MTB Night Riding

[neilether]

Sounds like its time for another plug for night riding! Never crowded, never hot, always awesome. It makes very familiar trails seem totally different. It used to be cost prohibitive, but now you can get cheap lights from US distributors on Amazon. $40-50 for two lights. One for your helmet, one for the handlebar.

[nelsonccc]

Sounds like its time for another plug for night riding! Never crowded, never hot, always awesome. It makes very familiar trails seem totally different. It used to be cost prohibitive, but now you can get cheap lights from US distributors on Amazon. $40-50 for two lights. One for your helmet, one for the handlebar.
Yep night lighting is cheap and STRONG! I love mine. Small, bright, cheap, and all three have lasted for more than three years. You can get the light heads for cheap but a good, high quality battery makes all the difference.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Sombeech]

What's a link to a good light set you'd recommend? What lumens range would you suggest?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[nelsonccc]

What's a link to a good light set you'd recommend? What lumens range would you suggest?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
This is what I use on my bars;

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1603/10003978/1285802-fandyfire-x2-cree-xm-l-u2-4-mode-2000-lumen-led-bi

This is what I use on my helmet;

http://www.dx.com/p/ultrafire-lzz-u3-2-x-cree-xm-l2-u3-4-mode-1800lm-white-bike-light-headlamp-black-4-x-18650-285659#.VZdjrCjn9SA

The batteries that will come with these will be okay for a normal 2 hr ride if your careful to turn down the brightness when climbing and use the lights at their max on the downhill. I personally replace the batteries with a more robust battery that gives me a 3-4+ hour window and I always carry an extra battery pack.

I like to use a 6 cell of 18650's in the 6400mah range. They'll last year's and will run the 2000 lumen lights on full bore for 90 min or so. Most people will find the low and medium settings of these lights just fine for slow riding and climbing and then crank them up to high for the fast downhill sections.

Hope that helps.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Iceaxe]

What a bunch of f**king pussies... just go riding about 3 o'clock when it's 100 degrees and you have the trail to yourself.

[neilether]

What's a link to a good light set you'd recommend? What lumens range would you suggest?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I have two of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Refun-Resistant-Rechargeable-Construction-Installation/dp/B00MN7I4FQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436056823&sr=8-3&keywords=Cree+bike+light

Plenty bright. And cheap enough that i wont cry if one breaks (i havent broken one yet)

[Iceaxe]

I split the night riding info off into it's own thread. There is some good info here.

:2thumbs:

[neilether]

I split the night riding info off into it's own thread. There is some good info here.

:2thumbs:

Good call Ice. If you go my route, make sure that the one you choose (there are a few different distributors that sell similar lights), has a 6400mAh battery. For the same price, my buddy accidentally picked the 4400mAh batteries. Makes a pretty noticeable difference to battery life.

Also, make sure at least one of the two comes with the helmet mount kit. You will need an extension cord as well as the head light mount to secure to your helmet. The link above (as of today) looks like it includes the helmet extension and mount.

[neilether]

From experience, here are some general night riding tips.

1. If you only have one light, put it on your handlebar (this is arguable, but of course I think I'm right). You won't be able to see around switchbacks, but the perspective is better with the light on the bar. It actually will cast shadows on the back side rocks/roots to give you better trail perspective. Only one light on your head really tends to wash out the trail and make it hard to discern how large rocks/roots are.
2. If you are doing a long ride with a long climb, use only one light on low for the climb if possible. Alternate between your two lights in the low mode to keep even battery life throughout the ride. It makes a big difference to battery life.
3. In addition to your two main lights, carry a camping head lamp in your pack. Not enough light to ride by, but enough to walk out by in a pinch.
4. It gets cold at night in the mountains, especially when you got to the top of a climb and are sweaty. Carry a dry jersey and a jacket with you. I always strip down to bare skin on top and put the dry jersey on and then the long sleeve or jacket. Much more comfortable. A spare dry pair of gloves is also a nice touch.
5. Ride with friends. I never really thought I was scared of the dark until I went on a night ride by myself. Come to find out, I am a little bit scared of the dark. Go figure. I very nearly shat myself when I came around a corner and saw eyes staring at me. They were attached to a very large longhorn steer.
6. Don't pick the most technical trail. Even with super bright lights, it's difficult to pick out trail features as easily as can be done during the day. Play it safe until you are more comfortable with night riding.

Anybody else have tips?? Seriously, night riding gives you a very unique riding experience. Beat the heat, beat the crowds, make old trails feel new. If anybody is in Logan and wants to give it a try, I can scrounge up some extra lights and we can go for a spin.

[nelsonccc]

I have two of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Refun-Resistant-Rechargeable-Construction-Installation/dp/B00MN7I4FQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436056823&sr=8-3&keywords=Cree+bike+light

Plenty bright. And cheap enough that i wont cry if one breaks (i havent broken one yet)
I have a couple of those as well. They're okay but I found the round profile is too large for the helmet. I've also found that the dual cree t6 bulbs have a wider, brighter throw than the single round ones. I ended up pulling the lenses out of my old round ones and slightly roughing them up, which gives a better, more even spread without the sharp lines on the edges. The round ones that neilether linked to are more established and there are a ton of accessories for those. The headstrap can be modified with Velcro straps to make perfect helmet mounts and all of these lights will use the same oring attachment.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

[nelsonccc]

Forgot to mention that NightRider makes a battery that is tiny and comes with a fantastic mount to put the battery on the back of a helmet. Pretty nice to have both the light head and battery on your helmet without a cord to a backpack.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

[double moo]

Did a solo night ride on Thursday. Was a touch under 80 degrees, beautiful out there. Flushed up 2 baby owls a hundred yards apart, and 3 bunnies! We night rode all winter in Corner Canyon.

I run a pair of the Solarstorm 2s. One on the bars one on the helmet. I put the battery in the top of my pack, easier on the neck than on the helmet. My helmet came with a GoPro mount. Last week I ordered an aftermarket camera adapter to attach your camera to a GoPro mount. Took the bar mount off the light and modified the GoPro adapter to attach to the light. Works awesome!

Earlier today I ordered a couple of the 6 cell battery packs, same 8.4 mh output with longer life. They also sell 8 cell if you aren't affraid of the weight. I ordered off Amazon so I could get the Prime - 2 day free shipping - as I don't want to wait for the Koreans to get around to sending them.

[nelsonccc]

Some of the things I've learned, always carry a spare. The cord for the helmet light will rip right apart if it catches anything in a wreck. Buy a small pack of Velcro chord keepers, they help a ton with keeping the cords where you want them. I second there other comments regarding the sweaty clothes at night. I've been really surprised by how cold it can get at 18mph at night in a sweaty shirt. I love that feeling when climbing with your lights on low, feeling like your all alone in the world. Everything will look different. Tail's that you've ridden a ton will suddenly have a bigger drop or that rock will be twice the size you remember.

My setup is a long throw, really bright light on the helmet and a less bright, wider throw light on the bars. I'll set up the handlebar light to light the immediate trail in front of me and the helmet light for faster speeds.

Unlike Neil, if I have only one light I'll put it on the helmet. He's right regarding the shadows but I can't stand how you can't see through the turns with a handlebar light.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

[double moo]

Unlike Neil, if I have only one light I'll put it on the helmet. He's right regarding the shadows but I can't stand how you can't see through the turns with a handlebar light.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

I'm with Nelsoncc on this one...

[neilether]

I'm with Nelsoncc on this one...

Too bad you're both wrong....:haha:. Just playing. I figured there'd be some dissent with this one. For me, I've tried both and like the handlebar better. However, having two really improves the experience.

To elaborate on what someone said above, I usually put the headlight battery in my jersey pocket (or even my shorts pocket). That way I can thread the cord up underneath my jersey to protect it from grabby tree branches.

[Sombeech]

It's that time again, I'm looking (seriously now) to buy some bike lights. With technology changing, what's a current set you'd recommend.

What is the minimum Lumens you would go with?

Do they have any decent self contained lights now, with the battery and light all 1 unit, without a cord coming from your pack? Or at least an easy battery to strap to the bike frame just below the handlebar light?

[neilether]

It's that time again, I'm looking (seriously now) to buy some bike lights. With technology changing, what's a current set you'd recommend.

What is the minimum Lumens you would go with?

Do they have any decent self contained lights now, with the battery and light all 1 unit, without a cord coming from your pack? Or at least an easy battery to strap to the bike frame just below the handlebar light?

This for your handlebar:

http://www.amazon.com/Nestling%C2%AE-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Bicycle-headlamp/dp/B014GWV77C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458332211&sr=8-2&keywords=cree+bike+light%2C+6600+mah

This for your helmet:

http://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-TM-Headlight-Rechargeable-Waterproof/dp/B00E91EFZC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1458332355&sr=8-8&keywords=cree+bike+light

Extra High Capacity Battery:

http://www.amazon.com/WAY%C2%AEReplacement-6600mAh-Rechargeable-Battery-Headlamp/dp/B00MQSKGYE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1458332308&sr=8-4&keywords=cree+bike+light%2C+6600+mah

You'll need this for your helmet light:

http://www.amazon.com/Stupidbright-Extension-Connectior-Headlights-Universal/dp/B0178UVFJE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458332418&sr=8-1&keywords=cree+bike+light+extension+cord

You can get self-contained units with the battery and the light combined, but these are so cheap, I've found it difficult to pull the trigger on anything else. Very easy to connect the handlebar battery to the frame. The battery for my helmet just goes in my jersey (or shorts) pocket. The extension cord makes it easy to put it somewhere convenient. ADded bonus is that you don't have the weight of the battery on top of your head. Doesn't seem like a big deal until 45 minutes into a ride when you start to notice the extra weight.

[Sombeech]

Cool thanks, so with the high capacity battery, would you suggest buying 2, 1 for each light?

[double moo]

Turned a water bottle into a battery holder - makes it easier to drop in than strapping one on. Water bottles just freeze when show riding anyway!

83098

[accadacca]

double moo got us a few sets of these SolarStorm lights off amazon or eBay. They have worked great at night during summer or winter on the fat bikes. I'm currently using mine in the morning. One on the handlebar and stick the other in my backpack.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160320/d5b3df4f046ffe93b2864e36b3e9b227.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160320/bb655e63a9202a24d8f4429a199b5a42.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160320/04237ba835350933439f2988ef464b16.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160320/bd0144e15ed304e3803140603f42fa83.jpg

[neilether]

Cool thanks, so with the high capacity battery, would you suggest buying 2, 1 for each light?

I would just buy one and keep the original battery as a spare. 3 batteries for two lights will cover you for much longer than you're likely to ride. When climbing, I alternate between the two lights at a lower setting. Then go full power on both for the descent.

[neilether]

Early morning rides are now requiring some artificial light for the first half. Just as an experiment, I have been just taking one light and alternating between handlebar and helmet. I will reiterate my opinion that if you only have one light, put it on your handlebar and mount it upside down so it's as low as possible. This helps tremendously with seeing contours in the dirt.

Only having the light on your helmet makes it really difficult to determine the size of objects you are about to hit as the light perspective doesn't throw shadows as effectively as when the light is mounted lower. Dusty trails just kind of wash out completely in the helmet light as well. Switchbacks are obviously more difficult with this setup, but for the other 96% of the ride, I like it much better.

My night descending setup is handlebar light that is quite a bit brighter than my helmet light. Handlebar creates the shadows and is powerful enough that the helmet light doesn't overpower it.

Discuss. :mrgreen:

[devo_stevo]

Agreed. During my freer days with fewer children, I rode a lot at night and did the 24 Hours of Moab 7 times. I am with Neil 110% on this one. Helmet light alone sucks a lot. Handlebar light alone is good if it's bright enough. Bright light on bars and dimmer light on helmet is the bizness if you've got them both.

Just one light? Put it on the bike!

[tallsteve]

My preference is for 2 lights- one on the handlebar and one on the helmet but, I agree, if you only have 1 light, go with a handlebar mount. For a 2 light setup, I really like a bright, powerful broader-beam (flood pattern) light for the handlebar and a tighter-beam (spot pattern) for the helmet. The spot beam light allows me to look around corners better, see down the trail further and look up the hillside in the trees and bushes for that big cat stalking me!

[accadacca]

Agreed, two lights. I've been using one on my handlebars lately in the morning. I start by climbing and it starts getting light pretty quickly.