Lights

[sjanes]

What lights are being used for racing? 

[Done]

For the CTR, I used this on my head:
http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/myo-series/myo-rxp

And these on my bike:
http://www.rei.com/product/786357

The headlamp was terrific--lots of light when I needed, plus a spot mode for seeing way ahead and a diffused mode for seeing up close. I set three different programs (one for walking and maximum battery life, one for average-speed riding, and one for fast and scary downhill riding). The "fast guys" might find it a bit heavy though.

The bike light was great--lots of light and amazing battery life. I liked having a tail light for the road sections, especially when it was raining and dark.

I'll be using the same light setup next year.

[DaveH]

What lights are being used for racing? 

My favorite setup is a homebrew system.  2nd best is a Fenix on the head, Ayup on the bars.

[Pawel]

For the CTR, I used prototype of Raven

with improvised helmet mount

1200 lumens in tiny package of 114g. It works great but needs some improvement.

[sluttyduck]

2 fenix L2D on the helmet.
I might add a third to the bars.

[JML]

for TD racing, exposure SPark on helmet, princeton tec eos on bars. good combo. Only felt bad about disposable CR 123's for spark, but only needed 2 sets.

[Joliver]

Toby (or anyone else who has raced the Divide or CTR or any other race of that nature),

What did you do about charging your lights during the race?

Thanks,
JO

[Done]

Hi JO,

All of my lights use disposable batteries, so I just buy fresh ones as I need them--which has the added benefit of reducing weight over the course of a trip. This worked well on the CTR for me, especially when I accidentally soaked my battery bag and ruined my spare batteries. Replacing the disposables was easy, but my rechargeable cell phone batteries were hosed. It would have been a minor disaster if I had been using rechargeable light batteries!

I suppose that you could recharge batteries by staying at a hotel or two along the way. I did stay in a hotel in Leadville for a few hours, as did a number of other riders. But then you'd need to take a charger, which is just one more thing to carry.

All of that said, some guys do use rechargeable lights--and they do just fine. There's more than one way to skin a cat!

Cheers,
Toby

[Joliver]

Hey Toby,

Thanks for the quick response!  I hadn't really thought of using a light with disposable batteries, as I figured the light would not be bright enough, but that certainly makes sense.  How many lumens did your handlebar mounted light have (I couldn't find it on the link you sent, but maybe I missed it)?

Do you know whether or not most of the other CTR racers were using disposable battery systems?

Thanks again,
JO

[Done]

Hi JO,

Sorry, I don't know how many lumens it has either. I used disposable lithium (Energizer Ultimate) batteries on the CTR, and the combination made more than enough light for me. I chose my lights at REI. They have a great demo display, and I simply pointed each light across the room and chose the one that was decently bright with a nice spread.

I don't know which approach is more popular on the CTR. I recall seeing both disposable and rechargeable systems. Some guys used a combination. Depending on how fast you ride, you might need fewer lumens than you expect. I thought that I'd be using the brightest settings all the time, but I ended up selecting the dimmer ones most often. But I also didn't exactly set any speed records either.

I've never raced a "24-hours of XXX" race, but the guys who do seem to choose extremely bright and powerful rechargeable systems compared to the ultra crowd.

I imagine that some other riders will jump in shortly. I like my system, but you should absolutely wait for more experienced voices before buying anything!

Cheers,
Toby

[sanjuanrider]

I used this light on the CTR and was very happy.
http://www.climbingdreams.net/gemini/

I did not recharge it and only used 1 battery pack which lasted for 6 nights of riding (approx. 5 hours a night of use).  This was on the low power unless I was going downhill fast then I would turn it up to high.  I will buy an extra battery pack for my next CTR trip which would be enough power to make it for a solid 8 night ride.  The light looks a little funky but I've been using it a lot this year and it works great.
I also use a battery powered headlamp for additional power.  I personnally like a solid light on the bike and something on the head when you need to turn to see things not directly in front of you.

[Done]

...my next CTR trip...

Hi Andy, sounds like you might be out there next year after all?

[sanjuanrider]

I wish I could do it again next year.  I am thinking long term when I say "on my next CTR".  I will probably be there the first day to see you start with your nice new CTR setup.

I am thinking of doing the TransGeorgia Adventure or the Coconino Next Year. You interested!
Sorry everyone to get away from the main thread!  Maybey I will start a new one to see if anyone is interested in carpooling from Colorado to Georgia next year!

[Done]

Andy's "Gemini" light was indeed pretty nice. We shared the ride out of Leadville, and his light certainly make a big, bright impression. I actually like the funky boxy shape!

[Spoonie]

I've never raced a "24-hours of XXX" race, but the guys who do seem to choose extremely bright and powerful rechargeable systems compared to the ultra crowd.

That's because your requirements are drastically different.  The less light you have the more you have to concentrate or the slower you go.  So the 24hr scene bred light systems which put out as much light as possible for your average bike swap time (4-5 hours).  but the 24hr racing down here has lead to some pretty awesome light developments I think, like the AY-UP's and HidTechnologies units.   My Hid Technologies Lumin8er Quad either puts out 1000lumens for 5-6 hours with a 400gram battery, or can run for 110 hours with quite useable light and a 200gram battery.   So as long as I leave it on low power (with the odd medium if needed) I'll get a week or more out it.   

Maybe given the way the Trans Georgia played out this year, you'll see brighter systems out there for Ultra's??

*shrug*

Cheers
Craig

[DesertDog]

Not to say that I 'race', but...

I'm using some simple Energizer 6-light LEDs (2 spots, 2 wides, 4 spot-wide combo or 2 red).  $15 bucks a piece off the rack from Wal-Mart.  Use 3 AAA  rechargables or disposables.  Definitely in the 20-25hr runtime range with 1000mAh NiMHs.  Just did a simple mod to make them work witht my old Nite-Rider halogen system mounts. 

The lights can be adjusted/tilt, which is great on the helmet when having to fix a flat in the dark.  I taped down the bar light around the sides so it doesn't move from trail vibratins - no problem with the helmet light moving while riding. The lights work wonderfully for road and trail use.  Finally got to give them some serious trail time as I was riding and mapping a course in Oregon last month.

I would like to see what Ay-Up has done with their lights.  Tried some out on a demo they did at some Vegas trails a couple years back.  Nice, bright and light and showed promise, but still didn't have enough spread and throw at the time.

[Norb]

For the CTR, I used this on my head:
http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/myo-series/myo-rxp

And these on my bike:
http://www.rei.com/product/786357

The headlamp was terrific--lots of light when I needed, plus a spot mode for seeing way ahead and a diffused mode for seeing up close. I set three different programs (one for walking and maximum battery life, one for average-speed riding, and one for fast and scary downhill riding). The "fast guys" might find it a bit heavy though.

Hey Toby, what kind of clips did you use to attach light to helmet?  Is it easy on - easy off?
Thanks,

[steve_UK]

Hi Toby. I'm planning to ride the CTR this year. Are the disposable lithium (Energizer Ultimate) batteries (AA) that you mention above easily available along the route? Here in the UK they are hard to find so I'd ruled them out as a possibility for lights/GPS.
Thanks, Steve

[Pawel]

Hi Steve! I saw Energizer lithium AA batteries in Leadville in the general store on the right side on the main street. I suppose that these batteries are available also in other towns along the route.

[Done]

Hi Norb: I used Velcro tape (hooks on one side, loops on the other) to attach my headlamp. Fairly quick to change, but perhaps not as quick as some solutions.

Steve: Pawel is correct, lithium batteries are easy to find in Leadville and Buena Vista. The two big grocery stores, Safeway (Leadville) and City Market (BV) have them for sure. I didn't look while I was in Silverton, but often even small stores and gas stations have them as well.