Light for running and biking

[bagtagley]

I need a light for biking. I've got a decent headlamp for running, but I wouldn't mind something brighter. I'm seeing a lot of small lights with integrated batteries (Acebeam, Ultrafire, Zebralight). It seems that these could be adapted to both purposes. I'm not opposed to separate batteries, but I'm not sure what I'd do with the pack when mounted to a head strap. Price is a concern, but I don't necessarily need the cheapest thing out there. Thoughts?

[VTskibum]

Mtn i presume? These days I would recommend 1k or more lumens for singletrack riding, that tends to be separate light-head and battery. There are some very good self-contained lights, particularly heard about the Light & Motion ones. All of these tend to be overkill for running speeds IMO.

[davep]

Running road or trails?

[bagtagley]

Running trails. On the bike, it would primarily be for gravel road rides.

[bean]

Running trails.

I suggest a small handheld, Fenix is a good brand for small bright lights. Headlamps kill contrast which is something nice to have on trails.

[jamal]

There are a couple of threads floating around about lights. I have a cheap amazon/ebay/china knockoff that works pretty well plus a gopro mount adapter. For riding on roads, a 500-1000 lumen light on the handlebar is plenty. For single track, I like a light on the bars plus a light on the helmet. That way you have the trail in front of you and where you are looking/going lit up.

For hiking/running I just use a black diamond headlamp. The thing I mentioned above comes with a fairly heavy battery pack and I don't think I would want to carry it running. Plus I don't need anything that bright on foot.

[davep]

Headlamps kill contrast which is something nice to have on trails.

Agreed - shadows are essential on trails. If you're cycling on gravel roads you could probably get away without a head-mounted light. Maybe you can find a good handheld that would strap to your bars too, then you don't have to deal with wires anywhere.

[bagtagley]

Already have a handheld. How bulky is the Bright Eyes? Crazy overkill for running? Any good for use on the bike only?

[406]

I have a cheap amazon/ebay/china knockoff that works pretty well

evdog's knockoff battery ignited while we were on a ride this last weekend. We smelled camp fire and then I noticed smoke coming out of his pack. He had always laughed at those of us that spent the extra money on lights and thankfully it didn't burn up his truck (which had the post ride beers) so no harm.

For single track, I like a light on the bars plus a light on the helmet. That way you have the trail in front of you and where you are looking/going lit up.

Same, I will also add a second light at different incidence angle on the bars to help get better depth on obstacles.

[DasBlunt]

Sweet thread. Remember Night Sun or night rider, with the huge water bottle battery?
Could get about 4 hours, if you went too slow, the bulbs would overheat......hahaha

I bought a 550 lumens and it was perfect for me on the bars with a wide enough lens and super bright for fast single track.. Colorado is not as dense/dark as other places, so YMMV......

[jamal]

evdog's knockoff battery ignited while we were on a ride this last weekend. We smelled camp fire and then I noticed smoke coming out of his pack. He had always laughed at those of us that spent the extra money on lights and thankfully it didn't burn up his truck (which had the post ride beers) so no harm.
.

Wow. That's definitely a possibility with those things, you're the first first-hand account I've heard though. Was it new?

My understanding is that sometimes the packs will have a bad cell or wiring issues. And also I don't know if any charge balancing happens between the cells which I hear is pretty important for lithium stuff. They are fairly simple though- just a couple of 18650 cells, so if I every have an issue I plan to just take off the heat-shrink and either replace cells or charge them individually. Mine is about two years old and gets used fairly often in the fall. Seems like maybe the battery pack doesn't last as long any more, I had it die on a fairly short ride, but it wasn't fully charged before I left.

[406]

^^^not sure, I think a few years old at least. If I had one, I would store it in a metal coffee can or something that if it melted down wouldn't cause a problem. But I also keep my nightriders away from flammable stuff.

[Shredhead]

Sweet thread. Remember Night Sun or night rider, with the huge water bottle battery?
Could get about 4 hours, if you went too slow, the bulbs would overheat......hahaha

Plus they cost $300 at the time. I've had them all, L&M, Night Rider and a bunch of Chinese knockoffs. They all go bad eventually, so carry a spare, to get yourself home.

[SB]

National Parks Depot has a pretty good deal on a CREE head lamp, bout $35 and come with the rechargeable batteries. Just got one today so no use beta but it seems pretty nice.

[SB]

Those beanie hats with the leds on them seem pretty functional particularly for running.

[evdog]

Wow. That's definitely a possibility with those things, you're the first first-hand account I've heard though. Was it new?

Not new, maybe 18mos old. They are definitely cheap construction hence it costing $17 for light and battery, shipping included. I still have one more knockoff battery which I now keep a closer eye on. I also have a couple original magicshine and a couple replacement geo-man MS batteries that still work.


I got a new Magicshine light system as swag at a recent event and finally got the chance to use it. It's really light weight and slick compared to the ones from a few years ago. Might work well for running. I know you can get headlamp straps for them to use without a bike helmet. I presume you could strap the battery unit to your arm if it were too heavy to go on the headlamp strap. The new batteries are a lot smaller than the old ones. Otherwise try one of the newer black diamond headlamps. The output isn't super high but when the batteries are charged it would be bright enough for running. I have used it for biking in a pinch.

Post fire knockoff:

[Shredhead]

I never liked the extra battery weight on my head. I always wear a cycling jersey and put the battery in the middle back pocket.

[LightRanger]

For running just find a light that you like the feel on your head. I used to trail run with the OG Petzl Tikka like 15 years ago with zero issues. Lamps are that much better now. Lack of contrast has never bothered me.