[Tattooo]

Turns out that it does indeed get dark on this side of the world, and in no short order either.

With head/bar lamps I notice that they are almost region specific. What worked in NOLA I suspect won't work here, and I know that what I had in Reno was way overkill for NOLA.

Any suggestions? I need to get a couple night rides a week in just to keep the summer fat from growing into the winter whale (vagina).

 

[urbaindk]

Tons of threads on this topic in the lounge. Do a search.

The Light and Motion stuff is supposed to be really popular.

 

[syadasti]

35 watt Osram IRC halogen with 6.6 Ah 14.8V Lion battery and smart charger around $300 USD

Makes HID look wimpy and no fragile, expensive, hard-to-find bulbs/electronics. All you need is a helmet light and its bright enough to DH at full speed and lasts around 2 hour at 35 watts IRC (equal to about 90 watts regular halogen). Weight for 6.6 Ah battery is 1.5 lbs.

Might be from NZ, but its only $15 USD air shipping to US and it doesn't take too long either.

 

[BIRDMAN111]

i wear a head lamp and a light attached to the bars. its nice to throw out as much light as possible.

 

[BikeGeek]

I'm very happy with my Lume.
http://www.lumelighting.com/

 

[Tattooo]

Bikegeek;
tell me more about your Lume. I love the simplicity of the design.

How is the battery?
How is the burn time?
Any warranty issues?

 

[BikeGeek]

The battery felt a little clunky at first. I was used to having a neat little square package that tucked away easily in pocket or pack and wasn't sure I was going to like the cylindrical design of the Lume. That said, so far it's been a non-issue. It fits in the camelback just as easily with plenty of room to spare. It's a little heavier than my previous (non-HID) light so I don't really like to carry the battery in my pocket, but it also comes with rubber mounting caps that make it simple to mount the battery practically anywhere on the bike.

Burn time has been as advertised: 3 to 3.5 hours.

Luckily, I haven't had to deal with the warranty or customer service.

When I was shopping for lights I talked to a guy I know that's had experience with plenty of brands. He had this to say: "I love my Lume. It is reasonably priced and very bright. It is a little heavier than some, but it is built well. Mine burned out after a year and I sent it back to get it fixed. They were quick and did a good job."

As far as giving enough light to meet your needs, I guess it depends on your needs. I've done numerous solo night-rides with the light helmet-mounted and have no complaints. I'm not a racer, but I'm no slowpoke either and the light has done me right. I've only used the light bar-mounted for group-rides where I'm getting light from others, and for commuting.

Check out the "shine off" at MTBR for pictures of beam pattern and illumination at a set distance.