best battery bike light image
tom90051gu
i'm looking to get some proper big lights for my mountain bike (a felt q620). As i'll be going off road a lot i need some lights that will illuminate quite a distance so i put it to you, what is the most powerful bike light i can buy? some links would be greatly appreciated and money isn't an issue (unless its like £2million each :P)
Answer
Definitely spend the money on an H.I.D. or one of the super bright new generation LED systems. Don't waste money on a halogen light unless you'll be riding at slower speeds on relatively smooth trails that you know well. Halogen just isn't bright enough for fast riding on trails....you'll out-pace the beam and although it makes for a more exciting ride you can really pay the price in blood that way. :o) Even the dual-light 32w-ish halogen systems aren't bright enough for fast riding in my experience.
When shopping, pay attention to lumens output....that's the best way to compare lights. They're all screwy with their marketing because they know people will want to have the brightest light, so there are all kinds of brightness descriptions out there. And watch for the Best "in its class" claims, too. As said above, run time might really matter to you also....you always need to have a secondary backup light with you just in case (even a flashlight will do) but try to pick a light that will last long enough for your rides and keep in mind that batteries will run for shorter periods as they age or when it's really cold outside. If you plan on doing any 24hr races then you'll want a fast charger, too (and possibly an extra battery for an outrageous price).
I have a Light N Motion HID that is fantastic.....I normally ride with it on my helmet. If you plan on doing any jumps or have really rough trails, you'll probably want to use a bright light on your helmet and some other light on your handlebars so that you won't be landing in complete darkness if you take to the air. Otherwise one light is usually enough. For years I used a Niterider 15w halogen and enjoyed it on the road bike, occasionally on the trail....but it was tricky to make fast turns in the trees and tended to wash out the terrain textures in the red dirt we have around here. The HID is way better so long as you don't blind the raccoons or your riding buddies.
I really like Light N Motion much better than Niterider, but in the last couple years Niterider has finally improved their lights and addressed problems. They're both good companies but my money is with the first one. I hear great things about Dianotte, too, but nobody around here has one that I've seen and I have zero experience with them.
Plan on spending $300 and up. Nashbar, Pricepoint, and Jenson often have some super closeout deals on HID lights from Niterider and Light N Motion. I got mine from Nashbar for about $220 with a sale price and a discount coupon...sweet deal.
EDIT: If you really want a SUPER powerful light....a local guy rigged up his bike with two R/C airplane landing lights and a *heavy* 6v gel battery. Crap, that setup was brighter than highbeams on most cars! A bit overkill, though. lol
Definitely spend the money on an H.I.D. or one of the super bright new generation LED systems. Don't waste money on a halogen light unless you'll be riding at slower speeds on relatively smooth trails that you know well. Halogen just isn't bright enough for fast riding on trails....you'll out-pace the beam and although it makes for a more exciting ride you can really pay the price in blood that way. :o) Even the dual-light 32w-ish halogen systems aren't bright enough for fast riding in my experience.
When shopping, pay attention to lumens output....that's the best way to compare lights. They're all screwy with their marketing because they know people will want to have the brightest light, so there are all kinds of brightness descriptions out there. And watch for the Best "in its class" claims, too. As said above, run time might really matter to you also....you always need to have a secondary backup light with you just in case (even a flashlight will do) but try to pick a light that will last long enough for your rides and keep in mind that batteries will run for shorter periods as they age or when it's really cold outside. If you plan on doing any 24hr races then you'll want a fast charger, too (and possibly an extra battery for an outrageous price).
I have a Light N Motion HID that is fantastic.....I normally ride with it on my helmet. If you plan on doing any jumps or have really rough trails, you'll probably want to use a bright light on your helmet and some other light on your handlebars so that you won't be landing in complete darkness if you take to the air. Otherwise one light is usually enough. For years I used a Niterider 15w halogen and enjoyed it on the road bike, occasionally on the trail....but it was tricky to make fast turns in the trees and tended to wash out the terrain textures in the red dirt we have around here. The HID is way better so long as you don't blind the raccoons or your riding buddies.
I really like Light N Motion much better than Niterider, but in the last couple years Niterider has finally improved their lights and addressed problems. They're both good companies but my money is with the first one. I hear great things about Dianotte, too, but nobody around here has one that I've seen and I have zero experience with them.
Plan on spending $300 and up. Nashbar, Pricepoint, and Jenson often have some super closeout deals on HID lights from Niterider and Light N Motion. I got mine from Nashbar for about $220 with a sale price and a discount coupon...sweet deal.
EDIT: If you really want a SUPER powerful light....a local guy rigged up his bike with two R/C airplane landing lights and a *heavy* 6v gel battery. Crap, that setup was brighter than highbeams on most cars! A bit overkill, though. lol
What is the best light for trail riding and commuting?
mdjdg
I need a bike light for off road riding and commuting to work I have been looking at the exposure lights, but unsure of just how powerful the light needs to be?.
Do I go LED or Halogen and what power (watts/Lumens) should I look at?
Willing to pay for a decent set, any recommendations on brand or power would be appreciated.
Answer
I use a twin halogen set up. This has a 5W wide beam and a 10W direct beam for distance. This is OK for general trails and roads, although there are better systems out there, that will give you higher watts and long life.
There are three considerations when buying a light. Firstly, the brightness, secondly the burn time (Battery life) and thirdly the weight.
My system, Electron, is quite cheap at £42 and has a NiMh (Nical Metal Hydrade) batter. This is qhite light and gives a burn time of 5.5hrs (5W), 2.6 hrs (10W) or 1.6 hrs (Both).
Cat eye do a reasonable entry 10W, but the burn time is 2 hrs dead, with no warning. A friend of mine rides with Lupines (45W for 8 hrs). These are good lights, but cost about £450. Ideal for XC endurance racing or events like "Sleepless in the Saddle", but are a bit of overkill when looking for a general ride.
As far as LED goes, these offer great battery life, however, they are not great at wide beam. However, they offer a good value for money and reasonable performance.
MBR did a review of lighting systems in the November issue. Go to:
www.MBR.co.uk
to read.
However, I would say that you should spend between £40 - £100 on an entry level light. If you are hitting the trails in winter, do not get a light with an integrated battery. Go for a separate bag or bottle cage mount. (Otherwise the extra weight will shake your light to pieces). Also, do not buy from Halfords. They do not know what they are talking about. Try these sites instead (Note: There is a review section for Chainreaction in the forums section of the site):
www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk
www.wiggle.co.uk
www.woolyhatshop.co.uk.
www.evanscycles.co.uk
Luck
I use a twin halogen set up. This has a 5W wide beam and a 10W direct beam for distance. This is OK for general trails and roads, although there are better systems out there, that will give you higher watts and long life.
There are three considerations when buying a light. Firstly, the brightness, secondly the burn time (Battery life) and thirdly the weight.
My system, Electron, is quite cheap at £42 and has a NiMh (Nical Metal Hydrade) batter. This is qhite light and gives a burn time of 5.5hrs (5W), 2.6 hrs (10W) or 1.6 hrs (Both).
Cat eye do a reasonable entry 10W, but the burn time is 2 hrs dead, with no warning. A friend of mine rides with Lupines (45W for 8 hrs). These are good lights, but cost about £450. Ideal for XC endurance racing or events like "Sleepless in the Saddle", but are a bit of overkill when looking for a general ride.
As far as LED goes, these offer great battery life, however, they are not great at wide beam. However, they offer a good value for money and reasonable performance.
MBR did a review of lighting systems in the November issue. Go to:
www.MBR.co.uk
to read.
However, I would say that you should spend between £40 - £100 on an entry level light. If you are hitting the trails in winter, do not get a light with an integrated battery. Go for a separate bag or bottle cage mount. (Otherwise the extra weight will shake your light to pieces). Also, do not buy from Halfords. They do not know what they are talking about. Try these sites instead (Note: There is a review section for Chainreaction in the forums section of the site):
www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk
www.wiggle.co.uk
www.woolyhatshop.co.uk.
www.evanscycles.co.uk
Luck
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Title Post: What is the most powerful bike light i can buy?
Rating: 83% based on 9498 ratings. 4 user reviews.
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Rating: 83% based on 9498 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming T0 My Blog
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