Night Riding

[sundial]

Aggie, I have been very pleased with my NiteRider MiNewt and MiNewt mini helmet light as well. The newer bike lights that are hitting the market now are cordless and are very bright. I don't know what your preference is regarding helmet lights but you may or may not need one with the new gen lights.

[Catrin]

Would you say a Stella 150 light would be more for "being seen" rather than for use on unlit roads? I don't want to find out the hard way that it isn't bright enough so figured this would be the best place to ask. Am considering selling it to help fund something more powerful.

Thank you for the links, I will explore the reviews tonight once the snow starts falling

[crazycanuck]

Catrin, if it were me, i'd still go with Ay-ups. The business owner dude's a mtn biker & supports Australia wide mtb events. He's come to our last 2 twelve hours & raced!

I can't see when I use handlebar mounts so I just do the helmet mount thing.

[Catrin]

You know that is what I want to do...and I'm checking with a LBS to see if Ay-Up will allow them to order from them. I want to use my store finance acct....

[trista]

I've been very happy w/ my Magicshine light. It is very bright and allows me to ride in pre-dawn blackness (mounted on my helmet). I use a couple flashing "be seen" lights on my handlebars (i think they are planet bike). They are sending me a replacement battery pack since the previous ones had a potential safety issue.

[withm]

Whatever you end up with, if having light is integral to your safety, or ability to get home, I'd suggest having a back up light as well. Could be lesser quality, less illumination, but batteries can and do go bad at the most inconvenient times. Think Murphy's Law. I would not want to be 5 miles from my home or car at 10pm without a working light.

[crazycanuck]

Catrin, you can only order them online www.ayup-lights.com

However....There may be another option..I'll have to talk to my dear about it..I could always send you one of our ayups to try out...

[sundial]

I can't see when I use handlebar mounts so I just do the helmet mount thing.

Plus helmet lights are handy when you have to stop for a mechanical issue of if you dropped something in the dirt.

[out_spokin']

Aggie, I haven't yet tried trail riding but my friends who do say if you can only afford one go with a great helmet mount, but for any real technical riding and/or trying to maintain speed it's really really worth it to go with a bar mount AND a helmet mount.

With two you can still "look where you want to go" with the helmet mount but the bar mount illuminates the trail where you're at.

I only commute on the road, and have been very happy with my Light & Motion Solo Logic MV. Also not cheap, but the customer support has been awesome over the years and even though they don't make that particular light I can still easily find replacement bulbs and other parts. I hear they and NiteRider are almost always found supporting the big 24 hour races.

[scarah]

I ride 24 hour races (teams and pairs) and use Ay Up lights, if you plan on riding anything technical then you really need both a helmet and bar light as the light from two different directions gives much better depth perception. Also on twisty single track, a bar mount won't necessarily be pointing at the track ahead if you're cornering so you can use your helmet light to scan ahead.

With Ay Up lights you can adjust the angle super easy so I angle my bar light down to a few meters in front of my wheel and the helmet light angled so it lights up a bit further away. The helmet light follows all your head movements so lights up what you instinctively look at but the bar light keeps a bit of light in front of your wheel for those pesky rocks that come out of nowhere at night.

With AyUps you can put the same light on either a bar or helmet mount so you can always switch the light over if you only buy one.

For street commuting or road riding I just use the bar light only, more than enough light.