|   Night Riding! | cbass11
Aug 9, 2002 6:47 AM | | I do a lot of riding after work, which is great in the Summer, but once the time changes and it gets dark at 5:30 I'm out of luck.
Therefore, I've decided to buy a light for night riding.
Can you guys/gals give me some advice on what to buy and what NOT to buy?
I need my MTB fix and only riding on the weekends in the Fall/Winter just isn't going to do it.
Thanks for your help. You guys rock!
cbass11 |
| If money is no object... | Fat-tire
Aug 9, 2002 7:32 AM | | I'd recommend a NiteRider HID. They are close to $400, but you can fully charge it in like 5 hours, and then can run for over 4 hours on one charge. And their output is something like 40watts (which I believe is close to what the sun puts out :-)
You can get them as a handlebar mount or a helmet mount. Each has its advantages/disadvantages.
I have two light: one handlebar mounted and one helmet mount. I have a handlebar-mounted NiteRider Dual lamp. 12, 20, and 32 watts, can run for 3 hours on 12 watts (which is enough light for me), and can charge in 5 hours. I bought it used for $190. I also have a 15 watt NiteRider headlamp. Runs for about 1.5 hours, but takes 13 hours to charge. Bought it used for $90.
I usually only use the handlebar mount, and bought the helmet only for some night races or if somebody needs to borrow one. |
| Let the NR reliability debates begin! | Bonee
Aug 9, 2002 7:55 AM | | I have no first hand experience with NR. Read the reviews. People eitehr have a great experience with them and they work flawlessly. Other people have horror stories. I'm not saying to avoid them, jsut to read the reviews on all of their systems and beware of the risks for each one.
For what I can say first hand, I started with a Marwi Elite Pro Dual bar mount with 10w/15w lamps. Fine for fire roads, tough on singletrack. To supplement, I bought a Light and Motion Cabeza Logic, a 7w/10w/15w helmet mount. Helps tremendously on singletrack.
I prefer to ride with both of them, I set the bar mount at 10w, the helmet mount at 7w (when it is at 15w, it washes out the trail). I find that to be more than enough light, cause really, I'm not out poaching deer or making like a landing strip for martians, I just want to be able to see the trail. |
| depends but... | namaSSte
Aug 9, 2002 9:00 AM | | I LOVE my Light and Motion Cabeza Logic. Very white, very bright. Last 24 hr event I was using it along with a dual Marwi bar mount and wound up leaving the Marwi behind after the first lap because I got enough light from the helmet. They are unbelievably light and charge fully in 2.5 hrs. I've used Niteriders too and really feel the LNM makes a far superior product at given price points. I have heard (but never used) that the Jet lights are great too. Read the reviews here. If you are only getting one (another debate to follow) I'd go helmet. |
| I have a 20W Jet Designs Phantom single helmet light... | Metroid
Aug 9, 2002 9:45 AM | | The Jet has a 13.2V battery on a 12V bulb. This "overvolting" produces a 40% more light output so it's really brighter than 20W. It's super bight, has 2 hours of burn time with the stock battery, comes with the 5 hour quick charger and only cost about $175. It has a perfect beam pattern of nice bright white light. Here's my post with pictures comparing a 15W NR Digital Evolution to the 20W Jet Phantom...
Metroid "Nite Rider Digital Evolution vs. Jet Designs Phantom..." 12/1/01 3:09pm
Can you say "Night and Day"? |
| NiteRider HID. | Biking Viking
Aug 9, 2002 10:08 AM | | Look no further.
BV |
| Wow, cool pic! (nm) | ciclistagonzo
Aug 9, 2002 10:16 AM | | nm |
| how about DIY lights??? | EricTheRed
Aug 9, 2002 10:43 AM | | I've had Night riders, but don't seem to have good luck with them, i think i will try DIY lights this winter, do a search on DIY Light on google and you should find more than enough stuff. The worst thing about the DIY lights is that they are usually not a good fit for water bottle holders, some of the DIY have gotten around that and i'm sure its not to hard to think or more ways to do it.
-e |
| I put my battery in a seat pack. (and a link for you) | Fast Eddy
Aug 9, 2002 12:45 PM | | With the battery in a seat pack, I still get to bring a water bottle. Plus, if I ever had a problem with my lights (never have, three seasons), the warranty service guy lives in my house and works nights and weekends (for free).
Here's a good DIY light thread from last Nov:
Metroid "I need help choosing a light system...." 11/29/01 2:22pm |
| Just got MY first rechargeable Light today via the brown santa | Deadhead Archer
Aug 9, 2002 12:11 PM | | I researched and decided to try a Cygo Light Night Rover NiCAD Extra. It reviewed well, I've searched for negative feedback and have found very little (other then the complaint that it uses NiCAD instead of NiMH) and the 15-17 hr charge time. What also sold this system is the huge 6 hr run time (max) and the affordability (~$90).
No more 1w 'C' cell Cats Eye light for me! :) Last one I had lasted 12 years...
It's charging at home right now (as it was delivered to me at noon), I won't get to try it out until tomorrow night. Circumstantially, the Persid Meteor shower will be peaking on Sunday morning at 3 AM, which gives me a good excuse to try my new system out!
After I get a month or 2 of usage on the lights, I will add my feedback to the Reviews. |
| if you want to shed $300+ for HID go with Light and Motion ARC | poff
Aug 9, 2002 3:06 PM | | These are superior in quality and performance to NR HID. They are brighter, lighter, charge faster and more reliable. Also, customer service is much better. |
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