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Ebay cree lights
Hi there,
Considering some cheap ebay lights. Considering the three solarstorm ones.
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/301102111294?nav=SEARCH
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/161246397497?nav=SEARCH
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/281278529930?nav=SEARCH
Has anyone tried these and can compare them? Which one has the better beam spread? Any difference between the flat and round design? How do they feel when mounted on the helmet? Probably all three will be bright enough but want the one with a better spread of light.
Also saw this one for the helmet
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/161058907285?nav=WATCHI...
Any good?
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The solar storm look good. I'd check burn time though, you might need an additional battery. Looks like you will need to get a proper helmet mounting system. In my experiance those head mount ones aren't stable enough for mtb.
If you are a winter rider, you might also want to check the level of waterproofing of both, the light, battery and connection.
The last one looks pretty heavy and doesn't come with batteries.
I've got 2 nightlights. One of them has a wide angle lens to give a broad beam. Works very well.
I bought a powerful claimed 5400 lumen LED "CREE" light for a really good price on fleabay. It worked well for a month or 4, then overheated and died....on a nightride. The battery failed on one of my mates lights who had the same lights, within the month of purchase.
I then looked at some lights from MTB revolution called Xeccon mtb Bike Lights, based here in Aus, with a warranty and excellent battery life. Great service, very good reviews and a good price too.I haven't been disappointed.(and no I don't have shares in the business)
Those Xeccon look ok. Which model do you use? What's the beam pattern like? How does the light differ to the ebay ones?
ive had two of these for over a year now and they are still working. they put out plenty of light and are so cheap!!!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321094817698?ssPageNa...
Hey Pants, whats the beam pattern like on those? Has anyone mounted these on their helmets? Or has anyone got a cheap solution for a helmet light? I'm looking at getting one for the bars first and if that's not enough I'll get one for the helmet. And for helmet lights are there any that don't need a separate battery pack? The less weight the better on the helmet.
i use the solarstorm 2 led version on my helmet. It has been very good. good run time, i usually have it on medium, & it has always had plenty of juice left after a 2hr ride. I bought mine thru fasttech.
1 tip is to make the battery extra waterproof. wrap it in clingwrap or similar. i had a previous battery fail due to corrosion from getting wet.
to mount on the helmet, i removed the mount it came with ( 1 screw ) & just use a cable tie to secure the light to the helmet. It is nice a light & low profile. My old single cree light used to often hit trees in tight areas as it sat so high.
I have been using it approx once a week for the last 4 months & has never let me down.
I recently upgraded my old single led cree xmlT6 light with one from xeccon. The xeccon spiker 1210. very nice floodlight thats great on the bars with the solarstorm on the helmet.
heaps of info on the solarstorm on mtbr forums.
Its a spot beam.
I run one on bars and one on helmet, usually running the one on bars at half power until i come to descents/fast bits.
I always have a camelback and just put the battery in there, dont notice the weight once you get going!
You should start with a helmet light first, that way the light is always pointing where you are looking.
I got the Spiker 1210 which is for your bar, which is their best selling light.It's pretty bright and has useful seperate switches for strobe/full beam. Very happy.
I bought one of these about a year ago and have had no problem on or off road. Lasts for a couple hours on high, 4+ hours on medium and forever on flashing.
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251...
I'd be interested to see how the solar storm lights are if you get them.
So how are people attaching these lights to their helmets?cable ties? Velcro? I don't really like the idea of having the extra weight of the battery attached to the helmet. Don't use a pack so can't put battery there.
So should I look for a light on the bars that is a spot or one with a wide beam?
On the road I just attach it to the bars with the mount provided and velcro the battery to the top tube.
off road, I used the helmet mount with an extra cable tie. I do wear a camelbak so made an extra long lead and chucked it in there. I wouldn't want to put the battery on my helmet, it's far too heavy. Can you put the battery in your jersey pocket?
Don't have a jersey pocket. Another thought anyone tried using a led torch as a helmet light? Not sure if it will last an hour or not or whether the light output is enough. I would still use a bar light as well.
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm?itemId=350837403957
I am plan on riding around 6.30 am so when winter comes it will be a bit dark. wont be pitch black.
I recently purchased a Light and Motion Urban 700. It's super light for a helmet, comes with the helmet attachment or bars for a roadie. The cool thing about it is that it has a USB charger for the integrated battery in the light...so no battery hanging in the back pouch or in the Camelbak. Good burn time, orange little lights on the side and throws a good solid beam. Works great in tandem with a brighter light on the bar. It's got some great reviews too. Made in the USA.
make sure you click the links IN the link attached and take your time reading it all.
http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/big-f...
there will be specific threads about torches as well as reviews for different ebay and DX lights here
http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/
Type the brand you are looking for in the search box, top right corner near the banner ad.
When I started night riding, I attached my back up led dive torch to my helmet via shock cord. It worked well. Just need to be careful as some dive torches need to be immersed to remain cool.
This is a typical helmet mount. It fits through the vents. I have these lights plus some $40 ebay copies which are almost as good. http://www.nitelights.com.au/index.php?page=shop...
If you must go handle bar mount, get a wide beam.
The problem you'll find, especially on tight sections, is the light only points where the handle bars points. So on any bend, you will not be able to look at it until you are already in the act of cornering. And even then, the light will be shinning away from the track as the track bends away.
imho, you should go to Anaconda and buy one of their cheap camel/back packs. Put your battery, water, tools etc there too. Also helps keep the weight off the bike.
Hey.. first time post here, so probably an odd one for a first post.. but oh well haha..
I have three SolarStorm X2 lights and 2 batteries (threw one out when I blamed it for failing.. turned out it was actually the charger). Happy to lend you one (with a battery and charger) to try if you want?
Let me know.
Dave
Thanks for the offer Dave, very kind of you. Were the batteries that came with the light ok or did you have to buy some better ones? Remember which ebayer you bought from?
hmm.. I did reply but that post seems to have disappeared into the ether haha...
I only just noticed your "home site" is nobmob, not PerthMTB.. in which case it's probably not so practical to loan you one to try unfortunately
Unless you want to pay postage to/fro, but then it's becoming a bit of a headache and for the cost of the lights.. probably better off just buying one 
I bought mine from http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/400434279941?ssPageNa...
I can't remember the burn time I got on my original battery, but the one I've been using this week I put on low before I head to work and when I turn it off ~ 1hr20min later the indicator still shows three green lights, so plenty of juice left in the tank. I haven't had a need to use it on medium, high or flash so can't comment on burn times in any of those modes.
Dave
You sure I can't fly over there and pick it up
From what I've read some of the batteries die after a few months. Have you had yours long?
Nah, not long enough to comment on longevity. Only had a couple of weeks on the first one when the charger crapped out and I binned the battery and the new ones only had a few days use so far.
I figure that for what they cost, if I have to buy a good quality battery later I still end up in front
I have 2 batteries from ebay cree lights that are over 18 months old with regular use. Still working fine.