Dunno how car related this is, but basically I'm thinking of buying some lights like in the link below which are designed to be connected to a car battery BUT ill be using them on my cross country bike for epic night riding... I need a battery though.

I'm clueless when it comes to electonics, so all i know if it needs to be 12v, rechargable and have enough amp hourage to last 2-3 hours without being massive.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...tegoryId_165688

Can anyone direct me in some way as to what i may need?

Mods feel free to delete if this topic isnt suitable.

ball ache just get the propper kit

Don't get them mate, they are massive and you can make your own.

When we used to ride loads we used those halogen lights from house hold lights, which can get in like 10-50 watt or however strong you want them and used some plumbing tube as the holder and for all the electrics and used a 12v battery to power them. Ours consisted of 10w lamp for going up hills etc and another 50w for just going down and when you really needed it. Worked great and weren't that expensive to make either.

Or, just buy some proper decent ones :p

hmm, £200 plus for some decent ones - f**k that!

Thanks for the advice mate, really i need someone in the know to point out the exact stuff id need to be using! I'm useless at electronics i really am.

Any links to anything, lights, batteries etc? I've been told i can build my own good light setup for sub £50.

1,000,000 candle light torch and some duct tape

20w halogen household downlighter lamps are indeed the way forward,as mentioned above,though I don't know how best to power them - ampage,see.

A motorbike battery,perhaps.

You want floodlighting really, as you don't so much need to see half a mile but for really lighting up the immediate area. Frosted self adhesive film on the lens could act as a diffuser.

Then there's water resistance - difficult with a remote battery.

I'm with the three-million candle power torch - put your efforts into a strong ally bracket for it.

nice idea actually, and probably the cheapest... Although its a lot of weight in one place, ie handlebars, whereas i would have had the battery lower down wired up to the lights on the bars.

You reckon itd be possible to split the battery and the light and run a long wire between them?

Motorbike battery behind the saddle = job done.

Whack a motorbike headlamp on while you're at it.

Thanks for the advice mate, really i need someone in the know to point out the exact stuff id need to be using! I'm useless at electronics i really am.

Any links to anything, lights, batteries etc? I've been told i can build my own good light setup for sub £50.

I will fish out our stuff and get pictures, more details etc etc with it.

The main problem is the battery and where to put it,

we used these ones Clicky

lasted a few hours depending on which power bulbs you use but weigh a ton and are big. Brackets are easily possible to make up depending on the style of your frame.

And to your other question about running a wire from battery to lights - easily do-able, want the battery near the bottom of your bike cos of centre of gravity/stability etc and then a wire up to the handlebars.

However a group friends of ours used, if I remember correctly, like 12 AA Ni-Mh batteries and soldered them in a series and fitted them into a water bottle which was a great idea but I'm not 100% sure on how they exactly did it.

Edited 26 October, 200817 yr by goose