Lights and Night Riding............
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mtrostle
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« on: August 28, 2007, 08:41:39 PM »
It's taken me all summer to realize that I can't get out of work at a decent time Angry to enjoy a single ride on the week nights, so I've decided to shop around for a set of lights. The problem is, I have no idea what to look for. Anyone have some good recommendations?? I'm looking for a decent set while trying to keep the wife happy when she checks the backing account Shocked Can anyone help a brutha out??
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dieselkarl
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« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2007, 10:41:36 PM »
I'm partial to helmet mounts - there's light where you're looking, not where the bar's pointing.   That being said, with halogen bulbs, there's a loss of depth perception with helmet mounts.  HID (think luxury car headlights) are very intense beams, good burn time but run hot and aren't cheap.   The new edge is super LED's.  Better burn time, smaller batteries, run cooler, not quite as spendy but stillnot cheap.  Night Rider, Princeton Tec, Light and Motion are some names to check out.   Night Rider just revamped their line so you might find a MiNewt on blowout - super LED.  It got replaced by the TriNewt.   The super LED's might be enough to get me to ditch the HID.

Karl
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OTBKing
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« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2007, 10:48:29 PM »
My advice, spend money on the better battery they offer.  Dependent on the light, it maybe nickel cadium or most likely the more expensive option.  They last longer, give brighter light, and generally are lighter, although that is not that big a deal.  Karl is way more up to speed than me on lens, I would take his advice, although I have HID, which is very bright, but you do lose some depth perception.  And definitely get the head mount, keeps the light where you want it.  You just got to learn where to aim it on your helmet, the faster you go, the farther out you want to aim.
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surlyrider
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« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2007, 10:55:37 PM »
I just got the Evolution smart from Night Rider. I love it, since I know how much charge is on it, and how much time I have in the woods before it dies.
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fishnchips
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« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2007, 01:33:26 AM »
if you want to DIY it I can give you a hand. You'd be hard pressed to beat a DIY set up with any fancy HID system. Your price is a bit of time and probably a heavier battery because it's just not worth it to go Lithium Ion on a DIY project.

I started this page a while back but never finished it (battery prices are not current). Basically you get a $10 halogen desk lamp at Ikea and modify it. I hooked up two of them to my bar and have even run a third to my helmet. With all three I look like a freight train.

Total cost for two light system is under a hundred with a smaller battery and for under $150 will get something comparable to the $500 systems out there. I've been running my latest version two years and no problems yet.

I get motion sick really easily and riding at night with a dim light would make me hurl. So this was a pretty important project for me, and spending essentially half a bike on a light was out of the question. 
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« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2007, 08:03:33 AM »
Definitely go with HID lights, vast improvement over the regular lights. If you can swing it, dual setup, helmet + handle bar lights is the way to go. Even if the bar light is something pretty weak and dinky. While helmet light is great to give you the most coverage and shines light wherever you look, definitely a plus, it also has a draw back of hiding trail features and texture, especially with HID. Because of the angle, the shadows behinf rocks and roots are virtually nill and sometimes it's hard to see them. The bar light would add these shadows back making it easier to identify smaller irregularities of the trail surface.

Couple of friends have NightRider Storm HID lights and are very happy with them. Many places like pricepoint or jensonusa have regular sales on them, and I'd say these are probably the most affordable of the good HID lights, with good battery life.
I personally have Topeak Moonshine and really like it.

check this out:
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/

That was my main decision maker when deciding which light to buy couple of years ago. But the best way to decide is of course either to borrow some from your friends to compare, or see if you can demo or rent different brands/models from LBS and compare first hand. Most bigger/nicer LBSs do rent them. The personal preference is important, some prefer wider beam, some like narower but going furter, etc...

dz
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jpearce
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« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2007, 08:39:29 AM »
If you haven't seen Jess' light system, you're in for a treat.  No need for fancy HIDs, plastic enclosures, or small Lithium batteries.  See what Jess can do with Ikea bulbs, plumbing fixtures, pipe clamps, a big-ass dry cell and a lot of wire!  He looks like a freakin' locomotive coming down Forbidden Drive!  But it's really BRIGHT.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 01:56:32 PM by jpearce » Logged
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lanceh
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« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2007, 10:55:52 AM »
not as simple as jess' setup but with a little soldering ability you can make an LED system that will rival any HID light out there. for a shitton less money.

http://www.instructables.com/id/E2K9BN5EDKEUBYRD9V/
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mtrostle
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« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2007, 11:39:47 AM »
Damn..............Thank alot guys!!!! Some interesting systems ranging from the DIY to off the shelf. Keep them coming. More information/opinions is better, IMHO. I like the idea/challenge of the DIY set up!! Anyone want to help me build a homemade set of lights??
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Lust4singletrack
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« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2007, 12:25:09 PM »
Try to spend a little more a good set of lights. It's well worth the extra cost. You won't be sorry. I run bar and helmet, but, I prefer the bar over head for the reasons that Dmitri pointed out. Makes it easier to read the terrain despite not being able to point where you look. This however is a preference so you may want to experiment with different mounting options. Some systems come with both a hemet and bar mount so you can try each one and see which is best for you.
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Tom Coyle
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« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2008, 02:51:08 PM »
I'm resurecting this topic because I just saw this deal!!!

http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=53850&page=TOPEAK+MOONSHINE+HID+LITHIUM+ION+BICYCLE+LIGHT

I know the winter is almost over, but consider investing into the next season of night riding. For those of you who had ridden with me, this is exactly the same light as I have and I think you can vouch to how bright it is!

dz
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