Just because the days are short and the nights are long doesn't mean that mountain bike season needs to end - there are more light options on the market than ever, many of them with impressive run times and low overall weights.
Choices in how to illuminate the trail range from bare-bones, minimalist set-ups to over-the-top light packs that mimic train lights in brightness. There are helmet mounts, handlebar mounts, and while a lot of lights do double duty, some are better suited for one or the other. I selected seven different set-ups that are versatile, and which cover a wide range of quality levels that are available. There are a range of pricepoints and styles of lights. Each light in this review has something that makes it stand out from the rest, whether it's versatility, power, size, or ease of use.
About This Review Because lights function differently in varying conditions and a good looking light doesn't always mean it functions well long term, I consulted and collaborated with my friend Tom 'Danger' Place, who has years of light and LED experience. Specifically, for seven years, he ran an R+D department at Cree - the manufacturer of LEDs used for nearly every bike light on the market, including all of the ones in this test. He has multiple LED chip design patents to his name, is also a mountain biker, and rides at night as much as in the day. He has torn apart and analyzed nearly every bike light available so there's no better person to help pick apart a few lights than him.
We did our best to make this easy to understand, but I'm going to guess that a number of people don't know what "Thermal Rollback" is. Thermal Rollback is when a device, in this case, lights, gets hot and then lowers its output in order to decrease the operating temperature, thus preventing damage to the light, causing burns or worse.
The lights are reviewed together for each brand, when applicable. There's a Gloworm option that couples the helmet with the bar mounted unit, one with Niterider, and so-on. By no means do you need to stick with the same brand on the helmet and bars, that's just how I grouped things together.
Gloworm X2 Adventure and XSThe X2 Adventure mounts nicely on the helmet
Gloworm are known among many riders as "the light people." Their X2 Adventure is a smaller battery version of their X2. Both the X2A and the XS lights tested here have interchangeable lenses making the set-up options incredibly versatile. The lenses are a spot, wide, and flood. Both lights feature a wireless remote that straps right on the handlebar with no adapters. For testing purposes, I used the XS on the handlebars and the X2A on the helmet.
The X2A is light enough, battery included, to run the entire system on the helmet. The XS is minimalistic in and of itself and takes up a negligible amount of space on the bars and produces a ton of light. The ergonomics are solid and the design is robust. The lights both come with everything you could possibly need. There are multiple mounts for bars (sans 35mm) and helmet, extension cables for putting the battery in a pack, spare parts, and even zip ties. You can swap the batteries between the two and they feature a semi-standard 5mm barrel plug that other 7.4V battery packs laying around can work with.
X2 Adventure• Lumens: 1700
• Runtime: 1:30
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Multiple Options
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Super Dim plus Commute modes
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 262g as tested
• MSRP: $225 USD
XS• Lumens: 2500
• Runtime: 2:00
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Multiple Options
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Super Dim plus Commute modes
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 364g as tested
• MSRP: $300 USD
•
glowormlites.co.nz  | An excellent choice for a versatile light set-up that works on both handlebars and the helmet. |
Pros
+ Multiple beam options
+ Multiple mount options
+ Lightweight and good ergonomics
Cons
- Remote connectivity can be spotty
- Velcro on straps is frustrating to use
- Programming the light for custom modes is a very tedious process
The X2 Adventure and the XS at full power
Niterider Pro 2200 Race and Lumina 1200 BoostNiterider Lumina 1200 Boost
Niterider have been in the game of night riding as long as just about anyone. They essentially paved the way in the industry with a great product that was the best out there two decades ago. Their lights have stood the test of time and remain a 'go-to' for a lot of riders. Their beam patterns are good and their batteries work with other Niterider lights from generations past.
The Lumina should be a good light, and it is alright, but its functionality falls short. The programming isn't intuitive, and the OLED screen is a complicated interface to work with until you're used to it. The mount is bulky and would be better served with a quick release rather than a bolt that gets jammed up by the stem when you try to tighten it down. When it is tight, it does a good job of keeping the light in place. The Lumina would be better as a more helmet specific light, but that renders the the OLED screen useless unless you take your helmet off to adjust your light. For a good general use light, the Lumina is solid but may be more complicated than some people are interested in and has a few flaws that would have me looking at other simpler options.
Pro 2200 Race• Lumens: 2200
• Runtime: 1:30
• Mount: Helmet and Bar
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Dim
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 482g as tested
• MSRP: $350 USD
Lumina 1200 Boost• Lumens: 1200
• Runtime: 1:00 (claimed)
• Mount: Helmet and Bar
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Walk/Boost, additional flash modes
• Charger: Micro USB
• Weight: 175g as tested
• MSRP: $150 USD
•
niterider.com The Pro 2200 Race has a good beam pattern and uses the same design Nightrider have used for years. The size of the light itself and the button on the light is very easy to push when it's on your helmet, even with winter gloves on. The plastic on the light doesn't get too hot to hold either, even at full power. 2,200 lumens seems like a lot, but these days, you can get that from much nicer, sleeker, and more user-friendly lights. The battery pack for the Pro 2200 is bulky, and you're relegated to wearing a pack or putting it on your handlebars as strapping it to your helmet puts far too much weight on your head.
 | Niterider have been in the game of night riding as long as just about anyone. They essentially paved the way in the industry with a great product that was the best out there two decades ago. Unfortunately, aside from the inclusion of LEDs and lithium batteries, they have not advanced their technology or altered their aesthetic enough to really keep up with the new players in the game. |
Niterider Lumina 1200 Boost
Pros
+ OLED screen on the Lumina is great for monitoring run time and mode selection - all lights should have this
+ Lumina is a good value
+ Good beam pattern on both lights
Cons
- Programming and interfaces on the Lumina is not intuitive
- Mounting system is antiquated and difficult to use on both lights
- Bulky battery on the Pro 2200, needs to be updated
Light & Motion Trail 1000 FC and SECA 2000 RaceLight & Motion Trail 1000 FC
Light & Motion SECA 2000 Race
Light & Motion is another well-known player in the business of bicycle lights. They make a variety of commuter and trail lights. The Trail 1000FC is a good 'get out of the woods in a bad situation' light because it weighs next to nothing and puts out a decent amount of light. There is a short runtime on high - only 1:30 because it has a lot of thermal rollback, so after about 20 minutes the light is operating at a lower output due to the smooth case and poor cooling. That said, I've been using versions of this light for several years and have been very happy with the results for the money.
The SECA 2000 Race has the best beam pattern of all the lights tested and probably one of the best in the industry. The front face is angled to prevent blinding the rider when standing and although the silicone strap is a little unwieldy, it's effective. The light has a good amount of battery life and works well on the handlebars or helmet - all mounts included. The button on the helmet is easy to use
Trail 1000 FC• Lumens: 1000
• Runtime: 1:30
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Multiple Options
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Pulse
• Charger: Micro USB
• Weight: 148g as tested
• MSRP: $130 USD
SECA 2000 Race• Lumens: 2000
• Runtime: 1:30
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Multiple Options
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Pulse
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 340g as tested
• MSRP: $280 USD
•
lightandmotion.com and toggle between modes. Like the Trail 1000, the construction is on the cheap side of things so it's not overly robust, but I'll take that since it's easy to use and has a good beam spread.
 | If you want a simple light set-up that works with no frills, Light & Motion is hard to beat. |
Light & Motion Trail 1000 FC
Light & Motion SECA 2000 Race
Pros
+ SECA 2000 beam pattern
+ Multiple mount options - included
+ Decent battery life on both lights
Cons
- Minimalist construction - cheap
- Proprietary charger on the SECA 2000
- Battery indicator on the SECA 2000 only has three levels, "Good, Meh, and Screwed."
Lupine Wilma R14 and AlphaLupine make a number of practical lights such as their Piko, Neo, and Blika series but the Alpha and Wilma aren't practical, they're some of the brightest and nicest you can buy. These lights are neither cheap, nor weak, and are pretty much more than almost anyone, except the rider who does DH laps at night, or someone on an extreme expedition of sorts would ever need. The Alpha puts out a whopping 7,200 lumens - plenty to piss off all of your riding buddies and offset the sleep cycle of wildlife, or in the case of the Alpha, start a fire if you leave it on high in dry leaves. The Wilma R14 is a bit more conservative at 3,200 lumens, but has a long run time and is an excellent choice for someone looking for something versatile and well made.
Let's be honest, you don't need the 7,200 lumens that the Alpha puts off, and there's just about no one that would know what to do with that much light on a bicycle, especially combined with the 3,200 lumens of the Wilma. That said, they're a blast to ride with
Wilma R14• Lumens: 3200
• Runtime: 3:10
• Mount: Helmet and Bar
• Modes: Fully programmable via Bluetooth
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 664g as tested
• MSRP: $775 USD
Alpha• Lumens: 7200
• Runtime: 1:20
• Mount: Helmet and Bar
• Modes: Fully programmable via Bluetooth
• Charger: Proprietary
• Weight: 683g as tested
• MSRP: $1,285 USD
•
lupinenorthamerica.com and put out so much light that you may need to wear sunglasses at night while looking down the trail.
The built-in heat management system will reduce the output of the light when it gets too hot. The head size of the Alpha means that it can't dump that much heat, so unless you're averaging a high speed in cool temperatures, the output is going to drop quickly. On a ride in Western NC, with temperatures well below freezing, the light was still unable to push full power except towards the end of sustained descents after a half hour climb.
The Wilma is the more practical but still costly of the two. It's well-made and the head is lightweight for the power it puts off. The large 8-cell battery we tested with is a little much for head use, but the four or two cell batteries would be a good way to make it a bit more functional unless you needed an ultra-long run time. Both the Alpha and Wilma are programmable via a Bluetooth app on the phone and there are included remotes that easily attach to the handlebars for turning the lights off and on and controlling modes.
 | There's little practicality in these lights but if you want to race DH at night, go on an expedition, piss off your riding buddies, or just have the best lights money can buy, the combination of these two should do the trick. |
Pros
+ So many lumens
+ Incredibly well built, robust housing
+ Bluetooth app is functional and practical for lights of this caliber
Cons
- You can buy bikes that are less expensive than the two combined
- Massive thermal rollback on the Alpha
- Button on the Alpha is difficult to reach, especially when the light is hot. Using the remote is almost required
Specialized FluxFlux 1200• Lumens: 1200
• Runtime: 1:15
• Mount: Helmet and Bar - proprietary mounts for each
• Modes: Low/Med/High
• Charger: Micro USB
• Weight: 184 as tested
• MSRP: $150 USD
•
specialized.com Lights are a tricky category, and Specialized have done a few things differently than a lot of their competitors. The Flux is targeted more towards a commuter or road rider, but it does work well in the woods too. It has an even beam spread but the pattern is a little narrow for really aggressive trail riding.
There's a low, "get out of the woods" output mode which is a cool concept in that you can't fully drain the battery and it not work at all - there should be a little bit of low power left even if you burn up all of the high. The output, at 1200 watts is also reasonable for a self-contained light. The mount that the light fits into is a little finicky to use at first, but once the light is in it is secure. There's a small bolt on the side of the light that does take an allen key to crank down, otherwise, you'll have a loose light bouncing down the trail.
 | The Flux 1200 is more road worthy than anything else but it's equally at home on the trail when your short ride turns long and you find yourself benighted. |
Pros
+ Easy to use
+ Indicator light on side tells charge
+ Good size and weight for 1000 lumen self-contained light
Cons
- More geared towards road riding than trail
- Can come loose if not set up properly
- Mounts are proprietary and it takes a different one for each bar, helmet mounts are sold separately
Specialized Flux
Lezyne Superdrive 1500 XXLLezyne Superdrive 1500 XXL
Superdrive 1500 XXL• Lumens: 1500
• Runtime: 1:40
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Multiple Options
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Extra High/FEMTO plus two flash
• Charger: Micro USB
• Weight: 266 as tested
• MSRP: $120 USD
•
lezyne.com Lezyne make a variety of products from multi-tools, pumps, and plug kits to lights. All of their lights are self-contained, meaning there's no extra battery and cable, it's all in one unit. The Superdrive 1500 XXL is their most powerful model. It's a fairly simple light with one button operation. The light does have some heft to it, largely due to the size of the unit and the batteries in it coupled with the surface of the unit which helps with heat dissipation.
The light has a number of modes accessed from one button on the top of the unit. The button also indicates the level of battery life via a red, yellow, or green light. The high output modes provide more than ample light for trail riding and the FEMTO mode is enough to walk out of the woods, or look at a map, but not nearly enough power to safely ride trails. The interface on the buttons can be tricky and it's easy to get lost in a flashing mode which, when you're just trying to up the power for your descent, but you can switch to the overdrive race mode that toggles directly between high and low power.
The light is ideally placed on the bars due to its weight but does work on the helmet as well, and is easy to manage in that situation since there are no wires to fuss with. For a little more money, there's a loaded version of the light that includes Lezyne's Direct-X lock mount and a wireless remote for the light that goes on the handlebars.
 | The Superdrive 1500 XXL is a good option for tossing in the pack if you're fairly certain there's a chance of finishing your ride in the dark and you need an ample amount of power. |
Pros
+ Good option for a self-contained light
+ Lots of power for a self-contained light
+ Good cooling
Cons
- Too heavy for helmet use
- Modes could be simplified, most people don't need multiple flash settings
- Strap/mount is a bit bulky to work with
Lezyne Superdrive 1500 XXL
Bontrager Pro RTX2 Adventure• Lumens: 1300
• Runtime: 1:30
• Mount: Helmet and Bar, Bontrager magnetic helmet
• Modes: Low/Med/High/Night Flash/Day Flash
• Charger: Micro USB
• Weight: 173g as tested
• MSRP: $100 USD
•
trekbikes.com Bontrager is the other big brand with an excellent and comprehensive product line. The Pro RT is a 1300 lumen light and important for a few reasons, the biggest one being its battery. The battery it uses is the 21700 series lithium-ion cell that's going to become more standard in lights in the next few years. It will enable over an hour and a half run time and an output of 1,500 lumens from a single-cell, self-contained light - ideal for helmets.
The Pro RT is simple, clean, and just simply works. It seems that Bontrager tried to make something basic and functional... and they succeeded. The light is also only $100, and functions better than many that cost twice that. It's also one of the only lights on test that exceeded its advertised run time. That being said, there are some places it could be improved. The interface can be annoying in cycling from low to high power. You have to go past the strobe settings which is unacceptable, especially when you're in the woods at night. It also doesn't cool incredibly well, but we're splitting hairs here. The handlebar mount is a little bulky, but it adjusts to fit any size handlebars and the helmet mount, when used with Bontrager's "Blendr" interface, is functional and rad. There's nothing easier than dropping it in and riding.
 | This is the light I bring along on daytime rides that even have a slight chance of going into the night. The light is small, works well, and is reliable. It's a lot of light for the price. |
Pros
+ Small for over 1,000 lumens
+ Multiple mount options that work well
+ Basic and no frills, it just works
Cons
- Doesn't dump heat that well
- Having to cycle past strobe settings in interface
- Battery indicator is a low resolution
Bontrager Pro RT
What's the best light set-up for you?If you're on an expedition, racing DH at night, or you're simply trying to prove a point and blind your friends, maybe you should roll with two Lupine Alphas. If you're a bit more conservative and are looking for something functional, durable, and somewhat more affordable, the Light & Motion SECA 2000 or Gloworm lights could fit the bill.
If you don't do a lot of night riding but your rides end at dusk and getting back from the trail safely is important, the Specialized, Bontrager, or Niterider Lumina could be more what you need. Quick and easy, simple to charge, and small enough to toss in your pocket.
Personally, for the trail riding I've been doing that involves longer climbs and fast descents, I have really been liking the Gloworm set-up just as is above. The X2 Adventure is a small enough set-up to put the light and battery both on my helmet and the XS is an ample amount of light thrown from the bars. I have also swapped the X2 for the Lupine Wilma when I'm wearing a pack - if I had the smaller battery pack and could make it self-contained, I would run the Wilma on my helmet more often but as is, with the 8-cell battery, it's too heavy to use without a backpack but for longer rides where the backpack is warranted, it's dialed.
For rides where I'm not sure if I'll make it out in time or if I'm just way out to where a mechanical or other issue could warrant an unplanned night under the stars, I've been bringing along the Bontrager Pro RT. It's small, lightweight, and puts out enough light to ride out at a good tempo.
302 Comments
As far as extreme output goes, I personally want to avoid upsetting the environment with my light pollution. People can complain about trail damage (e)-mtb would do (which has proven to be quite minimal compared to other types of recreation). But if mountainbikers become known for riding with such high output lights that would actually be a more solid complaint to hold against them/us. So I'm surprised this wasn't considered an issue here. I ride with the green filter from Lupine over my first generation Lupine Pico (550 lumen max). Not sure if this is actually correct but aside from looking pretty cool (as if you have night vision equipment) my theory was that plants that reflect green light probably don't wake up because of green light.
@vinay: I didn't compare the lights to each other and rank them 1-10, I pointed out the good and bad of each light, independent of each other. Furthermore, I think there are likely a number of people who were interested in the performance of Lupine's top tier light (myself included) and some who may even use it. Afterall, there are nighttime DH races from time to time and people who go on some pretty far out excursions who could want these lights who are a part of this audience just as there are some who will see the practicality in the 1300 lumen Bontrager light far more than even the Lupine Pico.
As far as the environmental impacts go, I agree that it's something we as riders should consider and be conscious of. Light pollution is a thing just like noise pollution or anything else that disturbs the natural environment. If I was a bear and someone shined a few thousand lumens into my den or came by making noise, I'd wake up agitated, just as I do when my redneck neighbors get drunk, sit in their driveway, and rev the motors on their Harleys and pick-up trucks until midnight.
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Let's be honest, you don't need the 7,200 lumens that the Alpha puts off, and there's just about no one that would know what to do with that much light on a bicycle...
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If you think these are great for nighttime DH racing or far out excursions than why not say so in the article.
That said, the power drop even in freezing conditions is a bit of an issue indeed. You wouldn't want that during your DH run. Lupine has heat sinks for their Blika and Pico lights. If they aren't working on one for the Alpha already, you may to send them your feedback so that they can get on it. I doubt they're selling many of those so they're probably getting little feedback on them too. In that respect, nice you've been testing them
£20 and you can get a 17xCREE LED with helmet mount and 8x18650 battery pack that lasts over 2hours on full.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14178354
Who ever thinks $100 is worth it for a light needs a wake up call.
I can replace mine every year for years on that much! (it's been going strong for 3 already)
Another thing, they may be strong, but the spread, spill, intensity, light color are not ideal. I switched to Ferei and then Lezyne and got significant more quality and reliability for just a few extra $$.
Or you could think of it this way, with all the money you saved on good lights that savings could be used on the insurance deductible when you rebuild the house...
I had the Niterider Pro 2200 which was great but decided I don’t like the cables. Plus it’s just overkill - if you go too powerful you just washout the trail, at least in SoCal.
Best set-up is a pair of Niterider Luminas 900 (or more powerful) - one on the bar and one on the helmet. They can be had under $200, NO CABLES, light-weight, two gives you great depth perception, quality build, great color and water-resistant.
Great luck with Solar/Creed as well.
Cheap lights are amazing for the money but the battery life quickly drops off with repeated use, particularly if it is cold where you live. Also the light spread can be poor with a brighter central ring and dimmer outer ring, which causes your eyes to tire if you are out for a long ride and could be a consideration if you need glasses etc. I happily recommend cheap lights to anyone who wants to give night riding a go, and see how they get on before considering making a more expensive purchase...
I'm now on expensive branded lights (Lumicycle) bought on sale or second hand - I used to ride at night enough to justify the outlay before my shifts changed. The batteries last better (I've had one Lumicycle battery for over 5 years and it will still give me 3 hours of decent lighting, whilst some of the Chinese ones would be lucky to last 60 mins in the cold after a season of use). They are brighter and a better quality of light, plus have safety features such as dimming when the battery is on its last legs (as opposed to just cutting straight out). This can be mitigated by having 2 lights (which is something I'd ALWAYS recommend anyway, in case one breaks).
As a regular night rider I have probably spent £300 on my lights which have lasted 3 years so far and I anticipate will last a number of years more. That was after burning through £90 of Chinese lights in about 2 years. As a long term investment I don't see it as a massive additional investment - 5 years of ownership of Chinese lights and you are looking at £200-250, plus i suppose it's better for the environment rather than regularly chucking batteries if that is a concern for you...
I used simple parts from the hardware store to convert them to gopro mounting.
I had one battery short that I easily fixed myself. Overall im super happy.
even with 50% off i couldn't bring myself to buy something fancy.
www.ebaystores.com/A-OK-battery/Li-Ion-/_i.html?_trksid=p4634.c0.m322&_fsub=1752112010&_sid=911311590&
www.ebaystores.com/A-OK-battery/Battery-Pack-7-4V-/_i.html?_fsub=3192722010&_lns=1&_sid=911311590&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
2-3 hrs burn time
£12-15 job done..
I agree that value can be found with regular and long term use though...
Get 2 Nitecore HC30s ($110), 3 Orbtronic 18650s ($25) and two Twofish XL lockblocks for bars and helmet ($20). Good field of vision/brightness, solid batts/mount, and durable (three years in WITH crashes/drops...still good).
I charge my solarstorms at work, either way, the outcome is win-win.
www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/lights/exposure-six-pack-mk7
I guess it would have put the other products under a less flattering light.
Get us an exposure review please.
And to boot, UK riders seem to do night riding a whole lot more than US riders do. Gotta say, those limey's across the pond are way hardier than I when it comes to riding in inclement weather/night. No excuses.
It honestly boggles my mind a little bit how much people are willing to rely on those shit lights to save a couple bucks up front. Even if its $200 up front, its REALLY not worth it. You head out at night and most likely in the winter and bomb down trails at speed, and your sole light source that you are depending on, quite literally with your life, is a Chinastar special made by kids with small hands and shipped from the other side of the planet, that somehow manages to land on your front porch for $20 and promises 3000 lumens. Don't worry, you'll notice the real world benefit that your $160 carbon bars and $500 carbon cranks to save 100 grams are providing you a lot more than the benefit from a quality light with a nice beam pattern and that also wont kill you or set your house on fire. I completely understand the logic.
It was however rather expensive, about $20 and the 18650 cell was not included. 2 high quality cells and a charger like the Nitecore will put you back another $20.
Be wary though, these come with various LEDs, controllers and lenses. You need to choose a seller who clearly specifies the internals.
And some are doing things very differently and are made to very high standards and will last you for years and years nowadays. I thinks its actually a good time to invest in a good light, as the LED's and especially the batteries are not taking HUGE leaps ahead every year like they were 10 years ago. If you spend $250 on a good light today, its still going to be an extremely good light in 5 years. And a lot of smaller manufacturers have upgrade programs that make it a lot more affordable when the time comes if you want to get a new light.
As per conditions of labour, yes that is a huge topic, agreed. Although the big, expensive players are not necessarily more responsible on that front. Apple/Foxconn anyone?
The environmental aspect of shipping, well, yes and no. There is sort of an impact, but you won't be saving the planet by buying Lupine instead of China will you? Instead, the environmental aspect of any form of transportation, whether it be goods or people, is best neutralized by renewable energy. Entirely different subject.
And not to be invoked when discussing the luxury of bike lights. If you really wanna go green, you need to stop mtb-ing entirely, dump your car and get an environmentally written-off bicycle from the 70s. Otherwise it's not a green sport, at all.
$20 total in retail is indeed rather cheep for a good quality product, but $50 is really feasible for a 1000-2000 lm light.
If you use some common sense when shopping you will be ok. $1000 for a bike light is simply a rip-off.
Regardless, those $20-$50 lights are built to the absolute lowest possible standard. The battery cells are one thing, but what about the assembly and wiring and soldering? Maybe its because I had a cheap battery burst into flames in my hands and almost set my house on fire? Maybe because the cheap batteries rapidly lost their ability to hold a charge and it was always a guessing game as to how long they would last in the woods? Maybe because the wiring would come loose inside the light housing and the light would shut off in the middle of a descent?
I really think there are much better options built in the US for a fair amount of money. I think guys like dinottelighting.com strike the right balance of cost for quality and reliability, and are actually made domestically in NH.
Call me crazy, but I don't think $250-$300 is too much to spend for what is probably the most important piece of gear I own when safety and absolute reliability is concerned.
Thats ok bro....without people like you, the light industry wouldn't survive....i'm willing to take those chances for the amount of night riding I do.
so what about the phones from which you're posting your comments? Are they free from this?
Cheers
The marketing hype is real. These are fantastic lights and not bad pricing when compared to the other big names. Been using the"downhill" package all winter so far.
I'm not going to accuse PB of simply being shills. This comparison of lights is woefully slim; and perhaps you found the best out of these seven, but you didn't actually find the best of anything in any category.
But it's also so large that I can't fathom running it on my helmet. Hopefully, when it comes time to replace my current setup (ITUO XP3 on the helmet and XP2 on the bars), Outbound will have come up with a smaller form factor. Because I really want to try these.
Outbound looks interesting.
For me, it was Lupine Piko + Bontrager Ion 800.
After buying a Lupine I can tell you that you can not compare Lumen data of some Alibaba lamps and Lupine. My 1900lmn feel two times more than my buddy's china lamp with 3200lmn!
And it is sooo so easy to solve this while most of the helmets has the vent right on the fine spot so you can just open a bottle of wine and set it up correctly...
www.pinkbike.com/photo/10563296
Anyway the prices are out of this space, better to get chinese one for like 10 bucks, just not leaving it in charger without supervision
Having a brighter bar light means you still see shadow in the undulations of the trail, which massively affects how you read the trail (particularly at speed), and some of the cheaper lights have a brighter centre ring of light that can play weird tricks on you and tire your eyes (particularly with 2 of them)...
I'm not sure about the recommended lumens though - I'm not sure that matters. As long as you've enough to go as fast as you like, I don't think that extra light will necessarily slow you as long as you still have that contrast from brighter bar light(s)...
To all of you buying cheap throw-aways for 1 season use, consider spending 5-10 times more and keep the light 5-10 times longer. But yeah, f*ck sustainability because "cheaper"
Some of these lights are way too expensive.
Finally gave up and bought 2 niteriders. You don't have to spend $300 but one way or another, you'll spend at least $100. Might as well be on one that will work when you want it to.
Since they're small, they don't have problems with their mounts, they're easy to carry, even inside pockets (145 grams each). No hassle with external batteries, connectors, cable rattling, they're waterproof. I got them new, on offer, for the equivalent of 75-80$ shipped. Only issue is that the batteries can't be replaced, otherwise they're the winning setup.
I'd like to see some light combos in reviews as well. It doesn't have to be only 1 vs 1, the most powerful, the most expensive or the cheapest, etc..
kaidomain.com/KDLITKER-BL70s-Cree-XHP70_2-3000-Lumens-4-Mode-LED-Bike-Light
kaidomain.com/KD-2-x-Cree-XM-L2-U2-4-10-Mode-2200-Lumens-Bike-Light?search=Cree%20bike%20light
And these:
Magicshine MJ-6092 Small and Lightweight 2 Cell Bike Light Battery, 2600mAh Li-ion Waterproof Rechargeable Bike Light Battery for MJ-900, Round Plug www.amazon.com/dp/B01EOP4AWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3ZBuCbJVKR314
Magicshine Bike Light Battery, MJ-6102 high Capacity 6 Cell Li-ion Rechargeable Battery for Bike. 7800mah Waterproof Battery for Mountain Bike Lights | Round Plug www.amazon.com/dp/B018NP9OAA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Q0BuCb2ZFYJTE
Gets you 5200+ lumens, your choice of color temperature and name brand batteries for about $160. Pay for the dhl shipping from China. I got my lights in 2 business days once they shipped (took them a few days to process the order but shipping was unbelievably fast). Get a couple of go pro mounts for the lights and you’re set.
$1285 for a light? F*off
gemini-lights.com/collections/lights/products/duo
I use Victagen lights from Amazon. Run around $30 each, have decent spread and good battery life. They don't have a helmet mount option, but a small piece of aluminum, a go pro mount, and a drill press took care of that. Done. And if they die (only lost 1 so far due to a drenching night ride last year) they are easy to replace.
translate.google.pl/translate?hl=&sl=pl&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.1enduro.pl%2Fconvoy-s2-plus-latarka-na-rower%2F
(sorry, this is Google-translated)
That will give you about 1600 lumens and the flexibility of a two-light setup (handlebar + helmet), plus cheap and easily replaceable 18650 batteries.
I love night riding and bought my current Hope light many years ago which is starting to feel pretty dated. I am shopping for new lights and would love to know if there is a reason to spend £300 quid rather than £30.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWnjC99PvZg&vl=en
www.youtube.com/watch?v=06f9zAIT6Ig
I'd recommend you consider a modular system (seperate battery and light) if you do go for a nice light though - I went for a Lumicycle but there are other options. The benefit of this is that I've got a spare battery that I can stash in my bag on longer rides, and that I've previously sent my light back for an upgrade to the led and circuitry (about £30 iirc) to make it brighter, more efficient and compatible with a remote control on the bars (not that I've got one yet!).
Because I'm sure some lights catalogue quoted figures (especially those on eBay) are wildly inaccurate.
Thanks
"Haha" - The Southern Hemisphere
www.gearbest.com/bicycling-gear/pp_180805.html
and for batteries look for a guy on eBay called Hunk Lee he sells quality Panasonic battery pack for a reasonable price.
www.serfas.com/product-category/products/lights/headlights
I compared, more than once. It’s nuts...
Left the light in a pack that stayed soaking wet for a week.. No damage!! They told me they started making dive lights originally, they expect the light to survive this treatment.
But I’ve been screwed twice by finding the best deal on the light.. Two bad batteries.
Got a great deal, now I need a new battery that I’ll ONLY buy from Light&Motion.
On a different note that Lupine is so bright it just blows everything out, there is such a thing as too much light apparently.
Actually, only one guy had a BLT, he rode up front and everybody else just followed the person in front of them.
It was sorta the blind leading the blind.
It worked well until the lead guy screwed up a turn, and went into a ditch, only to be followed by 6 other riders thinking that was where they should go. ????⚡️????
I don't really trail ride much at night now.
I had a set of eBay specials and was constantly worried about being stranded in the woods with no light if the batteries died (a super common occurrence with the cheaper ones.)
Sure Blackburn's parent company Vista outdoors is controversial - but I'm also not rich so... there you have it. Their customer service / warranty is also insanely good - like no questions asked, old LL Bean style good. For example: I hamfistedly broke the mount and to my surprise they sent me a new light... WTF?
Even the new magicshine lights are good.
I was running a TSL 1800 that developed a short in the wire (I commute in -25c / it became cold from extreme exposure)
Their warranty department was awesome to deal with and the ended up upgrading me to a TSL 2500 ( I was just over the year warranty period as well)
I would definitely purchase again
I got a Planet Bike Blaze 1 watt light (I don't know how many lumens) back in 2010 and while sometimes falls short on the city, when in the trail where there's no street light it appears much brighter.
www.zebralight.com/H600w-Mk-III-XHP35-Neutral-White-18650-Headlamp_p_186.html
www.action-led-lights.com
me: hold my beer www.pinkbike.com/photo/16758895
(i made an ultimate solution)
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