Helmet mounted headlamp?
07-05-18 | 03:48 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Warehouse Monkey
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,603
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From: Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania
Helmet mounted headlamp?
I'm looking to add a helmet-mounted lamp. I already have a bar mounted light, and this would supplement that as needed. USB chargeable would be nice, but not required.
Recommendations? Thanks.
Recommendations? Thanks.
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07-05-18 | 05:59 PM
#3
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Sin City, Nevada
Bikes: Catrike 700, Greenspeed GTO trike, , Linear LWB recumbent, Haluzak Horizon SWB recumbent, Balance 450 MTB, Cannondale SM800 Beast of the East
You will find more on this at the Electronics, Lighting and Gadgets forum - https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...hting-gadgets/. The lights and Motion Vis 360 is pretty effective. I occasionally ride with a guy (retired MD) who uses one. The downside is the price - MSRP $100 for the regular 120 lumen version, $150 for the 250 lumen 360+ They get discounted a fair amount and a quick look shows one seller with the 360 for $65 and the 360+ for $90.
I'm just not willing to spend that much on a bike light so when I ride with him I use a pair of Zecto Drive 100 clones that are $5 each ( USB rechargeable, 100 lumens, and have a 650 mAh internal battery) and mount them on my trike for daytime use. At night I use a 900 lumen flashlight in the front and a pair of DIY light sticks behind my head. They really are 360 degree visible and hard to ignore.
I'm just not willing to spend that much on a bike light so when I ride with him I use a pair of Zecto Drive 100 clones that are $5 each ( USB rechargeable, 100 lumens, and have a 650 mAh internal battery) and mount them on my trike for daytime use. At night I use a 900 lumen flashlight in the front and a pair of DIY light sticks behind my head. They really are 360 degree visible and hard to ignore.
07-05-18 | 06:55 PM
#4
bicycle tourist
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,632
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From: Austin, Texas, USA
Bikes: Trek 520, Lightfoot Ranger, Trek 4500
I've done well with the Cygolite Metro series for commuting. I do like both a handlebar light and one on my helmet. After a 4:30 am(*) scare with a car pulling in from a side street without obeying a stop sign, I now make an extra point to swing my head over scanning side roads as well - to get some illumination there. (*) 4:30 am heading to work for a video conference with team in India.
I avoid touring in the dark. Mostly because while I'll ride in the dark on familiar roads, I'm not excited about riding unfamiliar roads in the dark.
I avoid touring in the dark. Mostly because while I'll ride in the dark on familiar roads, I'm not excited about riding unfamiliar roads in the dark.
07-05-18 | 07:28 PM
#5
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 317
Likes: 7
From: Calgary, Alberta
You can always get a high quality Petzl or Black Diamond, or similar, headlamp. Take off the elastic headband and zip-tie it to your helmet. Might save some serious cash, especially if you can find one on sale.
07-06-18 | 06:00 AM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 435
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From: Central New Jersey
Bikes: Burley Tandem
Wrong forum, check out:
https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...hting-gadgets/
https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...hting-gadgets/
07-06-18 | 06:17 AM
#7
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Joined: Apr 2014
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From: Maine, USA
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Firefly Fat Bike, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
I have the Niterider helmet mount. When I use my touring bike with the handlebar bag I haven't yet solved an elegant attachment of my bike light, I use the helmet mount. It works fine but in all honesty it is more annoying to feel the heavy camera on the top of my helmet than having a light attached to my handlebars.
07-06-18 | 07:52 AM
#8
Mad bike riding scientist
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Denver, CO
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
That said, the utility of any bicycle mounted light on tour is severely limited. They all have limited run times and need frequent recharging. It's just one more power vampire that you have to find somewhere to feed it. I carry a Petzl Zipka for camp use but I hardly use it. I'm usually read to go to sleep when the sun goes down.
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Stuart Black
Dreamin' of Bemidji Down the Mississippi (in part)
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
07-06-18 | 09:06 AM
#9
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From: northern Deep South
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
The only time I was tempted was crossing Kansas in a heat wave. I'd seen the scenery for four days, and was tempted to ride another 50 miles in comfortable temperatures for a change.
07-06-18 | 09:42 AM
#10
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From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Agree, but I used a velcro strap through the vent holes.
07-06-18 | 10:01 AM
#11
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Calgary, Alberta
Or yet another way to do it is to get some self-adhesive velcro tape and use that to attach the headlamp to the helmet (e.g., on a visor). Then, if you want to use the headlamp with the headband, you can detach it from the helmet and re-attach the headband. Just be sure to put the "loop" side of the velcro on the headlamp.
I also had a friend who did something similar by gluing rare earth magnets to his headlamp and helmet.
I also had a friend who did something similar by gluing rare earth magnets to his headlamp and helmet.
07-06-18 | 10:18 AM
#12
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From: Highlands Ranch, CO
Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel
I use the "CygoLite Dash" mounted to a support structure of my helmet, using its quick release rubber band that is supposed to be used to mount the light to the bars. This method depends a lot on the structure of your helmet.
07-06-18 | 10:21 AM
#13
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From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Or yet another way to do it is to get some self-adhesive velcro tape and use that to attach the headlamp to the helmet (e.g., on a visor). Then, if you want to use the headlamp with the headband, you can detach it from the helmet and re-attach the headband. Just be sure to put the "loop" side of the velcro on the headlamp.
I also had a friend who did something similar by gluing rare earth magnets to his headlamp and helmet.
I also had a friend who did something similar by gluing rare earth magnets to his headlamp and helmet.
Bike touring I rely solely on the bike mounted headlamp while riding, the headlamp that I use on my head is only used in the campsite.
I have a dedicated winter helmet with a winter liner. Quite frankly that is the only helmet that I have ever attached a headlamp. And I only did that because it was so hard to see my combination lock to open the lock a few times after dark.
07-06-18 | 10:41 AM
#14
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Calgary, Alberta
I use mine primarily in the winter, too. But I always bring a headlamp for in camp when touring or bikepacking anyways, so the ability to mount it on a helmet means I don't have to also bring a headlight for the bike (my headlight won't shine over my handlebar bags, anyways). The headlamp has come in handy when biking back to the campsite at night when out for a late meal or beer, or when biking rail trails when you have to go through dark tunnels, etc.
07-06-18 | 10:42 AM
#15
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Not cheap at $70 but worth it for the focusable beam. Black Diamond with 4 aaa batts is good. 300lumens in a tight beam is good for night riding. Low level wide beam good for walking, close illumination and long battery use.
https://www.fenixlighting.com/produc...able-headlamp/
Last edited by LeeG; 07-06-18 at 10:48 AM.
07-06-18 | 11:00 AM
#16
LET'S ROLL
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From: NEW YORK, NY - USA
Bikes: 2014 BMC Gran Fondo, 2013 Brompton S6L-X
I'm using a Planetbike Touch800 front light. Built in strap allows you to mount it in different places; including a helmet.
Easily operated even with thick gloves. I also included a comparison to a dynamo light in my video:
Easily operated even with thick gloves. I also included a comparison to a dynamo light in my video:
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07-07-18 | 09:31 AM
#17
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We have 4 Niterider Lumina Micros. They come with bike mounts but helmet mounts are available. We use one on the bars and one on the helmet. Very small and light (don't confuse with the regular lumina). Ours are 600 lumen models but I think you can get 750 now. They've held up to many knocks and drops onto pavement (our fault). We have couple of the older luminas too - they're fine but the micros are what you want on your helmet. My only complaint is that running time is noticeably shorter in cold (sub 30 degree) temps. Great products.
07-07-18 | 01:26 PM
#18
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From: Madison, WI
Bikes: Giant Toughroad SLR1 and Motobecane Sturgis NX
Helmet mount is great in addition to bike-mount. Also good if you have multiple bikes (assuming only one helmet). It is great to have a light shining where you look, which often is different than where the handlebar aims at.
for rear i have the Lezyne Zecto attached with a helmet mount It looks a bit big with the mount, but works well and is bright for dayriding.
For front I have the Nitecore HC60.
Special advantage it uses 18650 batteries you can buy cheap replacements for or more for longer tours.
bought them a year ago, there may be better models out now. I sue them blinking during the day whenever i ride on the road or on bike paths with lot of traffic and road crossings.
for rear i have the Lezyne Zecto attached with a helmet mount It looks a bit big with the mount, but works well and is bright for dayriding.
For front I have the Nitecore HC60.
Special advantage it uses 18650 batteries you can buy cheap replacements for or more for longer tours.
bought them a year ago, there may be better models out now. I sue them blinking during the day whenever i ride on the road or on bike paths with lot of traffic and road crossings.
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