Cross Country Lights

[DRietz]

Hello Paceline trail riders!

I am here today to pick your collective brain regarding some awesome handlebar/helmet light combinations for fast singletrack night rides.

Normally, I'd ask myself this question, but my Turbocat officially died last weekend and I haven't bothered keeping up on anything in the light world over the past couple years.

Opinions? Was looking at MagicShine, but I don't know how reputable they are, and then there's AyUps, NiteRider, Lupine, etc.

:help:

[fourflys]

Big fan of the MiNewt 600 here... Comes with bar and helmet mount...

[rbtmcardle]

The MiNewt 600 for the first time has swayed my interest from the Dinotte lights, though for rides longer than a few hours I still think the Dinotte lights are best.

[gdw]

What's your budget?

[swPArider]

For night time riding in the woods I have a Niterider Minewt 600 that I use on my helmet, then I have a Niterider 1500 Race mounted on the bars. Even with both lights on their lowest setting I have plenty of light for most situations.

The Minewt is a great light. It's small, lightweight, has good light output, and decent run time. Best feature though is the lack of a cord, makes mounting and swapping from bike to bike a breeze. I usually just thrown it in my Camelbak and if I happen to need it then it's always there.

[joev]

I used to run NiteRider but switched to Light & Motion and use a Seca 700 on the handlebars and Stella 300 on the helmet. There are some brighter and cheaper lights out there now but the combo I am running lights a good swath from the handlebars and the light on the helmet lets me plan a little ahead and look to the sides. Past issues with the NiteRider were the weight and, believe it or not, too bright. Those were the Storm HID lights. By too bright, I mean a lot of the view was washed out on the trail - hard to see dips - and my eyes definitely were not night adapting! The Light & Motion combo still lets me see the night sky and fly down the trail. Also, the helmet light does not conflict with the handlebar light meaning that I don't get crazy color patches dancing in front of me when the lights overlap.

I had heard of some reliability issues with the MagicShine when they first came out but maybe they are a bit more robust now. The Light & Motion definitely have...knock on wood...held up to some nasty weather. Charging is easy too and the three cell battery last a few hours.

The new trend seems to be the "all in one" light that has the battery with the lamp. I might try that, at some point, but see no reason to change right now.

[Liv2RideHard]

Get a couple of magic shines and you will be set. I race hot night laps with them and PLENTY of light. I only use one on my bar but have used one on bar and one on helmet and it was way more than enough light. You can get lights plus extra batteries and still not spend as much as you would on some niteriders (which I have used), dinotte and the like. They are inexpensive and really work...like I said I have used them in a race setting at night.

[Lovetoclimb]

Light and Motion. Made in the USA, they stand behind their product, and its just really well engineered and built. The new Taz something or other looks perfect for lighting up the whole forest.

[ofcounsel]

I'm a big fan of the Nite Rider Minewt 600. I ride the MTB trails at night around here with it. The Lumina 650 is the new version. It has a better mount. It's a compact, all in one design that just works.

[fiamme red]

Some good info here: http://reviews.mtbr.com/2012-bike-lights-shootout

[BumbleBeeDave]

I'm a big fan of the Nite Rider Minewt 600. I ride the MTB trails at night around here with it. The Lumina 650 is the new version. It has a better mount. It's a compact, all in one design that just works.

Small, self-contained, comes with both bar and helmet mounts. I'm currently shopping for a MiNewt 350 on eBay. It looks like they take the same mount and I'll use the 350 on my helmet and the 600 on the bars. The 600 is the first light I've had where I really felt comfortable riding on the road and felt I wouldn't outrun the light no matter how fast I go.

BBD

[spierfalls]

Light and Motion. Made in the USA, they stand behind their product, and its just really well engineered and built. The new Taz something or other looks perfect for lighting up the whole forest.

I had a problem with my Light and Motion light and even though it was out of warranty they fixed it for free and even paid all shipping.
Nice people and great products.

[DRietz]

I'm glad someone asked my budget. I work in the industry, so I can acquire most lights for less than retail, but really my budget stands at about $300.

To elaborate on use, I race XC and tend to ride rather fast. The local trail systems offer some really fun single track, but fun turns to scary quite quickly at night.

In addition, I will be competing in a couple of 24hour relays this year, so I need something that will last several hours and still be light enough to not encumber racing.

Also, rechargeable batteries are always a preference.

[ofcounsel]

I'm glad someone asked my budget. I work in the industry, so I can acquire most lights for less than retail, but really my budget stands at about $300.

To elaborate on use, I race XC and tend to ride rather fast. The local trail systems offer some really fun single track, but fun turns to scary quite quickly at night.

In addition, I will be competing in a couple of 24hour relays this year, so I need something that will last several hours and still be light enough to not encumber racing.

Also, rechargeable batteries are always a preference.

Based on your use, the 600 lumen Minewt set up isn't gonna cut it. You need something like this, with an extra battery. You can get it for under $300.

http://www.niterider.com/pro-1800-led-race-2013/

This one also looks promising: http://www.fenixlight.com/viewnproduct.asp?id=128

It uses rechargeable CR123A or 18650 batteries, which are pretty cheap and really portable. With a couple extra batteries in your jersey pocket, you can ride in the dark for hours on end. It's expected to sell for about $100. It hasn't been released yet, but will be soon.

[DRietz]

Based on your use, the 600 lumen Minewt set up isn't gonna cut it. You need something like this, with an extra battery. You can get it for under $300.

http://www.niterider.com/pro-1800-led-race-2013/

Yup, pretty much the level of light I had in mind. The lumen output is consistent with what I've been reading is needed for my use.

Now the questions become more technical - do you guys even prefer a dual light set up? I always have - I tend to like a more spot-focused beam on the helmet and a wide-focused beam coming from the bars. Is there some other combination I should really consider?

[gdw]

The Fenix looks real promising and you can buy two with batteries and chargers for $260. They expect to have them available in a couple weeks.
http://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=468&products_id=2954
Single li ion batteries are cheap and Fenix will be offering an extra
case which will allow you to use regular AA batteries with the light. The AA option is a great feature and will be popular with riders competing in multiday events like the Colorado Trail Race.

As to your other question, I prefer the same setup you like, flood on the bars and spot on the helmet. Two lights are definitely the way to go if you ride tight singletrack.

[ofcounsel]

The Fenix looks real promising and you can buy two with batteries and chargers for $260. They expect to have them available in a couple weeks.
http://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=468&products_id=2954
Single li ion batteries are cheap and Fenix will be offering an extra
case which will allow you to use regular AA batteries with the light. The AA option is a great feature and will be popular with riders competing in multiday events like the Colorado Trail Race.

As to your other question, I prefer the same setup you like, flood on the bars and spot on the helmet. Two lights are definitely the way to go if you ride tight singletrack.

I was looking at that one as well. For the price, I may pick one up and try it out.

[xjoex]

I just picked up a Lezyne SuperDrive XL, I rode with it twice over the weekend. I can't tell any brightness difference from a magicshine light.

500 lumens for $120, self contained, usb charging. for $150 you get a helmet mount and an extra battery.

-Joe