What's everyone using for lights?

[nepbug]

I used a Two Fish pump holder this year that worked out pretty good

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[Adam Alphabet]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but how do you attach the bike lights to your helmet? I've been fiddling around with that for a while and can't keep them from slipping off one way or another.

I used a Two Fish pump holder this year that worked out pretty good

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Same.. the lock block to mount the PD35's I use.
http://www.twofish.biz/bike.html

[HanBanan]

I use an Exposure Joystick (can be helmet or bar-mounted), USB-charged, SO SO bright!

[mtnbound]

I use the Two Fish mount for my Fenix PD35 (mounted to the bar) and it works well.  It may work on mounting the light on the helmet as well, but I haven't tried it.

For my helmet mounted BD Storm, I took off the strap that came with the light and cut a strip of Velcro, ran it through the light (where the strap used to be) and then thru the slots/vents in my helmet and it works well too (sometimes it takes a little effort to get it tight but not a big problem) - of course, this is dependent on your specific helmet since the vents/slots vary by helmet.

[Adam Alphabet]

I use the Two Fish mount for my Fenix PD35 (mounted to the bar) and it works well.  It may work on mounting the light on the helmet as well, but I haven't tried it.

For my helmet mounted BD Storm, I took off the strap that came with the light and cut a strip of Velcro, ran it through the light (where the strap used to be) and then thru the slots/vents in my helmet and it works well too (sometimes it takes a little effort to get it tight but not a big problem) - of course, this is dependent on your specific helmet since the vents/slots vary by helmet.

Two Fish works well on the helmet, tends to slide a bit on the bars ime.
I've done velcro with the BD storm as well. Have to cinch it real tight otherwise it makes an annoying knocking sound on your forehead. For the money the BD Storm is an awesome light when you're not planning to ride at night or to get you back if get stuck out late after the sun goes down.

[munky]

I'm about to embark on my first tour where I'll ride at night. I'm kind of curious as to what you guys think of my setup. My Iphone is my navigational tool so I'll be carrying a Goal Zero power bank to recharge it. I have a Nightrider Lumina 750 that can be recharged via usb like my Goal Zero bank but I'm unsure as to how much juice it will take to recharge it. Remember, i'll need to recharge my phone for navigation. Because of this, I plan on using the Lumina as a secondary light. My primary light is a 200 lumen (max setting) headlamp that I electric taped to my helmet (sounds ghetto but I pulled off the band and it actually looks pretty good. Kind of like a small gopro). Will 200 lumens be sufficient for gravel grinding and country road rolling through the night? What about an even lower setting? I plan on carrying spare batteries and obviously I can pick up more if needed. What do you guys think?

[Lentamentalisk]

It all depends on what you let your eyes get accustomed to. Strictly speaking, if the moon is out, you don't really need any light at all, as long as there are no car headlights, or glowing LCD screens (nudge nudge, this may be your biggest problem) or other bike headlights to ruin your night vision. Also beam pattern makes at least a big of difference as actual lumens.

Really though, the only way to know is to try it. Take your bike out to the nearest unlit dirt path you can find and ride it around a bit. I find the most nerve racking thing is riding quickly in a pitch black night. All you can see is what your light illuminates, so you are always just 20-30' from the unknown trail ahead of you. There could be a bear or a cliff or a brick wall 31' in front of you and you wouldn't know.

[munky]

That sounds reasonable. I plan on testing the set up tonight. My phone screen is usually off unless I come to an intersection so I don't have to worry about that. Because of hunting season here in WV and VA I won't be travelling on any trails, just Forest Service roads and country roads so I'm not too worried about trail obstacles, cliffs, etc. Bears, on the other hand, are possible on the FS roads. The other thing I'm going to try out for the first time is a small Sawyer filter w/ straw thingy. I shouldn't need it much being that I will have adequate resupplies and will be carrying what I hope to be enough water between each.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Not directly replying to the OP anymore, but my Fenix 850 lumen light finally bit the dust - it's repairable, once I get access to a soldering iron and some extra wires - the wires running into the casing that holds the LED finally succumbed to the fatigue of being used/abused. It lasted a few years and I'm pretty happy about it.

I upgraded it with another Fenix light - the bt30r model (pretty cheap online, <$90, if you look - also source out a coupon code). It's much like the light I had, but has a remote trigger for the 1800 lumen burst. For commuting, this is great, as I can run a light a more reasonable level, then flash it when I'm crossing a particularly busy intersection. Drivers seem to be acting in a more cautious way.

It comes with its own battery pack, but also sez it is compatible with the rechargable battery pack I had for the previous light, so extra batteries can be bought online (for cheap). In a pinch, there are batteries that are also compatible that I can find at REI.

Also for the problem of needing light to look out in the distance, then at your cockpit, do check out the Petzel NAO - it's pricey (and bulky) for a head torch, but the reactive lighting is totally a game changer. It'll automatically dim if it senses you're looking at something close up (like a map). The batteries are somewhat specific for the model, but at least they're replaceable and there's DIY how-tos online if you're handy with electronics. Not sure if you lose the reactive tech if you DIY your own battery or not. Sez it runs on two AA's at quite the lose of intensity if you're in a pickle - haven't tried that out, yet.

[munky]

I bought an Ozark Trail headlamp. Yeah I know it's an el cheapo but at 200 lumens, using Cree LEDs, and having that same option that LoneRanger spoke of with the sensory built in, I'm hoping it will fit the bill. I'll chime back in tonight and let you know how it works after I test it out. At $26, including batteries it might be a good touring light set up if you haven't built up a dynamo.

[nepbug]

What you need out on the trail is completely different than what you need to commute with, for sure.  Commuting I like a lot of light, for the trail less.  I did CTR with a max brightness of ~200 lumens on my bars and an additional ~300 on my head if needed.  The only time I used both on High was going 30-35MPH down some dirt roads of the Tarryall detour.  I usually set the helmet  around 30 lumens and the bars around 70 lumens for the majority of my riding, and didn't feel like I was slowing down because of my light levels.  I run off 3 AA batteries on the bar light and 2 AA on the helmet, so maximizing run time was always a priority.

I did find that after I put it at full brightness, it took a few minutes of running at the lower levels to get adjusted to it again.  I would spend the first 3-5 minutes wishing I had more light, then would be fine after that.

For flat fire roads I personally wouldn't feel the need to go above 100 lumens.

Make sure you vet out your screen brightness, I know I always wish my Garmin had another brightness level between the low and off.

The other thing to consider is if you are riding with somebody.  If they are running extremely bright lights then your eyes will be adapted to that light level and your lights will be inadequate.

[munky]

Thanks for the post Nephug! That makes me feel good about this upcoming ride. I'm new to touring but not to backcountry travelling and adventure. I've jumped in full bore as I always do when it comes to things. Experimenting with what seems to make the most sense and trial and error are providing good lessons. I'm not sure how long and far I can go, without stopping to sleep (the longest I've ridden in a day before is around 115 miles. But that used a lot of trails. I'll be only using roads and Forest Service roads on this tour) but because the night temps are supposed to be really cold, and because I usually sleep poor, I'm hoping to ride a lot at night. I'm going to try to push for around 24-30 hours straight. We'll see. I might be dead in a ditch somewhere.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Really? I was totally stoked to have that 850 lumen Fenix during the CTR. On my training rides, I brought 2 to try out at the same time, but THAT was indeed overkill. But any of the downhills at night  - like going down Gold Hill, or that pass out of Copper, I was happy to have as much light as possible.

I usually run them at their lowest setting, but I wouldn't ever call having more at my fingertips overkill. I was also super happy to have it on my 14er run, and most of that track looked like say, Pearl Pass between Crested Butte and Aspen.

I think, other than power, it's how well the light is spread out. If there's too much focus in one area, it's just useless, as you kinda have to constantly pan around to get a good picture of your surroundings, and that bright light does strain your eyes. During the TD, I just had a  BD headtorch, and I was miserable, especially on the downhills. Having the option to totally illuminate every damn thing around me as I'm pushing the speeds (and tired) is awesome! Once you're climbing though, I usually turn off that main light completely, and just got with a small headtorch.

[munky]

Sorry If I've hijacked this thread but I just took my bike out for a test spin before I head out tomorrow for 4 days. My 200 lumen headlamp lit up a local trail just fine. When I ran it at the low setting (125 lumens) it definitely wasn't as great but manageable. But that was on a trail. It should work great for the dirt roads and pavement. I have my 750 lumen night rider lumina mounted on my bar for fast descents. On a side note, I went by the shop to weigh by rig. 52 lbs fully loaded plus the fanny pack I'll be wearing w the two water bottles and a few extras. I have a bladder in my frame bag as well filled to about 100 ounces. My bike is a SS el Mar.

[nepbug]

Really? I was totally stoked to have that 850 lumen Fenix during the CTR. On my training rides, I brought 2 to try out at the same time, but THAT was indeed overkill. But any of the downhills at night  - like going down Gold Hill, or that pass out of Copper, I was happy to have as much light as possible.

I usually run them at their lowest setting, but I wouldn't ever call having more at my fingertips overkill. I was also super happy to have it on my 14er run, and most of that track looked like say, Pearl Pass between Crested Butte and Aspen.

I think, other than power, it's how well the light is spread out. If there's too much focus in one area, it's just useless, as you kinda have to constantly pan around to get a good picture of your surroundings, and that bright light does strain your eyes. During the TD, I just had a  BD headtorch, and I was miserable, especially on the downhills. Having the option to totally illuminate every damn thing around me as I'm pushing the speeds (and tired) is awesome! Once you're climbing though, I usually turn off that main light completely, and just got with a small headtorch.

Yeah, 850 lumens is on par with a halogen car headlight.  When I have no other competing light I don't need anywhere near that.

My light is capable of those light levels if I used a different driver, but I purposely didn't unleash it's full potential.  I have 10%, 30% & 100% as the different options for me.  The different levels wouldn't be as useful to me if high was 800+ lumens.  Currently I have a nice "climbing/pushing" level, "normal terrain" level and "descending" level.  A higher max gives two different descending levels, a cruising level and no climbing/pushing level.

Everyone is comfortable with different light levels; I don't require anything that high and that makes for a good battery situation for me, so I'm thankful for that.

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[Yogi the Barry]

Re: Nitecore HC50
In search for a brighter and longer lasting headlamp to supplement my dynamo bar light, an Exposure Revo, I've been trying out a Nitecore HC50. In the past, I've used Black Diamond Spot/Revolt type lights on the helmet, with a max output of ~100-120 Lumens. Revolt can be recharged, which is nice, but that takes too long and the Spot type lights take AAAs, which I hate.
Power does indeed corrupt and so do Lumens. The middle 170 Lumen setting of the HC50 is a very nice upgrade over what I've used in the past and the added brightness seems to help my myopic vision at night.
It takes a single 18650 rechargeable battery, but two CR123s can be used in a pinch. I'm running a larger than stock 3400 mAh battery, which seems to last about 8 hours on the 170 Lumen setting. The next lower brightness setting, good enough for camp use, would probably run almost 40 hours.
I'm thinking a second 18650 and a pair of CR123s would be enough capacity to get me thru a week of riding well into the night, with minimal need to recharge.
There are also red light and strobe mode settings if you need them.
I took the webbing off the rubber mount and it's easy to lasso the light body end caps with a Velcro strap thru the helmet vents to come up with a secure mount.
I'm cheap and the price was right.
Search for reviews or here's one:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?375703-NITECORE-HC50-565-Lm-Headlamp-REVIEW
-Barry

[geekonabike]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but how do you attach the bike lights to your helmet? I've been fiddling around with that for a while and can't keep them from slipping off one way or another.

Rubber bands or hair double looped thur the helmet vents give you lots of options. I ran a small Cree T5 tactical flashlight attached this way for this years CTR w/ no problems. Carry extras cuz they come in handy for lots to things & take no space.

[geekonabike]

Rubber bands or hair

Should Read Rubber bands or Hair ties,   I've never tried using hair, Might work but it would be really hard to take off the helmet  ; -)

[bmike-vt]

Attachment...
Left the proper fitment for my Exposure on the bench, improvised when it started getting dark. Zip ties in the tool kit always!

Improvised by Mike, on Flickr

(also sort of weird that I threw in my Leatherman AND its case... that ended up being fortunate...)

[mtnbound]

Zip ties rock!!