Mountain Biking - Favorite headlamp?

I need a bright, effecient light so I can ride at night more! What is yours?

Lupine Edison 10 overkill to the XTREME

http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/lupineedison10.shtml

Hey that was quick...thanks!!

Haha I was kidding about the Edison 10, it's so overkill, it may be the best bike headlight on the planet but not worth $1,000

Take a look at the Cygolite Z-Force ARC HID with NIMH battery, it's an awesome light for around $300
Also the Topeak Moonshine Enduro HID is really good and around $500, almost as good as the Lupine Ediston 10 at half the cost.

NiteRider Moab looks like it's going to be pretty sweet. Multiple light levels, and lightweight Li-Ion battery. New for 2006.

http://www.niterider.com/products.php?sku=6396

NiteRider Moab looks like it's going to be pretty sweet. Multiple light levels, and lightweight Li-Ion battery. New for 2006.

http://www.niterider.com/products.php?sku=6396

Looks like it's gonna be a good light
Hopefully MTBR will have a review of it soon > http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/

'Moab'Looks good..lithium batteries can be really expensive. I did find a website that sells batteries inexpensively. name escapes me, guess you can search the net.

Thanks for the lead!

PS..Moab Slickrock biketrail was awesomw in the moonlight last night!!

You definatly wanna go Li-Ion or NIMH, stay way from an HID light which I'm sure you're gonna wanna get, that has a Ni-Cad battery, they only last about 1 hour max.

Li-Ion are the best batteries for portability and power and longest lasting, NIMH are pretty cheap these days and last pretty long but are a tad bit bigger.

But yeah, definatly get an HID light, thoes headlights with 100 million LED's are useless.

I use the Cygolite Z-Force NiMH HID light. I love it. It is just one very bright light and the battery has a pretty good run time as well. I've used it for both riding and doing a 24 hour race and I am very happy with it. It is a little pricy but definately worth it.

Would it be possible for a quick and easy translation of the battery speak? When someone says "NIMH" to me I think of a Disney movie...

Get for 20 bucks Serfas 5 led Opticube

Ricardo

Get for 20 bucks Serfas 5 led Opticube

Ricardo

You're kidding right? The light from the moon through the trees will light the ground more then that thing, don't waste your money.

Invest in a good HID light that you will be satisfied with using and will last you a long time without having the need to upgrade it when you find out how much it sucks.

Comparisoin below of an expensive LED vs mid level HID


Light and Motion Vega LED $175
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/beam_patterns/medium/pics%20024.jpg

Topeak Moonshine HID $399
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/beam_patterns/big/802C5504.jpg

Even expensive LED lights let alone $25 ones are just not cut out to be used as bike headlights.

Would it be possible for a quick and easy translation of the battery speak? When someone says "NIMH" to me I think of a Disney movie...


When replying to a post such as this it is best to use the same terminology that the companies use. This way it is much less confusing once someone interested in making a purchase begins shopping.

If it is a problem though all you have to do is go to www.google.com and type in NiMH. After doing a very quick search this is what I came up with.

"NiMH stands for Nickel-Metal Hydride, the materials used in some battery packs. Unlike NiCad batteries, NiMH batteries do not use heavy metals that may have toxic effects. In addition, they can store up to 50% more power than NiCad batteries and do not suffer from memory effects. "

Tweek - Thanks for posting that picture. I saw the new topeak lights for sale when I was at the 24 hours of big bear. They looked like nice lights but unfortunately they didn't have any demo's.

It's also great for people to be able to see the difference between a light and a quality light. The low cost lights are fine for riding up and down the street or on a rail trail but when out there in the middle of nowhere on the rocks and roots I want to be able to see everything!

IMO as long as you go with one of the top HID lights from any of the big companies (Night Rider, Cygo Lite, Topeak, etc.) you will probably be happy.

Tweek - Thanks for posting that picture. I saw the new topeak lights for sale when I was at the 24 hours of big bear. They looked like nice lights but unfortunately they didn't have any demo's.

It's also great for people to be able to see the difference between a light and a quality light. The low cost lights are fine for riding up and down the street or on a rail trail but when out there in the middle of nowhere on the rocks and roots I want to be able to see everything!

IMO as long as you go with one of the top HID lights from any of the big companies (Night Rider, Cygo Lite, Topeak, etc.) you will probably be happy.

Here is an image of the Lupine Edison 10 the brightest/longest lasting HID bike headlight on the market, it's only downside is the price tag... $899, but you get what you pay for. Although its not 2x as bright as the second best light the Topeak Moonshine HID, the Lupine has an almost 7 hour battery life at full brightness, and isn't much if at all heavier then other HID lights. So yeah the Lupine Edison 10 is my most favorite bike headlight, one day I hope to get one but not anytime soon.
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/beam_patterns/big/802C5510.jpg
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/newlights/edison7g.jpg

Tweek - was the cygolite in the same test? Do you have a link to the comparison?

Here is the Cygolite Z-Force HID NiMH its $349

(thanks to PWRDbyTRD for the picture)
http://66.90.81.26/~slim/tweek/random_images/DSCF2142.JPG

[QUOTE=Tweek]Here is an image of the Lupine Edison 10 the brightest/longest lasting HID bike headlight on the market, it's only downside is the price tag... $899, but you get what you pay for. Although its not 2x as bright as the second best light the Topeak Moonshine HID, the Lupine has an almost 7 hour battery life at full brightness, and isn't much if at all heavier then other HID lights. So yeah the Lupine Edison 10 is my most favorite bike headlight, one day I hope to get one but not anytime soon. [QUOTE]

You are 100% right you get what you pay for. I hope you don't mind some minor corrections. The Lupine Edison 10 is actually lighter than most of the HID lights, possibly all of them. The Li Ion battery is much lighter than, say the Nightrider Nimh bottle battery, when you open the bottle and look inside the size of the battery is surprisingly small. The head is much smaller and lighter than all of them (HID lights). And all the Halogen lights I have. The weights are listed on the Lupine web site I think. Everything is just heavy enough to do the job well and no extra. Even the battery strap is just long enough to do the job with no extra. This light is incredible.

Unless there have been changes (certainly possible) since I bought mine, about a year ago, They go a solid 8 hours on low (The same brightness as my Nightrider HID). And a good solid five hours on high..16 watts HID equal to about 65 watts halogen.
I can ride faster at night than I ever though possible. If you ever get one you will never regret it. The sales and support is great too.

This is one of things about cycling that you have to try it for yourself to see how great it really is.

You're kidding right? The light from the moon through the trees will light the ground more then that thing, don't waste your money.

Invest in a good HID light that you will be satisfied with using and will last you a long time without having the need to upgrade it when you find out how much it sucks.

Comparisoin below of an expensive LED vs mid level HID


Light and Motion Vega LED $175
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/beam_patterns/medium/pics%20024.jpg

Topeak Moonshine HID $399
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/beam_patterns/big/802C5504.jpg

Even expensive LED lights let alone $25 ones are just not cut out to be used as bike headlights.


That LED picture is BS. It's supposed to be from the Light and Motion Vega which is a 3W Luxeon Star LED. I have a 1W Luxeon star headlamp (Princeton Tec Yukon HL) and it puts out WAY more light than in that photograph.

You'll notice that the thing barely lights a wall 20 ft away. My 1 watter will light a wall VERY well 50 ft away.

My guess is that they put the thing on the charger for 5 min, than took the picture. LED light output drops with current. And NiMH current drops off precipitously as the battery looses it's charges. So if they put this thing on a charger for 5 minutes, I can understand the results. (Some systems are voltage and current regulated to keep the bulbs bright 100% of the time).

Those luxeon stars are about three times as power efficient as incandescent for the same light output. A 3W star is worth a 9W halogen system.

Previews of Cateye's new Tripleshot (3 3W Luxeon Star LEDs) are promising. An adventure racer took it up to Wisconsin for a 24hr race and reported it "just as bit as bright" as the HID systems he was riding next to. http://jeffkerkove.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_jeffkerkove_archive.html

Do I believe this ... NO. Those HIDs are freakin blow-torches. But it tells you that LED can pull it's weight now, so don't diss it because of MTBR's sloppy testing techniques. A certain amount of light is "good enough" because you cannot duplicate the overhead illumination of the sun. Too much light creates wicked shadows and knocks out all your night vision.

Right now I ride with my little 1W LED caving oriented lamp. A 3 watter is probably all I'll ever need.

That LED picture is BS. .

I guess the review team at MTBR.com are posting fake pictures then, go ***** to them, not me.

http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/lightandmotionvega.shtml

That LED picture is BS.

That's Hilarious.



A certain amount of light is "good enough" because you cannot duplicate the overhead illumination of the sun. Too much light creates wicked shadows and knocks out all your night vision.

UH.......................WHAT........? :eek:

Read the comparisons on the internet of different bike lights. Start at the link that Tweek posted and explore that sight. There is a lot of good info there. Read reviews. Read bike magazines too.

Would it be possible for a quick and easy translation of the battery speak? When someone says "NIMH" to me I think of a Disney movie...


... as in National Institute of Mental Health, as in The Rats of NIMH?


Li-Ion battery technology is kind of cool chemistry, and it's been the standard in portable computers for years and many other electronic devices for a few reasons. It's certainly capable of being lighter weight (for similar outputs), and I think it can also operate at higher voltage than batteries with Nickel-based chemistry.

Unfortunately right now, it's pretty new to biking applications, as far as I can tell. This is NR's first iteration of it, and Light and Motion has a Li-Ion system out there (for a lot of money).

... as in National Institute of Mental Health, as in The Rats of NIMH?


Li-Ion battery technology is kind of cool chemistry, and it's been the standard in portable computers for years and many other electronic devices for a few reasons. It's certainly capable of being lighter weight (for similar outputs), and I think it can also operate at higher voltage than batteries with Nickel-based chemistry.

Unfortunately right now, it's pretty new to biking applications, as far as I can tell. This is NR's first iteration of it, and Light and Motion has a Li-Ion system out there (for a lot of money).

They also work better in the cold than other types. This is a great feature for those of us who ride in cold weather. Li-ions that I have show that it can be lighter than NiMH even with a greater output .

I purchased a L&M Arc Li-ion ultra a month or two back ready for commuting this coming winter. It is a solid product and produces an excellent beam pattern.

I've taken it out on a few midnight rides to check it out and it is very good. Road surfaces are lit up very well and for quite a way ahead too. I can ride at 20mph and easily spot any potential problems in the road surface.

Other cars are much more courteous as they probably think it is a motorbike coming towards them. Usefully, as they pass their car headlights do not wash out the Arc's light.

Unfortunately for my wallet I came across the Lupine Edison 10 on ebay for a steal which is the light I originally wanted but didn't want to pay top dollar for.

In comparison, the Edison is even better engineered. This light oozes quality. On the road the Edison is brighter than the L&M Arc, although the L&M is probably a bit more defined at the edge of the beam.

I have a 3W Luxeon star torch (flik:lite) which is far brighter than the image above in a previous post but the downside to this is that the batteries only last an hour.

Cheaper LED torches like the EL500 are just lost when compared to HID.

Obviously every one is different and some can get by quite happily with the cheaper lights there are others, like me who prefer to be able to see everything on the road at night especially if riding fast.

The best advice would be to try out some different lights if you can, although it might be better if you left the HID until last ;-)

I purchased a L&M Arc Li-ion ultra a month or two back ready for commuting this coming winter. It is a solid product and produces an excellent beam pattern.

I've taken it out on a few midnight rides to check it out and it is very good. Road surfaces are lit up very well and for quite a way ahead too. I can ride at 20mph and easily spot any potential problems in the road surface.

Other cars are much more courteous as they probably think it is a motorbike coming towards them. Usefully, as they pass their car headlights do not wash out the Arc's light.

Unfortunately for my wallet I came across the Lupine Edison 10 on ebay for a steal which is the light I originally wanted but didn't want to pay top dollar for.

In comparison, the Edison is even better engineered. This light oozes quality. On the road the Edison is brighter than the L&M Arc, although the L&M is probably a bit more defined at the edge of the beam.

I have a 3W Luxeon star torch (flik:lite) which is far brighter than the image above in a previous post but the downside to this is that the batteries only last an hour.

Cheaper LED torches like the EL500 are just lost when compared to HID.

Obviously every one is different and some can get by quite happily with the cheaper lights there are others, like me who prefer to be able to see everything on the road at night especially if riding fast.

The best advice would be to try out some different lights if you can, although it might be better if you left the HID until last ;-)

Was the
Edison 10 new? If you don't mind my asking, how much was it? Thanks. Just wondering, I paid retail and I think it's worth it anyway. But........ :)

I've been using the Light in Motion ARC Li-ion. Having used Halogen lights/NiCad batteries for several years, The ARC Li-ion was a vast improvement in both weight and battery longevity.

I was able to pick up the L&M ARC Li-Ion for just a little under $400. I've been out as long as 3+ hours and it was still burning brightly. I believe its rated at 3 hours with a 1.5hour charge time to 80%

I am impressed that so many have indicated the Edison as being vastly superior. I've not tried one specifically. Having ridden trails/roads for years using a Nightsun XC, the L&M was a vast improvement. It is difficult for me to imagine something improving even more on the L&M.

This is my favorite light...tis the only one I have... :eek:

http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=19&catId=7&subCatId=2

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/olderlights/product_89080.shtml

Was the
Edison 10 new? If you don't mind my asking, how much was it? Thanks. Just wondering, I paid retail and I think it's worth it anyway. But........ :)

I live in the UK and paid 299 pounds for it (new). It currently retails here for 625-650.


squeegy200, I had the L&M first and it is a great product. So yes I was very surprised when I hooked up the Edison next to it and found it to be even better. With them both on the bike it is awesome! Lights up the road way into the distance. What is weird is every reflective surface e.g. street signs etc. shines like a beacon.

It was a tough choice but my other half gets the L&M and I keep the Edison ;-)

I live in the UK and paid 299 pounds for it (new). It currently retails here for 625-650.


squeegy200, I had the L&M first and it is a great product. So yes I was very surprised when I hooked up the Edison next to it and found it to be even better. With them both on the bike it is awesome! Lights up the road way into the distance. What is weird is every reflective surface e.g. street signs etc. shines like a beacon.

It was a tough choice but my other half gets the L&M and I keep the Edison ;-)

That's great less than 1/2 price..WOW.. Thanks.

Some day the other half may want one too. Better start checking ebay again !~! :D


[
It is difficult for me to imagine something improving even more on the L&M.

I agree, it was hard for me too.

My Edison 10 looks the same on low as my Nightrider Blowtorch. The Nightrider is a fine light, as is the L&M. I would recommend either to a friend.

Two years ago I kept using up the four hour run time of the Blowtorch every week on my afternoon to midnight centuries. I was finishing the rides on my back up light. Not fun, with thin tires if you want to go faster. I decided not to go just with a 6 hour light as I was doing 5 hours in the dark all the time. It was a great decision. With 8 hours in the summertime I could ride until sunrise begins. It's like going from a car that has lights that quit at midnight compared to all night long. I don't have to make plans about coming home at a certain time anymore! And when I saw how this thing is on high beam, I knew I would never have to upgrade again.

Part of the decision making process for me was the reviews of these lights on..

http://www.mtbreview.com/

This is a good place to find reviews and info. about any potential light purchase.

The Edison 10 link is only 4 reviews right now, but the "Edison" link goes to a light that is equal power with shorter run time. The reviews are very helpful. I actually emailed Chris Etough (sp?) A racer that won the "24 hours of Adrenaline" all night mtb race using these lights. He was kind enough to answer me promptly. I think the place I got my light from helps keep his lights going when he is racing. (gretnabikes.com)