Cheap LED headlights

roshea said:

Hi. Have any of you used any of the cheap LED headlights (e.g. "Power Beam" brand)? There seem to be plenty of them around on eBay and at bike shops. These have 5 LEDs and run on AAA batteries - would be a cheap option for occasional light use *IF* they have reasonable brightness and don't break in the first 5 minutes. I have a Niterider 6V system for serious night riding, but am interested in options for a spare headlight.

My son has the Power Beam; it is quite nice for brightness, but perhaps lacking in spread, so you get a bit of tunnel vision. I want to get one for my visibility light.

I swear by Cat Eye LED. They last forever and you can get parts through good shops.

roshea said:

Hi. Have any of you used any of the cheap LED headlights (e.g. "Power Beam" brand)? There seem to be plenty of them around on eBay and at bike shops. These have 5 LEDs and run on AAA batteries - would be a cheap option for occasional light use *IF* they have reasonable brightness and don't break in the first 5 minutes. I have a Niterider 6V system for serious night riding, but am interested in options for a spare headlight.

There seems to be a lot of clones of these eg Khatmandu. They're reasonably bright for being seen but the flash rate is a bit too slow. For the price, it would be a good idea to use in conjunction with your steady light and it would be fine for a backup if your main light fails.

These days I use a four LED Basta/Smart flasher that has a headband and a bike mount. I put it on my helmet and feel that it's good to be able to aim it directly at motorists. Also use a 10W steady light on the bars, so having both means I'm not without light should one fail. Also carry a X light if both fail.

I use the power beam brand. Not as good as a halogen light, but quite adequate. Flashes slowly and would be easily seen by oncoming traffic. Economical to run.

Torpedo7 (www.torpedo7.com) have a few LED lights like these on special at the moment, and you get a rear one thrown in.
Never dealt with them so can't comment on their service or how long it would take to get stuff from them (they're in NZ).