Suggestions on choosing a quality flashlight

Awen

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Apr 6, 2016
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Been eyeing this little baby out: http://gemini-lights.com/products/xera-flashlight
It costs 750 SEK here ($92) in Sweden and I've read somewhere that this light was tested to output 935 lm at spec'd at 950 lm.
Could this tiny light actually produce 935 lm? How durable could it be only weighing 55g? What level of heat is produced draining
a 18650 3400 mah li-ion battery in 1h 30m?

If there is a better flashlight in aspect to lumen/dollar, weight, durability and batterylife (Xera has 1h 30min, weighs 55g + 44g) feel free to make suggestions.

Looking at the Nitecore MH20GT it seems to be somewhat better (possibly brighter spec'd at 1000 lumen and 1h 45min batterylife,
but also more expensive to order with the shipping to Sweden ($99 + 24.50 shipping). Anyone know the weight of the MH20GT?

I'm thinking $92 is expensive for a Gemini Xera and would really love to find a similar light for less.
Or a flashlight that's heavier (max 275g) with better beampattern for trail riding in tot. darkness for $60-70 or lower (minimum 600-700 lm).

I just got info that my dad has gotten a Inova T4R from his job, it's priced 2190:- SEK ($269) here and $109 at amazon.
But I'm not looking for heavy, overpriced and super durable flashlights that costs >1 SEK/1 lm, but generally bicycle lights
are equally overpriced here. Could I trust the Gemini Xera to not get too hot and end the diodes life prematurely?

So try a pocket sized lightweight flashlight or buy something more oriented towards trail riding and possibly bigger and heavier?
I currently own two different cheap flashlights from dealxtreme which both outputs ca 200 lm each and need something stronger that's using 1-2x 18650 li-ion.
 

scout24

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Dec 23, 2008
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Penn's Woods
Welcome Awen. I'm going to move this to Transportation Lighting-Bicycle. May be worth changing your thread title to reflect the bicycle nature of what you're looking for. :)
 

Awen

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Apr 6, 2016
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I can't make up my mind really, the multipurpose of tactical handhelds vs a dedicated bicycle light.
I am leaning towards a lightweight multipurpose flashlight as dedicated bicycle lights often all cost & weigh
more while producing less light. That's why I put the thread where I put it.

Also I found an old Gemini Xera flashlight thread from 2012, which I kind of updated with a new comment.

We'll see what people say whereever the thread ends up.
 

Milw light

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Dec 21, 2015
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I use a Fenix PD35Tac(1000 lumin) on my bike with a Fenix mount. This lights the trail just fine. Only caution I would advise is do not use it in Tac mode on a bike if you are going from strobe to turbo constantly as I do, the tail clicker will not take this use, the electronic side switch will. This is a real bright light & if a lot of people are around you will need to turn it down to a lower setting. It takes a real good battery to keep this in turbo & I use an Orbtronic 3500mah 10A continuous high drain. A genuine Panasonic 3400B should run it...its one of the most copied batteries there is though & the copies can be poor. As for the Gemini....I don't consider it expensive at all with battery & mount included. No info on how it stands up to bike road vibration though.
 

Keitho

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Jun 7, 2017
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CO, USA
I know, this is an old, moldy thread, so I'm curious if there might be some new hardware or opinions on this topic. I've been using flashlights on my daily (road) bicycle commute with some success for the past few weeks, plus a few trail rides. Since I think in spreadsheets, I started one to summarize my experience so far, comparing my flashlight experience with my most recent bicycle-specific lights.

Has anyone else had success in actual, repeated use of flashlights on their bicycles with the current state of the art hardware? What flashlights would you (do you) use on your bike, or what bicycle-specific lights make you shudder at using a flashlight?

I really like my single-cell Zebralights, both on my helmet and on my bar, but I'm curious if there are some weight-efficient 2x 18650 flashlights that might give some longer runtimes than single cells.

I'm a new poster to this forum, so be gentle!
 

angerdan

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Feb 12, 2015
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Europe
Has anyone else had success in actual, repeated use of flashlights on their bicycles with the current state of the art hardware?
What flashlights would you (do you) use on your bike, or what bicycle-specific lights make you shudder at using a flashlight?

There are several different steps between flashlight and bicycle lights.

  • Best bicycle lights are miniaturized car headlights (like Supernova M99 or Lupine SL) with cutoff beam and more than 150lx.
  • After that, Mainstream bicycle lights still have cutoff beam and manufacturers tell the amount of Lux (mostly between 25 and 80lx). Common brands are Busch&Müller, Cateye, Sigma Sport and Trelock.
  • Then there are semi-bicycle lamps like Fenix BC30 and Magicshine, made for outdoor/trail/non-urban use. Good quality mostly, double to three times the lumen than urban lights.

I'm currently using two B&M Ixon IQ (premium) lights on my bike.
Did buy a philips Saferide 80 Pedelec and a Supernova M99 Pure for my pedelec. Will install the M99 soon.

Also had a lineup of 10 rear lights in the last 12 years.
Most of them still work, it's more about technological evolution :)
 

Keitho

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Jun 7, 2017
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CO, USA
Wow, that Supernova M99 pro has some awesome features, and a price to match! I'm glad I don't need to comply with the European beam cutoff regulations here in the US, and instead just ensure that my non-cutoff lights (flashlights or others) are properly dimmed and aimed based on the conditions.

Also, since my "engine" is my legs, it hadn't occurred to me that, for a lot of people, "bike lights" mean "e-bike lights." Not really having to care about weight can really open up some cool options in lighting.
 
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