hotbike

Hi,

I was looking for a thread about "Helmet Lights", and I couldn't find one, so I decided to start one (this thread).





The white front light is from a Princeton Tech Aurora. The red rear light is a cheap blinkie made by SunLite. I could not find a tail light that would mount to my helmet, but I managed to mount a regular blinkie with clear packing tape. The On/Off button is at the bottom. Some other rear helmet lights I saw at the LBS required gluing the mount to the helmet, but on my helmet, the "Bell" logo, or the shape of the vents, or something, made it impossible to mount.

So who has got both headlight (an appropriate term) and tail light on their helmet? Please post pictures.

BONUS Question: How many times has someone asked you if you work in a Coal Mine?

chaadster

My brother devised a rather simple, lightweight, and sano taillight helmet mount using zip ties.

Personally, I don't use a helmet light setup because I don't like the tacked-on look. Light and Motion's Vis 360 setup is about as agreeable as they get in my experience, but still it's clearly an afterthought.

I'm waiting patiently to see what Torch rolls out as: https://www.torchapparel.com/products...egrated-lights

1nterceptor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGpBHbEYqeo

no1mad 

I"ve mounted my Ultrafire to the helmet using rubber bands or velcro cable wraps, though I prefer that light on the bars. Also mounted a rear blinky using zip ties, but it wiggled a bit too much for my tastes.

That helmet that was on Kickstarter a while back (Torch?) looks promising- if they can improve the venting.

Burton

Gave up trying to put a tail light on a helmet because it was impossible (for me) to aim it properly. The current front light setup I'm running also makes a helmet light superfluous. I did try for a while with a 700 lumen light - it just didn't make any visible difference. Not to say someone else might feel differently with their particular light setup. I do have a helmet with a head light installation on it - but it gets used mostly as a work light at this point.

But I like reflective tape on a helmet - does that count?

hotbike

The helmet lights help other drivers see me , when the view of my bike is blocked by the car next to me.
Reflective tape only works when the other guy has his headlights on.

I've only go two headlights, of 320 lumens each. But I also have 19 hours of run time, due to the big 12v12ah battery. I will probably add more headlights (I'm speaking of the lighting system on the bike itself, not my helmet.)

But two things the helmet light is good for is checking my speedometer at night, and looking at the grip shifters to see what gear I'm in. I usually have the helmet light in fast flashing mode. The Aurora has five modes , bright, medium, low, slow flash , and fast flash.

colleen c

I run a Bikeray Speed II on my helmet. It is a awsome throw because of the reflector design. Great for both commuting and mountain biking. When I hit the dirt, I add an extra Gemini Olympia 3 x XML in the mix. Total lumen is over 200 OTF although I hardly ever run them all on high.

I use to have a tail light on my helmet, but after also mounting a video cam on my helmet, I opted to remove the tail light because it was getting too heavy.

Yes I do get stared at when I am commuting and in the train station with my bike nand helmet. Some folks think I was assimulated by the Borg colony and is out to assimulate them. So far the only Borg Assimulation I done are other bikers who liked my setup and done the same. Haha.

no1mad 

I think you're missing a 0 (or three, knowing you) .

vol

To those of you who use helmet lights as taillights, my observation is that unless you also have a lower-positioned light, it is not so good. Many times I saw people with only helmet lights, the light is so high that it totally disconnects with the person under it. The light often looked like something from afar, then you see the cyclist, and realize: aha, that comes from his helmet! Drivers may not try to look so high for cyclists: the light is not before drivers' eyes.

colleen c

Thanks for clarifying that. I am missing a 0 making that 2000+ out the front lumens and not 200 from my typo error. Now the thought of missing three 0 does brings out some very interesting sweet imagination in my mind.

Sixty Fiver

I run Spock lights on my helmets as well as Turtle lights I purchase from MEC as being seen lights... raising your lights up makes you much more visible in traffic.

colleen c

I have seen this effect before. It usually happens with lower intensity light on the helmet with the rider using that as his/her only light. I came across several riders who have low power helmet light coming across the intersection and I almost did not see them approaching. It may have worked better to their advantage if that light was set to blink. OTOH, I have also seen much higher power lights on the helmet as the only light and they stand out fairly well. What was eye catching is that the brighter light on the helmet look way larger than the actually diameter of the lens. I swear I saw a hug spotlight high above the ground coming at me only to realize that it was a cyclist with a high power led flashlight.

ks1g

Me! (sorry, no photos). Front light has been a Dinotte 200L, currently an Exposure Joystick. Taillight has been a blinky, currently have a blinky & a clip on light (Exposure Flare?) that clips ontop of the Joystick and runs off the Joystic's battery. I've been advised by other riders that following me with just the blinky running is annoying but tolerable; the Flare creates the impression you are being assaulted by the Eye of Sauron; I'm usually asked to disconnect it (and it isn't needed in those circumstances anyway). No feedback from drivers other than my daughter's "Dad, your lights are really obnoxious".

KonAaron Snake 

I use the Light and Motion 360 VIZ...and I LOVE IT. It's VERY visible, front and rear, and weighs just about nothing. It charges quickly as well...

My only complaint is battery time...I get around 2 hours on bright.

unterhausen

the 360vis is tempting, but I need longer battery life.

agent pombero

Bell Array helmet
Niterider Pro 1800
Cygolite Hotshot
Reflexite REF-DB Retroreflective Daybright Tape

KonAaron Snake 

It really is an Achilles heel...I hope they work on that.

socalrider

I would look at mounting a lighter weight 18650 flashlight like the shiningbeam s-mini..

https://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...sh-L-T6/Detail

This light in conjunction with a zefal doodad plus mount works fantastic.. Still a fairly light solution and with good cells will yield you 2.5 hours on high mode

https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-Doodad-P...s=zefal+doodad

unterhausen

I use a princeton tec eos. It eats batteries now because I let some batteries die in it. Not sure if it can be resurrected or not. I really like it for what I do with it.

hotbike

What I read here is, the batteries leaked, the corrosion in turn grew like a fungus and shorted out the circuit board. I had this happen with an LED flashlight. I think you need a new light.

unterhausen

corrosion didn't go very far, that's what's strange about the leakage current that kills the batteries. A set of batteries lasts about 24 hours, on or off.

jasandalb

I’ve recently started commuting and I have a 1600 lumen Cree mounted to my bars … and a cheap blink on the rear.
My trouble now is that, being an ebay special, the wiring is getting funky on the cree. It cuts in and out and I have to hold the cord sometimes…
ANYWAY.... are the lights some of you have rechargeable not having to have the battery pack attached? My commute is only about an hour one way, and 45 mins is really dark.
The mornings, I’m only in the dark about 30 mins.
I’d like to go mount on the helmet.. but I want it bright.
Any recommendations… price IS a factor!

caloso

I just mounted an LED flashlight to my helmet using a silicone wrist band through the vents. Cheap, easy, effective.

hotbike

Yes, I run two LED MR16 bulbs and two amber markers, plus three red LED lights, from a 12 volt 12 amp/hour lead acid batery. I built a fiberglass box to hold the battery. The fiberglass box is screwed to the bottle cage bosses.

Detail of the Battery Box:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cARIOGpK6x4

I saw that 1600 lumen Cree light advertised at Sears for cheap, but I knew that at that price, it would be bound to fall apart. I hope you can re-wire it.

But the lights on my helmet are powered by AAA batteries, not by a cord , not from the main 12 volt battery.

I would like to have 1600 lumens though. Perhaps I will add more MR16's , wired in parallel .

The question is , can you run a cord to your helmet, and use some kind of plug to plug-in your helmet? Is that how the Cree is set-up?

KonAaron Snake 

The 360 viz I posted above sounds like a potential fit.