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HeadLight recommendations

Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
I need to get out in the dark, both because its great fun to night ride, and because thats when I have the time on a week day.

Im thinking just the 1 light, on the helmet. This is not for commuting, but I am also not super harcore 4 hr a night every night guy.

I want bright and effective so that I can see at speed and technical trails, at least 2hrs burn time.

What is good? I keep hearing this and that, but without making any siggestions myself, what do you use? what are the pluses?

Id also prefer to spend less than 300$!!


Thanks in advance Monkeys!
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,670
1,855
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
I personally love my NiteRider HID. If I were to only have 1 light with good brightness for technical trails, I'd want an HID, but I am biased as I haven't ridden with any of the higher end LED lights. I believe you can get the NiteRider Enduro Lith HID for about $200 online!
 
moff_quigley

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
Do this: Make your own. If you used 18650 cells you could have a super light helmet light. You'd probably spend about $150 (assuming you bought 18650 cells and charger) or less.
 
moff_quigley

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
I also use a Jet Lites Phantom for a helmet light it really is a super light.

You might also check into these: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

From what I've read you just need to open them up clean them up a bit and make sure all the solder connections are solid and you'll have a pretty sweet light. All that for $80 is pretty awesome. I don't think you'll get 900 lumen more like 500-600 but still that's pretty freakin' bright as far as I'm concerned.
 
B

bikermancam

Chimp
Sep 26, 2004
7
0
Check out Light and Motion LED's and HID's (most powerful and $$).
Long battery life and I have even tested out their warranty service on a cord issue, +1 from me.
 
O

oldfart

Turbo Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
1,206
24
North Van
I have extensive experience with Niterider HID's which are great, but more costly and more troublesome than the Trinewt (so far) I find the light from the trinewt as good or perhaps better than the HID light. With the HID I would blow a balast every year and have to ship it off for repair. I won't likely ever go HID again as I think the LED's have progressed past HID tech now. There are many good lights available now though. People say good things about Dinotte, Light and Motion, Lupine.
 
DiRt DeViL

DiRt DeViL

Monkey
Feb 6, 2005
347
0
CNY
Own 2 sets of L&M Solo's and they're great but the HIDs and the LEDs are brighter so the deal you mention sounds pretty good to me.
 
squirrelonabike

squirrelonabike

Monkey
Apr 29, 2004
126
0
culpeper VA
I am running the princeton tec switch back lights. They aren't as bright as the HID's but they are inexpensive, have 5 plus hours of burn time, are little and really bright for what they are. They also come with everything you need including a car charger, and multiple mounts. The best feature is that the cords twist and lock into place. Every nite rider I ever had I ended up pulling the cord out of the battery pack.
 
J

joeba

Chimp
Aug 15, 2009
7
0
I've been doing some 24 hour races and I bit the bullet and got the Lupine Betty. BIG bucks! I do love it. However, niterider now has a light, the pro12 I think, that is as bright and half the price. Might give some attention to the Magic Shine, but not familiar with that one. I've learned one thing, you get what you pay for. Do your research and buy a quality product, and it should serve you well.
 
GeoMan

GeoMan

Chimp
Oct 13, 2008
2
0
Santa Fe, NM
joeba said:
I've been doing some 24 hour races and I bit the bullet and got the Lupine Betty. BIG bucks! I do love it. However, niterider now has a light, the pro12 I think, that is as bright and half the price. Might give some attention to the Magic Shine, but not familiar with that one. I've learned one thing, you get what you pay for. Do your research and buy a quality product, and it should serve you well.
Click to expand...
I love my Betty!
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,512
20,312
Sleazattle
I would avoid Niterider. I have an HID system, regularly borrow a friends for backup. I also have a MiNewt. I really only use them during 24 hour races but have had a problem almost every time I have used them. I think it is a problem with the connectors, when things get damp from dew or rain they just stop working. Don't know about you but I expect something built for mountain biking to be able to handle a little bit of moisture.
 
C

cycleguru

Chimp
Oct 28, 2009
6
0
I have two NR Minewts, one on my bar and one on my hat. Haven't had a single problem in two years. I ride 3 (dark) mornings a week for about two hours, so they get used.
 
O

oldfart

Turbo Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
1,206
24
North Van
Westy said:
I would avoid Niterider. I have an HID system, regularly borrow a friends for backup. I also have a MiNewt. I really only use them during 24 hour races but have had a problem almost every time I have used them. I think it is a problem with the connectors, when things get damp from dew or rain they just stop working. Don't know about you but I expect something built for mountain biking to be able to handle a little bit of moisture.
Click to expand...
I think you might have something else going wrong. I've been using Niterider stuff and other products for years in the rain and it's never an issue, nor for my riding buddies who use Niterider as well. I do find that the connectors get a little more loose with use but they rarely come apart.

One thing to keep in mind is that Lithium Ion batteries only last about three years whether you use them or not. I have been doing a little research into Li ion cells as I represent a computer manufacturer who has had some explosive battery failures.

The HID systems use a ballast and I have experienced a ballast failure nearly annualy for each of the systems have used.
 
splat

splat

Nam I am
Apr 27, 2002
14,751
318
Well Maybe Windows is Bearable ! Unix Rules !
I.van said:
I just bought a Magic Shine 900 Lumen. I think it retails for about $90 USD.

So far I have been massively impressed in the intensity of light for the price.



http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=138
Click to expand...
Did a Ride last night with Berkshire rider who had that Light and an HID on the LID and the LED lamp was brighter than the HID

Westy said:
I would avoid Niterider. I have an HID system, regularly borrow a friends for backup. I also have a MiNewt. I really only use them during 24 hour races but have had a problem almost every time I have used them. I think it is a problem with the connectors, when things get damp from dew or rain they just stop working. Don't know about you but I expect something built for mountain biking to be able to handle a little bit of moisture.
Click to expand...
I have 2 Nighte riders , bit have given me lotss of problems with the Wireing , ther ewires suck. I have a Trail Rat that I got so fed up with I ripped all of NR"s wire out and put my own in. and I have an HID that need to be rewired plus the On off switch doesn't work any more either I plug the battery in the light goes on I un plug it to turn it off. It is really fun in the middle of a 24 Hr race for everything to go dark because of an Internal wire break.
 
O

oldfart

Turbo Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
1,206
24
North Van
Wumpus said:
That's just crazy. .
Click to expand...
Indeed it is so I won't use HID anymore. The newest LED's seem relally good so far. I 'm running a Minewt on my helmet and trinewt on the bar. I have neck issues so I can't handle the heavier lamp units on my helmet anymore. I am looking into finding a bright but lightweight LED headlamp though.
 
N

NuMexJoe

Monkey
Aug 20, 2007
178
2
Another vote for the MagicShine from Geoman. Hey, at that price, get one for the bars and one for the helmet, and I think you'd have all the light you could reasonable need. Mine's been working fine for me this season.
- Joe
 
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