[Toshi]

Compare this to the new light I got, which is pretty much like having a blue/white laser beam pointed out front.

I have an Outbound Lighting Trail Edition. It is very dispersed indeed. The opposite of a laser beam.

I also have an Ituo Lights 2300 lumen 3 LED jobber that's my usual commuter light, supplementing the < 1000 lumen built in light on my commuter e-bike.

 

[StiHacka]

Could some of this be down to an individuals eye sight as well? I am nearsighted so have to wear contacts when riding - not sure if its related, but I also have piss poor vision at night. So full blast all the time is how I rock my lights.

Same. I could use a 10,000 lm light on a helmet, just not on the handlebar.

 

[dump]

I can't run my handlebar light at full 1800 lm, the leaves just become "too hot" for my eyes' comfort.

Yeah, this is basically what I'm talking about. Depending on the trails, stuff becomes too hot (particularly things that are near or not where the trail is). I also have good eyesight and I eat my carrots.

 

[rideit]

“They said there would be night-vision glasses by now”

 

[mykel]

1200 Spot on the helmet, 1200 Flood on the bars. (Gloworm Alpha)
I too also find it too bright on high if I'm in dense woods with lots of undergrowth on tight trails. The glare that comes off of some leaves is pretty intense. After the leaves drop in the fall, I can use full power with no problem on the same trails.

 

[Happymtb.fr]

I've never round "too many lumens" for commuting on the other hand. If I could have laser beams that burn skin, I would. That would at least have a chance of getting the attention of a driver before they turn while looking in the opposite direction they are going...

I have some issues with other commuters riding towards me when they use powerful lights. I like the German approved lights with engineered light beam to cover the ground. The other lights with conical beams are just awful when you ride towards them. The worst encounter I had was with a helmet mounted light in flash mode...

 

[Jm_]

I have some issues with other commuters riding towards me when they use powerful lights.

You are doing it wrong. You just need to overpower their lights.

But that's also where the remote comes in, I turn it down for other commuters. Full blast strobe when going through an intersection. Pretty awesome when a car pulls out in front of me. They see me better at night/winter than day/summer.

Plus, if a commuter has an extra-annoying flash strobe...then I can match it

 

[Happymtb.fr]

I feel like an amateur since I went for the German approved dynamo powered and fork mounted headlight...

 

[slyfink]

I can understand that though...

I think some might have to do with beam dispersal and flood too though. Some lights are very "spot" ish and work well from the helmet, the floods work well from the bar, but you need a good combo of each. I'll say this too tends to be one of the disadvantages of the self-contained units, they tend to not flood as well IME.

Same. I could use a 10,000 lm light on a helmet, just not on the handlebar.

My setup for night riding is strong spot with good throw on the helmet, and medium flood on the bars. My theory is that too much light in the medium and near field of vision is detrimental because your eyes get accustomed to that amount of light (pupils get smaller), which then means you can't see what your spot is illuminating off in the distance.

I tend to favour seeing what's off in the distance over what's in front of my wheel.

I run my helmet light (1800 lumens I think? it's the ITUO XP3) with spot optics. It's on medium most of the time, and I kick it up to high for descents or fast single track. The bar (ITUO XP2) is on medium most of the time. I try to aim it so it's not too close to the ground in front of me.

I really would like to try that Outbound system, but I'm weary of their approach to beam pattern, which as I understand it has a fairly wide, even dispersion. This seems to run counter to my experience, but he's also a lighting engineer with lots of experience, which is why I'd love to give it a try before committing to purchasing the full system.

 

[Kanye West]

I have yet to encounter a mountain biker who actually benefits from >2,000 lumens of light output. On my 1800 lumen light I usually don't run it on the highest setting.

Mountain bikers are just not going that fast, and terrain is usually tight/narrow enough that there's tons of reflectiveness that messes with fast reception of far-away features. Usually <20mph on trails that aren't much more than 2 handlebar widths.

Opposite example is the lighting system on my dirt bike. 10,000 lumens and in the desert, I could use a second one side-by-side with it. Speeds there are steadily >50mph, occasionally to 80-100mph. Finding a helmet light that is noticeable over that lighting system is kind of non-existent though.

 

[jonKranked]

I have yet to encounter a mountain biker who actually benefits from >2,000 lumens of light output. On my 1800 lumen light I usually don't run it on the highest setting.

Mountain bikers are just not going that fast, and terrain is usually tight/narrow enough that there's tons of reflectiveness that messes with fast reception of far-away features. Usually <20mph on trails that aren't much more than 2 handlebar widths.

Opposite example is the lighting system on my dirt bike. 10,000 lumens and in the desert, I could use a second one side-by-side with it. Speeds there are steadily >50mph, occasionally to 80-100mph. Finding a helmet light that is noticeable over that lighting system is kind of non-existent though.

i have a 2300 lumen light, i rarely run it on full blast, but its nice to have the option.

 

[Jm_]

My setup for night riding is strong spot with good throw on the helmet, and medium flood on the bars. My theory is that too much light in the medium and near field of vision is detrimental because your eyes get accustomed to that amount of light (pupils get smaller), which then means you can't see what your spot is illuminating off in the distance.

That's exactly how I run.

 

[Jm_]

I have yet to encounter a mountain biker who actually benefits from >2,000 lumens of light output. On my 1800 lumen light I usually don't run it on the highest setting.

Mountain bikers are just not going that fast, and terrain is usually tight/narrow enough that there's tons of reflectiveness that messes with fast reception of far-away features. Usually <20mph on trails that aren't much more than 2 handlebar widths.

Opposite example is the lighting system on my dirt bike. 10,000 lumens and in the desert, I could use a second one side-by-side with it. Speeds there are steadily >50mph, occasionally to 80-100mph. Finding a helmet light that is noticeable over that lighting system is kind of non-existent though.

IDK, doing the flow-jump trails at night...it's pretty nice. Plus, there could be a freaking moose around the corner and I'm going fast. At least I have a chance of blinding the damn thing.

 

[toodles]

I have yet to encounter a mountain biker who actually benefits from >2,000 lumens of light output. On my 1800 lumen light I usually don't run it on the highest setting.

I run my light on the middle setting mostly. The trails here are dusty AF for 6 months so when you're riding in a group the ultra-bright settings reflect the kicked up dust too much and do more harm than good.

 

[sethimus]

I feel like an amateur since I went for the German approved dynamo powered and fork mounted headlight...

stvzo in da houze!

 

[Kanye West]

IDK, doing the flow-jump trails at night...it's pretty nice. Plus, there could be a freaking moose around the corner and I'm going fast. At least I have a chance of blinding the damn thing.

If clobbering a moose is a risk on your mtb, that's an issue with your eyes and your brakes, not the light...

 

[StiHacka]

I almost clobbered deer. Fuckers jump across trails out of nowhere in the last second.

 

[rideit]

If clobbering a moose is a risk on your mtb, that's an issue with your eyes and your brakes, not the light...

Disagree, Moose are actually black holes, they absorb and bend light. Ninja mutherfuckers.

 

[Andeh]

I almost clobbered deer. Fuckers jump across trails out of nowhere in the last second.

A friend of mine HAS clobbered a deer. He was riding at night and the deer was going down the trail, panicked hearing the bike, turned around, then got dazed by the lights. He was picking fur out of his brakes after that.

 

[toodles]

A friend of mine HAS clobbered a deer. He was riding at night and the deer was going down the trail, panicked hearing the bike, turned around, then got dazed by the lights. He was picking fur out of his brakes after that.

One of the local girls here clobbered a kangaroo in the middle of her DH run and got knocked off her bike. The organisers offered her a re-run but she was happy with her time even with the kanga collision.

 

[Gary]

My eyesight is really shit now in dim light. so much so that I barely went nightriding anywhere with technical riding last winter at all so I just treated myself to a magicshine monteer 3500 light with the intention of replacing the 900lm(ish) solarstorm X2 I've ridden with helmet mounted for the last few years.
I have a stand alone 1600lm light I bar mount for commuting (on and off road) and local off road (XC) and a 3000lm magicshine Eagle F2 to bar mount for proper technical/steep derp/DH.
The F2 has a brilliant quality beam and is switchable flood/spot or both

Yeah. I won't run either on full power when climbing or riding clear flat single track but that's not really what I bought them for.

 

[Gary]

A deer hit me a few weeks back. it had been running down the road infront of me for about a quarter of a mile while riding my Ebike home from a friend's pished and stoned as fuck at 4am. So pished Infact that for the first few hundred meters I thought it was a very big hare. It turned off the road and up my driveway to get away from my light. And then found its way to a dead end past my cottage. Where it then freaked out at my light shining on it as I fumbled for my keys. It then ran at me. Hoofed me in the chest as it jumped straight over my head. The next night my girlfriend asked me if I had come off my bike. I replied. No. Why? She pointed out two bruises on my chest. I had no recollection of falling off my bike at all (or the deer) so we put the bruising down to the typical branches you ride through in the woods and don't really worry about. I didn't recall the incident at all until 4 days later when watching a film with a night time driving scene scene triggered a flashback to the hare and said out loud "HARE!" "eh. Nah. Hold on!" Deer!" and then started pissing myself laughing as the memory of me being jumped over and stood in the dark shouting "oh ya cunt" came flooding back. (my neighbours love me BTW)

 

[Gary]

The worst encounter I had was with a helmet mounted light in flash mode...

Loads of roadies round here use those too. Fucking idiots!
This time of year on my commute I see far too many other cycle commuters with either no rear light or one incredibly shit/dim one. I fear for their safety.

 

[Jm_]

If clobbering a moose is a risk on your mtb, that's an issue with your eyes and your brakes, not the light...

Oh no, that's an issue with the lights for sure. I'm close to these speeds on my winter fat-bike (with suspension now) and a moose could be hiding around a corner easily and with shadows and light throw, it could be easily hidden until the last minute. That's why moar light, to punch through the shadows and throw further to illuminate further.

Plus, they love berms. Berms are like moose-couches.

 

[Jm_]

A deer hit me a few weeks back. it had been running down the road infront of me for about a quarter of a mile while riding my Ebike home from a friend's pished and stoned as fuck at 4am. So pished Infact that for the first few hundred meters I thought it was a very big hare. It turned off the road and up my driveway to get away from my light. And then found its way to a dead end past my cottage. Where it then freaked out at my light shining on it as I fumbled for my keys. It then ran at me. Hoofed me in the chest as it jumped straight over my head. The next night my girlfriend asked me if I had come off my bike. I replied. No. Why? She pointed out two bruises on my chest. I had no recollection of falling off my bike at all (or the deer) so we put the bruising down to the typical branches you ride through in the woods and don't really worry about. I didn't recall the incident at all until 4 days later when watching a film with a night time driving scene scene triggered a flashback to the hare and said out loud "HARE!" "eh. Nah. Hold on!" Deer!" and then started pissing myself laughing as the memory of me being jumped over and stood in the dark shouting "oh ya cunt" came flooding back. (my neighbours love me BTW)

 

[Kanye West]

I almost clobbered deer. Fuckers jump across trails out of nowhere in the last second.

That's a regular occurrence for me. Day or night, mtb or moto. No light is going to help with that if they come bounding out of the weeds one or two wheel lengths in front of you.

 

[Carraig042]

My eyesight is really shit now in dim light. so much so that I barely went nightriding anywhere with technical riding last winter at all so I just treated myself to a magicshine monteer 3500 light with the intention of replacing the 900lm(ish) solarstorm X2 I've ridden with helmet mounted for the last few years.
I have a stand alone 1600lm light I bar mount for commuting (on and off road) and local off road (XC) and a 3000lm magicshine Eagle F2 to bar mount for proper technical/steep derp/DH.
The F2 has a brilliant quality beam and is switchable flood/spot or both

Yeah. I won't run either on full power when climbing or riding clear flat single track but that's not really what I bought them for.

You liking the Magicshine lights? I just received the MJ906s 4500 lumen light, seems pretty darn bright. From what I read on Bike radar, should last 3 hr 20 min on high (longer than I would ride at night).

As others mentioned, quality bike lights that are bright are finally becoming fair priced.

 

[jonKranked]

Berms are like moose-couches

 

[Gary]

You liking the Magicshine lights? I just received the MJ906s 4500 lumen light, seems pretty darn bright. From what I read on Bike radar, should last 3 hr 20 min on high (longer than I would ride at night).

As others mentioned, quality bike lights that are bright are finally becoming fair priced.

The Eagle F3 is awesome. Head unit is little on the large side and the battery is both bulky and heavy but so long as it fits in the front triangle it's secure as.
I haven't used the monteer yet. Just purchased. But if its anything like as good quality output as the F3 I'll be more than happy.
Can't justify Exposure prices. Especially as they look like they were designed by a nerd in a shed. Albeit with some nice machining equipment.

 

[Carraig042]

I haven't used the monteer yet. Just purchased. But if its anything like as good quality output as the F3 I'll be more than happy.

Did you go with the 6500, or the 8000? Reviews seem to rave about that series.

 

[Gary]

Neither. The 3500.
So I can helmet mount it and carry the battery on my body.
The 8000 has a bulkier head unit and battery.
It's been dispatched. But hasn't arrived yet

 

[jezso]

What's really right w/ the industry is prices. Was just rambling around ebay for no good reason, cheking out used Di2 component prices. Don't really need anything, just lusting around to solve my first world problems. It did not take much time to feel much better about car part prices. Thanks bike industry. (irony and sarcasm emojis come here) My next searh (obviously) will be lights with infinite lumens, and the highest peak candela, so I can blind all the mofos on my commute

 

[Electric_City]

I've wondered for a while now why headlights don't have an adjustable beam like a lot of flashlights do. You just push/pull the lense to change the beam pattern.

 

[Carraig042]

I've wondered for a while now why headlights don't have an adjustable beam like a lot of flashlights do. You just push/pull the lense to change the beam pattern.

Although this could be good for people who use them for commuting and trail, there are way too many lights out there that have terrible fixed beam patterns. Hate to see them attempt to make a light that adjusts...

 

[Jm_]

There are several that come with additional lenses. I think my glow worm did.

 

[jonKranked]

There are several that come with additional lenses. I think my glow worm did.

My 3 bulb ituo did, and each light had its own lens to mix and match. Mine is set up with a mix of focused and wide lenses.

 

[mykel]

There are several that come with additional lenses. I think my glow worm did.

My 2 LED Gloworm Alphas came with both Spot/Spot and Spot/Wide lenses.
I also ordered a Wide/Wide lens.
Spot/Spot on the helmet, Wide/Wide on the bars.

 

[Bike078]

Paul Aston bought a farm in Italy, not far from Finale Ligure, that he's making into a testing area with several tracks, bike lab and whatever else the mad man is thinking. He's maxing out his credit cards to buy bikes for testing then raffling them off to get some money back. For his sake I hope he succeeds.

Although I would say, from a few videos I've seen, that his demeanor can be described as grumpy cat does mtb reviews.

 

[canadmos]

He's maxing out his credit cards to buy bikes for testing then raffling them off to get some money back. F

Sounds like a well thought out plan.

 

[sethimus]

96/1000 tickets sold, sounds like not many ppl are into winning a geometron bike…

https://astonmtb.com/