# Surefires for Bikes



## **DONOTDELETE** (May 18, 2001)

The Surefire combatlights, 6Z and Z2 make excellent bike lights. Use a rubber bike block like from twofish.com(?), to mount the light. The Minimag sized block works. 


The pros and cons, 


The combatlight is better, brighter and more appropriate than anything I have seen for a serious backuplight for roadwork or trailwork.


It has a wider and brighter sidelight cone than any bikelight I have seen that costs less than $100. At 65 lumens it is weaker, cheaper and much smaller than my mainlight 360 lumen Light and Motion Apex Cabeza headlight, itself weighing half the weight of the next lighter contender, a Nightrider. But the Z-2 it is plenty bright, for you and for cars. Way more than my 4 watt Specialized light.


The Z-2 burns only 1 hour compared to most headlights, but it's a backup light. Headlights get about 2 hours on high, 3 on medium. The Z-2 is similar in brightness and light quality (spread of light) to medium power (85 lumens) on a top of the line bikelight. This is unusual.


It is way less weight than anything comparable. This is a radical departure in use of the combatlight.


The rubber grip of the Z-2 Combatlight seems unique. It is close to the balance point and is just the right diameter for the mounting velcro. The rubber grip seems to be the widest of the surefires and better positioned than the Z-3. Placed under the velcro holddown strap of the rubber block the Z-2's grip gives uniquely good friction so the on-off action is positive, with no slippage. 

Because of that rubber, you can turn the taillight switch on or off easily while riding and not turn the whole light. That is important. Every minute counts when you only have 60 of them.

The Z-2 has a taillight lockout. Get it. Then it won't turn on in your bag, Hawg etc. I'll probably take the 6Z back and trade it. No light lockout.


The Nitrolon series would work well, cheap, good friction due to the rubbery material it is made from, but no lockout...yet.


The beam in the P-60 lamp that comes with the light is just fine for even high speed bike riding. You can tell a pothole from a patch and you don't overrun the beam. The only problem comes from vibrations. 


If you hit a patch of potholes the little 6 Inch light bobs on the rubber block pretty badly. You have to slow down anyway so it's not serious. The light is handlebar mounted so you get more shadow than a headlight. This is important to pothole hunting.


Unfortunately, the attachment to the handlebar is not fixed and the nature of the transverse handlebar attachment is not good, rubbery, too much torque transfer etc. But its the best I can find. 


I want a transverse weaponlight setup, like a regular bikelight.


I think the P-61 110 lumen light is not appropriate for a backup light situation where you might be stranded and have to walk a long way in the dark. It is too battery inefficient. Get a Z3. It will be more bouncy but it will probably work. You'll have to put rubber tape around the balance point. The rubber grip of the Z-3 is too far from the balance point.


The DLL123A lithium batteries are expensive and don't last long but in a pinch they are appropriate for a riding escape.


For a flat tire walking escape the Z-2 might be too much, have your Spares Carrier. Many big lights are set up with a 15 lumen walking light. But that won't help if you have a main light flameout and you can't ride. For whatever reason...trail too steep, rain, flat tire...you name it. For that you might need more than one hour of light.

In that case the 1 hour-1 battery-15 lumen E-1 is your light of choice. The E-1 uses the same batteries in your Z-2. Maybe it can even re-use them!!!

It would fit in the block so you don't have to hold it with your teeth. But it only has one hour of use. For this, I tend to recommend an LED for walkout, but if the E-1 runs on used Z-2 lights hey, life could be worse. No spares carrier? Just carry an E-1....Less light but maybe you can squeeze those dead soldiers for another hour.

The Eternalight is just fine for walkout. You can't ride very well with it but it can be crammed down onto the rubber light block I mentioned and strapped on with the velcro. It won't pop off but it's close to. Then you have a good 40 hours of walking light and can ride easy paths and roads. One Eternalight with three L-91 batteries is probably about the weight of your basic 6 cell spares carrier.


StJoe the possessed


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## Chris M. (May 19, 2001)

_....Get a Z3. It will be more bouncy but it will probably work. You'll have to put rubber tape around the balance point. The rubber grip of the Z-3 is too far from the balance point.
_


Just a thought but I have a 9Z which as far as I know, is the same style body as the new Z3 and I can slide the combat-grip washers up toward the lamp end of the light right over the balance point- if you did that you could then strap it onto your bike without having to wrap tape around, or have it bounce up and down. Not having a bike myself I`ve not tried it but don`t see why it wouldn`t work.


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## lightlover (May 19, 2001)

stjoe, what about the heat produced by a SF on a full 1 hour runtime ?
Should be cooled a little by the speed you ride at, but will that be enough ?

lite-lover


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 20, 2001)

I noticed the rubber gaskets moved a little but I didn't slide all of them to the balance point. Good Idea.

On the heat department it is my belief that the rubber rings that make up the surefire combat light grip will insulate the plastic velcro holddown strap. Those rubber rings are really handy. 

Besides, it's nice to be able to flash the light with a quick and positive squeeze and release action...like a pistol trigger.

I also learned that despite my interest in the M-2, it is inferior to the Z-2 for bike lighting. The light cone of the M-2 is narrower than the Z-2 because of the deep set reflector, so the Z-2 is actually preferred.

A C-2 with a standard bezel will probably work but I don't know if the rubber part of the grip is as wide.

I'll bet a Z-3 wouldn't be too big to use... but it's so bright it is getting out of the power range of a backup light and into the range of a main light. That's not bad but the only time you need that much light is off road. The Z-3 would need a better suspension for that...for sure. The Z-2 might be OK.

Brock said an E-2 would work for biking but I don't have one yet. It's shallow reflector should produce a fairly wide light cone. But no rubber grips, or caplockout...I think.

Most of my night riding is in winter and then usually only for short stints. My alkaline/NIMH batteries tend to freezeup. That's why I liked the Lithium ones.

Some months ago I asked the forum if anybody noticed heat buildup over 1 hour run times at 65 lumens but no response.

I do notice one thing. That 65 lumens is actually too bright for close up work at night. I blinded myself putting the keys in the door lock of my white door last night. 

Night accoustomed eyes.

My little Innova 1 LED light never does that.

StJoe...the biker


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