red cue sheet reading light - suggestions
 

I was out on a new trail last night with a map in my new cue sheet holder off my handlebars. Unfortunately my helmet light creates a glare on the cue sheet holder. Otherwise it is a nice holder.
Does anyone have a suggestion on some type of red light I can mount on my handlebars to shine on the cue sheet/map? I do not want to change map holders or helmet lights.
Maybe the same type of small rear red light some riders use on their seat/chainstays? But it can't shine 'up' into my eyes too much and has to be more of a flood rather than spot.
Thanks -

Is the glare due to reflection off a clear window over the cue sheet? Do you want this red light to make the sheet readable despite the glare from the helmet light, or to illuminate the sheet rather than using your headlight to illuminate it?

... illuminate the sheet rather than using your headlight to illuminate it?

Illuminate the sheet and not have to use my helmet light.

I got a head mounted light from costco which has several white led's and one red led. I can switch on white and red separately.

BTW, I like the way you think.

You might consider one of those bendy book lights. They may not be available in red, but they are sufficiently not-bright for your purpose.

I can't read with red light. Not sure what is up with that. I have a little Petzl head lamp with a red led. Works ok, I find it a little fussy in practice. I have thought of getting just a small light for cue sheets, but I have pretty much switched over to gps for night navigation due to my poor night vision. I generally use a princeton tec helmet light on low to read cue sheets. Just have to move my head around occasionally to avoid glare

Ships to preserve night vision, use red on the bridge at night but then there are no bright white lights going too.

you are not going Ninja Blackout. so thats not appropriate ..


this?
http://www.zelco.com/all-products/12...flashlight.htm

A couple of possible mounting ideas, but finding a light that is 'just bright enough but not blinding' might prove difficult.

- Use a Topeak Bar Xtender or Minoura Spacegrip/Swinggrip to mount the light to.
-Strap a light to the underside of your wrist and then move your arm as needed.

Another idea might be to back light your cue sheet somehow.

What is the issue with using the helmet light? Is it too bright, is there a reflection off a clear window over the map, or is it just inconvenient to aim it?

When using a monochromatic light source, like a red LED, you can't distinguish colors which can make reading a map difficult or impossible. Even though red can help preserve dark adapation, a very dim white light may be a more optimal solution if needing to read a map while preserving night vision. Preserving dark adaption is not really an issue if you're riding with lights, though....

The reflection off the clear window over the map is my problem. I don't want to change the window. I don't want to change my helmet light.
I don't feel I need to distinguish colors.

I suspect that you'd have the same problem with reflection using just about any light. The red tail lights are meant to be seen from a distance and the vast majority accomplish this using bright, narrow beams or bright beams with some kind of optic.

As someone else suggested earlier, you might be best served by using one of those clip on book lights- they are designed to emit a soft, diffuse glow in order not to disturb the person next to you that is trying to sleep. http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-FN2B...+LED+booklight

Right. That sounds like an issue between the angle of the lighting and clear window where the window is reflecting the light source into your eyes. Would it be possible to angle the window/holder differently so it didn't reflect the light source into your eyes?