Bombing around rough terrain and the woods at night might seem extreme to some people, yet night riding is exhilarating and exciting. Here is information on the best mountain bike lights to choose from.
The Bar Mounted Lights
The Ravemen PR1200 may be cheerful and cheap, yet the manufacturers have paid particular attention to the beam-pattern. With 1 LED that pool around your front wheel, while the other throws adequate light up a trail they offer a light quality that is great for off-road riding. With the wired remote and crude countdown-timer, these lights are only lacking when it comes to outright power dedicated to serious off-roading, yet with a compact size along with a sub-par price tag, these lights could work for you provided your riding mates are not overwhelming your lights with rigs that are more powerful.
The Light and Motion Taz is described as an exceptional little unit that features compact proportions and cable-free convenience that combine outstanding all-over trail coverage that makes this device a fantastic all-rounder. It is hard to get over its size when comparing this to its output, yet this payoff is reduced slightly with a battery endurance of only 1.5 hours which is slightly tight when considering that it is classified as a type of main bar-light. However, this is a recommended choice if you are looking for an easy to remove and small bar light.
In a higher price bracket and different league would be the Lumicycle Apogee and the Exposure Six Pack. Both these bar lights offer outstanding beam patterns along with a blistering output, both reaching the 4000-lumen mark. However, the 6 Pack offers a beam that is slightly softer with additional coverage along with long-distance penetration.
While the Lumicycle is regarded as relatively basic, the Exposure is associated with various other features. This includes a programmable-power outputs, timer-countdown readout along with USB charging which are rated as extremely handy features, yet it is its fuss-free integrated design which has made it so popular when using this light from day-to-day. No more wet and manky battery packs that charge from your kitchen worktop, but rather a compact and neat head unit that you can run under your tap before you plug it into a useful USB socket. If it is in your budget, this is probably one of the best bar-lights currently available on the markets.
The Helmet Mounted Lights
The Infini Super Lava offers a one button feature that does everything, which punches out an impressive 300-lumen beam. Of course, this light would be totally drowned out when it comes to the bar lights, but when you are on a tight budget and you have a bar light that sits at about a 1000 lumen mark, this is value for money light which would make a fantastic addition to your overall kit.
On the other hand, the Knog Pwr Rider is not far off in terms of value, for a mount and light combination with its stunningly minimalistic design. You will enjoy the easy program-power outputs through a computer, which means you might have anything from 1 to 8 power levels that you are cycling through. This helmet-mount is also impressive, yet some feel the 450-lumen power which is already slightly low was further diluted when it spreads into an oval, wide pattern.
The Lezyne Macro Drive is a powerful and very capable, reasonably priced helmet light with a burn-time for 700 lumens and ideal proportions. One of the drawbacks is a program cycle which includes 9 levels which makes power-cycling a bit of a headache. Yet at a price tag that is under half of the Exposure Diablo it does its job very well.
On the other side of the scale the Exposure Diablo might be expensive, yet the Exposure had really achieved an extremely light design, with a fantastic build, beam pattern, light power, useful features along with cable-free convenience combined into one unit. The Diablo is extremely compact, yet highly-effective that can perform a variety of useful tasks such as an emergency bar-light or a helmet light, that is the ideal choice for extending your rides at night. It certainly sets the standards from every angle. The accessory range allows for an addition of modular battery-power, red-tail lights, additional mounts along with a diffuser dome that can convert into a useful table lamp to provide light for cooking while you are camping.
Top Tips To Use When Buying A Mountain Bike Light
Lights for mountain bikes from Outbound Lighting have improved at a rapid pace, when it comes to technology which has translated into more battery life and more power combined into smaller spaces. This is good news for many outdoor enthusiasts to keep you out longer on your favorite night rides.
You should include a helmet and bar mounts which is important for all types of night riding set-ups. The bar light is regarded as the powerhouse and punches light wide and far down trails at levels just below the eye line. This is an important feature as this will create a shadow along the trail, which highlights rocks, roots and dips for a more accurate and fast line choice.
The helmet lights serve their purpose when it comes to tight and more technical trails. They provide a way to see over rises or round corners before the bar light has had a chance to swing around a changing direction. Following your eyeline, these lights are usually more tightly focused as they will always point in the direction that you are looking at, which means it does not have to chug out power like the car mounts do. Even the smallest light amount when placed correctly will do the trick. You also do not want to let your helmet light overpower your bar light, which poses a danger to flatten out important shadow, This is why it needs to match to outputs of the bar light. You should be aiming for about ½ the power of your bar light.
