard

[belugabob]

Any of these, depending on your battery preference.
There's no auto-dip, because they have a beam pattern that doesn't dazzle. (Very effective, it is, too)

https://www.bumm.de/en/products/akku-scheinwerfer.html

As the dip effect comes from the shape of the reflector, it's surprising that few (if any) UK brands, make lights like this.

[Bearlegged]

I tend to ride with a helmet mounted light, and just aim the beam to the kerb when there's oncoming traffic.

[fatbikephil]

I don't think you need to 'dip' lights at cycling speeds as you have you're lights pointed so that the beam cut off is probably still shorter than on a car with dipped beams so dazzling them shouldn't be an issue. The problem is that having your beam pointed to a useful spot to see by means it won't trigger a cars auto dip until its thoroughly dazzled you. I obviously appreciate that it's far too much effort for a car driver to dip their beams manually as it might lead them to expend energy

[rudedog]

I just have the light pointed down so it’s focused below driver eye level.

[belugabob]

I just have the light pointed down so it’s focused below driver eye level.

Whilst that helps to avoid dazzling, it doesn't make best use of the available light, with too much of it being close to the bike. At speed, you want the beam further ahead of your front wheel

[ledburner]

I just have the light pointed down so it’s focused below driver eye level.

Whilst that helps to avoid dazzling, it doesn't make best use of the available light, with too much of it being close to the bike. At speed, you want the beam further ahead of your front wheel

lumicycle used to do a hood extending round the front road bike lights. a cut up opaque bottle 'peak' could try that?

[Linkpin]

I use a Lezyne Macro Drive, which has a 'race mode' feature. When you put the light on this setting, pressing the button cycles between full power and a medium output.

It's not perfect but it's a pretty easy way to dip the beam, and useful off road too - full power for descents, dipped for everywhere else.

[lune ranger]

Thanks everyone. Some things to consider there.

[belugabob]

I use a Lezyne Macro Drive, which has a 'race mode' feature. When you put the light on this setting, pressing the button cycles between full power and a medium output.

It's not perfect but it's a pretty easy way to dip the beam, and useful off road too - full power for descents, dipped for everywhere else.

Is that actually dipped, though, or just lower power?

[lune ranger]

I don’t see any that dip - ie. Change the beam pattern, just ones that alter intensity/brightness.
I’m clearly wrong but would have thought it easy enough to achieve.

[sean_iow]

The issue with bike lights is they work differently to car lights.

In a bike light the bulb(s) shine straight through the lens. Changing modes just changes the brightness. But a 200l light shining into your eyes will still blind you just as 2000l one will.

In (old) car headlights the bulb has 2 filaments. The light also shined off a reflector and through the lens. When you dip the headlights it turns off the high beam filament and turns on the low beam filament. This alters the position of the light source relative to the reflector so it shines through the lens differently and gives the cut-off for dipped beam. I'm not aware of any bike lights that work this way.

I've no idea how new car lights do it as they seem to have clear lenses whereas old lights had a series of prisms built in to them to direct the light.

[ScotRoutes]

The issue with bike lights is they work differently to car lights.

In a bike light the bulb(s) shine straight through the lens. Changing modes just changes the brightness. But a 200l light shining into your eyes will still blind you just as 2000l one will.

In (old) car headlights the bulb has 2 filaments. The light also shined off a reflector and through the lens. When you dip the headlights it turns off the high beam filament and turns on the low beam filament. This alters the position of the light source relative to the reflector so it shines through the lens differently and gives the cut-off for dipped beam. I'm not aware of any bike lights that work this way.

The Ravemen I linked to has two LEDs, each with a different lens, rather than simply cutting power.

[sean_iow]

If only I'd clicked the link But in my defense I'm not looking for one, but if I did a lot of road riding I'd be giving that serious consideration.

[ScotRoutes]

If only I'd clicked the link But in my defense I'm not looking for one, but if I did a lot of road riding I'd be giving that serious consideration.

Yeah - I can definitely see the benefits of it. In the mean time I tend to leave the mount on my Revo loose enough that I can swivel it round the bar a smidge when required.

[sean_iow]

I tend to leave the mount on my Revo loose enough that I can swivel it round the bar a smidge when required.

All my lights are mounted like that, just tight enough to not move off road but I can adjust the angle when required. The plastic shims on the front of the Jones loop for the bracket actually allow it to move up and down between two points and I can feel where it is. It also means in an crash the light should rotate and reduce the chance of damage.

[pistonbroke]

Sod's Law, I praise my Raveman light and it lets me down. Set off in the dark to his morning for a big ride, the indicator on the setting that gives me enough light for road riding was showing 7.5 hours, I decided to keep the light on once the sun had got up but it expired after about 2 hours. Tried switching it on and the indicator flashed low and it went off after 20 minutes or so. I'll try giving it a good charge but the timing couldn't be worse with the event I bought it for next week. Anyone had any success running a Joystick from a powerbank? Mine chucks out enough light but only lasts a couple of hours these days.

[Scud]

On the road i use and Exposure Strada and one of these, its brilliant, allow me to toggle through settings to low (i always have light angled slightly downwards) and then click back up to maximum when needed

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Exposure-Smart ... PIQAvD_BwE

[rollindoughnut]

Same here. My Strada came with the remote button. I've mounted it on my road bars just under the hood. My thumb falls naturally to it. Never get flashed by cars when the light is dipped so it must work OK. Not very bright in dipped mode but great when full beam.

[Linkpin]

I use a Lezyne Macro Drive, which has a 'race mode' feature. When you put the light on this setting, pressing the button cycles between full power and a medium output.

It's not perfect but it's a pretty easy way to dip the beam, and useful off road too - full power for descents, dipped for everywhere else.

Is that actually dipped, though, or just lower power?

Fair point. I was using 'dipped' to mean the same as 'lower power' - I really meant that you can change the output level back and forth easily with one button so you can see the whole road/trail then lower it immediately you see a vehicle/fellow trail user. But yes, it doesn't change the beam angle so it isn't dipped, that's true.