night riding

[m.krupp]

Night riding or early morning riding has always been something I wanted to get in to especially with limited time I have to ride. I have tried with a couple of headlamps I already had but found I had to ride pretty slow so I didn’t out ride my illumination. I have spent some time researching illumines which seems to be the critical piece of the puzzle. I have yet to find definitive info or really anyone getting into recommending a minimal. Headlamps typical are between 40-100 illumines. Ok for hiking but riding a bike seems to require more.

I have also spent some time looking at what options there are. Illumines specifically for bikes range from 100 (pretty weak) all the way up to 5,000 (overkill, think of car lights on high). The higher the illumines, usually the higher the price and shorter the run time.

I think I am settling on something around 1,000 illumines. I think this will allow me to ride at a good pace, not all out, and still be comfortable.

Looking for any thoughts or experience out there. Advice or tips welcomed. What is the fields thoughts here?

[Jeff Barber]

1,000 lumens is a pretty safe bet for most riders. If you’re riding slow, you can go lower. Faster, and you might need more brightness. Start with a helmet light, then consider getting a second light for the bars, and as a backup in case your primary light fails.

How Many Lumens Do I Need for Mountain Biking at Night?

[m.krupp]

Jeff

Thanks for the response. I had read the attached article a few months ago as part of my research. It was probably the most helpful article I read. What I found interesting is how many articles I read that would may all kinds of recommendations such as two lights and so on but no one was talking illumines which as I stated before seems to be the most critical point of the light. Definitely eventually want to a two light set up but will start with the helmet light.

Additionally appreciate the site you have here. Great place to learn and connect with people that have different experiences and learn from others.

[rmap01 ✓ supporter]

Night riding is a blast.  Even riding trails you know is a totally different experience in the dark.  I typically use two lights, one mounted on my helmet the other on my handlebar.  After trying several different lights I settled on the Cygolite Expilion 800 for my helmet.  It’s relatively light and has enough brightness even if I am pushing the pace.  I have been on multi-hour rides and never had an issue.  Given how well it performed I bought a 2nd one for my handlebars.

[trackerJack]

Looking to try the night riding as well. That Cygolite Expilion 800 looks great. I don’t have a keen eye in the dark so I need something a little brighter.

[m.krupp]

rmap01, thanks for the input. Looked up some details on it and it appears this is a really good option. I appreciate the price point is descent and run time is pretty good. I looked at multiple sites and it is a bit humorous how different sites had different run times. All close but not identical.

[OhioFatBiker]

Night riding is great. I love how it expands my season into the Daylight savings months. Having experienced a light failure on a trail in the middle of winter, I will enthusiastically join those recommending a second light on the bars. Thankfully it was a familiar trail with a full moon and snow on the ground allowing me to safely navigate out. A second light also helps with depth perception as a helmet mounted light tends to flatten everything out. I spent a little less on each light and went with two.

[trackerJack]

Night riding is great. I love how it expands my season into the Daylight savings months. Having experienced a light failure on a trail in the middle of winter, I will enthusiastically join those recommending a second light on the bars. Thankfully it was a familiar trail with a full moon and snow on the ground allowing me to safely navigate out. A second light also helps with depth perception as a helmet mounted light tends to flatten everything out. I spent a little less on each light and went with two.

That sounds a fun adventure!

[sssirois]

Beyond the number of lumens, you should consider the run times….Or more importantly “ride times”.  I often ride for two+ hours which is often about the max run times on some of these lights at the highest settings.  Fortunately most of the lights can run at different levels offering varying run times.  Ultimately you might need “more light” to support your ride times.  I have a 1700 lumen Cygolite Centauri which most of the time i run at the 1200 lumen setting.  1200 lumens offers plenty of light, and u can always switch back & forth when u need a little boost of light.  I highly recommend the Centauri light: high output with long run times. My only complaint about this light is:  It’s a bit heavy for a helmet mount.  Happy Trails !!

[withrust]

Never tried night riding since I’m a morning person but would love to try it. Will really make sure to get that 1000 lumens for safety.

[rhut]

I have used a lot of different lights for night riding and have learned that manufacturers can claim whatever they want for lumens and battery life with no oversight, so reading reviews are worth way more than packaging claims. My 750 lumen Niterider bar lamp and 350 lumen helmet lamp are much brighter than what a lot of other manufacturers list at 1000 lumens. The mounts and snap in brackets for those lights are another story though and I have had to use warranty replacements about 3 times on each light because of cheap plastic, so I am also looking for a new manufacturer with similar performance, but a better mounting system.

[charding]

I have a light for my bars which is extremely bright, but I haven’t yet gotten one to mount on my helmet. Since the handlebar light is so bright, I’m not as concerned about lumens and could probably get away with 750, but I do have another concern. On another light-related thread from a couple years ago, the conversation ended with someone wishing for a side-mounted light or one that is very low profile so you don’t have a “4 inch tall tree catcher” on top of your head.

Like I said, that was from a couple years ago…I didn’t want to revive a dead thread, so I’m adding the question here. Has this gotten better? Are there good low-profile helmet lights anyone can recommend? I definitely take a few taps to the head from low-hanging branches on my rides and it wouldn’t take long for either the light to get taken off my helmet or me to get taken off my bike if the light was 4 inches tall.

[Arebee]

We ride all year long, so night riding is what we are forced to do once daylight begins to get short. Our trails are highly technical so good lighting is a must. I ride with two 650s on my bars and a 750 on my helmet and I ride every trail I would ride in the day. The guys in our group all favor NiteRider Lumina lights and I know they get a bad rap for losing lumens after a short period of time, but for 2-3 hour rides, I’ve never had an issue where I felt my safety was in jeopardy. One of the 650s is over 6 years old.

Get out there, be safe and enjoy!

[Author]

Posts