Trail Light?

[Fat Robert]

Mrs. Fat is getting sick of me getting on the trainer in the morning. It wakes up the Golden, she doesn't like the house being turned down to 65 degrees...you'd think she'd be used to it after three years...but it looks like she's drawing the line.

I have two options.

Ride on the porch.

Or:

Slap a light on my 'cross bike and ride around the big big park across the street, at 4AM.

So, what's the best light choice for that -- something that can be removed quickly (like in 30 seconds...I have no patience), and will give me enough light to see a tree root...rock...or other crappy object on the ground....?

[cs124]

...in my exp, for trails in the dark you need 2 lights...one on the bars and one on your helmet. helps to see what's coming up around the next corner.

[Fat Robert]

...in my exp, for trails in the dark you need 2 lights...one on the bars and one on your helmet. helps to see what's coming up around the next corner.

hmm...not so much a trail light, then...because its not a trail. The loop around the park is wide (it runs around a couple of stadiums and a golf course on the Winthop U athletic complex), but, you know, really dark at night, and has grass and trees and stuff....

[Fixed]

after a few rides you'll know where everything is the light won't be as important as the first few trips imho
cheers .. no more ride to work ?
cheers again

[Fat Robert]

after a few rides you'll know where everything is the light won't be as important as the first few trips imho
cheers .. no more ride to work ?
cheers again

no...my morning schedule is working out differently...i'm going to try and get back to commuting in jan

[Fixed]

bro I have a loop like that too it takes 5 mins. to go around once all grass with a slight hill fartlek on it is fun i like to do 5 hard repeats and i 'm done in in 60 mins.
cheers

[DarrenCT]

Slap a light on my 'cross bike and ride around the big big park across the street, at 4AM.

outside park ride

go for it.

[don'TreadOnMe]

The new Princeton Tec Switchback 2 is unbeatable for the price.

[dwightskin]

Most of the newer lights have pretty quick release off the handlebar.

For that type of riding, I'd recommend a 10W or more halogen or a "better" LED light. Basically, you are looking at $100 or more.

I've got Niterider Halogen and it definitely lights up the night. I think their Trail Rat is a pretty good value. Also from niterider is the MiNewt light which looks like a really low weight package (LED).

But Planet Bike, Light and Motion and blackburn all have some good ones, too.

Dwight

[gdw]

+1 There are a number of inexpensive halogen lights out there which will work perfectly for your type of riding. The Trail Rat is a nice unit and can be found for under a $100. Extra batteries and bulbs are cheap and easy to find as well.

[MarcusPless]

I'd second a 10 watt halogen, either from NiteRider or Light and Motion. I've had better luck with L&M lights over the years (currently own two 10 watt Halogens and a HID from L&M).

--Marcus

[Mshue]

I've had a Jet Lites halogen for a couple of years that meets your criteria, although it was on the expensive side at ~$250. I learned of Jet Lites on a mtb forum, where the feedback was uniformly positive. The guys at Jet Lites were great to deal with - I explained what I wanted to accomplish and they recommended a light (not nearly their most expensive) that has worked out perfectly. Previously, I was using a $35 light that helped others see me, but was worthless for lighting the way.

[Bernie]

Forget the halogens. LED's are now powerful enough and have better burn times, lighter batteries, digital that works, less heat, and are virtually indestructible. Right now, for the money and light, try the niterider Minewt X2. If cost is no issue, go buy an Exposure Joystick (distributed by USE) with a helmet mount. The joystick has a bright light with a self contained battery and nearly 4 hours ouf run time. Comes with a helmet mount that gives much better visibility and contrast than a bar mount so you can see roots and other obstacles in the road. It also has a blinking mode, and a low beam mode that can give as much as 12 hours run.

Those are just two of the LED lights I've used and recommend, there are others out there on the market. Remeber if you drop the halogen or HID when it is hot, you have a good chance of busting the bulb. do that and you are out minimum $30 for the halogen and maybe 3x that for the HID.

[Chad Engle]

+1 on the Jet.

[znfdl]

Fellow Fat Brother:

I have become quite enamored with the Dinotte Light systems and have sold my two L&M HID systems.

I currently commute using their 600L head light, which produces 600 lumens with a battery run time of 3.5 hours, 300 lumens with a run time of 7 hours and 150 lumens for a run time of 14 hours.. It comes with two batteries for a run time of about 7 hours for 600 lumens.

[Fat Robert]

Fellow Fat Brother:

I have become quite enamored with the Dinotte Light systems and have sold my two L&M HID systems.

I currently commute using their 600L head light, which produces 600 lumens with a battery run time of 3.5 hours, 300 lumens with a run time of 7 hours and 150 lumens for a run time of 14 hours.. It comes with two batteries for a run time of about 7 hours for 600 lumens.

yeah

but doesn't it also come with a bike path psycho?

i'm not sure i'm up to that

[znfdl]

I would be happy to send him your way ;)

[Erik.Lazdins]

Fellow Fat Brother:

I have become quite enamored with the Dinotte Light systems and have sold my two L&M HID systems.

I currently commute using their 600L head light, which produces 600 lumens with a battery run time of 3.5 hours, 300 lumens with a run time of 7 hours and 150 lumens for a run time of 14 hours.. It comes with two batteries for a run time of about 7 hours for 600 lumens.

Is the Dinotte headlight better than the L&M HID NMH? Brighter, beam pattern, run time? My L&M helped me avoid all the downed trees during my 35 degree, rain, dark ride last night - Thanks - Erik

[znfdl]

Erik:

I do not think that the Dinotte is any better than the L&M nor the L&M better than the Dinotte. A circuitous way to say that I like them both.

The Dinotte fits my needs better, as I am thinking participating in some 24 hour time trials, remember, I said thinking. The longer run times are paramount to me.

Both lights let me cycle at 20+ mph in the dark comfortably. The L&M was a little brighter, but the 600 Lumens of the Dinnotte when no one is approaching me is great. The dinotte has great controls for dimming the light down to 300 or 150 Lumens. The only drawback of the L&M light is that the low setting is still very bright and in combination with riding on a bike path, could be obnoxious. On the L&M low setting I still had to shield the light to oncoming bike riders.

If I was riding on the open road for alimited amount of time, I would be burning the L&M at full blast for it's 3 hour run time.

I still think that the Dinotte tail light is the best tail light on the market. When I have to ride down a road to get to the bike path, cars give me a 6 foot berth.

[woolly]

Doof Dude, ZNFDL speaks rightly - The Dinotte 600L is the hot ticket for your needs. Lots of light, loooooooong run times, super super super quick & easy mount/un-mount, lightweight overall system, good charger with charging/charged indicator for positive confirmation, great quality & customer support. It's not super-cheap, but you're getting what you pay for - what's not to like?

For years I swore by my Turbocat 25W dual-light setup. I guess I still do, but I find myself using the Dinotte more & more, and the Turbocat less & less. The Turbocat system still cranks out more light, but it's heavier, takes up a waterbottle cage, and doesn't have near the run-time. The real-world usability & convenience of the Dinotte has sold me (especially when switching it between bikes).

Regardless of what headlight you get/have, if you're doing dark rides on the road at all, I HIGHLY recommend the super-powered Dinotte taillight. I almost feel safer riding at night with this light than I do in broad daylight. There's NOW WAY drivers can not notice you with one of these!

[Ray]

You guys are all talking about the Dinotte 600, which is pretty high power and high-zoot. Have any of you tried the Dinotte 200? My daughter has one for her backroad commute, which frequently happens in the dark. She's amazed by it. Maybe not enough for all-out, almost race pace road riding, but for typical night-time riding, pretty bright. Seems consistent with ZNFDL's comment that the 600 is still too bright for oncoming traffic at quarter strength, which I guess would be 150 lumens. The 200s can be had for about $160-$170. I haven't actually seen one in person, but she's real happy with it.

-Ray

[Fat Robert]

i am not spending 400 bucks on a light

[MarcusPless]

i am not spending 400 bucks on a light

Which is why I suggested a 10 watt halogen. I found both of my 10 watt halogen L&M lights for less than $100 each. These were new, but were on sale, had a 20% discount, etc. As much as I've wanted to purchase an LED based light over the last few years, I still haven't seen the bang for the buck (extreme run times are not my highest priority). Right now the Performance Bike web site has a 15 watt halogen NiteRider on sale for $110.

Which light to buy really depends on one's needs. My riding is almost all in the city, so the lighting varies from complete darkness to a fair amount of ambient light, and 2-3 hours of run time is all I ever need. I'm more interested in a light that doesn't "wash out" in ambient light, so motorists have a better chance of seeing me.

--Marcus

[scrooge]

I just picked up a NiteRider TriNewt from a fellow forrumite...I haven't actually ridden with it, but it seems plenty bright and the reviews are good. You can probably get a decent deal if you find a 20% off coupon at Performance...

The real question to me is--how many Lumens (sp?) does one really need to be able to ride comfortably? How much is too much when riding with traffic (or on a bike path...I don't want to blind the homeless guys under the bridge...)?

[72gmc]

fat robert, you could do worse than spending 20 minutes reviewing the Busch & Muller Ixon lights on Peter White's site. I have the original silver/blue Ixon, and there are now two alternative versions available. The high/low power settings are both very bright. I can vouch that the original still works fine after a high-speed bounce test on asphalt (operator error, not a mount defect). $150-$175 should set you up with light, charger and batteries, and you can run regular batteries in a pinch without messing up the system.

I also like what DiNotte offers. But I've found the Ixon works well at road speeds on pitch black trails and you can't beat the runtime between charges. It's a great commuter/allrounder light.

[gdw]

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=354848&highlight=dinotte+600

LED's are great but expensive. The next generation, already tested, will be dramitically better and bike lights using them should be less expensive since fewer are required for maximum output.
http://www.cree.com/press/press_detail.asp?i=1189169857943

[woolly]

You guys are all talking about the Dinotte 600, which is pretty high power and high-zoot. Have any of you tried the Dinotte 200? My daughter has one for her backroad commute, which frequently happens in the dark. She's amazed by it. Maybe not enough for all-out, almost race pace road riding, but for typical night-time riding, pretty bright. Seems consistent with ZNFDL's comment that the 600 is still too bright for oncoming traffic at quarter strength, which I guess would be 150 lumens. The 200s can be had for about $160-$170. I haven't actually seen one in person, but she's real happy with it.

-Ray

I think the 200 is a great light too. Dinotte had a great package deal going, so I got a 600/200 combo. I sometimes use the 200 for bar-mounted light-duty work, but also use the helmet mount & pair it up with the 600 on the handlebar. Compared to the 600, the 200 has less light (you're probably thinking "duh!") - it's less bright, but the beam is not as wide either. Still great for the right purpose.

Compared to my friend's helmet-mounted 10W halogen Niterider Trailrat, the 200's beam was both brighter & more usable as your only light. I don't think the 200 could top a 15W halogen, though.

[J.Greene]

Have any of you tried the Dinotte 200?

The 200s can be had for about $160-$170. I haven't actually seen one in person, but she's real happy with it.

-Ray

I have had one for 3 months. It has been awesome until recently. The switch went bad. I will be testing the 2 year warranty in the next few days.

JG

[Fixed]

bic lighter

[woolly]

i am not spending 400 bucks on a light

Fair enough. Price wasn't one of the original requirements. :p

Light output, price, run-time, size/weight, charging-time, & other gee-whiz features are all part of the compromise equation. So, how much ARE you willing to spend on a light? How much light do you need? How long do you need to use it between charges?

For me, being limited by my lights is a drag - I mean this both in terms of power and run-time.

One needs enough light to be able to safely ride at a desired speed. How fast is that for you? You're using it for training, but on the course you describe I'm assuming it's something in between "commuting speed" and "training speed" (on the road in full daylight). If you're just commuting, then you can adjust your speed to the range of your lights, but I doubt you want to limit your training effort in this manner. Personally, I don't heal as fast as I used to, so I try to opt for as much or more light than I absolutely need.

Ones also needs a light to last as long as the desired ride. Cutting a ride short because your lights are going dim is about as much fun as repeatedly flatting. Don't always count on the full run-time claimed by the manufacturer either.

All that said, the 15W Niterider that Marcus cites seems like it might be a good set of compromises for you. I've never owned a Niterider myself, but some of my riding buddies have them & they appear to be a quality product with good customer support.

Good luck!

[Blue Jays]

/\/\ Woolly, great post just above and my precise same sentiments.

[djg]

I have an old niterider evolution 10w halogen that I'm theoretically using as a backup, only not actually using. If you're interested, suggest a fair price. 50 bucks sounds too high to me, if that's a useful guide.

[manet]

go out and get a non fancy, non pricey lite.
something that takes a couple of rechargeable
double As and has a flashing mode. cateye makes
several models _ $20+.

key-rye-st, get two for that price.

[Birddog]

If you're looking for decent light on the cheap here is one method.
http://www.ruscelli.com/biking_fenix.htm

I can't give you feedback on the Fenix, but their customers give raves. I did something similar, I bought a $29 flashlight purchased at Lowes and mounted it on my stem with a velcro pump strap to use as a backup. To my surprise it was a better light than my 12 watt Halogen. You would need to get some extra batteries and a charger, but it's Christmas time, you'll probably need that anyway. If you go the Lowes route, PM me. It can get very confusing and it's easy to buy the wrong one. FWIW, I'm hoping that Santa gives me the DiNotte 200 with the Li-Ion batteries. He can purchase it directly from the elves at
http://www.dinottelighting.com/

Birddog