hobkirk

It seems a helmet mounted light that's bright will routinely end up pointing in undesirable directions - drivers' eyes when I swivel my head, bystanders as I check out something on the side of the road. True?

I realize that there are times it would be useful to direct the light somewhere other than where the bars are pointing, but it seems like that's not all that frequent on roads. True?

Do any lights work well on a front fork?

• I ride roads exclusively
• I like the safety of strobe headlights during the day - car drivers just don't see us
• I do very little riding at night, but when I get caught out I NEED A LIGHT
• I have a handlebar bag, so I can't mount directly, but I have a Topeak Bar-Extender that sticks up about 6"
• My bike is a CF Roubaix, but I have tools and can work around the odd shape around the inserts
• Price matters - I just don't think I use it enough to justify Dinot (is that the super brand?)

The "wish list" item that triggered my post is Cree LED on Amazon. But I haven't done any research.

That's why I am here - you can do my research for me!

Thanks

davidad

Robot Check

You will need batteries and a charger.

KenshiBiker

False. At least for me . . . My commute starts before dawn and several streets near my house have no street lights. Additionally, the terrain in the area I live is a bit hilly - not full on mountains, but plenty of short 6+% grades. This all adds up to a me having to traverse a short, descent with a 90-degree right turn in the middle. Even just coasting I routinely exceed 20 mph by the time I hit the turn. Fortunately the county has repaired the pot hole in the middle of my line, but even so, I like to be able to see where I'm going before I get to the turn. Plus, I appreciate the ability to "light up" a car to make sure they see me as I proceed through an intersection. The closest I've come to getting hit in a while was a couple of weeks ago (before I went back to using my helmet light) when I stopped at a 4-way intersection, then the car pulling up to the right stopped, so I proceeded. Nearest thing I can think of, is that he assumed I was a motorcycle or scooter, and would clear the intersection a lot faster than I did, cuz after he stopped he started going, getting closer and closer to me. He finally did stop just short of my rear wheel. As I pedaled away, I could see him in my rearview mirror still stopped in the intersection - I imagine he was trying to figure out what had just happened.

dbg

Mounted headlight should be as low as possible to illuminate road irregularities. And I think a helmet light is also a good idea.
Head + Fork

And I'm a big fan of dynamo front hubs. No battery worries. Lights are always available.

Also dusk and dawn are bad visibility times even with lights. Wear a bright day-glo yellow-green shirt/jacket. They REALLY help during dusk/dawn riding.

alan s 

Fork mounting can result in an undesirable shadow from the wheel. Bar mounted is good, along with helmet mounted light. I use two lights. If only one, helmet is my first preference, as you can get the attention of cars much more effectively and see around corners.

gsa103

50 Lumens is a good level for a simple blinky light. 400 lumens with a decent beam pattern is fine for riding an hour after sunset if you have decent night vision. Keep in mind these are actual lumen values, not over-rated manufacturer specs such as the Amazon light you posted.

A simple single light with ~500 lumen real output and a 50-100 lumen blink mode is probably about ideal for your riding scenario. Helmet mounted lights are usually smaller with more of a spot beam, and not ideal for general road illumination. They can be useful if you want to shine it directly at drivers, but in that case you want ~100 lumens to avoid blinding.

LordMarv

"That's why I am here - you can do my research for me!"

Won't get many replies with a line like that thrown in. Oh, you were makin' a funny. Har De Har Har.

no1mad 

While I have no experience with the subject, having only used bar and helmet mounted, I suspect your statement is partially true. I'd imagine a light mounted mid-fork or down at the axle may indeed be partially obstructed by the wheel, however I'm not sure that would be the case for one mounted at the fork crown. After all, it seems that the fork crown is the preferred spot for the vast majority of dyno light set ups.

hobkirk

Sorry, Lord! I didst not intend to offend! Please don't strike me down!

Smile or frown - I try to smile...

znomit

I like a bright light on the bars (or fork crown).

You need a helmet light for cornering, and for fixing the bike in the dark. It doesn't need to be super bright. Currently I'm using this:
H52w AA Headlamp Neutral White

Null66

For a few dollars more:

Amazon.com : 5000Lm 2x CREE XML U2 LED Cycling Front Bicycle Bike Light HeadLight Headlamp X2 : Cycling Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

Got one, well 3... Like the beam pattern.

Low is enough.

But also run vis 360+ helmet light...

RoadTire 

I have a similar setup - low power, 80 lumen headlamp: it's bright enough to get any close-car's attention when you shine it directly at the driver, (you know, the one on the right that is going to pull out just at the right time for you to T-Bone it) without actually blinding that driver. (I would actually like to have a 160 lumen max sometimes.)

Bar mounted headlight (flashlight in my case) pointed as far ahead as possible, without blinding drivers and still illuminating the tarmac so I can see obstacles in time to go around them. Having it pointing as far ahead as possible helps me see dark things with enough time to decide what to do w/o panic maneuvers. Things like small and large animals ready to jump out, or people in dark clothing loitering or sleeping on the bike path.

Sixty Fiver

Super bright helmet lights are great on the trail, brighter road lights should be fixed to the bicycle to prevent unintended flashing of other road users.

RoadTire 

Go also to Home | BudgetLightForum.com - lot's of research done ahead of time also.

curly666

I mounted the extender underneath the stem hanging downward so I can use my handlebar bag.

Leebo

I run a blinky and steady on the bars. Plus a helmet light. For me, 500 lumens would be a minimum, snow, rain and fog needs more. I also like to be able to see around the turn before my bars swing around. Using 2 lights at different heights will allow you to see bumps, potholes and other road hazards better.

bikemig 

What's the extender you are using? I'm looking to buy one for the same reason.

bikemig 

I was hoping you wouldn't mind doing some of my research on this, . How do you like your Topeak bar extender? I need one and I'm thinking of picking this up.

PaulRivers

Both True. And it's a dilemma if you do a lot of night riding.

Since you don't, I would probably go with just the bar mounted version, as the helmet light is far more of a hassle to carry with you on your helmet if you only use it infrequently.

Yes, there are several "to see by" lights that are designed to be mounted on the fork - dynamo lights like the cyo premium (though if you only use it infrequently I doubt the cost of a dynamo light and hub is worth it), or the battery version like the ixon iq premium. However. If you want to use the light as both a "to see by" light and also a "to be seen" light, I'd put it higher up on the handlebars. Better odds of the view of it not being blocked by other traffic going by. (Also, the lights I just mentioned don't have a strobe mode).

curly666

I have a Minora swing grip, it has a pivot on it for adjustment.

fietsbob

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...e-ranking.html

Mr IGH

I have my shaped beam headlamp mounted to my fork crown and I don't notice any shadows. If a rider only uses their lights occasionally they are an ideal candidate for dyno power. No need to worry about battery issues, dyno powered lights are always ready no matter how one's plans change.

hobkirk

Glad to! That's what this forum is good for.

The Topeak works great, it's really solid, but it's a pain putting on or off the bars, so I usually leave it mounted even when I am not actually using it.

noglider 

Agreed, and I also think that the fork crown (when using 700c size (or so) wheels) is an ideal height.

fietsbob

^^^ + many EU headlight manufacturers design the beam pattern around the fork crown mount, particularly the wired lights ^^^