Best bicycle Light - Which LED and which battery ?

[extremelights]

Best Bicycle Light- Which LED and Which battery?

 

 

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Read this insightful blog post on which light / battery to buy and why. Original post here

 

When it comes to bicycle lights there are a huge selection to choose from. Not only is there different designs, but different technologies cater for different needs. However, the majority converge on the same basic elements.  In this post we hope to explain the current state of technology to help you understand the benefits and application of today’s technology.

 

Bicycle lights can be divided  into 4 groups  and each of the groups have different requirements as explained below.

 

Commuters

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Cycling to and from work can take you into the twilight zone and beyond, even more so during winter. Although having a good light will help to fill in the dark spots made by missing lamp posts and help you avoid that pothole or broken beer bottle, the main objective for a commuter is to be seen.

 

Road racers

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The requirements of road racers, or roady requirements, are not that different from that of commuters, although they tend to travel faster and longer, and will most likely start in the early hours of the day. A bicycle light should provide adequate light with sufficient reach to identify possible obstacles far in advance.A priority for any road cyclist is a light that has a very good throw, but also has some side spill. The single 10W LED lights are very well suited for the needs of road racers.

 

Mountain bikers

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There are two types of cyclists when it comes to MTB night racing. Those that stay on  the Jeep tracks and those that ventures off onto single tracks. A MTB racer requires the most light out of the 4 cycling groups. A wider beam helps to compensate for movement of the handle bar without affecting the visibility of the road. Multi-LED lights tend to be best for this type of rider, providing ample light with a wide beam. Technical rides that have winding single tracks or switch backs will benefit from a secondary helmet light or an exceptionally wide handle bar light. 

 

Endurance racers

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An endurance racer is someone that will primarily use their lights for extended periods of time during the night. For example during a 24h race or during a multi day and night event.If the race does not have too much technical mountain biking the beam pattern of light which is about the same as that of a road racer, where the reach of the beam is more important than the width, will be sufficient. The reliability and weather proofing of a light is a very important requirement for endurance racers.

 

The Beam Pattern

Depending on the type of cycling you prefer, you should first consider the beam pattern you will need before choosing a bicycle light. The beam pattern can greatly affect the appearances of a light and its usability. A small amount of light that is concentrated would appear much brighter than a light with significantly more output which is wider. Using a light with a small beam pattern is ideal when size is a concern. Having more light just for the sake of more light adds unnecessary weight to your bike.

 

 

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The above diagram shows 3 areas. It is interesting to note that the 3A diameter is only 41% bigger than the 1A, but its area is 3x that of the 1A. If you have a light that illuminates 1A at a specific brightness then you will need 3x more light to reach the same brightness of a 3A.

 

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Which LED? The Light Emitter

Over the last few years the bicycle light scene has changed quite dramatically. The first devices used incandescent (krypton, halogen-type bulbs), but it was soon replaced with the HID (High Intensity Discharge) types. As LED (Light Emitting Diodes) improved their efficiency (Power in Light out), their advantages soon started to outweigh their drawbacks of complexity. Today LED dominates the mobile lighting market for the simple reason that LED can produce more light for less power than any of its competitors. This is important for cycle lights due to the high weight requirements to store lots of power.This, and the fact that they are very robust and impervious to vibrations and temperature fluctuation makes them the logical choice.

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[fanievb]

okay, give me the long and short of it.

 

Ive entered for the 36One MTB Challenge.

 

I currently have an Extreme 1200 light, which battery/ies should I run with it to get at least 18 hours of light (on dim)

 

I am not keen on a helmet mounted light and prefer everything on the handlebar

[extremelights]

Hi Fanie,

 

The battery that comes with that light will give you about 12hours on low, but you can get a backup battery or a stronger panasonic battery which will last even longer.

 

Enjoy the training as i heard its a monster of a ride!!