anybody using retro lights?

[marc two tone]

as i remember bicycle lighting involved a substantial unit usually containing
2x 'd' batteries for power.
we are now enjoying lightweight and compact units powered by button cell with L.E.D.
just wondered if there is any love for the oldschool lights,such as dynamo,or have the newer items simply killed off the retro type?

marc.

 

[REKIBorter]

Still have my Specialized Preview and Proview lights. They are so underpowerd and heavy compared to todays LED lights. New stuff is so much better than old Halogen NiCad set ups.

 

[pete_mcc]

LEDs are fairly retro. Vista rear LEDs date from 1991 so you can use one of those without feeling too bad. For fronts look out for BLT or nightsuns with lead acid battery, if you want to juice them up then swap out the lead acid for a newer/lighter battery

 

[mikee]

still running my old halogen cateyes
still imho a better light beam/penetration than the newer LED lights
they only last 1hr 40 tho

 

[drystonepaul]

I remember the first rear Vista Cuelight. I had one and then lost it after a few months of ownership. It was replaced with a Vista Supernova which still gets used today.
I've also still got a dual 10w halogen Vistalite front set up with it's massive lead acid battery. I must've got that back in about 1994, but that one is firmly retired as the battery is very dead indeed.
The nights were certainly alot darker 20 years ago.

 

[andrewl]

I still have a few sets of old Cateye lights from night rides last century.

They are still just as ordinary now as they were then, and thus only get used by friends without lights.

They take up a fair amount of space on the bars and the cables are a mess to run to the batteries they also take an age to put on the bike so I just use my HID these days. The HID will also go for at least 6 hours which is more than enough for my night rides.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Newest I have are a SMART 'Owl' BL-203 (whichever number is the Lead acid and not NiMi) I bought some years back when I was commuting across pontcanna fields and the woody are there to get to work.
In fact just bough a new 6V 4Ah Lead Acid battery for it for Yuasa £7.50

It still works, still bright and still see no need to go spend £50 on some more lights. I've look at replacing the bulb for LED replacements but they're just not as bright.

I do remember making my own rear LED lights back in the early 90's , when the first Cateye came out. Made them out of multiple super bright 10mm's.
Of course hand quite got around to making it water proof.

also made a white, errrr yellowish one some time later. But it's much easier now and I may hack a modern style up one day, just after I finish every thing else

 

[raveydavey]

Retro Lights

I know the new lights are superb, but for me half of the fun of riding at night is not being able to see as well as you can in the daytime, it puts a whole different perspective on things.

I use a set of Cateye Daylights from BITD, I had to buy a new battery for them £10 from Maplin's, but they're like new lights!

I remember having a Specialized 5 watt light which was great, 4 C cells lit up the woods a treat for my hard earned £20.
The only downside was I kept kneeing it off my handlebar and having to buy a new clamp every other week!

 

[marc two tone]

night-riding! got to have your witts about you there! i personally dont make
cycling during the dark hours as a habit but,credit to those who do.
just had a chuckle to myself! imagine you have a dynamo light fitted to the front during an already creepy and challengeing trek through the woods at midnight,speed may light the way but you dont want to look.

 

[marc two tone]

night-riding! got to have your witts about you there! i personally dont make
cycling during the dark hours as a habit but,credit to those who do.
just had a chuckle to myself! imagine you have a dynamo light fitted to the front during an already creepy and challengeing trek through the woods at midnight,speed may light the way but you dont want to look.