lighting

[FeloniousDunk]

Hey all,  I've been thinking about adding a light to my outfit to occasionally extend my riding time a couple hours in the evenings and mornings and am looking for suggestions.

Maybe these aren't all practical but here are the specs I think I need/don't need.  Let me know if I should think about other specs and if you know anything that will fit the bill.

- cheap, under $100, well under if possible.
- I need enough light to ride along at only up to 10 mph or so...not for racing.
- helmet mountable
- variable light output for camp use
- durable...withstand rain and the occasional snag on a small branch
- litish so as not to weight down my head
- option to use AA or AAA batteries so I can pick up new ones about anywhere when touring
- enough life span to ride for a few hours per day for days...not weeks and use around camp at low setting
- not something I have to make because I don't know how

Any suggestions?

[pieterv]

Have a look at LED torches at DealExtreme. Anything over 200 lumens would be OK for low speed riding. They go up to 900 lumens, but you won't get much more than an hour at full output.

If you take one with High-Medium-Low settings, the low should do you fine while camping.

The DE site lets you sort by the kind of batteries used so you can discard stuff that is not AA, or AAA.

Something to watch out for is how focussed the light is. A lot of people seem to love it when it is highly focussed and illuminates a huge distance away, but for actual riding more spread seems much more usefull. Who cares about something half a mile away when you miss a branch that is about to poke your eye out? You would get more spread from so called "orange peel" reflectors.

Pieter

[ScottM]

I've had a Princeton Tec EOS strapped to my helmet for the last 3+ years.  It's cheap, light, takes 3 AAA's and has saved my bacon on many a day ride or unexpected nighttime commute.

I also use it on tours.  The low mode is great for camp, and lasts 100+ hours.  On high you get a couple hours tops, but the 1watt LED is enough to ride at slow speeds, even singletrack.  If I'm going to plan on a fair bit of night riding I'll usually supplement with a bar light. Mine is no longer made, but anything with a good flood pattern and taking AA or AAA would work.

The EOS is more of a spot pattern, BTW, with surprisingly decent 'throw' for what it is.

[Pivvay]

I've had a Princeton Tec EOS strapped to my helmet for the last 3+ years.  It's cheap, light, takes 3 AAA's and has saved my bacon on many a day ride or unexpected nighttime commute.

I also use it on tours.  The low mode is great for camp, and lasts 100+ hours.  On high you get a couple hours tops, but the 1watt LED is enough to ride at slow speeds, even singletrack.  If I'm going to plan on a fair bit of night riding I'll usually supplement with a bar light. Mine is no longer made, but anything with a good flood pattern and taking AA or AAA would work.

The EOS is more of a spot pattern, BTW, with surprisingly decent 'throw' for what it is.

And they're coming out with a new EOS that's doubly bright using a more modern LED. I am also an EOS lover with 1 strapped to my night helmet and will be buying the new one if it's the same thing only brighter (which it's "supposed" to be).

[FeloniousDunk]

Thanks guys.  I was looking at the EOS but wasn't sure if it would be enough light for even slow riding.  But if it works for you guys, I might give it a try.  Do you rig up your own harnessing system to strap it to your helmet through the vents?  I figured putting a velcro strap on it inplace of the elastic headband would work. 

I was also looking at the Corona and Apex too.  I like the Corona's wider beam and both of their higher lumens, but I'm not sure how the external battery pack would work out.  Any experience with such set ups? 

Pieter, thanks for the site.  There are so many options on there...and cheap... it makes my head spin.  Are there any particular lights they have that you'd recommend? 

[Pivvay]

Thanks guys.  I was looking at the EOS but wasn't sure if it would be enough light for even slow riding.  But if it works for you guys, I might give it a try.  Do you rig up your own harnessing system to strap it to your helmet through the vents?  I figured putting a velcro strap on it inplace of the elastic headband would work. 
I was also looking at the Corona and Apex too.  I like the Corona's wider beam and both of their higher lumens, but I'm not sure how the external battery pack would work out.  Any experience with such set ups? 

I just use a short velcro strap to put it on the helmet. Others use zip ties.

DaveN has an Apex zip tied to his helment and DaveC has used the Corona quite a bit but it's on his bars.

[bikewright]

Here is a post from the cyclingcentralva.org fourm. I think it will meet your $100 requirement 

http://www.racedaynutrition.com/features/bikelight.aspx

[pieterv]

>Pieter, thanks for the site.  There are so many options on there...and cheap... it makes my head spin.  Are there any particular lights they have that you'd recommend?


I have this http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13060 but it doesn't take AA or AAA.

[conifir]

i also have been looking at a night light.but the only one that has caught my eye is the DiNotte ......the helmet light runs around $160.00 smackers........bright as a big dog..........

[frejwilk]

I was also looking at the Corona and Apex too.  I like the Corona's wider beam and both of their higher lumens, but I'm not sure how the external battery pack would work out.  Any experience with such set ups? 

I use a Princeton Tec Apex for overnight riding. You can just slip it over your helmet like you would your head. I keep another brand's helmet mount strapped on my helmet to keep the light from slipping. You could just zip tie something across the front of the helmet for this too. The battery pack stays put pretty well on the back of the helmet. I like being able to take the light off the helmet for daylight riding.

The Apex is well under $100. I use the older one with AA batteries. It is bright enough for me to ride with and lasts pretty long with lithium batteries.

I've seen some LED flashlight looking lights that work pretty well and are reasonably priced. Some others on here may know more about those.

FW

[YuriB]

i also have been looking at a night light.but the only one that has caught my eye is the DiNotte ......the helmet light runs around $160.00 smackers........bright as a big dog..........

If you sign up for their mailing list you can get the 200L at about $100 twice a year. By far my favorite light but you have to use NiNH or Lithium Ion AAs. 3 light levels, handlebar and helmet mount.

[DaveC]

...DaveC has used the Corona quite a bit but it's on his bars.

It's a great bar light.  Very wide beam, doesn't throw so far.  Gets massively long battery life, and is perfect for commuting and road riding.  For technical, full-on night riding I use a big gun LED on the helmet, but will wait and see on this new EOS, and pick one up for hiking and multi-day stuff.

Btw, there's no reason you couldn't put the Corona on yo head, but I'd want more of a spot beam for singletrack of any kind.

[FeloniousDunk]

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone.  There are several options out there.  I like the economics of some of the led torches.  I like the light quality of many of the bike specific lights.  And I like the simplicity and familiarity of many of the typical head lamps.  I have to admit that I'm a bit of a techno weinie and am leary about using products that I can't buy locally and widely and of the propriatary batteries of many lights.   

With all that in mind I think I'm going to start out with an EOS or Apex (I'll check them out at the local shop to decide which one) then if that's not enough light I may add a Corona to the bar or even experiment with an led torch. 

Thanks again.  I'll let you know how it works out.

[tomimcmillar]

I picked up the EOS on the recs made here and elsewhere.
Haven't ridden with it yet, but around camp, the hi setting sure seemed like enough to pick your way down the trail to a campsite.  Figured out an EZ velcro strap dilly to mount it to the helmet, use the stretchy headband for around camp.  Plan to get more time with it next wknd....

[Pivvay]

I picked up the EOS on the recs made here and elsewhere.
Haven't ridden with it yet, but around camp, the hi setting sure seemed like enough to pick your way down the trail to a campsite.  Figured out an EZ velcro strap dilly to mount it to the helmet, use the stretchy headband for around camp.  Plan to get more time with it next wknd....

Ditch the strap (or save it for hiking/climbing) and just wear your helmet in camp. The key to light weight is doing without.

[Singlespeedpunk]

I have been using the Fenix L2D Q5 lights with a 2Fish lock-block mounts. I run one on the bars for road stuff and open off-road sections and a second on the helmet for faster bits and singletrack. Run time on 2x AA rechageable cells is about 2.25hrs, rising to almost 3hrs with Lithium cells. They have low, medium, high and max output settings plus flash and SOS morse code. £38 in the UK and about £7 for the mounts.

Sure its not the same output as a L+M or Lupine but you can ride fast enough with 360+ lumens and pick up new cells pretty much anywhere on the planet! Not having cables is also a bonus!

Alex

[tomimcmillar]

Ditch the strap (or save it for hiking/climbing) and just wear your helmet in camp. The key to light weight is doing without.

yeah, but my helmut doesn't keep my ears warm like my wool hat.....and I'm not that much into cutting grams, yet.  Once we start seeing warmer temps again....

Also for reference, compared the hi beam settings of the EOS vs my NiteRider MiNewt in the oh so scientific backyard test, looks to be about 1/2-2/3 of the beam that the MiNewt throws.

[DaveC]

He meant doing without ears.  They're not very aero, after all.

[Slim]

This does not follow FD's requirements, but I thought the new Minewt Mini USB opened up some interesting options.
Since it charges directly from a USB connector, you could use a solar panel and no separate battery cradle:

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