BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I have the Viewpoint from Performance Bike and I have been told by those behind me in Panther Hollow that its blinding.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1075344_-1_1588500_20000_400159

For headlights I've heard good things about Magicshine

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4

Whatever the hell Kayla has. That thing is seriously like a spotlight on her handlebars.

If price is no object, Dinotte makes some fantastic lights.

Price is no object.

Lupine. Light and Motion. top end Niterider. I'll bet price is an object.

I'm pretty into the light that my more reasonable for your purposes Princeton Tec Push throws out for riding on dark streets and places like Panther Hollow.

Kayla has been behind me on a couple of rides. I thought she was a car, the thing is so bright.

I have a basic $25 Planet Bike light on the front. Sometimes I duct tape a $2.50 Home Depot 9-LED flashlight to my helmet. It looks tacky as hell, but the light moves with my head, not my handlebars.

So what kind of light does Kayla have? It sounds super bright.

Kayla has a Niterider Minewt 250

http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/post-your-headlight-of-choice

I have a Minewt from 3 years back. It's great. The new ones are even better. I have a Planet Bike Superflash Turbo. That thing is incredibly bright. http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3070.html

I find some peoples headlights blindingly bright while riding the bikepaths at night. In order to not lose too much night vision I need to shield my eyes, and usually say "Too Bright" as they pass. I am not blaming the light- bright can be good, but they need to be directed down a bit more so as not to blind anyone (cars included) approaching you.

@ helen good idea about directing my light down more, I'll start doing that when I get a new one.

@Helen Same goes for folks driving cars (especially older ones). Most people are unaware that you can aim headlights, which results in blinding everyone else on the road.

Take a look at the B&M Ixon headlight. It's got a nice beam pattern...sharp cutoff at top to avoid blinding other road users, beam fades as it gets closer to you to evenly illuminate the road.

I've got the dynamo-powered version (identical except for power source), and I love that light.

the cateye tl 1100 is really good, also has good side visibility and some pretty mesmerizing blinking patterns

@reddan uhhh, how about the Big Bang?

@dmtroyer: Haven't used it...can't speak to its quality. The ability to add an adapter to make the beam symmetrical for off-road use is cool, though.

[Edited to add:] And then I saw the price. Woo-boy.

Is that right is the price $1300? Ok maybe price is an object

Any of the Niteriders have a decent flash mode? I am talking about an obnoxious "look at me and don't hit me" type obnoxious.

Is light technology such that a headlamp really needs to be $1k+? Is $2k of a car's total cost wrapped up in its headlights?

The bike gear industry is a flipping rip-off sometimes. What should be an economical mode of transport turns out often to be perversely bourgeois.

I know for HID headlights, PROPER HID's, it is around $1000-$1500. I don't doubt that a small battery sized version could be around $1000.

In terms of gear, as always, you gotta pay to play.

Is light technology such that a headlamp really needs to be $1k+?

Uh, hell no.

I still use that TRILED you gave me. I love that lil light.

To be fair, I suspect, like most things, that it's a case of specialty gear just costing more.

For many people, spending $100-ish for a light and $200+ for a dynamo wheel seems outrageous...for me and my rando pursuits, it seems a bargain for a long-lasting, bright light with a good beam pattern.

I suspect that, if I made a habit of plummeting down steep rocky hillsides coated in trees and brambles, $1000 for some extra illumination would seem a lot more reasonable.

For most riding high priced lights are completely unnecessary. But if you're into competitive 24hr racing, regularly do night time mountain bike rides, or ride rural gravel roads in complete darkness high priced HID and specialized LED lights are really needed. I remember the old days of navigating with underpowered 3w halogen lamps in the woods and it just doesn't cut it.

One thing to consider with the price of high end bike stuff is that it not only has to perform at the highest level, it also has to be as light as possible. Bike stuff is designed closer to failure than just about anything else out there, a couple of extra pounds on a motorcycle to make sure things work just right is nothing, a couple of ounces on a bike is eveything for the people buying and using the high end equipment.

To add to what Brad said, what you do with it matters a whole lot. If you are commuting and might hit dusk in the city, do you really need the power of the sun, or just an indicator to other vehicles?

Based on my limited experience with the Minewt and reading about it, it seems that most people could get by with a $100 light.

what's the best option if you don't want to lug around a battery pack?

I've been thinking about high end lights because I eventually want to move up from just commuting to mountain biking and so on. Its not the big price tags that scares me it paying that much and the light only last a couple of months. Having a light last a long time is just as important to me as how bright it is

@HV: If you just want to use AAs, see the B&M Ixon I linked above.

If you want to avoid batteries completely, you'll need to investigate bottle dynamos (little wheel runs on the side of your tire) or hub dynamos. Or figure out how to catch and bottle a lot of fireflies.

Personally, I'm enamored of dynamo hubs. Having a headlight(or headlights) and taillight that Just Work in all weather conditions is pretty spiffy.

for my front, I use this:

I recommend it because it got all cracked up when I went over the bars back in february, but it still works perfectly (in all weather conditions)

rear light is planet bike, and it works pretty damn well. each was between $20-25

@orionz06, the Niterider Minewt 250 I have is pretty obnoxious. In a good way.

I love that light. And you can find it on sale online for around 100 bucks.

@Kayla

I was at REI looking at them over lunch yesterday. I might have to pick one up. I have a random 5 LED blinky that can be seen, but it has the same charge time as the Niteriders and half the run time. I should have followed my "buy once, cry once" policy and saved $25.

Another thing--niterider is great with warranties. One day my light popped off while riding (my fault I think) and stopped working. They fixed it for.free and I got it back very quickly.

So I finally got my new headlight. The deal was so ridiculously good I couldn't pass it up nearly 65% off because of a blemish. http://www.exposurelights.com/product/000074/maxx-d-mk.4/

I shouldn't have any problem seeing my way down Panther Hollow with this. My rear blinky I'm sticking with My Super flash Turbo for now.

I am probably late to the boat on this one, but I just picked up one of these: http://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=667

Really awesome, mounts almost anywhere and has a nice flash mode. $20, runs on batteries small enough to keep with your tube, etc. It will be a great addition to my Superflash Turbo. I am mounting it to the seat stay on the left side with the Superflash on the post.

@mr m May I kindly ask where you found said deal? 60% off £324.99 is still a good chunk of change.

I ordered the light from a company called IBEX and the were offering the 2011 models at 30% off discount and an additional discount of 30% for a cosmetic blemish. That's how I got it for 60% off. When it came in the mail I got a 2012 with no blemish. When I called to let them know they sent me the more expensive light they said the ran out of the discount lights and still wanted to honor the price given to me

O.k. if you guys on the Tuesday ride thought my new front light was bright check out my new tail light! http://www.dinottelighting.com/LED_bike_lights/sale-400r-taillight.htm

I gives me Day and Night visibility.