I used to use a Blackburn Flea helmet light that clipped on to the visor of my helmet. It was absurdly light (~20g) and bright enough as a supplemental light, but I got sick of how flaky it was to recharge, so a couple of weeks ago I bought a CygoLite Dart. It's still pretty small, including the mounting apparatus it weighs less than 70g. The thing is, every time I use it I've got a sore neck after about 45 minutes of riding.

Has anyone else experienced this? I guess the soreness is from my neck muscles having to stabilize more weight than they are used to, but 70 grams? Really?

My neck gets sore and goes into spasms easily from too much weight or stress (permanently damaged C2 vertebrae from old injury). The way I handle lights and even a video camera on the helmet is to mount them top center whenever possible.

Also, I ride fairly upright -- either a comfort hybrid with flat bars slightly above saddle height, or a rigid fork hardtail mountain bike with slight riser bars roughly at saddle height. If I used a road bike or other bike with drop bars I might notice more weight on my helmet bearing on my neck.

For more than I year I've ridden every ride with a Vivo-Bike Illuminati headlight (approx 35-50 gm, maybe less) mounted top center and slightly to the right; and a Blackburn 2'Fer (18 gm, updated version of the Flea with standard micro-USB port charging) on the rear. I don't even notice the weight added to my Bell Solar helmet (about 350 gm, IIRC).

Occasionally I mount my Ion Speed Pro video camera on top center. I homebrewed a mount to keep it as low as possible -- I don't use the tall ballhead or articulating mounts. Those aren't really necessary with the Ion since it has a nearly fisheye lens and precise aiming isn't necessary. Supposedly it weighs only 4.5 oz (128 gm) but feels heavier -- probably the additional weight of the mount and height affecting the balance. Usually I don't mind but occasionally I prefer the camera on the bike. It's just convenient to have the camera on the helmet when switching between bikes, and it does record wherever I look -- handy since I have only the one camera.

A few times I've even rigged a USB battery to the helmet to extend the recording time of the Ion Speed Pro beyond the usual 90 minutes. It'll run for hours or until the 32 GB card is filled. I notice the weight and don't do that often. If I did I'd use a smaller cylindrical battery and use Velcro to keep it from moving.

No real problems with those methods. But any weight on a visor at the front of my helmet would probably tire my neck quickly. So I keep the weight top center as much as possible.

If I add another camera it'll be a Mobius, which weighs only 40 gm. Perfect for the helmet.

I agree with [MENTION=418370]canklecat[/MENTION] as to mounting location and balance playing a big role in the stresses placed on the neck. I think you should try some different mounting locations, preferably one where it will balance, not pulling one way or the other.

It could be to do with sleeping awkwardly?

Too much time on BF lately, perhaps?

My main headlight is on my handlebars, and I have a small hand-held LED flashlight on my helmet. This illuminates whatever I look at off to the sides. Perhaps you could make do with a lighter helmet light. I also have a helmet cam; a Contour Roam.

However, we're all put together differently. Seven years ago at 48 I slipped a disk in my neck (which kept me off the bike for a year). At the time I had no helmet light or camera.

And this year I had nerve pain in my left arm smilar to seven years ago, but it turned out to be pinched in my elbow. However the xrays showed arthritis in my neck, which wasn't there 7 years ago. And yet, I feel nothing.

I suppose you could try riding for a while with nothing on your helmet and see if that helps. If not, then the problem isn;t the weight.

possibly depends on how you hold you head while riding more upright is better for the body. when you are "down on the drops" your head is hanging out in front of your body and your neck has to support the weight and the added weight of the light could be making a difference. I had been trying to do more push ups this year to strengthen neck/ upper back muscles to decrease the soreness I sometimes get with riding a lot.


it could also be the way you slept too.

I don't but I had riden motorcycle for many years before I resumed bicycling again and the weight of the motorcycle helmet combined with the forces from wind are much greater than they are for my bicycle helmet. I use 2 lights on the helmet 2, a Viz 360 which is balanced front and rear as well as a C8 flashlight a little to the side.

As a 47-year old I'm well acquainted with daily aches and pains as well as the ridiculous number of things that can cause them. In this case, the pain is tightly enough correlated with the helmet light use that I'm certain there's causation there. The first time I used the new light I had it mounted front-center and after that I actually moved it to the visor. I'll play around with position and see if moving it top-center helps. With DST coming I'll probably put the helmet light on the shelf soon anyway. Maybe next fall I'll develop some new neck muscles.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Is the angle of the light different than what you are used to, causing you to hold your head at a different angle?

I don't think so. I use this mainly as a "be seen" light that I can point at cars by looking at them. My primary light is mounted to the handlebars and I can't even see the spot from the helmet light if it's pointed into the path of that beam.

I use a Light and Motion Vis 360, so light on the front and rear light/battery on the back and it took a while to get use to. In the beginning I was taking the light off and on, using it only as needed. Now after years of use, it stays on the helmet permanently that way I never forget it. When the two that I have die I am looking at the new Lumos helmet.

Yeah, I didn't like my flea either.

That headlight is about as light as you will get. The small Dart is about 40 grams, but 70 is very light.

I have a full size light at 150 grams. Mounted center on the helmet I don't have any problems (and I'm not as young as you, lol). I can tell it is there, but it doesn't cause any issues. I think mounting center is your best bet.

You could always get one with a small reflector and a remote battery in a backpack, but that is overkill. I find on commuting and street riding, a handle bar works OK, but obviously you get much more visibility with a helmet light. Personally, I use both bar and helmet.

I actually loved the Flea except for the fact that getting it to charge required a secret ritual involving cleansing with a pencil eraser and stacking just the right objects under the light to achieve proper balance. What do they have against just plugging things in? It always irked me that they advertised their strange magnetic contacts as though that were a desirable feature.


The 70 grams I cited includes my "mounting harness", which I hacked together out of a gutted Flea headlight and a handlebar shim. I really wanted to be able to use the visor clip.





Maybe this just needs some Drillium.

I also have the L&M Vis 360. At 130 grams it is a little heavy, but it seems that having the battery on the tail light balances the load and I have not had a neck issue from the weight. I love this setup and use it night and day (but that is a different discussion ;-).

The light/battery on front looks quite imbalanced to me, perhaps that is causing the neck issue.....I second [MENTION=200675]chas58[/MENTION] comment about centering the mount on the helmet.

I have two J5 Tactical 300 lumen flashlights attached to the top of my helmet. I like having some light to "stare a driver down" if they're about to do something dumb. They don't weigh much but my neck does sometimes feel tense or stiff from it. I used to run a NiteRider Lumina on my helmet but it stood too tall; the J5 lights tuck nicely into vent slots.

I don't know why my neck has not adapted to this but I can't give up having some bright lights on my helmet.

Yeah, the weight is definitely pretty far forward, though it is surprisingly stable. At 70 grams I would have thought I could hang it on a string taped to my eyelid without much discomfort, but I guess not.

I put a Flea back on tonight (I had two) and I can barely tell it's there. I wonder if I could find someone to retrofit a proper charging port onto that light.

may be too far forward on your helmet they make a mount for cygolites that might allow you to move it back and more on the top of your heard? just a thought

May have to Strengthen the muscles since the soreness shows that weakness.

My Niterider Lumina Flare is probably heavier.
Mounted towards the back of my helmet; I hardly notice it.
When I mounted it towards the front; feels heavy.

Rear lites test, East River path NYC by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Niterider Lumina mounted in the middle of my helmet and up/down adjustment allows my head to remain in its normal position throughout the ride. Never had an issue for 2+ hour rides. Looks the same as 1nterceptor's light.

The Blackburn 2'Fers have standard micro-USB ports. But I still need to unclip the 2'Fer from the helmet mount to recharge it. Can't access the port while it's mounted.

Blackburn improved on the old metal springy clip used on the old Super Flea rear light and some Central lights. Those metal spring clips were useless -- nearly every group ride I see one pop off someone's bike. The 2'Fer and similar newer Blackburns use a tough plastic clip with two nibs that lock into the provided mount, or add a little extra security when hooked onto the typical nylon fabric loops on saddle bags and other doodads. I used a homebrewed Velcro strap for awhile and never had any problems with the 2'Fer popping loose.

Only downside is the current plastic clip is really stiff and takes some fiddling to detach from the provided rubber band mount. But it's lasted through several attach/detach cycles a week for more than a year, no cracks or loosening.

Another plus for the Vivo-Bike Illuminati and similar/identical white to-be-seen lights -- the USB port is readily accessible without detaching it from the helmet.

just don't drillium the lithium!