Opinions on headlamp

[pinkbikes]

Pinkbikes, it's great to have another ay-up convert here!

Ooh yeah! I'm with you all the way crazycanuck! I just love them! I actually first got them to start riding trails at night before my first Dusk 2 Dawn race. I was a bit worried I'd scare myself silly riding trails at night but after the first half hour with everything I owned clenched up tight, I actually found I was enjoying myself. And the Ay-Ups were the reason. They were just so confidence-inspiring to ride behind!

DH actually bought the first ones they had (the Luxeons) not long after they first started making them (supporting the local manufacturer and all). But shortly after that they upgraded to the Crees and offered a sweet upgrade deal to recent buyers, so he upgraded and I inherited! Since then I've done a few races they've sponsored, so I have had access to buying their secondhand (only raced for 12 hours by funny people on mountain bikes) lights at reduced prices, so I upgraded the lamps only at a pretty savage discount. I have pretty gold on my helmet and racing green on the handlebars. Sometimes wish I'd waited until they started making the loud pink ones!

I did nearly blind my riding mates the first time I wore them and stopped for a chat though! It's hard to get out of the habit of looking people in the eye!

Can't believe I used to ride behind a horrid old Cateye lamp with two D-cell batteries in the bad old days! What was I thinking!?

[crazycanuck]

Last friday I went out to play with my lights in preparation for the 12hr next weekend. I had one on my helmet & one handlebar mounted.

I found the helmet mounted light on its own is plenty!!! I even had another chick comment that she could see my lights from a distance.

Never again will I buy another set of Cateyes!!!

[pinkbikes]

Good luck with the 12 hour. I assume it is the Alcoa? I read of it online.

I'll think of you almost finished as I start our team off in the Tre-X on Sunday morning. I'm doing the swimming leg (it's a cross country triathlon).

I'd better start doing some more night riding - our next 12 hour is February at Canungra.

[uforgot]

Last friday I went out to play with my lights in preparation for the 12hr next weekend. I had one on my helmet & one handlebar mounted.

I found the helmet mounted light on its own is plenty!!! I even had another chick comment that she could see my lights from a distance.
Never again will I buy another set of Cateyes!!!

I have a helmet mounted light too and it puts out more light than my handlebar mounted one also. The best part is that I paid around $10 for it on Steep and Cheap.

[li10up]

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I know the owner of the LBS so maybe he'll let me try out the MiNewt on one night ride. We typically ride at an avg. speed of 16-17mph with some speeds in the low 20s so I need a light that lights the road well enough to see - but I'm also trying to keep the price down. The MiNewt is inexpensive but I don't know if it would do the job. Taking out, recharging, and replacing four AA batteries sounds like a bit of a hassle to me. The MiNewt can be charge from a USB port so if I forget to charge my battery I could do so from work.