Headlamp recommendations for night riding - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-01-2004, 08:12 PM

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.

Background
- My bike is a Specialized Elite
- I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
- I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
- I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
levels.

My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

Thanks
Russ

08-02-2004, 07:41 AM

Russ wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
> There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.
>
> Background
> - My bike is a Specialized Elite
> - I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
> - I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
> - I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
> levels.
>
> My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

The sweet spot is different for different riders & different conditions.

There are three types of bike lights: the "flashlight style" ones
powered by standard internal batteries (AA or C size); the ones powered
by separate rechargeables; and generator lights.

Most of the first type are "be seen" lights, OK for city work where the
roads are lit by street lights. A very few put out enough light to
actually see the road in less ideal conditions. (Some Cateye lights fit
the latter description.) Run times are typically shorter than what
you'd like. These sell for $10 to $35. For me, anything less than $20
is likely useless.

Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
doing well financially!

Generators are out of fashion in the US and hard to find. (Bike shops
rarely sell them any more - you have to go mail order.) They require
more mechanical and electrical aptitude to install. They're generally
limited to three watts output, which puts them between the "flashlight"
lamps and the rechargeables. They slow you down a little when you ride,
maybe 1 to 2 mph. But they tend to have the best optics by far, and in
many cases light the road better than a 10 or 15 watt rechargeable set.
Run time is infinite, and batteries never need replaced. Cheap
generator sets start at $15 in discount stores, and actually work well
if you replace the vacuum bulb with a halogen bulb. Typical price may
be about $60 or so. The world's best is over $200.

I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-02-2004, 07:41 AM

Russ wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
> There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.
>
> Background
> - My bike is a Specialized Elite
> - I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
> - I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
> - I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
> levels.
>
> My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

The sweet spot is different for different riders & different conditions.

There are three types of bike lights: the "flashlight style" ones
powered by standard internal batteries (AA or C size); the ones powered
by separate rechargeables; and generator lights.

Most of the first type are "be seen" lights, OK for city work where the
roads are lit by street lights. A very few put out enough light to
actually see the road in less ideal conditions. (Some Cateye lights fit
the latter description.) Run times are typically shorter than what
you'd like. These sell for $10 to $35. For me, anything less than $20
is likely useless.

Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
doing well financially!

Generators are out of fashion in the US and hard to find. (Bike shops
rarely sell them any more - you have to go mail order.) They require
more mechanical and electrical aptitude to install. They're generally
limited to three watts output, which puts them between the "flashlight"
lamps and the rechargeables. They slow you down a little when you ride,
maybe 1 to 2 mph. But they tend to have the best optics by far, and in
many cases light the road better than a 10 or 15 watt rechargeable set.
Run time is infinite, and batteries never need replaced. Cheap
generator sets start at $15 in discount stores, and actually work well
if you replace the vacuum bulb with a halogen bulb. Typical price may
be about $60 or so. The world's best is over $200.

I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-02-2004, 07:41 AM

Russ wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
> There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.
>
> Background
> - My bike is a Specialized Elite
> - I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
> - I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
> - I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
> levels.
>
> My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

The sweet spot is different for different riders & different conditions.

There are three types of bike lights: the "flashlight style" ones
powered by standard internal batteries (AA or C size); the ones powered
by separate rechargeables; and generator lights.

Most of the first type are "be seen" lights, OK for city work where the
roads are lit by street lights. A very few put out enough light to
actually see the road in less ideal conditions. (Some Cateye lights fit
the latter description.) Run times are typically shorter than what
you'd like. These sell for $10 to $35. For me, anything less than $20
is likely useless.

Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
doing well financially!

Generators are out of fashion in the US and hard to find. (Bike shops
rarely sell them any more - you have to go mail order.) They require
more mechanical and electrical aptitude to install. They're generally
limited to three watts output, which puts them between the "flashlight"
lamps and the rechargeables. They slow you down a little when you ride,
maybe 1 to 2 mph. But they tend to have the best optics by far, and in
many cases light the road better than a 10 or 15 watt rechargeable set.
Run time is infinite, and batteries never need replaced. Cheap
generator sets start at $15 in discount stores, and actually work well
if you replace the vacuum bulb with a halogen bulb. Typical price may
be about $60 or so. The world's best is over $200.

I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-02-2004, 07:41 AM

Russ wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
> There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.
>
> Background
> - My bike is a Specialized Elite
> - I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
> - I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
> - I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
> levels.
>
> My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

The sweet spot is different for different riders & different conditions.

There are three types of bike lights: the "flashlight style" ones
powered by standard internal batteries (AA or C size); the ones powered
by separate rechargeables; and generator lights.

Most of the first type are "be seen" lights, OK for city work where the
roads are lit by street lights. A very few put out enough light to
actually see the road in less ideal conditions. (Some Cateye lights fit
the latter description.) Run times are typically shorter than what
you'd like. These sell for $10 to $35. For me, anything less than $20
is likely useless.

Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
doing well financially!

Generators are out of fashion in the US and hard to find. (Bike shops
rarely sell them any more - you have to go mail order.) They require
more mechanical and electrical aptitude to install. They're generally
limited to three watts output, which puts them between the "flashlight"
lamps and the rechargeables. They slow you down a little when you ride,
maybe 1 to 2 mph. But they tend to have the best optics by far, and in
many cases light the road better than a 10 or 15 watt rechargeable set.
Run time is infinite, and batteries never need replaced. Cheap
generator sets start at $15 in discount stores, and actually work well
if you replace the vacuum bulb with a halogen bulb. Typical price may
be about $60 or so. The world's best is over $200.

I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-02-2004, 07:41 AM

Russ wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'd like to get some input from others on the topic of headlamp setups.
> There are a lot of choices and lights get very expensive.
>
> Background
> - My bike is a Specialized Elite
> - I ride locally in neighborhoods and on trails
> - I want to not just be seen at night, I really want to *see*
> - I'd like at least 2-4 hours at full brightness. Also, selectable light
> levels.
>
> My question is the "sweetspot" between cost and light performance?

The sweet spot is different for different riders & different conditions.

There are three types of bike lights: the "flashlight style" ones
powered by standard internal batteries (AA or C size); the ones powered
by separate rechargeables; and generator lights.

Most of the first type are "be seen" lights, OK for city work where the
roads are lit by street lights. A very few put out enough light to
actually see the road in less ideal conditions. (Some Cateye lights fit
the latter description.) Run times are typically shorter than what
you'd like. These sell for $10 to $35. For me, anything less than $20
is likely useless.

Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
doing well financially!

Generators are out of fashion in the US and hard to find. (Bike shops
rarely sell them any more - you have to go mail order.) They require
more mechanical and electrical aptitude to install. They're generally
limited to three watts output, which puts them between the "flashlight"
lamps and the rechargeables. They slow you down a little when you ride,
maybe 1 to 2 mph. But they tend to have the best optics by far, and in
many cases light the road better than a 10 or 15 watt rechargeable set.
Run time is infinite, and batteries never need replaced. Cheap
generator sets start at $15 in discount stores, and actually work well
if you replace the vacuum bulb with a halogen bulb. Typical price may
be about $60 or so. The world's best is over $200.

I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-02-2004, 12:36 PM

"Frank Krygowski" wrote...
> Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
> have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
> MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
> it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
> light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
> These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
> except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
> the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
> doing well financially!
>
(snip)
> I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
> bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
> remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
> battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

Best battery life (at least for SLA) is obtained when you re-charge after
every ride. Sometimes this is not possible but with a 'proper' charger it
will give you maximum battery life AND you'll always have a full charge to
ride on.

Another comment: My commuting bike has two separate SLA halogen headlight
systems .. totaling 3 bulbs, and two batteries. The first was a PERFORMANCE
system that I suspect was built by someone else and Performance put their
name on it. I don't think they sold very many. The headlight is *enormous*
by today's standards ... the reflector is a whopping 3.5" in diameter and
the lens is designed to provide a wide, flat beam across the road. It also
has two illumation levels.

The second system is a Vistalite with dual bulbs. I forget what the wattage
is .. I think 10 and 10 (I think it originally came with 10 and 20 bulbs)
The reflectors are 2 inches in diameter. The reflectors can be adjusted
in-out to change the beam pattern (wide, small) .. but the beam is still
circular.

I just bought a new system (for one of my other bikes) from Bike Nashbar
that has the current style bulb. REAL small, and not adjustable in any way.
It was on sale for $40 and it's a 10 watt SLA system that should run for at
least 2 hours.

I dunno .. I think BICYCLING magazine's STYLE MAN has warped everyone into
thinking smaller is better ;-)

08-02-2004, 12:36 PM

"Frank Krygowski" wrote...
> Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
> have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
> MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
> it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
> light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
> These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
> except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
> the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
> doing well financially!
>
(snip)
> I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
> bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
> remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
> battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

Best battery life (at least for SLA) is obtained when you re-charge after
every ride. Sometimes this is not possible but with a 'proper' charger it
will give you maximum battery life AND you'll always have a full charge to
ride on.

Another comment: My commuting bike has two separate SLA halogen headlight
systems .. totaling 3 bulbs, and two batteries. The first was a PERFORMANCE
system that I suspect was built by someone else and Performance put their
name on it. I don't think they sold very many. The headlight is *enormous*
by today's standards ... the reflector is a whopping 3.5" in diameter and
the lens is designed to provide a wide, flat beam across the road. It also
has two illumation levels.

The second system is a Vistalite with dual bulbs. I forget what the wattage
is .. I think 10 and 10 (I think it originally came with 10 and 20 bulbs)
The reflectors are 2 inches in diameter. The reflectors can be adjusted
in-out to change the beam pattern (wide, small) .. but the beam is still
circular.

I just bought a new system (for one of my other bikes) from Bike Nashbar
that has the current style bulb. REAL small, and not adjustable in any way.
It was on sale for $40 and it's a 10 watt SLA system that should run for at
least 2 hours.

I dunno .. I think BICYCLING magazine's STYLE MAN has warped everyone into
thinking smaller is better ;-)

08-02-2004, 12:36 PM

"Frank Krygowski" wrote...
> Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
> have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
> MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
> it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
> light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
> These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
> except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
> the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
> doing well financially!
>
(snip)
> I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
> bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
> remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
> battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

Best battery life (at least for SLA) is obtained when you re-charge after
every ride. Sometimes this is not possible but with a 'proper' charger it
will give you maximum battery life AND you'll always have a full charge to
ride on.

Another comment: My commuting bike has two separate SLA halogen headlight
systems .. totaling 3 bulbs, and two batteries. The first was a PERFORMANCE
system that I suspect was built by someone else and Performance put their
name on it. I don't think they sold very many. The headlight is *enormous*
by today's standards ... the reflector is a whopping 3.5" in diameter and
the lens is designed to provide a wide, flat beam across the road. It also
has two illumation levels.

The second system is a Vistalite with dual bulbs. I forget what the wattage
is .. I think 10 and 10 (I think it originally came with 10 and 20 bulbs)
The reflectors are 2 inches in diameter. The reflectors can be adjusted
in-out to change the beam pattern (wide, small) .. but the beam is still
circular.

I just bought a new system (for one of my other bikes) from Bike Nashbar
that has the current style bulb. REAL small, and not adjustable in any way.
It was on sale for $40 and it's a 10 watt SLA system that should run for at
least 2 hours.

I dunno .. I think BICYCLING magazine's STYLE MAN has warped everyone into
thinking smaller is better ;-)

08-02-2004, 12:36 PM

"Frank Krygowski" wrote...
> Most of the middle type are expensive, like well over $100. Almost all
> have no optical design to speak of, meaning they use a hardware store
> MR-11 bulb and spray most of the light where it's not needed, unless
> it's technical mountain biking you're doing. (For that, you do need
> light everywhere.) Battery life is finite and replacement is expensive.
> These are the kind people sometimes build for themselves, because
> except for cosmetics, the one you build is as good as, and cheaper than,
> the one produced by mass production - a clue that the manufacturers are
> doing well financially!
>
(snip)
> I ride only roads and the occasional bike path at night. I also use my
> bike a lot for utility, and want the light always ready to go (no "Did I
> remember to bring it along?" or "When did I last recharge that
> battery?") So I like generators. But Your Mileage May (definitely) Vary.

Best battery life (at least for SLA) is obtained when you re-charge after
every ride. Sometimes this is not possible but with a 'proper' charger it
will give you maximum battery life AND you'll always have a full charge to
ride on.

Another comment: My commuting bike has two separate SLA halogen headlight
systems .. totaling 3 bulbs, and two batteries. The first was a PERFORMANCE
system that I suspect was built by someone else and Performance put their
name on it. I don't think they sold very many. The headlight is *enormous*
by today's standards ... the reflector is a whopping 3.5" in diameter and
the lens is designed to provide a wide, flat beam across the road. It also
has two illumation levels.

The second system is a Vistalite with dual bulbs. I forget what the wattage
is .. I think 10 and 10 (I think it originally came with 10 and 20 bulbs)
The reflectors are 2 inches in diameter. The reflectors can be adjusted
in-out to change the beam pattern (wide, small) .. but the beam is still
circular.

I just bought a new system (for one of my other bikes) from Bike Nashbar
that has the current style bulb. REAL small, and not adjustable in any way.
It was on sale for $40 and it's a 10 watt SLA system that should run for at
least 2 hours.

I dunno .. I think BICYCLING magazine's STYLE MAN has warped everyone into
thinking smaller is better ;-)