Cygolite Metro Light

[smb9600]

This morning my front light started randomly changing settings and turning off. I now have it charging, and it’s randomly turning on. Is there any way to fix it? It hasn’t had any recent drops, and (otherwise) works great. Hate to have to toss it! Help! 😮

Topic

[cvcalhoun]

@Emm 186429 wrote:

I’ve got the newer one (CE?). I just haven’t loved the light compared to my cygolight. If I was just doing city biking, or on trails that weren’t completely pitch black and going through forested areas I’d be able to rely on it more.

I think the light on the Fly12 CE can be used on trails that are completely pitch black and going through forested areas. However, a) even on high, it is not as bright as the high setting on some of the Cygolights, and b) on high, the battery life isn’t great. I therefore use the Fly12 CE without the light most of the time. However, if my Cygolite malfunctions for whatever reason, I can use my Fly12 CE on medium on those pitch black trails, and just go more slowly to compensate for the light not being as bright.

[Sunyata]

@Judd 186422 wrote:

Lights and motion also has a new Rando 500 light that has twice the run time as their normal lights.

I am actually planning on picking one of these up at some point in the very near future. I really like the Light & Motion mounts (rubber strap), so it is really easy to move it back and forth between bikes. (And yes, it is still really secure and does not move around, I borrowed the Bikenetic shop light one night for mountain biking when I forgot my helmet mounted light and it stayed in place VERY nicely!)

I have two different Cygolight commuter lights and have had pretty decent luck with them. One of them even has a replaceable battery. I ended up getting an extra battery for it for DK200 and it has worked well for that. It is the Expilion 850. I also have the Metro 350, which only gets used as my “just in case I get caught in the dark” light for long gravel rides/races.

[huskerdont]

Seems many of the cheaper lights last about 3 years. My NiteRider Bug, for instance. It’s replacement, NiteRider Swift 450, I expect about the same from, so I just picked up a half-price backup because WBW had it for a ridiculous $20 (Lezyne Micro Drive 450). My primary light that I use on my helmet, the NiteRider MiNewt 600, is 8 years old now and still going strong (knock on my stupid wooden head for saying that), but it wasn’t cheap.

So, pay $20 to $30 and get 2 to 3 years, but pay $100 and get 8 to 10? Seems about right.

[mstone]

@secstate 186451 wrote:

for my next purchase I might consider a German light with good beam pattern in order to be more considerate on the trails. A couple of these have good brightness and runtime on rechargeable AAs:

I approve of these lights. As an added bonus, it’s really easy to carry spares for the ones that run on AAs (or in the worst case, stop at a 7-11 or whatever.)

[bentbike33]

@secstate 186451 wrote:

My dream bike includes a dynamo hub…

You don’t need to wait for a new bike, all you need is a new front wheel. If you go dynamo, I recommend the Busch and Muller Luxos U headlight. It has the brightest standlight because it has an internal battery for that purpose, for a high-beam function, and for delivering more even power to a USB device (such as a GPS) charging on the USB output.

[LhasaCM]

@bentbike33 186499 wrote:

You don’t need to wait for a new bike, all you need is a new front wheel. If you go dynamo, I recommend the Busch and Muller Luxos U headlight. It has the brightest standlight because it has an internal battery for that purpose, for a high-beam function, and for delivering more even power to a USB device (such as a GPS) charging on the USB output.

Agreed – that light as an excellent one. You can pair it with a companion Toplight Line Brake Plus rear light (also wired to the dynamo) that also functions as a brake light (senses the dropping current from the front wheel slowing down to make the rear light brighter). Paired with a Son 28 front hub…pretty darn worry free. Just…a tad more expensive than buying a new USB rechargable light…

[secstate]

@bentbike33 186499 wrote:

You don’t need to wait for a new bike, all you need is a new front wheel.

Thanks for pointing this out. You’re giving me ideas.

bikedavid fed me too much beer and convinced me to sign up for the tri club. So, it seems my Space Horse — currently in super commuter mode — is going to have to convert to a sleek steel racer for a brief period this summer. But, after that, it might be dynamo time.

[Author]

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