Chinertown
Other Resources => Component Deals & Selection => Topic started by: Takiyaki on May 07, 2023, 04:05:48 PM
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I don't ride at night, just need something for visibility. I guess I wouldn't mind radar in the tail light as well.
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I've been very satisfied with my Gaciron headlights. I've had two I've been using since 2021 without issue. I think they're just starting to convert their lineup to USB-C.
I have a V9D-1800 and a V9M-1200.
This is their official store, but other vendors have their products for a bit cheaper.
GaCIROn Official Store
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mP52W5K
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I have this one. Only used it once and it wasn't even dark, but looks and feels good for what it's worth.
You can attach it to a garmin computer mount
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004513876033.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.88.21ef1802d2zj7D
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I have this one too. I got the S1 Q2 bundle for 16€ :) 400 lumens wasn't enough in the only proper night ride I had in a forest with zero infrastructure but it should be more than enough for cities. I will upgrade to 1000 if I ever want real night rides but I can recommend it for now. I got the bundle mainly for the tail light and the mount (my current garmin came without one and it's much better than the garmin mount anyway) but I often forget to turn it on. No idea how visible the light is but I feel like I get even less respect from cars when I have it on. Wish it would turn on automatically/controllable from the head unit though
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I picked up two of these recently.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804558555808.html
The largest one for my MTB, and the smallest one for my road bike. They are both very bright for the price. The small one only lasts about 2.5 hours on its lowest setting, so I just turn it off when I'm on bike/pedestrian paths and not in traffic. The large one I haven't been able to get out long enough at night on the MTB to see its run time.
Edit - June 12; I got a chance to go for a longer night ride over the weekend. The larger MTB light ran for 2 hours on the highest power setting before I got back to the truck. That's plenty for most of my night riding adventures. It is extremely bright, but I would still recommend a helmet light for super tight turns.
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The lights i've got from aliexpress have been pretty crap for their price, the bikemate lights from aldi which are $20(?) aud for back and front light have been very solid.
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Great thread! I find it be be very illuminating!
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The lights i've got from aliexpress have been pretty crap for their price, the bikemate lights from aldi which are $20(?) aud for back and front light have been very solid.
Check out the Gaciron I posted above. Not cheap, but very much a premium light. By far the highest quality I've found on AliExpress.
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Been using the Towild CL600 (they have brighter ones available) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003986553181.html
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head light
the 1200 lumen version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004942538790.html (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004942538790.html)
garmin quarter turn mount, easy to flip lens to change from under bars to helmet mount (as yes I use it off road) and doubles as power bank
tail light Magene L508 no question
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I purchased this D1-800 ROCKBROS light upside down with gopro mount version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000433874217.html back in early 2021 USB C connection very happy with it better than an cheap ALDI light IMHO . Not sure how long it last after running out one night I keep is regularly charged for cold winter commuting still in use.
Tail lights different case I purchase a pair of these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004989066911.html after the last type I had died . They work but I'm not sold on them. Looking for other options
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for headlights, +1 on the Gaciron.
I got a 1400lm and it works well over what I need, also good that it works with the gopro mount and it's quick release, so really practical. It's not the cheapest, but it's high quality and will hold well over time (I have friends using their products for over 4yrs with no issues)
the Towild seem to be really good too, from the reviews I see around.
Now the Rockbros, Geoid, Thinkrider, and such, these don't actually manufacture the products but stamp their brand on them. Nothing wrong, but some Rockbros models are Gaciron's, if you look closely. So could be worth the research to get the best price. :)
for tail lights, I went over some different ones
MagicShine were by far the best, and it's a well know brand in the west too, so it's a safe choice
Infitnix is also a good option, I got 2 lights from them, but the water sealing sucks so I ran into issues (after some shower it just don't turn off). The warranty came through and replaced it, but now it's just my backup light
if you want radar light, then take a look at Magene and Bryton too, both are the best price you can get
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I absolutely love the Towild CL800 and now have two of them that I move between three bikes. There's a flash mode and constant, and the flash mode is seriously bright- in mornings I can see the reflection on road signs as the sun is coming up. Battery life is OK but not stellar, I think it died on a 4 hour ride but one of mine is a few years old at this point. The garmin mount is slick and it charges via USB-C, which things seem to be moving towards.
Rear light I use a genuine RTL515 for the radar.
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I absolutely love the Towild CL800 ...
Thank you for the Towild reference, I'll check them out.
I'm giving up on Gaciron, great lights but shitty straps, I bought a lot of them along the years, and lost either the straps, part of them or the lights. I tried to explain the issues but they don't get having the strap part of the light make impossible to lose one or the other.
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I was wrong, it’s the BR800. They are pretty cheap and I may some day end up with a third. They just click right in so I have a mount on the commuter, road bike, and even Tt bike for safety.
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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.
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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.
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$40 NiteRider 900 lumen light for those of us in the US.
https://bikecloset.com/product/niterider-lumina-900-boost/?mc_cid=8d6747e785&mc_eid=e7e434a710 (https://bikecloset.com/product/niterider-lumina-900-boost/?mc_cid=8d6747e785&mc_eid=e7e434a710)
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Does anyone have the magene geoid TL400B rear light, TL300 or a Towild TL02 rear light?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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I have a Rockbros RHL1000
excellent battery life, bit on the heavier side but gives as much illumination as you'll ever need.
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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.
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Sounds like a dynamo set up would be your best bet.
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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.