allgoo19

Undoubtedly, helmet light looks dorky. I haven't seen many people using it.

I got curious one day, how is it different from handle bar light. So I modified my originally made for handle bar light into helemt light(see photo below).

Helemt light is surprisingly more useful than I thought. Admittedly the light used doesn't have a lot of power(about the same as Planet Bike Super Spot). The beauty of a helmet light is you can aim it where you want it, so the light doesn't have to have a wide beam.

I highly recommend you try it at least once.

Raiyn

Both.

rmwun54

Handlebar light, because you see a brighter light when it is closer to the ground.

oboeguy

Yes.

barleyrocket

I commute on more than 1 bike. sometimes (most days) my fixie, sometimes a steal road bike. sometimes an aluminum mt. bike. Either I set up so that I can switch to each bike or go with the helmet light. Which one seems the easiest?

NoRacer

I vote for helmet--especially after flatting out on my commute to work this morning--in the dark, in the rain. With the helmet light, I didn't have to tie up a hand (mouth, chin, armpit...) to get the light on the 'work' at hand.

royalflash

both is good- a bike mounted light has the advantage it is lower and therefore it is easier to see objects on the ground and potholes. A bike mounted light is best mounted low on the bike for this reason.

A helmet mounted light is good as you can aim it at people when they approach you at intersections to wake them up.

I use both when it gets darker.

Mr_Super_Socks

I have a helmet mounted flasher and nothing on my bars . . .
Instead, I put my main headlight on the head tube with a modified reflector bracket. this allows the light to hit the road and still be very visible to oncoming traffic. and anyway, I have my straight bars cut very short (to get through traffic, etc.) so there isn't any room on my bars!

truman

If I'm only gonna run one light, it's gonna be on my helmet - dork factor, notwithstanding. They look slightly less dorky, if mounted on the front of the shell, as opposed to way up on top.
Reasons:
• Directionality - I can aim it at drivers and it's WAY more likely they'll see me. Seems to disorient the occasional chasing dog, too.
• Directionality again - I can direct it it not only at hazards ON the road, but on objects that are potentially hazards, while they're still way off on the side of the road, and yes, it helps with repairs in teh dark, too.
• Portability - No need to fiddle around taking it off the bike, when I get where I'm going. Swapping from bike to bike to bike, as I do, is a non - issue.

Walkafire

BOTH.... and who is gonna see ya in the Dark anyways?

allgoo19

I would love to use the helmet light if I could get more output from it.(see original post)

The bulb currently in use works on 6v, 5w, 4 D batteries. I can either add one or two more cells or use 10w bulb if it's available. Which one do you think will work better?

al-wagner

I use a helmet light. I tried a light on the handle bar but the light shined where the bike pointed not where I wanted to see.
Bar light 10 points
Helmet light 100 points

ItsJustMe

Handlebar. The lower the better. Almost half my commute is over gravel roads, which get washboarded, and the rough patterns move around day by day. I need a low light in order to throw some contrast on the washboards. With a helmet light I don't see them, I'm just suddenly losing control due to rattling front wheel.

I use either a 20W halogen or an HID, so I have plenty of light to the sides even though it's pointed ahead. If I was running some wimpy light that only threw enough to see by straight in front, I might need it in my helmet so I can see a bit to the sides.

Ricardo

Handlebar.

Decent handlebar lights can easily be taken away from the handlebar in case you need to light something else like when you have a flat in the middle of nowhere.

Ricardo

jimbrown

Both. I like being able to put the helmet light right into a drivers face. Especially when they act like I am not there.