Night riding anyone?

[Kpicha]

Now that the days are getting shorter, I'm starting to think about getting a lighting system for mtn. biking at night. I've pretty much decided on a helmet mounted system and I'm wondering if any of you ladies have any experience with any particular brands.

I've read enough at this point to stay away from Niterider and I'm interested in the Jetlites setup. Any other recommendations out there? Is there anything specific I should watch out for? Like wire lengths or designs that seem to work better than others.

Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Kristina

[DoubleLori]

I hadn't heard of problems with Niterider, "enlightenment" please? All of my lights are several years old. I have Niterider and Vistalite and Petzl. I haven't had problems with these, except that I would like even more light. The brightest that I have is 15 watt halogen. I haven't seen any of the new HID systems in action. I did crash hard 2 weeks ago in the dark when I didn't see that a road that I ride frequently had just been repaved and I crashed at the 4" high junction between the old pavement and the new pavement. The bike got knocked out from under me and I hit the pavement before I even knew what happened. Not fun to find yourself lying in the middle of the road at 5 am thinking that you broke your arm (it's ok).

I sure would like to know if the HID systems really do light up the road as well as a car headlight. I would get one despite the very high price if I knew it would really work and be reliable.

[Kpicha]

I've been doing the majority of research on MTBR in the Passion and General discussion boards and some local input and stories abound of how switches don't work, bulbs die early, casings crack. Of course, there are some good stories of how Customer service took care of the problems but seeing that they're located in CA, I'd rather avoid dealing with C.S. and buy something reliable from the getgo. There were just too many discussions of problems to discount when there are more reliable and less expensive alternatives.

As far the HID systems go, everyone who has ridden with them swears by the light output. If you can afford the upgrade, it seems to be well worthwhile. Light and Motion gets good reviews and the Lupine Edison gets stellar recommendations (albeit at $700, it better )

Interestingly, there was one conversation where someone compared the 20W Jetlites to a HID and found the light output to be about the same but runtime was lower on the Jets. I think 2.5 hrs vs 3.5 and the yellow light was easier on the eyes vs the blue/white light of the HID. I suppose that's a personal preference thing, though.

If the light output is about the same, and I can't afford HIDs at this point, my thought is to go with the Jetlites. At $245, they're a steal compared to the $400 for HIDs.

Anyway, I hope you've recovered from your fall! That must have been scary having your bike come right out from underneath you all of a sudden!

Cheers,
Kristina

[han-grrl]

i too haven't heard negative feedback on Niterider. A lot of my friends use various types (including the HID) and are happy with all of them.

i use a very low cost Insight from Planet Bike, which was about 130$ canadian. i have three settings 9, 12, and 15W. 15 watts runs for about 1:30 ish. for the price, i do like it a lot, but the bulb isn't quite as bright as i would like but its all i could afford

night riding is A LOT OF FUN though. enjoy!

Han

[pedalfaster]

I think the "problems" with Niterider were from a few years ago, when they first started producing NiMH batteries.

I have both handlebar-mount and helmet mounted Niterider lights. I did have to replace the small (helmet) battery pack. Somehow I ended up with the one in the grey "wrapper" (made for police dept.s) and it's been trouble-free so far.

Other lights I've owned include Turbocat and Vistalight. I actually still use an old Vistalight (with the Niterider battery pack) as my helmet light because they are lighter and less bulky. Maybe I'm just weird, but heavy helmet lights give me a headache.

I have to say I really really recommend both a bar light and a helmet light for riding "serious" trails at night. You get to see both depth and look around corners and obstacles and you have two battery packs to rely on (once you've hiked out in complete darkness after your battery dies you'll appreciate the beauty of
this!).

I too have heard really good things about Jet Lights and Light and Motion.

Whatever you choose, have fun in the dark

[BikeLady]

Definitely stay away from Niterider! I've been through 3(!) Trail Rat 2.0s, and none of them lasted more than 6 weeks. I'd just be riding along in the dark and phittt...the light would go out. Yes, the company was good about replacing them, but that didn't save my ride, and would have been small consolation if I had had an accident in the dark! I've also never received any feedback on what was wrong. I've also been through a couple of Performance Viewpoint Pros...it's apparently hard to find a light that holds up under daily use!

I have a Planet Bike system now that seems to be getting the job done, but I've only had it for a week or so, so the jury is still out. Good luck with your search!

[missliz]

I've always wondered about the light thing- My night riding has always been by ambient light, on a Mt bike with a fork to take up those nasties that throw you and break arms. Adjusting to night vision works well in a lot of contexts, and there's a lot of light pollution at night to light things up even in a lot of woods. And the riding by feel not sight is really interesting to me.
So the question- do you get visually stuck in the pool of light the system makes? Or is it dim enough to still see things around you?
I've used a flashlight in the teeth to get through really pitch dark patches, but then I have to stop and let the eyes readjust. A light makes sense safety wise, but if you can't look about you the whole magic of night riding would be lost. Especially at the full moon.
Care to explain it girls? I can't take a toss like I used to, and a light might be a good idea.

Lizzy

[Kpicha]

Geepers! I can't imagine riding at night without lights - not that I've even ridden yet with lights. You've got some great eyes to be able to do that!

I must say, I'm jealous b/c I'm sure there are so many more things to see without the lights, i.e. more than what's in the beam. I can't wait to start riding at night!

Of course, you could always get a light system and choose not to use it on full moon nights or whenever. Here, the woods are so dense that by 8 pm, its dark enough to need lights and there are enough obstacles and tight (i.e.handlebarwidth) twisty trails that lights are necessary. Then again, you could always bulk up with lots of padding and not worry about crashing

Cheers,
Kristina

[missliz]

Well, it is flat here, and I don't ride the really tuff stuff like that. But when I've been caught out after dark, I've been amazed to realize that I've wandered through stuff I would never in a zillion years try if I knew I was on it- a really good fork is a blessing. It lets you feel the ground but eats the dangerous stuff. And sometimes you get a few amazing experiences in life- but only the few. My gut says get a light, don't push it.
Night vision is a learned skill- I dated an ex Army Ranger who taught me a few tricks about running around in the dark, and it's truly amazing how much you can see. A really strong light would blind you to the dim ambient light though, it's all about subtle contrasts. People assume you always need to bring a lot of light to the night, when actually you can often see more with a dim light or none. But then hauling it down a tight trail on a bike is a different thing. Ambient light night riding is a slow and easy paced thing.

Lizzy

[Kpicha]

[ Night vision is a learned skill- I dated an ex Army Ranger who taught me a few tricks about running around in the dark, and it's truly amazing how much you can see. A really strong light would blind you to the dim ambient light though, it's all about subtle contrasts. People assume you always need to bring a lot of light to the night, when actually you can often see more with a dim light or none. But then hauling it down a tight trail on a bike is a different thing. Ambient light night riding is a slow and easy paced thing.

Oooo, that sounds pretty cool! Counterintuitive but really neat Maybe I should stock up on carrots for better vision

Have you decided on what lighting system you'll get? I think I'm set on the Jetlites Phantom setup. Just have to sell a few things before I can purchase it

Cheers,
Kristina

[missliz]

Actually, this is so complicated and high maintenence sounding I think I'm going to go with the cheapo handlebar mounted flashlight version. Uses double A batteries, good starter kit. I have a special talent for killing expensive rechargable batteries. I also live at a lower latitude and we don't get as dark as early. I'm still coming back after injury and night riding is a hardbodies game, so it isn't urgent.
I was just curious about them and the night vision thing. I'd explain it if I could, but you really need to be out at night and tell people where to look. It's about looking at the edges of things, defining shapes by the light behind them or... It's hard to write down. Bet it's in the Girl Scouts manual.
I thought every body knew about this, it was the rage in Mt biking maybe 6,7 years ago. Guess it blew over. Not good for actual mountains?

Lizzy

[laura]

I do almost all of my training rides at 5am and now it is quite dark at that hour. I bought a Light and Motion HID light in order to see and be seen. The price was $250 off the internet and it has been very reliable for the 3 months I've used it. I have a spare helmet that I just leave the light on by my bike. In the morning it's just a matter of grabbing the battery off the recharger, plugging it in, putting it in my jacket pocket and going. It is very bright, I have complete confidence that I will see any road hazards and I will be seen by motorists. When I'm done I just put the battery back on the charger and it's ready for the next morning. If you can afford it this is the way to go.