Originally Posted by
Bklyn
This is a great idea for a thread.
Too often these headlight discussions get superwonky very quickly. I appreciate all the engineers who visit BF and can run the lumens analysis on various lights. But I don't even know what that sentence means, actually. Can't somebody just tell me what's durable, bright, compact, easily powered, etc.? Obviously, you're not going to get all that for $100.
I can tell you that the Blackburn I use is a bit big for my liking, but I think it makes me visible in the city.
And for about $25 or $30, it's great.
But it doesn't compare to JYosarrian's headlamp; if you need a light to see the road by, I'd choose his. Whatever it is.
Lumens measure the amount of light given off by a lamp. Pretty simple really. A 100 watt incandescent bulb gives off 1700 lumens. That's in all directions. You can get more useful light by focusing that light with a mirror...which is what all bike light do. The smaller the lumen output of the lamp, the dimmer the light hitting the road. For example, a 2 D-cell Maglite puts out close to 100 lumens. It's an okay light but not the best. A low voltage 10W halogen lamp puts out about the same as the Maglite. I'd estimate that the light you showed puts out in that range, perhaps a little less. But your lamp puts out that amount of light using 3 LEDs. While equivalent to the absolute light output, three lamps putting out 33 lumens each don't necessarily put out the same light as a single bulb putting out 100 lumens...especially in certain atmospheric conditions.
For a good comparison of lamps go
here.
Your lamp is there. Look at the Niterider Minewtt (around 150 lumen), the Road Rat (about the same), the Light and Motion Solo (around 300 lumen) and the HIDs (around 500+ lumen). Keeps those pictures in mind when someone talks about lumens.