Bicycle Lighting... again (1 Viewer)

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mot

mot

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So, I was going to resurrect the same titled thread from like three years ago, but found out that the thread was closed for some reason.

ANYWAY, I fell while riding last Thu. and ripped my ACL(?: ligament on my collar bone). :doh:

But my son and I had already signed up to do a casual night ride event tonight.

So... I am in need of some lighting for it.

Just wanted to see what you guys are using currently, where you've got them and what you like about them.

I am not sure if I want the helmet mount or mount it on the handle bar.

ANYWAY, any input would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

Mot
 
Light & motion Seca 700 here. Mounted to handlebar, works great. I would recommend a small helmet mounted light too. The combination will help you "see around corners" since your handlebars aren't always pointed the same direction you're looking. I ride with the handlebar only light and it works, but there are times I wish I had both. Eventually I'll get a small one for my helmet.
 
This is what I ended up doingnfor tonight.

Just used a bungee to secure small handheld flashlights (200 linens, each)
I did not want to waste money on.buying less than satisfactory in a rush.

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And this is the traffic we are in now, on our way to Antelope Island, UT, for the night ride.

Supposed to start in 25 min.

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I prefer a light on my helmet and bars both. That way when you look around the corner, the trail doesn't disappear from your peripheral vision.

As far as lights go, a lot of guys are using the MiNewt 350 from Niterider, they're great lights for shorter rides. The battery is integral to the light, so there's no cord. That being said, they have a smaller battery, hence the 'shorter ride'.

I have an old-school light with a battery that used to last 3-5 hours and put out 500 lumens. It's bulky, but for a long night ride, it does the trick. My handle bar light is only 100 lumens or so, but does the trick on keeping the trail lit.

It's also nice to have two, just in case you get an hour out and one of your lights fail. Riding down a mtb trial in the dark is not fun...

I guess you need to decide how long you're going to ride and go from there.

Like everything, the technology is getting better and the prices are coming down...wait another 3 years and you'll be able to get a 1000 lumens for $100 and it will last 6 hours...
 
Thanks for the input, both of you! :cheers:

So, the ride was like 22miles (round trip) and I heard from someone who thought he heard it on the radio that there were 1,500+ riders, but I thought there were more!

They had all levels of riders, most of them having the glow-in-the-dark accessories around their helmets, frames, and rims (There was a contest for the best dressed/decorated, etc...)

Anyway, the lights that I used worked great, EXCEPT the batteries burned out relatively close to the end (I should have used one at a time, instead of both at the same time) and the bungee cords put some pressure on my head that it made it feel like I was going to have a massive stroke. So, I ended up mounting them on the handle bar, using the same bungees.

I will have to check out the models that you guys have mentioned and see which ones would work well for me. I DID see quite a few riders with both handlebar and helmet mounted lights. I think that would be the way to go for me.
 
I also like the Light and Motion lights. Of course they are right down the street from me. PM me if you find one you like, might be able to hook up a little deal.
 
Thanks, tag3!

I'll check them out and will let you know if I would like to go that route!

Mot
 
That's pretty slick! :eek:

Sorry for not being able to decipher, but "96 Judy" is that the light you used/bought or did you make the lights, as well as the mounting brackets?

Sorry for being dense!

Mot
 
mot said:
That's pretty slick! :eek:

Sorry for not being able to decipher, but "96 Judy" is that the light you used/bought or did you make the lights, as well as the mounting brackets?

Sorry for being dense!

Mot
Click to expand...

I made it from a 1996 Rock Shox Judy suspension fork. I re-purposed 16 parts from the fork to make a light. Drivers are 1000ma Buck Puck and LED's are Cree XPG R5. It's one of the brighter lights in our group. "Judy" - a set on Flickr



STP_0112 by Scott P., on Flickr
 
Hi all. Long time -first time.....

Bike industry vet here now earning a living elsewhere. Anyhow you've probably got your light now but NightRider products have a long history of excellence. If you can only afford one light, put it on your handlebar. Helmet lights are nice, but distracting without a bar mount light always shining the path in front.
 
Thanks for all the posts/input, guys!

I have not made a purchase since the ride I had mentioned about on top of this thread.

I haven't done much riding lately due to the aforementioned fall. The recovery process has been rather long and painful. But hopefully I would have the will power to start soon, after figuring out what to do with my bike (replace the (bent) front rim and move on or ditch it and get a new(to me) bike.

Thanks again for your input, guys!
 
Just wanted to add my favorite lights.

My wife and I both commute on bikes most days. We've tried a number of options and found that we both really like the Knog Boomer lights. I've only seen them for sale at rei. For commuter daily use, they are great. Not super bright for headlight function, but the real beauty is that they attach quickly and stay put, are easy to move between bikes without tools, and they have a USB plug built into them so you just plug em in to your computer at work when they need to be re-charged. No cords. Nothing to worry about.

On my touring bike I'm wanting to go with a hub generator for the winter. They are kinda $, but you get a legitimate car headlight brightness light.
 
I use the niterider pro series 3000 on my bar and a 1500 on my helmet. The result looks like this
image-3775752148.jpg
 
Thanks for the great feedback and tips!

To be honest I have not fixed the front rim of my bike that I crashed on.

My right arm/shoulder has been healing rather slowly, but I can certainly ride now, as well as do most of what I used to be able to do, minus some (a lot of) strength and range.

It's getting cool and would be perfect to go riding in the evening!
 
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