A skinflint’s guide to illumination

[markieboy]

How to get 400+ lumen LED lights, with a 3 hour run time, for under £60.

Two of these (£25):
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14027


A pack of these (£7):
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790


A charger (£15.50):
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15608


To mount the lights on bars or helmet (£11.95):
http://www.glowgadgets.co.uk/detail.jsp?pid=2891&id=1667&src=froogle

(for off road I use zip ties to mount the block to the bars instead of the velcro strap)

or if you’re really tight, make mounts out of an old inner tube like this,
it works better with the the torch on top of the bars, unlike the photo (£0):



Now you’ll have saved enough money to buy lots of these:

[Bils]

Nice one Markieboy. I must say that i was most impressed impressed with your skintflint set up on Thursday. If you strapped 2 to your bars and 2 to your lid it would be a very similar set up to the Ay-Ups, a bit more clumsy but with enough money saved for a 100 litres of beer  Winner

[Pilau]

Hi Mark - They are impressive - at that rate I may just invest in one myself as a normal torch.

Andrew

[markieboy]

Nice one Markieboy. I must say that i was most impressed impressed with your skintflint set up on Thursday. If you strapped 2 to your bars and 2 to your lid it would be a very similar set up to the Ay-Ups, a bit more clumsy but with enough money saved for a 100 litres of beer  Winner

Doubly impressed! 

I ordered another couple of torches, so that I can do 1–2 on the helmet and 2 on the bars.

I had one of these on the bars on the ride last week, bright, but not a great run time. Patrick shouted at me on my commute one morning, for dazzling him with it.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12623

[Bils]

Patrick shouted at me on my commute one morning, for dazzling him with it.

Worth every penny then 

[canondale]

god so bright could not see who was coming in front of me nothing worse than being blinded

i think i need to get some of these lights

[markieboy]

bump

[Mike]

I've actually got one of these on order:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29489




Claimed 900 lumens (reports put it nearer 700), with a 4-cell rechargeable battery that should give a 3 hour run time.
It's on the way to me at the moment, so hope to have it in time for the ride either this week or next.
If the build quality is reasonable, then it's a bargain - total price including a UK plug adaptor was £52 delivered.

[marcus]

I've recently been toying with the idea of getting an all-in-one light for the helmet and putting my main light back on the bars. I like the looks of the Exposure Joystick

Every review I've read about them has been "glowing" but at £140 it is kinda pricey for a second light so I'm tempted by something like the Ultrafire light on Deal Extreme (as per markieboys posting) that appears to give the same sort of performance for ~£50 (single light + batteries + charger).

My only worry is that of longevity, I'm confident that the Exposure would last many years in the worst conditions that Welsh weather can throw at it but I'm interested to know how well the Ultrafire will fair.

[john]

Hi Marcus. I've had a joystick for 18 months or so and haven't experienced any problems. It is very light and ideal as a helmet light. Your wellcome to borrow it for a night and give it a try. Send me a pm or text.  John

[marcus]

Your wellcome to borrow it for a year or two and give it a try.

Excellent, cheers John

[Dom]

Mike, it seems unlikely to me that you'll get anything even approaching 900 lumens from a single Cree emitter (presumably 3w), but it would have to be really shite not to be worth the money. I'm rather tempted myself - I might hang on and see what yours is like!

Dom

[Mike]

Humorously, DX also do a "Body Muscle Massager" (for those aches and pains after a ride I assume ) for $2.52 delivered 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13301

[Steve]

I've had a joystick for 18 months or so and haven't experienced any problems.

You kept that one quiet - Does Siara know about this "Joystick" then 

[john]

My stick has given  much joy over the years, It pokes out of my helmet after dark !