Printable View
It's that time of year, and i'm behind the 8-ball in getting my system. It's been years (ever since I moved west) since i've done any night mountain biking and its about damn time I get back into it.
What are the latest & greatest lights out there? I used to just rock a handlebar mounted system, but would also consider a helmet mounted light to supplement looking around corners as well.
Any recommendations?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arty50
dammit...so you're not going to read all of that and summarize and tell me what exactly to buy? I have to read myself? shit. big help you are. ;)
Edit: I do have this bic pen flashflight thingy I picked up as some lame giveaway at a conference I was recently at. now just need to find the duct tape.
If you want the best, get the Niterider Firestorm or Flight, their top-of-the-line HIDs. They MSRP for 449 and 549, respectively. Pm me for what you should be paying.
If money is no object, HID is the way to go. You also want the light to be helmet-mounted (or to have both, helmet-mounted and handle bar mounted lights if you really want to be a mobile floodlight).
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that there is such a thing as a cheap HID light. Most I have seen are around the NiteRider price range (in fact, I only saw one that was significantly cheaper - TrailTech, but it turns out they don't work well for mountain bikes because their battery back is set up for ATVs).
This website does a nice job showing what kind of light various systems throw... doesn't have all of them, but definitely shows the differences. You get what you pay for.
The L&M ARC HID is ridiculous:______________________________________ Compare it to the NR Storm, which is pretty good!:
http://eddys.com/merchant/162/images...20arc%20sm.jpg http://eddys.com/merchant/162/images...rower%20sm.jpg
I used the Light&Motion ARC HID on a demo ride this summer...damn fine light. I only had a helmet mounted light and didn't feel like I needed to slow down due to lack of light. I'm hoping to pick one of these up when funds become more abundant.
I actually prefer a bar mount for anything but really tight turns. You get a lot more depth perception and see more texture to the ground. It's like riding a moto at night. Light & Motion ARC HID is my light of choice. I also use a small 5W halogen on my head just to fill in the gaps, look around corners, and off drops. Yes, small drops and jumps in the dark are so fun!!! Also, it's important to have some other light than the bar mount in case you have a mechanical. Last time we went out, my wife borrowed a NR HID for her helmet light and that was a big step up beyond just the little halogen I use, but man is that expensive to buy 2 HID's.
I'd really like to try one of the new LED lights on my head because it's light color is closer to the HID, and I like the bar light to still be the brightest.
My heavily biased opinion advocates for Light and Motion. Their halogen/NiMH setup, the Solo Logic is a great setup if you don't want to spend the bling on HID. The light you get from their halogen is comparable to the Night rider HID. 3 power settings, 2-4 hr burn time, It comes with bar and helmet mount and a trickle charger (8-10hr charge time). $189. I ran this light for a long time.
Cheapest HID setup: ARC NiMH, 2 pwr settings, 4hr burn time, turbo multi chem charger (can charge Li-ion and NiMH) for 2 hr full charge, and a big ole 9cell NiMH battery, bar and helemt mounts. $429 msrp.
Let me know if you have any other LAM questions.
I've had good luck with JET lights, know some of their sponsered riders who swear by the product as well.
As others I use the Light & Motion ARC HID on my roadbike and MTB. Very well built and cars flash their brights on me ALL the time. Comes with mounts so you can do helmet or bars.
Nice find. I look at this page on mtbr http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/. Click on each model to see the hi rez photos of how each model illuminates a trail at night. Especially interesting are the combinations of two lights, the combo beam pattern comparison.Quote:
Originally Posted by 3W MO7B
P.S: Agree the L&M ARC HID is da bomb.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaka
Yeah JET is off the hook. It's my buddy Ehrens company out of Truckee. It's basically a high beam from a car mounted on your forehead, SOOOO BRIGHT!
He has skied the Donner Lake run off the back of Sugar Bowl in total darkness with it. Check them out at www.jetlites.com their HID is amazing.