PTW

I was cycling back from town last night when I asked myself "who exactly can see my front light anyway?".

I've got a common-or-garden handlebar-mounted front light (Cateye EL-320) and I ride with my hands on the hoods, which is where they belong. But this situation pretty much seems to guarantee that no-one on my right hand side will ever see my front light, because my right hand is plumb in the way. Where else am I supposed to mount a handlebar-mounting front light?

At this point I feel like taking said front light and kicking it to pieces whilst shouting about "shoddy, shoddy workmanship. Will you look at this thing, for the love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph..."

Incidentally, the Cateye handlebar mounting has been utterly useless. It's like a plastic Jubilee clip, and it cross-threaded pretty much the moment I put it on the bike. Then, as a result of my efforts to tighten it enough so that the beam didn't droop as I rode over bumps (which prevented me from seeing where I was going) it has become completely fixed in place. The only way this mounting is ever going to come off the bike is with a knife!

Rubbish. Utter rubbish! Probably got 9/10 in Cycling Plus as well...

oh dear Bill lol. you want to get those super duper twin front lights. I'm sure Dai Abbot has a pair.

Bad day in work Bill?
What a rant that was........

Whilst planning my PBP ride last year I agonised over what lighting system to adopt as there are many things to consider when comparing hub dynamos to battery powered lights (light output, cost, drag, etc.).

When I realised that I only really needed them for the three day/night qualifiers (300, 400 and 600km) and the 'big one' itself plus the requirement to have a back-up light in anycase I plumped for two Cateye EL530 Opticubes and all went well. In particular, by switching between the two lights and only having both on at the same time when absolutely necessary, fresh AA batteries lasted me the four nights I was on the roads on Northen France.

Wreckermended (as they used to say in MBUK).

I do still lust after those top-end hub dynamos though

Well im out on my bike at least 4 nights a week and i aint got killed yet so my lights must be tidy, i use "BLACKBURN SYSTEMX8" twin lights, awesome have one flashing and one constant on the main a roads, and dark lanes the both iluminated, and well lit roads i just have one flashing, always carry a little electron bacupz in my pocket too. My black burns last on one charge with one light flashing upto 15 hours but alternating from one flashing to 2 on full beam etc. etc, i can easily get 6 hours out of a charge, and they only take bout 1 and half to charge too. Use the electon backupz on the rear too, tiny little thing light up like a xmas tree !!! been using them since the nights have drawn in and there still going strong on the same originalt batteries !!

Both front and rear lights well smart looking as far as lights go too !!

The blakburn front lights cost bout £150 and the rears obnly £7 each !!