Lumicycle Nickel Metal Halide Lights
The light in the top photo is the Lumicycle 10 watt NiMH lamp, below it is a 20 watt halogen lamp. The difference in light penetration is obvious, as evidenced by the illuminated sign.
At this time of year a working set of lights is essential if you are to ride in the evenings. We have tried a number of manufacturers and different types of light, to date our favourites are the NiMH from Lumicycle.
The lights are rated as 10 watts HID arc lights, this is the equivalent of 40 watts of halogen light. Halogen lights are probably the most widely used bike lights and 10-20 watts is common. Thus the HID system has twice the illuminating power of the common halogen systems. It is not just the illumination however, as the HID light is a bright white light which is a marked contrast to the yellow light from halogen lights. On the trail all of this means that the HID lights are stunningly bright with greater distance penetration in the dark, they render halogen systems 'invisible' when placed side by side. We recommend paying the extra for a Lithium-ion battery as the juice used by the light is significant. Work out what you need in terms of battery life, then buy the next one up (you will regret it if you don't)! 4 hours is sufficient for our needs. We much prefer the user friendliness of the battery bag compared to the battery bottle.
Lumicycle lights come with a fantastically simple and effective quick-release cam for attaching to the handlebar or seatpost for a rear light. On the downside some lamp units have been supplied with a usleless cable socket, the cable kept falling out. Lumicycle replaced it with a tight fitting one and returned the unit to me within 3 days - excellent service. The light systems are packaged to order in the UK thus there is great scope for customisation eg a split cable from the battery to run both a front and rear light. Li-ion batteries are supplied with a 'smart' charger. We recommend a phone call to Lumicycle to discuss exactly what you need. The option to do this should not be overlooked.
We recommend specifying a tight cable socket, a stiff switch, Li-ion battery in a bag, a NiMH lamp, a rear light and the 1.2 metre 'Y' cable length. This will enable the battery to be palced anywhere on the bike or in your bag and with the 'Y' cable you can run both front and rear lights.
Slightly more powerful light systems are available; however the performance increase is way below the price premiums that are charged.
At this time of year a working set of lights is essential if you are to ride in the evenings. We have tried a number of manufacturers and different types of light, to date our favourites are the NiMH from Lumicycle.
The lights are rated as 10 watts HID arc lights, this is the equivalent of 40 watts of halogen light. Halogen lights are probably the most widely used bike lights and 10-20 watts is common. Thus the HID system has twice the illuminating power of the common halogen systems. It is not just the illumination however, as the HID light is a bright white light which is a marked contrast to the yellow light from halogen lights. On the trail all of this means that the HID lights are stunningly bright with greater distance penetration in the dark, they render halogen systems 'invisible' when placed side by side. We recommend paying the extra for a Lithium-ion battery as the juice used by the light is significant. Work out what you need in terms of battery life, then buy the next one up (you will regret it if you don't)! 4 hours is sufficient for our needs. We much prefer the user friendliness of the battery bag compared to the battery bottle.
Lumicycle lights come with a fantastically simple and effective quick-release cam for attaching to the handlebar or seatpost for a rear light. On the downside some lamp units have been supplied with a usleless cable socket, the cable kept falling out. Lumicycle replaced it with a tight fitting one and returned the unit to me within 3 days - excellent service. The light systems are packaged to order in the UK thus there is great scope for customisation eg a split cable from the battery to run both a front and rear light. Li-ion batteries are supplied with a 'smart' charger. We recommend a phone call to Lumicycle to discuss exactly what you need. The option to do this should not be overlooked.
We recommend specifying a tight cable socket, a stiff switch, Li-ion battery in a bag, a NiMH lamp, a rear light and the 1.2 metre 'Y' cable length. This will enable the battery to be palced anywhere on the bike or in your bag and with the 'Y' cable you can run both front and rear lights.
Slightly more powerful light systems are available; however the performance increase is way below the price premiums that are charged.
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