Helmet lights

[Bobh]

I have been riding at night and have a good set of bike-mounts lights from Cygolite, but there are a lot of skunks, and I hit some trails that are very dark and have some curves, so I am looking to get a helmet mounted light.

I am amazed how expensive some of them are. I am looking for something definitely less than $100 and preferably under $50.

It seems like some are made to be seen rather than to see. I would like something that helps me see, but also that isn’t blinding.

Any recommendations?

 

[christob]

I wonder if you could get by with a little Jerry rig, to use something like the pair of Bontrager light accessories… I bought a pair, that is a single LED cube that’s white for the front and another one that’s red for the back; they have silicone straps to mount to the handlebar and or seatpost and they have blinking and solid modes. The white light in solid mode mounted somehow to your helmet would seem to be a good possible option in addition to bike mounted lights you already have… So that when you turn your head the light turns with you, but it’s not your sole source of light. I think the pair was 59 or so, and they sell the white one by itself.

 

[mrgold35]

I started out with cheap Chinese brand called TianNorth with 15,000 lumens for $40 on Amazon. No where close to 15,000 lumen (more like 100-150 lumen), battery pack not water resistance or proof, and the light would only last one ride of 1-2 hours depending on brightness setting. Not a lot of fun on a dark trail on a moonless night when your light suddenly turns off at +12 mph.

I was lucky to find a Niterider Pro 2200 Enduro head for $50 on eBay back in 2016. Found a 6v Niterider Pro battery for around $100 on eBay also. These lights are the real deal and the light output is as advertised, water proof, and shock resistant. I mostly need to set the light to the lowest setting and that battery level last me my entire week of work commuting (55-75 miles at 16-18 mph). I like that the light is extremely bright day (blink mode) or night for vehicles to see me since I'm out at 5:30am and coming back at the start of rush hour. Extremely bright, long, and wide beam on the highest setting when trail riding. I mount the Pro 2200 on my Fox Flux helmet and put the battery either in my commuter backpack or Camelbak hydro pack when trail riding.

I was also able to find two Niterider Pro 1800, two Pro 3600, and another Pro 2200 on eBay for 1/3-2/3 off the retail prices. All lights work 100% used and I had one 4v battery fail and Niterider fixed it for free.

 

[hurricane56]

I think you should check out Exposure Lights if you're doing actual night MTB riding. A bar mounted light used with a smaller helmet mounted light seems to be the consensus for best performance.

If you're sharing a trail with oncoming bikers or doing urban riding, consider looking at lights that have a German StVZO rating. Those type of lights will not blind oncoming traffic if they are properly aimed.

A lot of lights will advertise a ton of lumens, but it really all depends on the design and construction of the reflector and lenses. I have a 1600 lumen light that came with my JuicedBike, now retired. It didn't hold a candle to my Supernova m99 that was only rated for 500 lumens.

 

[mrgold35]

Good thing about a helmet light is you can turn your head left/right/up so you don't blind on-coming riders. My Niterider 3600 Pro has a remote I mount near my hand grip I can turn off or reduce the light output. The niterider lights don't have the sharp cutoff like the German brands for urban riding. Depending on where your ride at night on the trails, my niterider lights do an excellent job illuminating low hanging branches/obstacles (top of my helmet with light is a little under 7 feet when sitting on my rover).

 

[ymarty]

I bought this one and it works pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Neolight-Waterproof-Rechargeable-Headlights/dp/B071W8M641 . 18.99 with free shipping

 

[ebikemom]

That's such a good point, @ymarty, that to keep costs down one doesn't necessarily need a HELMET light--there are lots of strap-on headlights out there. I think some zip-ties might help to keep it secure on the helmet??

 

[ymarty]

I actually used heavy duty peal and stick velco straps. I will add the light for night rides. My helmet has a red light in the back, so I velco the battery in the back below the helmet backlight

 

[ebikemom]

Peel & stick Velcro--another great idea. @ymarty, I'm guessing you are the crafty type and an outside-the-box creative thinker!

 

[ymarty]

When you are a single parent with two boys in college, we learn to find cheap but effective solutions

 

[ebikemom]

I love cheap but effective solutions!

 

[batmick1]

I have a built in light on my Haibike , supplemented by a handlebar-mounted Cygolite that usually runs in the steady/flash mode, more for being seen than for seeing. All this is sufficient in summer but in wintertime I do add a helmet light. I chose this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MG7677G which has a very nice and powerful beam. I like the helmet light because I can direct where I get the light, including into windows and mirrors of cars that look like they will do something stupid.
This light is cheap but well made and comes with a bunch of different mounting options. I actually use the GoPro mount and swap my helmet cam for the light when I ride home in the dark. The camera doesn't really deliver useful footage at night so this is an easy swap.

One thing I learned is that a too strong light is actually bad because it kills your night vision. Anything outside of the beam disappears. So choose it strong enough to give you safety at the distance that corresponds to your speed but don't go overboard (or choose a lower power setting).

 

[rannyv]

Helmet mounted lights are also great for street riding. I had a high quality one way back in 1987 (yipes, am I that old?). You can get the attention of distracted drivers by looking at them. The beam shining in their direction makes them pay attention quickly. I don't like obnoxiously bright, flashy lights, but being able to get the driver to see me before running into me is a good thing. You can even shake your head 'no' to give them the idea that they shouldn't think about running into the cyclist.

 

[Bobh]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I ended up seeing a Light and Motion Vis 360 on sale at REI and pulled the trigger. Newer versions are brighter, but for a helmet light, i am ok with it being less than a blinding weapon.

 

[rannyv]

Thanks for the link. I bought one too. Nothing better for getting a distracted person's attention than a quick flash of the helmet light. It's not just drivers who move about with distraction these days. Everyone is staring at the phone. Even some cyclists!

 

[mrgold35]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I ended up seeing a Light and Motion Vis 360 on sale at REI and pulled the trigger. Newer versions are brighter, but for a helmet light, i am ok with it being less than a blinding weapon.

I love the Light and motion lights. I purchased two of the Light and motion Vis 180 rear lights. These things are super bright to be seen during the day in our southwestern sun. I have one on my ebike and another on the rear of my helmet. I turn both on at 5:30am for my morning commute. Only need to use the one on my bike on the way home. I turn the light to yellow follow mode if I'm riding bike paths at night or in a group.

 

[Kurt S]

I have the exposure Diablo MK6 and added the red eye rear light - compact - light & bright