Recommendation? Flashlight for use as bike light

[Planterz]

My trusty Serfas 500 lumen bike light I've been using for the last 8+ years just bit the dust. Obviously LED light technology has progressed since then. I'm heavily considering getting another Serfas, the TSL-1100M True 1100 lumen headlight, as it has great specs and addresses some improvements I wish my old light had. However, I'm also interested in simply getting a good pocket flashlight to be used with an adapter mount (Twofish or similar), as there's obvious advantages in versatility with such a thing. I'm woefully out of date on the brands, LEDs, and other specifics on today's modern lights. Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Non-proprietary rechargeable and/or uses rechargeable batteries. Either it could use rechargeable Li-ion batteries, or has recharging built in, but still uses common, non-proprietary batteries to be charged externally. My biggest gripe with my old light is that although it had swappable batteries, they were in a proprietary casing, and were/are quite pricy to replace ($40-60). The TSL-1100 addresses this concern and uses common 18650 batteries.

2. Not to long, or heavy. The Twofish mount uses rubber mounts and velcro, which are secure and can fit/adapt to nearly any light. However, it's not rock-solid, and the light is prone to flop and bounce around (it still points straight, but bumps make it wiggle). The heavier and longer the light will be, the more it'll flop. Most of the other mounts I see on eBay and Amazon don't look like they'd be better - either they also use flexing rubber or they look like they're cheap and rigid and will break. Obviously a brighter and/or longer lasting light will be bigger and/or longer, so a smaller light might be better, even if it's fatter.

3. At least 500 lumens for at least one hour with no thermal step-down. Many of the ultra-bright lights I'm finding advertise something like 1000-2000 lumens on "turbo", but only holds that level for a minute, give or take, before circuitry or thermal regulation steps it down. It's fine if the light has this, as long as it has a "high" or "medium" mode that is at least 500 lumens and will stay at that level without overheating. The Serfas TSL-1100 can supposedly stay at 1100 lumens for 1.75-2 hours or 500 lumens for 4. I don't expect a hand-held flashlight to do this (they sacrifice heat ablation for smaller size), but if it can do 500 lumens for an hour, that'll more than satisfy my needs.

4. A pocket clip that doesn't suck. Deeper carry, preferably. As I said, I'm interested in a pocket flashlight for versatility, so convenient carry is a concern. Otherwise I'd go with the Serfas bike light without considering other options.

5. $150 max, good warranty, etc.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations. I'd check CPF, but I haven't been there in ages and I'm badly out of date with the current tech. I did check the bike light subforum there, and there's not much going on there and I didn't see anything that would help me.

 

[tueller]

Surefire, nightstick, and streamlight are my go to’s.

 

[Scott321]

My personal opinion... the more versatility on a tool, the worse it does specific tasks compared to a purpose built tool.

It's been a couple decades since I used a bicycle light, but IIRC they have a specific beam profile, e.g. reduced spill on the top versus the bottom. Advanced handheld lights also have different priorities, i.e. wide beam for indoors vs more throw for outdoors. Other things like waterresistance and ruggedness over repeated bumps are and sometimes not, designed into different lights.

IMO, it seems like you know what you want, and there is an upgrade available that you have already picked out. IMO, get that, and get a seperate handheld with whatever specs you desire. Candle power f.....ms (I don't think I can list other forums here) has a bicycle light section, and often you can find user reviews with stepdown charts posted for certain flashlights.

 

[Pomsbz]

As Scott said above, you have to keep the beam in mind also otherwise you'll not be seeing enough peripherally and still be blinding drivers ahead. I'd also hold out for USB charging built into the light. Will make life a lot easier at the end of the day.

 

[Planterz]

It's been a couple decades since I used a bicycle light, but IIRC they have a specific beam profile, e.g. reduced spill on the top versus the bottom. Advanced handheld lights also have different priorities, i.e. wide beam for indoors vs more throw for outdoors. Other things like waterresistance and ruggedness over repeated bumps are and sometimes not, designed into different lights.

The purpose-made bike lights I've used in the past, apart from the old, terrible, cheap, incandescent CatEyes (before the LED revolution), aren't much more than flashlights that mount on a bike. Some of the more expensive lights have multiple beams, sometimes at different angles, and/or reflectors or optics that differ than regular flashlight beams. But I've found that, for my purposes, most any typical flashlight beam suffices. A decent flood to light the ground up close and for side visibility (that is, making me visible to others), and a spot bright enough illuminate further. After getting jumped and sent to the hospital on a dark side street I stick to lit roads, and I'm not doing 24 hour off-road endurance rides.

My personal opinion... the more versatility on a tool, the worse it does specific tasks compared to a purpose built tool.

(snip)

IMO, it seems like you know what you want, and there is an upgrade available that you have already picked out. IMO, get that, and get a seperate handheld with whatever specs you desire.

You're not wrong. I used to EDC a pocket light (Surefire L2, McGizmo PD or HDS U60, once upon a time), but LED technology has progressed so much since then that a simple AAA keychain light surpassed those larger, heavier lights long ago. These days I have a RoyVon Aurora A5x UV, with an impressive 650 lumen burst, as well as a titanium 90 lumen AAA. And really, I've found that it's all that I've needed, but all of us here are the kind of people that don't just carry what we need, but what we might need, which prompted me to consider once again buying a full-size EDC light. It can't hurt to have another versatile light handy, especially since we're prone to monsoon storm related power outages here.

Since posting this thread I've done more research, and it looks like the Fenix E35 V3.0 or the E28R would be idea for me. Not too long, the brightness levels and runtimes look more than adequate, and they're quite reasonably priced, especially if I take advantage of the 20% off "new customer" discount. I've looked at Nitecore and Olight, and I think one of those Fenix's would be better for me.

I think what I'll probably end up doing is buying one of the Fenix lights and trying it out as a bike light. If it works, great. If not, no big deal, I'll still have a good pocket light (plus a back-up for the bike), and I'll just get the Serfas bike light as well. "Get both" has always been a bladeforums philosophy. I also found out that Serfas actually sells a replacement housing body for my old light (for a very reasonable $10 plus $4 shipping), and after emailing them they responded the next day that they can also send the necessary screws (not normally included), since I lost one. That kind of customer service makes me very confident in buying another one of their lights.

Candle power f.....ms (I don't think I can list other forums here) has a bicycle light section, and often you can find user reviews with stepdown charts posted for certain flashlights.

It's not taboo to mention/recommend other forums (I mentioned CPF myself in the original post); it's only cross-forum bickering/trolling that's frowned upon. The bike light subforum is fairly inactive and I didn't see any threads that helped me. I suppose I could ask there myself, but I think at this point I've already answered my own questions.

As Scott said above, you have to keep the beam in mind also otherwise you'll not be seeing enough peripherally and still be blinding drivers ahead. I'd also hold out for USB charging built into the light. Will make life a lot easier at the end of the day.

I don't think worrying about other drivers is much of a concern. Oncoming traffic is usually a few lanes over, and it's not like they're ever concerned about not blinding me (only a problem if they're pricks using their high beams and/or those obnoxious blue HID lights). I can always tip the light to point down momentarily if I need to.

 

[bikerector]

The newer serfas lights are pretty inexpensive, like $60 for a 500 lumen or so with internal battery. I would get another bike light and a separate pocket light. I have used serfas for years as they seem to be the best value and reliably resist getting wet. Their handlebar mounts haven't been as great lately as I've split a few at the end with the ring for the clip/tensioner.

If you like head lamps, Olight has a pocketlight that also comes with a head strap that I find quite useful but the output isn't high enough be a standalone bike light. I think the Perrun mini is the one I have but looking on Olight's website the Perrun 2 might actually be a reasonable choice for you. The mini has been really nice to use in the shop.

 

[Planterz]

Update for anyone who cares...

I bought a couple lights to try on my bike. One was a Thrunite T1, a rather small, floody 18350 powered one, and a Wuben C3. The Wuben was mainly a stop-gap until I found something more permanent (and, likely, expensive).

I didn't have much in the way of expectations for the Wuben but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised with it. I bought this one in particular because it used an Osram LED (Osrams are known for their throw), plus it had good reviews. 1200 lumen "turbo" gets really hot really quickly. I don't know what the "high" is, I'm guessing 600-800 lumens, but I didn't have a comparable flashlight with known outputs to compare it against. Regardless it was plenty bright on "high" for city commuting, plenty bright enough to piss people off on the sidewalks walking against my direction (I'd cover it with my hand briefly). I honestly have no idea how long it lasts at that level because even without charging it for a few days it never got low enough to drop brightness, and I'd recharge it. I really didn't care for the UI - reverse clicky switch with low-med-hi-turbo interface and last mode memory. Kinda crummy for EDC use (I like instant access to turbo and either instant access to and/or the cycle to start at low), and while the clip is sturdy it's anything but deep carry.

The Thrunite T1 would make a fantastic EDC light if the rubber switch cover wasn't so flimsy. It came off, disappeared, and I sent it back to Amazon. Great clip (for one that's not screwed on), and I could certainly see how useful the magnetic tail could be. I kinda want to give it another chance and see if the switch cover stays where it should. Fantastic UI. Kinda similar to Andruil's default. Instant access to both moonlight and turbo, and has infinite ramping between low and high (high is quite bright, but turbo is still much brighter). For some dumbass reason the T2 doesn't use the same UI.

The Wuben was very bouncy, shaky, and distracting whilst doing so with the Twofish mount. No surprise. The Thrunite, being much smaller/shorter, didn't bounce.

I didn't bother trying any of those quick-release clamp bike mounts that you see on eBay and elsewhere, instead I tried the Fenix ALB-10, and I have to say that it's definitely the way to go if you want to securely mount your EDC flashlight to your bike. It's well built, sturdy, and secure. No bounce or wobble. The mount to the handlebars is a screw-on, and the piece that clamps on the light uses 2 bolts to secure, with a quick release mechanism to hold the two pieces together. NB: while the clamp isn't permanent (obviously), and you can certainly use your EDC flashlight with it, you'll probably still want to "dedicate" a flashlight to use with this mount - clamping it in and undoing it all the time will be kinda a PITA. But if you want to throw your light in your pocket or bag because you might need it and you won't be riding for a while, it's a good solution.

I did end up buying the Serfas TSL-1100. I was seriously disappointed and I sent it back. I had 2 primary issues with the light:

1. The battery. As I mentioned in my OP, I wanted a light with a common, non-proprietary battery. Serfas advertises this light as using a 18650. Well, they're not exactly lying, as the battery is indeed a 18650, but it is still proprietary. It has an extra shrinkwrap under which there's a circuit that leads from the negative (which is covered by plastic) to the positive side; around the center "+" contact is a ring that provides the "-" contact, with the corresponding contacts inside the body of the light. While I understand the reason to do this from an engineering standpoint (this allows the tail cap simply to be a piece of plastic with no spring or electrical leads necessary), it still means a proprietary battery is used, which is absurdly expensive ($35) compared to a simple 18650 (which is what I wanted it to use). I think Olight uses a similar proprietary battery on some of their lights, but I didn't bother finding out if they would work.

2. PWM. This is absolutely inexcusable. My old Serfas had PWM dimming too, but the frequency wasn't nearly as slow as it is on the TSL-1100. Even on high it uses PWM, which bewilders me. PWM while raining (or snowing, not that I have to worry much about snow here) means thousands or millions of flickering, falling drops of rain in front of you, annoying you and distracting you. Even more unforgivable the PWM (even on high) pulses slowly enough that you'll think you're on an extremely bumpy road, because you'll notice how much flicker there is just seeing the road pass under you.


After weeks of research I purchased a Fenix PD36R to try with the ALB-10 mount. It's a 21700 battery powered USB C rechargeable light and comes with a 5000mAh battery. I bought a second 5000mAh battery (this one is USB C rechargeable itself - the one that comes with the flashlight is not). With a 20% off online code it was about $100 for both. I went with the PD36R for a few reasons:

1. The 21700 battery, while not as ubiquitous as a 18650, is huge in capacity, but still fits in a flashlight that isn't too terribly thick. Specifically, it's 25.4mm in diameter at the body (that's 1.00"), and the ALB-10 advertises that it can hold a flashlight 26mm in diameter (you can probably squeeze a light with a 27 or maybe even a 28m tube).

2. Pretty good clip. I really don't see the reason/need for the bezel-up carry option of this light, as it'd stick out of your pocket way too far, but I guess it's good to have options. Light is way too heavy to clip it to a cap bill like some lights with 2-way clips are intended to give you the option for. FYI, with the ABL-10 mount you can position the clip to the side where it doesn't get sandwiched by the clamp, and thus you don't need to remove the clip

3. Good brightness, throw, and runtime on its second brightest level. Oddly, I didn't really care about its "turbo". The other real contender was the E35 V3.0, which has a "turbo" of 3000 lumens, but I felt that the brightnessm throw, and more focused beam of the PD36R on "high" (rather than "turbo) at 800 lumens, at which it supposedly lasts for nearly 6 hours (!), would suit me far better than the floodier, brighter (before thermal step-down) 1200 lumen "high" of the E35 V3.0 (especially since the next lower level is 450 lumens, where the 800 of the PD36R sits nicely between).

4. NO PWM! Actually, I think I see PWM at its lowest mode ("economy", 30 lumens), but it's at a high enough frequency that it's not any bother. There might be PWM on the higher levels, but if there is it's completely unnoticeable.

5. It was the best option of all the lights from all the brands. I looked at Acebeam, Klarus, Jetbeam, Nitecore (a bunch of Nitecores), Surefire, Thrunite, Mecharmy, Fitorch, Lumintop (same company as Thrunite, if you didn't know), and probably others I can't remember off the top of my head. Too many lacked a brightness level in my "sweet spot", and/or with the runtimes I wanted. It's perhaps a bit long and heavy for EDC use in a pocket unless you need the light "professionally", but it can be done and it's nice to have the option. Excellent throw for a light that doesn't have a big "turbo" head. For a SHTF/BOB light it's a good option, but perhaps one that can use 18650 and also can use 2xCR123A batteries might be a more versatile choice. For my needs it suits just fine.

 

[Velitrius]

I have a couple of Thrunite T1, and frankly when I got them I wondered about that little rubber switch cover. I hadn't heard any stories of it failing on anybody though, so I let it ride. You are the first person I've encountered who had one let go, but I'm sure you won't be the last. Bummer too, because if this wasn't a weak point, I believe this would be the perfect light.

When riding, I like to be able to see where I look, not just where the bike is pointing. So I use a Petzl headlamp. The AKTIK and the TACTIKKA are really nice, but they top out at around 350 lumens. It's plenty for me in 90% of dark riding, but there are times when I wish it had a boost. They make some sweet pieces that I will step into pretty soon... the IKO CORE is especially neat, and will probably be my next one.

If money was no object, I'd get the Tikka DUO S with an evil 1100 lumen boost mode. But man, I can't shell out $350 on a head lamp. It just don't seem right.

Man, you have eyeballed a ton of lights my friend! There's an astonishing array of them though, so the search can get pretty involved.

 

[GB940Rookie]

I wish I had a bike mount for my lights. I’m having to use a walker at the moment. I want to see the look on my physical therapist’s face when I stroll in with a light attached to the walker.

 

[Planterz]

I have a couple of Thrunite T1, and frankly when I got them I wondered about that little rubber switch cover. I hadn't heard any stories of it failing on anybody though, so I let it ride. You are the first person I've encountered who had one let go, but I'm sure you won't be the last. Bummer too, because if this wasn't a weak point, I believe this would be the perfect light.

I am wondering why more manufacturers aren't taking advantage of the 18350 form factor. 16340 flashlights are nice and small, but for some people they might actually be too small. The 18350 practically doubles the capacity of the 16340 while being only marginally larger, plus larger batteries will have lower internal resistance, giving better efficiency and possibly higher amperage. It also gives the option of extended tubes for 18500 (uncommon, but increasingly common because of vapers) and 18650. Or vice versa. I'm really digging my Lumintop FW3A; it's remarkably small for a 18650 light, and with the 18500 tube it's even smaller (I have a 18350 tube coming, but it's taking the slow boat from China).

As for the Thrunite T1's switch, it's possible that I might have accidentally "scraped" it loose mistaking it for the USB port. I don't remember doing it, but it occurs to me that I might have done just that. Even so, the rubber cover just seems kinda thin and even if it doesn't come loose from regular use (operating the switch, removing it or replacing it in your pocket), it felt like it might eventually wear through just from friction. I'm sure you know what I mean. If they ever come out with a revision "2.0" or whatever with a better switch (metal, or even just hard plastic) like they have on other models, I'll buy one in an instant.

 

[Planterz]

I wish I had a bike mount for my lights. I’m having to use a walker at the moment. I want to see the look on my physical therapist’s face when I stroll in with a light attached to the walker.

The Fenix ALB-10 should fit on one of the horizontal bars on your walker. Under $20. The Twofish mount should work too, and costs a bit less. Small price to pay for some S&Gs.

 

[gamma_nyc]

As a veteran bike racer and someone who logs 12k+ miles a year, a lot of it in pre-dawn hours...I would recommend getting a purpose built bike light. I've had the best luck with Niterider Lumina series of lights. They are sturdy, have optimized beam patter for road riding (or there are MTB versions with beam optimized for MTB). Importantly, these lights have nicely executed mounting options. They also last 2+ hours on the highest lumens setting and are fairly lightweight (matters if you are performance oriented with your riding).

 

[Danke42]

Yeah I vote for bike lights too for the mounting options. I run two lights, one low flood on the bars to light up the area and one brighter flood on my head to light up where I'm looking because where you look is where you go. And of course a red flashy on the back.

Also I would avoid getting into a candlepower arms race. If you're in the dark woods you only need to see where you're going; not signal UFOs you're ready for abduction.

On the reverse clip so the bezel points up that's likely so you can clip it to brim of a ball cap so you can have a hands off light.

 

[basilevs]

If you drive on the roadway at night

 

[craytab]

After weeks of research I purchased a Fenix PD36R to try with the ALB-10 mount.

I wanted to bring this thread back up for two reasons. 1). to let you know that because of this thread I purchased the Fenix ALB-10 mount and have finally been getting around to using it, and 2). see how your bike light situation is going based on this thread and what you got.

I've been riding a bunch more lately and to avoid the heat and traffic I get up really early to get a 2-2.5 hr ride in the morning. The longer I ride, the earlier I get up so the more time in darkness or dawn I spend, especially as it stays dark longer. My go to light is the olight RN1500 and a small "to be seen" light from cygolight. The olight does almost everything I want and with careful management of the settings (low, med, high, 2 types of flashing), I can just make it through a full 2.5 hours. The light will run for 1 hour straight on high (1500 lumens), just to give you an idea of its capabilities, which I think are fairly good.

So the olight can get the job done but with darkness encroaching on my riding time I wanted something that can go longer and offer some high turbo brightness for short amounts of time to illuminate concern areas on my rides. From the usual bike light companies I did not find what I was looking for (lots of external battery with a cord type deals for the run-times/lumens I wanted) but I knew the olight seeker 2 pro would fit the bill (had owned one previously) and thought about this thread and that Fenix mount. I've done several early morning rides with it now and can say that it is a very good mount. Super adjustable with all the rubber inserts. Not too bulky. Ability to easily take the light on and off is great. My only real criticism would be the plastic molding over the attachment nuts for the rubber saddle the light sits in are huge and the nut is like a half a cm inside the molding which means it won't engage until you push the rubber top saddle down a bunch. Might be a problem with bigger or taller lights.

But between these three (and my rear light which is a hypershot 250 from cycolight) I should be good this fall and winter on longer rides that start in the dark. Here's some pics.

 

[Planterz]

So the olight can get the job done but with darkness encroaching on my riding time I wanted something that can go longer and offer some high turbo brightness for short amounts of time to illuminate concern areas on my rides. From the usual bike light companies I did not find what I was looking for (lots of external battery with a cord type deals for the run-times/lumens I wanted) but I knew the olight seeker 2 pro would fit the bill (had owned one previously) and thought about this thread and that Fenix mount. I've done several early morning rides with it now and can say that it is a very good mount. Super adjustable with all the rubber inserts. Not too bulky. Ability to easily take the light on and off is great. My only real criticism would be the plastic molding over the attachment nuts for the rubber saddle the light sits in are huge and the nut is like a half a cm inside the molding which means it won't engage until you push the rubber top saddle down a bunch. Might be a problem with bigger or taller lights.

The mount is designed to hold flashlights up to 26mm in diameter. Your Seeker 2 Pro is 28mm, so you're straining the limits of its flexibility. The PD36R I use is 25.0mm and I don't really have to flex the clamp much to engage the threads.

It's been about 5 months that I've had mine, and it's holding up just fine. I rarely remove the light from the mount since it's pretty much dedicated to biking (a Lumintop FW3A is my EDC light).

I've been pondering getting a PD32 V2.0. Despite the fewer lumens than the PD36R it has a more intense spot/further throw. Even with the fairly tight spot and dim sidespill, the PD36R is pissing off people on the sidewalk as I pass them in the bike lane.

 

[Danke42]

I wanted to bring this thread back up for two reasons. 1). to let you know that because of this thread I purchased the Fenix ALB-10 mount and have finally been getting around to using it, and 2). see how your bike light situation is going based on this thread and what you got.

I've been riding a bunch more lately and to avoid the heat and traffic I get up really early to get a 2-2.5 hr ride in the morning. The longer I ride, the earlier I get up so the more time in darkness or dawn I spend, especially as it stays dark longer. My go to light is the olight RN1500 and a small "to be seen" light from cygolight. The olight does almost everything I want and with careful management of the settings (low, med, high, 2 types of flashing), I can just make it through a full 2.5 hours. The light will run for 1 hour straight on high (1500 lumens), just to give you an idea of its capabilities, which I think are fairly good.

So the olight can get the job done but with darkness encroaching on my riding time I wanted something that can go longer and offer some high turbo brightness for short amounts of time to illuminate concern areas on my rides. From the usual bike light companies I did not find what I was looking for (lots of external battery with a cord type deals for the run-times/lumens I wanted) but I knew the olight seeker 2 pro would fit the bill (had owned one previously) and thought about this thread and that Fenix mount. I've done several early morning rides with it now and can say that it is a very good mount. Super adjustable with all the rubber inserts. Not too bulky. Ability to easily take the light on and off is great. My only real criticism would be the plastic molding over the attachment nuts for the rubber saddle the light sits in are huge and the nut is like a half a cm inside the molding which means it won't engage until you push the rubber top saddle down a bunch. Might be a problem with bigger or taller lights.

But between these three (and my rear light which is a hypershot 250 from cycolight) I should be good this fall and winter on longer rides that start in the dark. Here's some pics.

My go to setup for decades is one light on the bar and then on on my helmet that's a bit brighter. The bar light floods down and lights up around the wheel and the head light throws further and give you better illumination. Just be careful not to white light too many people in the face when you're out. When you turn to talk to someone they wind up staring right into your light.

 

[craytab]

the bike lane.

We don't have those To be fair though, even if we did, my typical ride takes me from the dense downtown city streets to the long straight roads between corn fields and farms. No people walking around out there!

After taking the pics and posting yesterday, the size of the plastic molds over the nuts stuck in my mind so I got some different nuts with nylon inserts. Little bit of paint and I like the look much better. Notice how much threading room there is on the bolts without the molding. Much smaller footprint. More aero!