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Best Mountain Bike Light

25K views 78 replies 34 participants last post by  znomit 
#1 ·
I need a real good light for some night riding and single track. All off road. No real budget constraints. I want some thing really good. Prefer handle bar mounted.
 
#11 ·
Ok can I play too?

NEW 3800lm 3x Cree Xm-l T6 Led Outdoor Headlight Headlamp Bicycle / Bike Light - Amazon.com

This is a $30 Amazon special light with the Wide Angle lens on the bars and the regular spot lens on the helmet. I adapted these to GoPro mounts thanks to VancBiker and his custom mounts. I am considering getting another bar mount and attaching a spot beam to it as well.

LET THERE BE LIGHT I SAY!

View attachment 874521 View attachment 874522 Product Lens Cameras & optics Electronic device Camera accessory
Blue Technology Machine Azure Electric blue
Product Line Lens Camera accessory Black
Technology Cylinder Machine Office equipment Still life photography


I'll try and get some night shots of these, but they are bright that's for sure.

-=Jason=-
 
#13 ·
all in all my total is as follows:
Code:
$30 light x 2 = $60
$5 Wide Angle Lens
$13 Bar mount
$6 blue thumb screw for helmet
$12 VancBiker Mount x 2 = $24
Total invested: $108
for the money this combo is almost untouchable. yeah You can get away without the gopro stuff and save some cash there, but I didn't like those cheap rubber bands these lights come with. I'd like to get side by side with someone who has one of those $150 plus lights and see how well my setup compares.

-=Jason=-
 
#18 ·
Yeah, from someone who has both cheap and expensive, the cheap is hard to beat.

However, over the last 3 seasons I've been using the Dinotte XML-3 dual. And several cheap lights. For some reason I can't quit buying those cheap lights. They're such a good deal until I look back and see that every ride I never leave home w/o the Dinottes. There's always something w/ the cheap lights. Batteries don't last as long anymore, wire frayed and shorting light out, light head just quit working one day and the connectors are VERY spotty as far as actually connecting and staying together. Yet they keep sucking me in. Dammit!!

Bottom line is I never ride w/o the Dinottes.
 
#20 ·
I've only had one of the cheap flashlights give me trouble, and fixed it by resoldering a cold joint. They still use questionably thin amounts of aluminum and cheap wires, but I still haven't managed to crossthread or crack a housing, and no wires have started to go, leaving my box of wiring unscathed.

I do not use cheap batteries, ever. Protected batteries pulled from US equipment only.

I am enjoying the Gloworm XS I purchased two weeks ago. Ultralight, hella bright, great UI with no annoying fluff. Crazy cheap if you by the head only, yet still comes with a full mounting kit. Nice, wide beam, great color.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for the link.
I was considering just getting just the light head and use the many 18650 batteries that I have already along with one of these holders.
Water Resistant 4 x 18650 Battery Pack Case House Cover for Bike Lamp | eBay
FYI: Going above 1800lm is 3A range. Protected batteries need to be rated for at least 2A to avoid cutoff with a 2S2P pack. Cheap batteries can be as low as 1A. Two 2S2P packs in parallel via a y-cable should work with the lowest rated batteries (and provide a 3hr runtime on high :)
 
#25 ·
I was contemplating purchasing the Dinotte 3xml but I already own a pair of Gemini Olympias. I decided to purchase the gloworm XS lighthead ($220) from Jim at action Led due to the true 2200 lumen output and great reviews with gloworm products.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I'll not argue that the Lupines are top class and offer excellent workmanship. On the other hand there are other lamps that offer specific features very conducive to mountain biking that are more affordable ( even if money is not the core issue ). Case in point; the Gloworm XS. While the output of the XS might not exceed or equal the output of Lupines' best it will provide more light than is typically needed for mountain biking. Output should be in the 2000 lumen range using three of the best Cree XM-L2 "U2" emitters.
The design of the XS is top notch. The mount puts the lamp at almost any angle you wish and was specifically designed for the XS. The optics are "interchangeable" so if you want a flood, spot or mix you can do all of those things without too much problem.

The XS also has a great User Interface that allows the user to dial in each mode level to the output they wish and then save it for future use ( otherwise known as "stepless" option ).

Lastly is the fact that the XS is basically designed for the bars. It has a "wired remote control switch" that allows the rider to keep their hands on the bars while changing modes. Lastly the batteries for the GW's are made with Panasonic cells which are the best made. Service from the dealer is very good. If I had the money to buy any lamp I wanted I would buy the Gloworm XS ( if I wanted a bar lamp ). No, I don't own an XS but I do own a couple X2's.

Lupine used to offer lamps with remote control. I'm not sure they still do. If Lupine still offers a lamp with remote I might consider buying one if I had unlimited funds. Anyway if I'm wrong about the lupines I'm sure someone will quickly correct me.

There is also a British made lamp that is also high quality / very high output. Dang it, I forget the name of it . I believe it was using 7 to 9 XM-L's U2's. Sorry I forgot the listed output as well but I'm sure it had to be over 3000 lumen. Price was pretty steep if I recall, somewhere around $700. Someone will probably read this and recall the name. So many lamps out there hard to remember them all. :p
 
#28 ·
Not to steal the thread from the OP. Looks like Gloworm XS is high on the list as a bar light. What would you guys recommend for a Helmet light. Currently I am using Zebralight H600 MKII with a 2-fish mount. Its compact, light, excellent beam pattern uses a single 18650 and puts out 1000 lumens. But it only lasts 1.5hr at max, and my rides are usually 2 to 2.5hr.

Thx for the battery infor Flamingtaco.
 
#30 ·
Well said Cat. I agree 100% with you. I do ride with a friend that only buys lupine and the quality is superb. Everything about it is well built including the batteries, charger, plugs, ect. He owns the latest version of the Betty and let me tell you. WoW! Killer beam pattern and killer output. It does indeed have a wireless button to change modes which is very cool. Again if funds are not a factor why not. But that's not my case. XS arrives tomorrow and can't wait to take it out on a night ride and compare it to my Duo and Olympia.
 
#62 ·
I thought you already had one? But if not, well, prepared to be blown away. Not Lupine Betty bright, but enough light for any ride at almost any point. I had an Olympia and Duo, and it does not even come close to the XS. The beam pattern is just much better IMO. Not quiet as cleaned up as the Lupines, but a big improvement on the X2 v2.
 
#33 ·
---

IMHO

The best mountain bike light: on bars

one that is evenly weighted so no matter how hard a drop you take the thing stays where you put it. Bad example niterider trinewt and others. no matter how hard you yank the strap, that thing will droop forward when you bounce on stuff.

good example: gemini duo or the clones. Super light, Tiny and centered on it's mount, drops don't affect how the light is aimed.\

also something small so when you have a digger the thing isn't stuck out and getting smashed to bits. good gemini duo sized, bad 'exposure' sized.

------of course your pref matters, above are mine-----

The best mountain bike light: on helmet

There is only one for me and it rules six ways to sunday. A zebralight H600MKII, single 18650 powered, self contained, lightweight, never droops, easy to turn on and easy to swap batteries w/o looking (if I go past 2.5 hours I carry extra 18650)



all other headlamps are PITA, heavier, or have piggyback batteries which bite. zebralight you don't even know it is there. except the fact you have 1000 lumens coming from it. and no having the head on one side doesn't affect anything...in fact it increases depth perception vs one exactly centered between the eyes, due to parallax between left and right eye, and the biased shadow.
 
#35 ·
all other headlamps are PITA, heavier, or have piggyback batteries which bite. zebralight you don't even know it is there. except the fact you have 1000 lumens coming from it. and no having the head on one side doesn't affect anything...in fact it increases depth perception vs one exactly centered between the eyes, due to parallax between left and right eye, and the biased shadow.
No way is that putting out 1000 Lumen if it runs for more than an hour (excepting of course Chinese Lumens). The best 18650 available is 3400mAh capacity. You have to run an XML2 at +3A to get close to 1000 lumen.
 
#36 ·
^ yes, it is.
this is proven via testing by folks on cpf that the zebralight h600wMkII puts out exacly 1000 lumens. this is the same led and circuit as the zebralight SC600MkII, which was tested. Since it is the same guts, I assume the h600 is identical. did I test it personally no. was it tested by someone testing lights all the time to prove/deny claims yes. does zebralight have a history of fudging lumen numbers, no. never busted. does it blast light yes. good enuf for me.

Light Output (runtimes)
High: H1 1020 Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 620 Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / 330 Lm (3.9 hrs) / 150 Lm (11 hrs)

so I got that going for me.

I use NCR3100 and NCR3400's . the 3100 are eagtac protected 18650 and the 3400 are zebralight protected 18650...both NCR (panasonic) guts

and OK you got me at 650 (actual) lumens I have > 2 hour runtime. at 1000 lumens I have 1 hour 40 minutes. I usually run it at 1 level down from high to maximize run.

anyhow, it blows away any other headlight I have used, and i have fiddled with a lot of them...settled on this for total ease of use and practicability. *by 'blow away' I mean the whole package, small, light, never moves around, programming, 18650 powered, mount. it has it all.

everyone should know about zebralight, IMHO. no BS these are top end tools

Headlamp

H600w Mk II 18650 XM-L2 Headlamp Neutral White
 
#38 ·
and OK you got me at 650 (actual) lumens I have > 2 hour runtime. at 1000 lumens I have 1 hour 40 minutes. I usually run it at 1 level down from high to maximize run.
Must be some electrical magic over there in Zebralight land.

I have not tested a Zebralight but am going off of published electrical specifications for the LED used and the best 18650 currently available. I'm sure it's a nice light and all but IMO, the claims are exaggerated.

Per the Cree XM-L2 Datasheet, the best bin is a U2. That bin is rated at 975 Lumen at 85C or 1108 Lumen at 25C. There's no way the Zebralight is keeping the LED temp at 25C but it probably keeps it below 85C. So lets assume it is about 1000 Lumen. You need to drive it at 3A or maybe a bit more (I run my XML based lights at 3.5A) to get 1000 lumen. The Vf per the datasheet shows 3.3V at 3A. Thats a demand of 9.9 Watts. The NCR3400 18650 is a nominal 3.7V and 3.4Ah. That's a capacity of 12.58W/hr. 12.58/9.9=1.27 or a hair more than 1 hour 15minutes before the battery is toast. Toss in driver efficiency losses and the numbers get worse.
 
#37 ·
There is also a British made lamp that is also high quality / very high output. Dang it, I forget the name of it . I believe it was using 7 to 9 XM-L's U2's. Sorry I forgot the listed output as well but I'm sure it had to be over 3000 lumen. Price was pretty steep if I recall, somewhere around $700. Someone will probably read this and recall the name. So many lamps out there hard to remember them all. :p[/QUOTE]

I believe you are thinking of the lights made by Full Beam. They do some seriously powerful lights and are very well made, not cheap though but they do seen to do end of season sales. I have the Speed LED model, very good. The Night Nemesis iI believe has 12 XPG's lighting up the trail.
I run the Speed LED on the bar and Nightlightning Iblaast IX on the helmet, stupid bright.
 
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