Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
Reload this Page >

Bike Lights Recommendations?

Notices
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

Bike Lights Recommendations?

Old 08-07-13, 09:59 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Jarrett2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DFW
Posts: 4,126

Bikes: Steel 1x's

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 632 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Bike Lights Recommendations?

I have a set time that I can ride in every morning. The trail I go on is tree covered and each day the sun is coming up a little later it seems. Which means each day the beginning of my ride is more and more in the dark. I've seen that there are lights that you can put on to your handlebars. I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation on which light to get? I want one that helps me see what's in front of me versus just making sure to be seen, so I assume I would need a brighter one. Any recommendations?
Jarrett2 is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 10:08 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
volosong's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 2,809

Bikes: n + 1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 15 Posts
I'm partial to Dinotte and NiteRider products. Illumination power and cost have a direct relationship.

p.s. I use my front light during the day ALWAYS, and on stobe mode. At night, it goes solid. Taillight is always on strobe mode, irregardless of the hour of the day. (Correction: if riding in a group or on a mup, I nix the daytime lights.)
volosong is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 10:54 AM
  #3  
just pedal
 
donalson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 979

Bikes: Surly Disc Trucker, trek 560

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I've got a knock off china CREE XML LED head lamp MagicShine knock off https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

its bright (although doesn't put off as much as it claims) and cheap... I wouldn't use it off road without a second AND figuring out a better mount system, as it stands they use a rubber band and just on road chatter/bumps it will slowly rotate and point down at the street... I use it in blink mode on the street until dark... it's made my late eve rides doable (it's hot in TX and i'm not a morning person)


also check out mtbr.com they've got a great section for headlights (both DIY and prebuilt)... tons of options
donalson is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 11:20 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Black wallnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ellensburg,WA
Posts: 3,175

Bikes: Schwinn Broadway, Specialized Secteur Sport(crashed) Spec. Roubaix Sport, Spec. Crux

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 178 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times in 80 Posts
When needed I use one from Planet Bike, have two actually. However for a bunch less money you can take a small LED bright flashlight and attach it to your handlebars with a wrist band silicone rubber I think the stuff is called.
__________________
Sir Mark, Knight of Sufferlandria
Black wallnut is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 11:51 AM
  #5  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
PhotoJoanne and I both have the Magicshine MJ-808 lights. We've been VERY happy with them. We, too, ride in the early mornings and before it gets light. We usually only run them on medium and have plenty of light. I prefer the original beam pattern. Mrs. PJ prefers the wider pattern with the $4 optional lens.

https://www.action-led-lights.com/col...men-bike-light

Also, I'm very happy with this company. We had one light fail within the warranty period. They sent me a new light head immediately, no questions asked.
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 01:35 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
B8888S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bakersfield CA
Posts: 107

Bikes: '13 Roubaix Elite Apex, '13 Stumpjumper FSR Elite, '14 Demo 8 II, & '13 Stumpjumper Comp HT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I just recently started having to ride in the morning. At 5am it is pretty dark outside. After some research, I went with a Night Rider Lumina 650 for the front. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This thing is super bright and I am easily able to see where I am headed and what if anything is in the road. On the rear, I went with a Portland Design Works Danger Zone tail light. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Very happy with my purchase.

Last edited by B8888S; 08-07-13 at 10:47 PM.
B8888S is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 01:52 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
corwin1968's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,411
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 55 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 32 Times in 18 Posts
I bought a $30 headlight from my LBS and it's total junk. I hit a crack in the pavement and the front end, cap and batteries all went flying. I taped it back together and it works but it's just not bright enough for anything over granny speed.

If you are serious about getting a good light then call Peter White at peterwhitecycles.com. He's pretty much the guru when it comes to bicycle lighting. It might be a bit pricey (say $100) but you'll get a light that is USB rechargeable, that actually lights the road in front of you and is set-up so that it doesn't blind oncoming traffic. His website has photos of different headlights beams in the dark, which is very enlightening.

https://peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp
corwin1968 is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 02:21 PM
  #8  
Old and in the way.
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eugene OR
Posts: 353

Bikes: Jamis Renegade and Kona Jake

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 47 Times in 23 Posts
Originally Posted by donalson
I've got a knock off china CREE XML LED head lamp MagicShine knock off https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

its bright (although doesn't put off as much as it claims) and cheap... I wouldn't use it off road without a second AND figuring out a better mount system, as it stands they use a rubber band and just on road chatter/bumps it will slowly rotate and point down at the street... I use it in blink mode on the street until dark... it's made my late eve rides doable (it's hot in TX and i'm not a morning person)


also check out mtbr.com they've got a great section for headlights (both DIY and prebuilt)... tons of options

I just got one of these used on a 22mile night bike ride on unlit streets. Worked great.
starkmojo is offline  
Old 08-07-13, 02:29 PM
  #9  
just pedal
 
donalson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 979

Bikes: Surly Disc Trucker, trek 560

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by starkmojo
I just got one of these used on a 22mile night bike ride on unlit streets. Worked great.
ya they are nice for the street... plenty of light from it even on low
donalson is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:02 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Jarrett2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DFW
Posts: 4,126

Bikes: Steel 1x's

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 632 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I bought one of these last night:

https://www.lightandmotion.com/bike/urban550.html

Used it this morning. Worked well, but there were walkers/joggers on the trail in the dark and it seemed to piss them off when they were coming at me. Is there some sort of dark trail head light etiquette? The upshot was when coming from behind I didn't have to yell as they looked back and moved over when they saw the light shooting out in front of them.

Is 550 lumens on a rechargeable USB battery a decent setup?

Last edited by Jarrett2; 08-08-13 at 09:07 AM.
Jarrett2 is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:07 AM
  #11  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Then it's doing its job!
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:11 AM
  #12  
That guy from the Chi
 
Chitown_Mike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,009

Bikes: 88 Trek 800 - gone to new cheeks; '14 Trek 1.2 - aka The X1 Advanced; '13 Trek 3500 Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
I have this on the back and a cheapo light on the front. Since I live in a big city with plenty of street lights I don't need a designated "head light" but I want to be seen so I run them on blink mode. I always run the rear on blink when on the road at any time. It's really bright and I like that!

https://www.amazon.com/Portland-Desig...d+design+works
Chitown_Mike is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:13 AM
  #13  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
For rear, I went with:

https://www.amazon.com/Cygolite-Hotsh...ef=pd_sim_sg_9

Very happy with it, too.
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:34 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Jarrett2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DFW
Posts: 4,126

Bikes: Steel 1x's

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 632 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
So do you use these during the day or just for night rides? The salesperson was pushing me to get a rear blinking red light as well, but at this point I'm not doing much road riding much less road riding at night.
Jarrett2 is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:49 AM
  #15  
just pedal
 
donalson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 979

Bikes: Surly Disc Trucker, trek 560

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
So do you use these during the day or just for night rides? The salesperson was pushing me to get a rear blinking red light as well, but at this point I'm not doing much road riding much less road riding at night.
if I'm on the street my rear blinky light is on... its big and super obnoxious... there is no saying that a car didn't see it... they might be able to say it induced a seizure... but that's another story lol
donalson is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:49 AM
  #16  
got the climbing bug
 
jsigone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 10,203

Bikes: one for everything

Mentioned: 81 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 632 Post(s)
Liked 908 Times in 273 Posts
I run this one for the rear, bright as crap which is a good thing, 4 modes. 2 blink and 2 solid at different power output. The 2nd mode is my fav when alone at night, it puts out a nice flood of red light behind the bike about 8 ft long and 4ft wide plus a strobe pattern. #1 mode is what I'd use in the day if fog or rain is near.

$30 but is usb rechargeable
https://www.niterider.com/solas-2-wat...le-tail-light/
__________________
Rule #10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster.
jsigone is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 09:58 AM
  #17  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
I agree. I use it on the street almost always. Never on the MUP, unless at night.

We have a local century coming up in just over a week. It will be almost all streets, with some in a construction zone on the 101 (Highway on the coast North of Los Angeles). I'll be running mine AND my wife's Hotshot on that ride. Sorry, I'll be Uber-Fred if it means being seen.
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 11:00 AM
  #18  
That guy from the Chi
 
Chitown_Mike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,009

Bikes: 88 Trek 800 - gone to new cheeks; '14 Trek 1.2 - aka The X1 Advanced; '13 Trek 3500 Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by PhotoJoe
Sorry, I'll be Uber-Fred if it means being seen.
Truth. I'd rather be purposely seen than become part of an accident scene.

I light that my rear light is very bright even in the day and seizure inducing like Donalson's light.
Chitown_Mike is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 05:03 PM
  #19  
Commuter & cyclotourist
 
brianogilvie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hadley, MA, USA
Posts: 496

Bikes: Boulder All Road, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Bike Friday New World Tourist, Breezer Uptown 8, Bike Friday Express Tikit, Trek MultiTrack 730 (Problem? No, I don't have a problem)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by corwin1968
If you are serious about getting a good light then call Peter White at peterwhitecycles.com. He's pretty much the guru when it comes to bicycle lighting. It might be a bit pricey (say $100) but you'll get a light that is USB rechargeable, that actually lights the road in front of you and is set-up so that it doesn't blind oncoming traffic. His website has photos of different headlights beams in the dark, which is very enlightening.

https://peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp
I'll second this recommendation. Most of my bikes now have dynamo hubs to power the lights all the time, but I do have a backup battery-powered LED taillight on each bike, and for the two bikes without dynamos, I use a Busch & Müller Ixon IQ battery-operated light. It's not cheap, but it's designed to light up the path ahead of you without blinding oncoming cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians. The beam is shaped like a car's low beam, with a cutoff, and it throws light evenly across the entire path, instead of having a bright spot right in front of the bike as with many cheaper lights.

If you're doing this kind of ride on a daily basis, consider a dynamo light. B&M's Lyt light (about $40) is fine for use on trails where you won't be competing with car lights; for around $200 you can get a good front wheel with a Shimano dynamo hub. There's a large initial outlay, but for me, it's worth the expense to know that my lights will simply work, without having to worry about keeping batteries charged.
__________________
--
Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
brianogilvie is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 06:01 PM
  #20  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 474
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 9 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
...there were walkers/joggers on the trail in the dark and it seemed to piss them off when they were coming at me....

Is 550 lumens on a rechargeable USB battery a decent setup?
I have the same light, and I love it. Rechargeable + waterproof + easy mounting + bright as heck = I am a fan! If the joggers are getting ticked off at you, perhaps you have the light aimed a bit too high up? Are you using it in high, mid, or low mode? I find that the lower level of light is pretty sufficient even late at night in the city, so I've only rarely ever used the highest brightness mode.
Lanovran is offline  
Old 08-08-13, 07:33 PM
  #21  
don't try this at home.
 
rm -rf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,900
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 959 Post(s)
Liked 477 Times in 334 Posts
On a dark trail, you actually need less light than a rider on the street. Your eyes adapt quickly and you can see the trail with a less bright headlight. I run my headlight on 1/4 power, which is about 250 lumens. It's better to point it downward so you don't shine as much light into the eyes of oncoming bikers or walkers.

Dark rural roads need less light, too, until a car comes the other way and crests over a slight rise in the road. Then the road is very dark, but there's a bright light in your eyes from the car. A strong bike light pointed down toward the road makes a big difference.

In the city, street lights limit your night vision, and there's still dark sections on every road. And you need brighter lights so the cars will see you. I run my 1000 lumen Dinotte at full power, so there's a pool of light on the road in front of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lights that list their brightness in lumens (instead of watts) tend to be higher quality lights.

For trails only, and limited slower speed (maybe 12-14 mph max) riding in the street: A self-contained, rechargeable light with a minimum of about 200 lumens would work great. You can run it on blink when riding on the street before sunset, too.

For general riding on the street, at least 500-600 lumens is a good goal. I used to ride with much less light, but it's not nearly as good. Self-contained lights may have smaller batteries, for a shorter run time on high power. The lights with separate battery packs and a cord usually can go for more hours at a time.

Last edited by rm -rf; 08-08-13 at 07:42 PM.
rm -rf is offline  
Old 08-09-13, 07:27 AM
  #22  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Jarrett2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DFW
Posts: 4,126

Bikes: Steel 1x's

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 632 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Lanovran
I have the same light, and I love it. Rechargeable + waterproof + easy mounting + bright as heck = I am a fan! If the joggers are getting ticked off at you, perhaps you have the light aimed a bit too high up? Are you using it in high, mid, or low mode? I find that the lower level of light is pretty sufficient even late at night in the city, so I've only rarely ever used the highest brightness mode.
I've been rolling full blast. This morning I came up with an idea to just roll the light down towards my tire if I have oncoming walkers/joggers. They didn't complain today. I'm really digging the light though. It gives me confidence to run 16-17 MPH on a dark, wooded trail with no surprises.
Jarrett2 is offline  
Old 08-09-13, 09:21 AM
  #23  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by Jarrett2
I've been rolling full blast. This morning I came up with an idea to just roll the light down towards my tire if I have oncoming walkers/joggers. They didn't complain today. I'm really digging the light though. It gives me confidence to run 16-17 MPH on a dark, wooded trail with no surprises.
I'll drop my hand over the light head for oncoming pedestrians on a dark trail. Just trying to be courteous.
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 12-02-13, 09:51 PM
  #24  
Just Plain Slow
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 6,038

Bikes: Lynskey R230

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Just a heads-up for anyone wanting a rear light - the cygolite hotshot is an Amazon Cyber Monday Week deal starting tomorrow (TUESDAY) at 2:40 pm Pacific. It's not saying what the price will be, but if you're in the market, may be worth a look.

Linky
PhotoJoe is offline  
Old 12-02-13, 10:00 PM
  #25  
Shredding Grandma!
 
Pamestique's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,803

Bikes: I don't own any bikes

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rear blinky lights are cheap... I have quite a few and now generally ride with them day and night... I've started riding road with a front strobe... just too many bike related deaths where I live... that said, I like Nightrider products - I have a Lumina 650 and two Lumina 700's. I only use one light when night riding on bike trail but if I mountain bike, I use all three with two on the handlebars and one on the helmet. I'm thinking of getting an even bigger light... but I need to justify the expense...

Also when riding a multi use trail I generally point the light to the right; not straight ahead so not to blind runners and other riders... night riding is becoming very popular... also a note: please wear bright clothing... I don't get the obsession people have with wearing ninja black at night; especially runners!
__________________
______________________________________________________________

Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
Pamestique is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.