Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

New Front light Suggestions

6K views 47 replies 13 participants last post by  deadone 
#1 ·
hi all.
been browing the forums for hours looking at lights and there are that many of which i know nothing about thus i need some help.
im looking for a new front light only.
i recently had a Nightsun Team Issue Dual Beam front light of which did a great job for the riding i do.
since my bike was stolen , light as well im looking for a replacement.

currently i have niterider mako 200 on the front of my new bike which does a decent job but need a little more and was curious what light do you suggest in the $70-$80 (£50) Price bracket.

i would prefer something bright, good all round battery life within reason, and good illumination up front.
rechargeable would be of interest also.

uk sources are preferred but im not that fussy were i get them from.

looking forward to hearing your suggestions
Mick
 
See less See more
#3 ·
thanx, already checked those out, not liking the style of them.
i did however come across this.
Lezyne Super Drive XL 500L Front Light.
looks nice, has the power range im looking for, a little over my budget but you get what you pay for as they say.
what are your suggestions on them or others like it.

thanx for the help also,
much appreciated
 
#5 · (Edited)
thanx, already checked those out, not liking the style of them.
i did however come across this.
Lezyne Super Drive XL 500L Front Light.
looks nice, has the power range im looking for, a little over my budget but you get what you pay for as they say.
what are your suggestions on them or others like it.
Lezyne makes the best pumps - i have their big pump at home and their portable pump in my hydration pack - both are awesome. compared to a ToPeak pump i had before Lezyne pumps are in another universe altogether.

that said, i personally would rather buy a light from a company famous for making lights, rather than pumps.

i wouldn't even buy a light from a company famous for making cheap dim lights like Cateye.

but i don't know anything about Lezyne lights - you never know - maybe it is good.

i would try to find something in the budget that i had first from companies like Dinotte, Light & Motion, NiteRider then from MagicShine and only if i still couldn't find anything then i would look at stuff like Lezyne etc.

i mean - would you rather buy a car from a company famous for making cars or one famous for making refrigerators ?
 
#4 ·
Did you look at all the lights in the mtbr light shoot-out? It pretty much covers everything reputable.

Magicshine lights are good, especially if you buy from action led. $50 or under gets you in the Chinese clone territory. Read the threads on the first page of this forum to see what works. Upside of these lights is that they are cheap and put out a ton of light. Downside is questionable battery, reliability, and longevity. Still most people are pretty happy if they get 6 months or a year out of a $35 light.
 
#6 ·
I'm riding a UK-made Exposure Diablo MK4 ( about $210) on my helmet, and an Exposure Toro MK4 (about $320) on my bar. These are damn fine lights. The internal batteries are simple (no cables) and the mounting brackets and functionality are very rider-friendly. I'm using both on three hour settings for two hour rides with great results.
 
#7 ·
If the OP is limiting the use to "road only" then the Lezyne ( 500L) should be fine. If you're going to be riding off road you will need more output.

Yes, as a rule you do get what you pay for but what you pay for might not be everything you were expecting. The better way to go is, "maximum Bang for the Buck". If it works you will usually not be disappointed.
 
#8 ·
thanx all, the help is very much appreciated.
the last good lights i had were the nightsun team issue around 10 years ago.
i never had any issues with them and alot of things have changed since then.
anyway after browsing all the suggestions you have all gave i have narrowed my list down.
lights im looking for would be for commuting to and from work and offroad riding on my days off.

Magicshine MJ-808E 1000 lumens bike light £89.95
Front Bike Lights | Magicshineuk.co.uk

Magicshine MJ-816E 1800 lumens wide angle bike light, £114.95
Front Bike Lights | Magicshineuk.co.uk

SolarStorm X2 2xCREE XML U2 LED Bike Light $49
SolarStorm X2 2xCREE XML U2 LED Bike Light_Solarstorm Lights_Flashlight Retail-FREE SHIPPING

MagicShine SSC-P7 + 2*XP-E 16W 3-Mode 1400-Lumen LED Bike Light Set (4*18650 included) £80
MagicShine SSC-P7 + 2*XP-E 16W 3-Mode 1400-Lumen LED Bike Light Set (4*18650 included) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Cree Powered 900 Lumen XM-L T6 LED Bike Light Set: Includes Wide Angle Lens & Helmet Mount Option $43.95
StupidBright | Cree XML T6 LED Bike Light

Nite Rider Lumina 650L £102
Nite Rider Lumina 650L Cordless Front Light | Chain Reaction Cycles

MTB Batteries XM-L light V2.0 (1000 lumens) £89
Home - mtb batteries supplying portable power solutions to the UK

Cateye Nano Shot + Front Bike Light with Helmet Mount £93.00
Pedal Pedal | Cateye Nano Shot+ with Helmet Mount |

im liking the style of the SolarStorm X2 2xCREE XML U2, and the price is a bonus.
out of the ones i have selected what would be your personal faves if any.
im willing to extend my budget to around the £100 thus why some of these are higher priced than my original post.

thanx all once again
Mick
 
#9 ·
i vote NiteRider Lumina unless you want to helmet mount the light, then a self-contained light is not a good choice due to battery weight. self-contained is also not good for upgrades, and has no option for a spare battery. i'm really not a big fan of self-contained lights ( but some people are ).

in the same price range as Lumina, the Philips Saferide is a better commuting light, but it can't be used off-road, while Lumina can.

i suggest you also consider NiteRider Pro 750 because it will give you excellent helmet mounting options:

http://www.niterider.com/wp-content/uploads/userguides/750_userguide.pdf

of the lights i had i was only satisfied with NiteRider Pro's helmet mount.

also i recommend you consider Light & Motion Stella 500.
 
#10 ·
thanx for the tips.
so many to choose from its a nightmare lol.
as for the helmet mount option, ill prob go for separate light for that at a later stage.
so really just bar mounted front light is what im looking for.

the Nite Rider Lumina 650L looks good, i already have the mako 150 so i know what to expect from it, is the helmet mount for this light any good.
as im sure the extra power it provides would suffice for my needs.

the NiteRider Pro 750 looks great, small and i presume lightweight, but a little over my £100 budget.
 
#12 ·
came across this the other day.
its one of the lights im interested in and at the same price but with the upgraded battery pack.
i have upped my budget a little but if im going to get a light i should get the best i can afford.

Magicshine MJ-816E 1800 lumen Cycle Bike light + Endurance Battery 6.6ah | eBay

whats putting me off is the o-ring mount, how sturdy are they and do they do a proper mounting bracket.
 
#14 ·
yeah i did think about that as well so shouldn't really be an issue.
i also came across this for the same price as the one i mentioned

SG-T2200
2200 lumen light set.

looks nice, great output as well, also helmet mount included
out of the 2 what would you guys and gals go for.

once again thanx for all the help, tips and advice, i would of been lost without it
 
#15 ·
I've seen the magicshine MJ816E in use and it really bright and a nice beam pattern.
With that said, I just don't like the "Mickey Mouse ears" design. Especially if you have any plans to use it as a helmet light.

I have no experience with the SG-T2200, but I really like the compact design (again, especially for the helmet). That would be my pick.
 
#18 ·
thanx varider , read the post in mention, and i agree, seems to hard to tell who what were so to speak. only thing thats looks certain are the looks and the Sanguan Technology Manufacturer.

im going to go with this light (SG-T2200) and if it does what it states it does it should do me fine.
if its good all round then i might even at a later date consider another just for helmet mount option.

once again thanx all who added there bit here very much appreciated and glad i came here to ask my questions.
seems most here are knowledgeable and friendly so i couldn't ask for more..

regards
Mick
 
#20 ·
this only seems like a good idea to people who don't understand the differences in design requirements of tactical and bike lights. this is a bit like buying a Toys R Us Mountain Bike to commute to work on a perfectly paved road. it may seem like you have outsmarted everybody at first but eventually you will realize it was foolish.

if you compare a good Tactical Flashlight like Fenix TK22 ( 650 Lumen ) to a similar good bike light like Light & Motion Urban 550 ( 550 Lumen ) the Fenix will at first appear cheaper, but when you add the cost of battery, charger and mount it will be the same, but not work as well for a bike light.

i use both Fenix and Light & Motion products and both are good companies, but they are designed differently because they are designed for different applications.
 
#23 ·
It's funny, I would say the opposite. IF I were still going to use torches, I'd use them on my handlebars, because then weigh isn't an issue. But either way, where you have them mounted doesn't change the short run times compared to dedicated bike lights.

Don't get me wrong, I was a huge proponent of using torches a few years back, and would never say someone is "foolish" for using them as Androgen said (what planet is that dude from anyway?).
Torches can be great for short rides, and as I always stated when I used them, you have the added benefit of using them OFF the bike year round, compared to a dedicated bike light which will see little use off the bike (for most people anyway).

But like I said, with bike lights costing less then a case of beer now, my torches are just for walking the dog at night and as a back up in my camelback.
 
#24 ·
That's correct about runtime - but probably it depends from particular riding habits and terrains. In my case, I use helmet light as a supplement to the powerful bar-mounted systems, switching it on selective parts of trail, when additional lighting is desirable (forest paths, corners and turns, etc).

Main avdantage of torch for me is, the absence of power cord and low profile when mounted. Of course, spare batteries are always with me, and are replaced as needed...
 
#27 ·
you could try changing the position of the light on the helmet ( you will feel the weight less if you move it more towards the back ) or just waiting until you get used to it. i have 3 lights on the helmet totaling 340 grams and i don't have a problem with it. maybe it's just a matter of preference.
 
#30 ·
Just tested out my new Stella and Seca so far they seem pretty good. Just did a quick shot in a dark room as it isn't night here yet. Stella is nice and compact and sits really good on the helmet and the two cell battery is nice.

Wondering if it's normal to have a different color temperature between the two lights. I know I'm probably being picky, but I thought that they would be the same? One's yellow and the other is bluer.
 
#31 ·
Wondering if it's normal to have a different color temperature between the two lights. I know I'm probably being picky, but I thought that they would be the same? One's yellow and the other is bluer.
i don't know what you mean by "normal" in this case. i have had that situation when i had a NiteRider Pro 3600 on the bar and Lupine Piko 3 on the helmet. The NR looked violet-blue and Piko looked yellow-green. I eventually returned both.

right now i have Seca 1700 on the helmet and Philips SafeRide on the bar and i don't notice any difference in color between them - both just look white to me.

it is normal for different lights to be manufactured with different color temperature because cree LEDs come with different color temperatures. on the other hand whether it is normal to ride with two lights of different color temeprature ? that's probably for you to decide. if it bothers you then it bothers you.
 
#34 ·
Took the Stella 500 / Seca 1500 combo out for a big night ride....wow!! Found that I could run the Seca at 450 and just toggle the Stella between Hi 500 and Low 275 in Race mode. Super techy/rooty/rocky shadowy single track was completely lit up.

The Stella still kept up with the Seca at 800 for faster more open decents. Seca at 1500 was just ridiculous, not really neccessary but a lot of fun...

On the ride home just run the Seca at 450 and it completely lights up the path, from the front tire to as far as I needed...The Beam Pattern of this light is so good.

If anyone is wondering; the Stella 500 has a really nice even round beam. Quite floody with no hot spots. I would be totally comfortable running this light alone on my helmet.

Setup:

  • Stella 500 on helmet with two cell in jersey pocket. Hardly noticed the weight.
  • Seca 1500 on bars with battery strapped to frame.
 
#35 ·
Took the Stella 500 / Seca 1500 combo out for a big night ride....wow!! Found that I could run the Seca at 450 and just toggle the Stella between Hi 500 and Low 275 in Race mode. Super techy/rooty/rocky shadowy single track was completely lit up.

The Stella still kept up with the Seca at 800 for faster more open decents. Seca at 1500 was just ridiculous, not really neccessary but a lot of fun...

On the ride home just run the Seca at 450 and it completely lights up the path, from the front tire to as far as I needed...The Beam Pattern of this light is so good.

If anyone is wondering; the Stella 500 has a really nice even round beam. Quite floody with no hot spots. I would be totally comfortable running this light alone on my helmet.
yes, starting from 2013 model year they really nailed it with the Seca. but i don't recommend older Seca models because their beam was too "pointy" for the lack of better word back then. starting from Seca 1700 in 2013 model year they made the beam wider and smoother and just right.
 
#37 ·
Don't skimp on lumens and battery life. Not having enough light and not enough light to finish the ride or ride for long are two big downsides. Of course the design and pattern can make the most or ruin light. Claimed lumens are not absolute. But 350 won't cut it for trail use in my opinion. I switch between 350 and 750 on my light. In some spots 350 is fine and in some 350 makes me nervous.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top