Author Topic: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?  (Read 4442 times)

coffeebreak

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2023, 05:34:23 PM »
Not sure which Towild I have but I like it a lot for two reasons, it has GoPro mount and the battery comes out easily. If anyone is doing long endurance rides at night they can just carry extra 18650 batteries and change it on the fly.

My other favorite is XOSS which I found too be extremely well built and having a nice matte finish. It goes very well with overall look of my bike. The battery doesn't last long but it works perfectly for being seen.

PLA

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #16 on: September 04, 2023, 11:40:51 AM »
Replaced my Cateye Ampp800 with a Towild BR800 because it takes a common rechargeable 18650 which can be replaced in the unit if needed. Basically essential to me now because sometimes I like to ride at night and don't want to have to stress about my battery going dead. I just carry a spare battery.
It’s so clearly a LARP of an aero bike.

bremerradkurier

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #17 on: September 06, 2023, 11:03:24 AM »

kbernstein

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2023, 08:40:32 AM »
Does anyone have the magene geoid TL400B rear light, TL300 or a Towild TL02 rear light?

00Garza

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2023, 09:56:56 AM »
Does anyone have the magene geoid TL400B rear light, TL300 or a Towild TL02 rear light?

I have the TL400. Its a decent light with good features for the price. 

kbernstein

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2023, 11:52:13 AM »
Are you happy with the battery life? Rear light is the one thing I hated charging and would often let run out of battery without noticing

Similarly, are there aliexpress lights that can connect to head units to control them or to see battery life?

00Garza

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #21 on: October 02, 2023, 03:20:31 PM »
Are you happy with the battery life? Rear light is the one thing I hated charging and would often let run out of battery without noticing

Similarly, are there aliexpress lights that can connect to head units to control them or to see battery life?

Its good for now. But like all rechargeable lights, I'm expecting that to degrade over time. The only bluetooth lights I know of are the one ones with remote controls you can put on your handlebar. Not controlled via app or phone.

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #22 on: October 02, 2023, 07:46:38 PM »
I have a Rockbros RHL1000

excellent battery life, bit on the heavier side but gives as much illumination as you'll ever need.


Tijoe

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #23 on: February 27, 2024, 01:03:53 PM »
A couple nights ago I finally had a 4 hour night ride and tested out the X-tiger 2400 lumen light* I purchased several months ago.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801127497663.html

As stated in its description, it lasted about 3.5 hours.  About 1/2 hour short of what my ride was.  I had to use my helmet light to finish my ride.  The specifications for my model states 6400 mAh, plus the battery can work as a battery bank.  (A lot of good this does when you need all of the power just to run the light.)

This is my question to other around the clock night riders and/or backpackers.   Might it be better to purchase a dedicated headlight that does not have a built in battery and run the light off of a much larger capacity power bank?   
Are there any fast charge power banks or headlights that charge to 80+% of their capacity in a few hours? (Most I've read about often take 8 hours to recharge.)

I am making plans for a couple long adventure rides where I will need to operate and keep charged;  Cell phone, Bicycle computer, Zoleo, headlight, and taillights all being operated/charged off of powerbanks, such that it could be 2-3 days between long stops in civilization/power sources.

Thoughts?

*Note:  The only negative I have regarding this light is that in order to operate the push buttons on the light you have to push fairly hard down into the light body to get the buttons to work.  Since I was on a winter ride in very cold weather, I was wearing heavy winter cycling gloves It was impossible to push the buttons without removing my gloves and using my bare finger.

00Garza

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #24 on: February 27, 2024, 01:48:17 PM »
Sounds like a dynamo set up would be your best bet.

Tijoe

Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
« Reply #25 on: February 27, 2024, 06:30:58 PM »
Sounds like a dynamo set up would be your best bet.
On the road, I've been there done that when LED technology was kicking off.   For my usage, I would have to build another $$$ front wheel. 15 X 110 hub to fit my bikepacker.  There are only a few 15 x 110 dynamo hubs out there, ranging in price from around $160 to $450.  If I went that route, it would probably be best to use the dynamo to charge a powerbank rather than the lights.  Often on trails going up hill speeds can be below 6mph, the hubs stop outputting their rated power.
The Son 28 ($400+ price) outputs around 6V @ 3watts at 20km/h 

If I need to depend 100% on a dynamo to light a light, I may not have much light while climbing up steep trails, so I would need other lights anyways.

After my earlier post, I found these lights that work off of remote powerbank or a 12V battery.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805265597108.html

(Same as above, but with remote battery.)
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805183282626.html

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832638320713.html

I would be nice to carry one or two 20,000+ mAh powerbanks of some sort that can be set up to run my light/s, and recharge my cell, bike computer and occasionally my Zoleo.

One other thing I have discovered is that all of my LED lights that use USB-C charging ports, the lights wont turn on while the battery is charging.  This means you can't use a powerbank to add power to the light as you use it.  Therefore one would have to have 2 lights on the bike, one running and one charging, to get through 8+ hours of darkness while riding.