Ebike Headlight (or Utility) Flashlight/Torch

Papa

Papa

10 kW
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Not seen a bicycle headlight discussion lately, so I decided to add one, Motivated in part, after recently purchasing a replacement after losing one. That, and It justified the need to add a 21700 to my measly 18650 collection.
I'm not, what some would label, a flashaholic, but I do own 3, and appreciate the latest high tech in tools..... especially my most frequently used tools.

I don't buy bicycle specific headlights .. I prefer all purpose utility lights instead, and employ the mounts for bike use.

For over a decade, my go-to source for intelligent, indepth and unbiased reviews is:

Selfbuilt's Flashlight Reviews.ca – 2024 Comparative analyses of modern LED flashlights

flashlightreviews.ca flashlightreviews.ca

My latest 21700 (4500 Lumens - $45) purchase:

Wurkkos TS22 – Selfbuilt's Flashlight Reviews.ca

flashlightreviews.ca flashlightreviews.ca
 
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Interesting. I'm setting those links aside for future reading.

Similarly, I typically use a 'utility' light for bike riding, then take it off and use it for utility when not riding. Though I must say, it seems like more and more, I get the 'bright light' treatment - where an oncoming car will flick their bright lights at me - thinking I must be running bright lights, too.

My suspicion is that this is due to LED lights becoming brighter and brighter, but utility lights having more of a 'round' beam instead of a 'fan shaped' car headlight beam. It's easier to dazzle oncoming traffic if part of the round beam washes over them. I've also been somewhat disappointed as most utility lights seem to project a nice cone of light...typically 40-50° wide, but that still leaves a lot of dark area on the sides and sometimes makes turning a corner or sharp bend hard - especially in near dark ambient light.

Overall, I'm hoping to see some evolution and refinement of beam profiles as the lights get brighter. Possibly utility lights could come with a lens which makes a fan-shaped projection with plenty of light on the sides and a sharp cut-off to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic. Maybe even a high beam / low beam utility flashlight?!?
 
Regarding the 'bright light treatment' - there should be a bike flashlight with high beam switch too. Then we can talk about dazzling on equal terms :)
 
Flashlights make effective bike lights, and most dedicated bike lights have a rudimentary round beam like that of a flashlight. But it makes better use of available lumens and is kinder to other road users to have a beam with a sharp cutoff at the horizon.

The German regulation defining a light like that is called StVZO, and lights that conform to it can be searched by using that term.

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/stvzo-bike-lights.

There are also good e-motorcycle lights that can work with the battery voltages most of us use.

I wouldn't mind having a flashlight with StVZO optics that I could use on or off the bike, but I don't know of any.

EDIT:

In researching the specifics of StVZO lighting, I'm disappointed to find that the maximum light output for the front light has been lowered from 350 lumens to 205 lumens. That makes it a whole lot less useful for a high speed e-bike. Even 350 lumens is marginal for speeds above 20 mph, I think.

I see no reason that bicycle lights should be limited to lower light output than those of any other road legal vehicle. So if 205 lumens is the limit for a German bicycle headlight, then that should also be the limit for a German car or truck. We're all trying to see the same things on a dark road.
 
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4πr^2 said:
My suspicion is that this is due to LED lights becoming brighter and brighter,
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Many of the better quality flashlights offer two or three different tints - Cool white (almost blue), neutral white (my preference), and a third tint (which appears almost amber). The TS22 I purchased, produces a broad flood pattern - great for the remote mountain riding I do, where traffic is almost non existent.
 
Papa said:
Many of the better quality flashlights offer two or three different tints - Cool white (almost blue), neutral white (my preference), and a third tint (which appears almost amber).
Click to expand...

When I made an LED dynamo light for my '70s Kabuki Skyway, I used a 2700K warm white LED and supercapacitor smoothing to make it look period appropriate (but brighter and more efficient, with an effective standlight).

For most lighting indoors and out, I also prefer a neutral white in the 4000K range. Sometimes I get better color definition for task lighting by mixing different color temperature LEDs in the same fixture.
 
Chalo said:
I wouldn't mind having a flashlight with StVZO optics
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I use this:
B01 - Lumintop

Search though. There may be better made now.

800 lumens max, 3 brighness settings, uses 18650 or 21700 lithium cells, USB charger built in (early models with USB micro, later with USB-c), aluminium case, StVZO optics.
 
^ I run very close to the same thing but a Cyglolite Metro 800. Very impressed. It can charge off the USB on my Bafang display. I don't like to ride at night but this sure helps. I use it quite a bit off the bike but it's too bright even on low to use up close.

metroplus_480310u3s.jpg
 
offGridDownUnder said:
I use this:
B01 - Lumintop

Search though. There may be better made now.

800 lumens max, 3 brighness settings, uses 18650 or 21700 lithium cells, USB charger built in (early models with USB micro, later with USB-c), aluminium case, StVZO optics.
Click to expand...
These guys. Free shipping for a $72 light. 10% discount for signing up. So its $64.80 with the discount. Except suddenly they add $10 for shipping, so its $74.80!!
 
If I were to buy or recommend a general purpose flashlight to someone who would also like to use it as a bike light as OP is looking for I would have them look at LED Flashlight-INTL Outdoor Store. I used to be real hardcore into flashlights, modding them, building from scratch, made and sold some exotic lights and when the first noctigon lights started coming out they were some real cutting edge stuff and over time they've only gotten better. Quality, performance, options are all as good as it gets and all very reasonably priced for what you are getting. If you wanted something that is maximum bang for your buck but with slightly less options and still very good quality but not quite perfection Convoy I think still has it.

I think the only real reasons to get a dedicated bike light with a built in battery (as opposed to hard wiring into the ebike battery which is a whole different thing) would be a optics that give an oval or rectangular beam, maybe a bar switch if you care and maybe if you need a massive battery pack (but if you need that I think the hardwire is a better option)
 
scianiac said:
as a bike light as OP is looking for I would have them look at LED Flashlight-INTL Outdoor Store.
Click to expand...
Been there. Done that.

I have two Emishr D4V2's (quad emitters) that are doable with decent flood for riding. However, they eat batteries (18650) and have no charge port. But they are still reliable after over 4 years abuse.

The Wurkkos TS22 I linked above begins with a 21700, efficient boost circuit, and wears a "C" charging port which doubles as a power bank for charging external devices. it is NOT a thrower, (small concentrated beam for distance objects), but an excellent, broad flood pattern, https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ff97/selfbuilt/TS22-326-2.JPG
.... and is about 10 bucks more than the D4V2.

Quoting Selfbuilt;
"Light has outstanding output/runtime efficiency, best-in-class I've seen for a XHP70.2 emitter so far."

FYI... I have purchased the Wurkko TS22, and currently using it.
 
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I should add. My Wurkko TS22 is said to be a neutral white, but appears slightly warm to my eyes. I'm guessing closer to 4500-4800k.
 
Chalo said:
I see no reason that bicycle lights should be limited to lower light output than those of any other road legal vehicle. So if 205 lumens is the limit for a German bicycle headlight, then that should also be the limit for a German car or truck. We're all trying to see the same things on a dark road.
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree. In the past, I used a LED based motorcycle headlight intended for a Harley Davidson motorcycle. it had a high and low beam. It was very bright. I don't have that on my current cargo bike - though the light I have is a shaped beam and is fairly bright. But I miss the motorcycle light. Here's a link to that specific headlight. Still affordable. The actual watts drawn are about 20% lower than the specs state. But it was quite bright.

You don't mention what kind of bike you are mounting this too - which matters a lot. There are smaller motorcycle accessory headlight that seem to have nicely shaped beams.
 
Papa said:
Been there. Done that.

I have two Emishr D4V2's (quad emitters) that are doable with decent flood for riding. However, they eat batteries (18650) and have no charge port. But they are still reliable after over 4 years abuse.

The Wurkkos TS22 I linked above begins with a 21700, efficient boost circuit, and wears a "C" charging port which doubles as a power bank for charging external devices. it is NOT a thrower, (small concentrated beam for distance objects), but an excellent, broad flood pattern, https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ff97/selfbuilt/TS22-326-2.JPG
.... and is about 10 bucks more than the D4V2.

Quoting Selfbuilt;
"Light has outstanding output/runtime efficiency, best-in-class I've seen for a XHP70.2 emitter so far."

FYI... I have purchased the Wurkko TS22, and currently using it.
Click to expand...
Yeah I also trust Selfbuilt's reviews so the Wurkko is probably a good light but that comparison is a little unfair when you could just compare it to a D4K that also uses a 21700 and has the option of a boost driver and more LED options. Personally I don't want the charging port unless I know it's waterproofing is done very well. I think they are both perfectly suitable.

I wish though thought there were lights with better LED options in the hardwired E-bike light and 12v motorcycle light categories. I'm sure some high end options give you some choice of tint but I would rather have a bit more than that. If I start doing more night riding I think I might try modifying a headlight with some nicer LEDs.
 
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