Lights for night riding

I speak as a rider who last
I speak as a rider who last night smashed into a pothole while blinded by an oncoming driver (pinch flat + half mile walk as I CBA fixing it so close to home). I’ve been using a Fenix L2D torch as a front light for 6 years, but I’m aware that however I angle it, it sometimes annoys oncoming drivers, some of whom retaliate.

I’ve recently become aware of a newer generation of the B&M Ixon IQ, dubbed the Premium. Puts out 80 lux which is twice the light of it’s predecessor, and runs for up to 5 hours on 4 x AA rechargeables. And being German it won’t blind drivers. Best bit is that if you buy from eg Rose in Germany it’s £46 delivered (if you opt for the one without the batteries and charger, both of which I have already for the Fenix)

I know this doesn’t help –
I know this doesn’t help – but this is very open-ended question – if you’ve done any research at all you’ll know that you can spend anywhere from maybe £30 to £300 (or more of course!).

So first off I would walk to who-ever is organizing these rides. Are they actually open to someone with no night–riding experience ? Apologies if this comes across the wrong way – but I can imagine a club being very picky about who they take on a night-time chain-gang. They may require people to have be happy riding unlit roads fast solo beforehand.

You also need to ask this question from your own perspective – would you be happy riding fast in a tight group in the dark with your current skills? It wasn’t clear whether this was a group you already ride with regularly and if so whether you already know and trust each other – which probably makes a big difference.

Given the amount you COULD spend my recommendation would be to try and delay spending big bucks until you know what you really want. E.g. if you can get to/from the start point on street-lit roads and you are not expected to take a turn on the front and the speed is anyway dialled-back &/or the roads are familiar then you can probably get away with something quite modest (I manage reasonably well with a ~200 lumen light for night-time commuting).
On the other hand if you plan on being on the front going full-gas down hills that you may not remember perfectly with everyone behind depending on the line you choose – well then you need something pretty special.

I’m sure the Lezyne lights you highlight are great products – although I don’t own any myself they are generally well regarded. But if you decide you don’t like night-riding – then you could have spent £100+ for a light you don’t need. On the other hand you might decide you love it but that for road racing you really must-have the flexibility of dipping your main beam without moving your hands. Only one light I know of has this feature and it isn’t made by Lezyene – so you’ve still wasted £100+ !

One other comment – don’t get obsessed with your front light and forget everything else. E.g. make sure you bring a selection of tail-lights or at least one (plus spare) with low brightness and a constant/steady mode – to avoid blinding the guy behind. (i.e. almost the complete opposite of how you might currently choose and rig your rear lights). You may also want a tail-light which you can turn up easily from the saddle for times when you are (literally) the lantern rouge! You also want to make sure the bike is going to be reliable – it’s pretty crap having a mechanical in the dark & wet on an unlit road. Some people pack a tiny head-torch just for this eventuality. Maybe you want to fit those 28s you’ve had hanging up for a rainy day ? Or remove that fancy GPS since you won’t be able to read it and you probably shouldn’t be trying. I’m not saying any of this is a MUST – it’s just worth thinking through other aspects and not focussing solely on the choice of front light.

Lots of dependencies – if you
Lots of dependencies – if you want something that will be (nearly) guaranteed to be looked at as ‘adequate’ by insurers if some cager drives into you, maybe look at STVZO-compliant lights. They have the merit of not dazzling oncoming humans if mounted correctly, but finding one that is not dynamo-driven and adequately bright for night riding may be a challenge. The latest CTC mag recommends the Ixon Core, but that is not close to usable.

If on the other hand you worry more about seeing than about ticking legal boxes, the Moon Xpower 550 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moon-Power-550-Front-Light/dp/B00FRKM7AO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413903832&sr=8-2&keywords=moon+x-power) is a fine light, as is the Fenix BT-20.