long bike ride... lights (possible BB200 content)

[barney]

So... I may or may not be silly enough to attempt a ~199km ride later in the year around mid-Wales but at the moment I don't have suitable lights such a long ride, what what would you recommend please?

Can't afford a dynamo or owt fancy like that, any suggestions on good strategies would be extremely appreciated... would you recommend any specific light (helmet mounted), maybe have two and swap around with one charging whilst the other is running or take a shedload of batteries for a battery powered light?

kinda on a budget so don't have lots of cash to spend.

cheers in advance

[johnnystorm]

I bought a 350 Lumen version of this when my dynamo conked out:

https://olsenbikes.co.uk/products/niter ... 1a95&_ss=r

The rear light will last the bb200 if you either leave it flashing or switch modes and the front light would probably last the distance with careful mode choice. Shame he hasn't got one of the larger battery versions on offer.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've done something very similar just using a joystick and small piggyback battery.

Recently I've played about with a Lumitact torch / light and whilst it's not a joystick, I am quite impressed. Mine came with a reasonable mount and if you carried a few spare batteries, there's no reason why you wouldn't get through such a ride.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lumitact-Recha ... 106&sr=1-5

[johnnystorm]

Just remembered planet x had a few options, e.g.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPXAHL16 ... IPXAHL1600

[redefined_cycles]

Hi Barney. What's your budget please... I started off with one of these https://www.flashaholics.co.uk/products ... -mh23.html or the previous model and got myself a 2fish mount for the bars. Beauty of it is that it can take usb charging but also, now that 18650 li-ion tech has come on, you can get a spare battery that can be also charged with a usb cable - so effectively having a spare battery.

Also, these - https://www.rutlandcycling.com/accessor ... lsrc=3p.ds - are really good which I think I remember testing against my Exposure TORO last year on the bb200 I think it was. I couldn't telluch difference between the light output in medium-ish modes. I have the 400 lumen version and you could get yourself an 800 and a 400 sp as to only need one mount on the bars.

Erm... the cateye is also usb chargeable and neither the nitcore or the cateye have pass through charging. Which isn't a bad thing as batts last longer over the years, but you'd need to charge and then use it... The topic of lights is massive and for what its worth I also have the smaller nitecore without usb charging.

On this coming bb200 I plan to have the TORO or big nitecore on the bars and the smaller Nitecore (think of it as being the same size as an Exposure Joystick) somehow mounted on my helmet. Though I've never before mounted a helmet light and managed to almost get through 3 x BB200s (the Covid edition I gave up on but then went through a named storm to get to the car so am classing it as a win-win).

[redefined_cycles]

Oh... and can't go wrong with something from mtb-batts either. Years ago I asked a similar queation on here and bought one from mtb battseries and loved it...

https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain ... /lumen800/

[ootini]

Hi Mark.
I have one of these 1600 lumen halfords jobbies and a 20kmah power bank, which will recharge it about three times.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-a ... 53334.html

No idea if that would see you through 199km, depends how fast you pedal I guess.

Youre more than welcome to borrow both the light and power bank, if you'd like.

Edit* Talking of which, I also have a Torchy 2xCree LED with umbilical battery, which you can have. I've used it once and its lived in the back of a drawer since. I'll try to remember to bring it with me next week.

[barney]

Cheers all, plenty of food for thought.