head lights

J

jimex7

Guest
Hello all again getting nice and cold out there anyway. I have a question I have never been riding at night not even on the road. I want to try it but i do not want to spend alot of money on lights. Yeah I am cheap and also between work the gym and my family I do not have time to make a light.
I was at radio shack to day and they are selling a 7 led head lamp you attach to your helmet. What are your thoughts on that. Is that a good way to start and see if I like it or do you get a light that is afixed to your handle bars?
Listen $9.95 for the light head light. I saw the 3 led version and it was bright as Sh#t.
Help:rolleyes:
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
For 9.95, buy two, one for the helment and one for the bar, you might be ok for the road. If you get serious about it, you should get a rechargable system though.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Do you know anyone to borrow a light from to see if you like night riding? Not to sound too pessimistic, but a $10 RS light is going to be pretty much useless off-road. It doesn't matter how many LED's are packed in to the light because LED's vary greatly in their quality and intensity. You would be better off with just 1 high intensity LED strapped to your helmet that will throw about 150 lumens.

If you don't want to build something and you want a really bright cheap LED light that runs on common batteries, try something like this tie wrapped to your helmet.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4238

The Cree P4 LED in that light kicks ass. It will probably give you only about 45 mins of run time, so just carry extra AA batteries. This will let you get a taste of night riding on the cheap and see if you want to splurge on a more expensive light setup.
 

beachwoodbikes

Shop: Beachwood Bikes
Shop Keep
Night Lights

I would say first ask yourself, "If I do trailride at night, do I want to slow, exploratory ride or a super-fast intense trail ride." If the first experience is what your looking for, then a basic 3-5 LED Radio Shacker is OK. If your seeking that fast, thrilling ride you need a light that will really provide excellent, LIGHT! and also keep up with you! In this case, an HID or equivalent lighting system will surely do the trick. I recommend Niterider Products as I have been riding them religously for over 10 years sans a problem. Anyway, trails are buff so go ride.

DID YOU KNOW??, Lights from Niterider or Blackburn are available for demo from Beachwood Bikes for $20 a day (even goes toward the purchase if you think it's for you).
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I would say first ask yourself, "If I do trailride at night, do I want to slow, exploratory ride or a super-fast intense trail ride." If the first experience is what your looking for, then a basic 3-5 LED Radio Shacker is OK. If your seeking that fast, thrilling ride you need a light that will really provide excellent, LIGHT! and also keep up with you! In this case, an HID or equivalent lighting system will surely do the trick. I recommend Niterider Products as I have been riding them religously for over 10 years sans a problem. Anyway, trails are buff so go ride.

DID YOU KNOW??, Lights from Niterider or Blackburn are available for demo from Beachwood Bikes for $20 a day (even goes toward the purchase if you think it's for you).

i love the "did you know" shameless plug. but that's a freakin' great idea. i bet you could get a ton of folks hooked on riding at night if there were more options like these.
 
J

jimex7

Guest
I think I am going to try the shacker and do a night road ride maybe some trail or rail bed riding. It does not have to be fast I would like to enjoy what i am slamming into...
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i've done night rides with led lights before. as jeff said, they quality of the led does make a difference. people have placed in the top 3 solo elite at 24 hr races using commuter led lights. there's a story somewhere about a guy who did it at one of the more heavily attended granny gear 24 hr races. i think he ended up third overall. a powerful, and expensive, hid system makes it infinitely easier to see the trail, but you can have plenty of fun with just an led.
 
J

jimex7

Guest
You think it is a bad idea to hit jefferson trails in the dark with led system?
Hey Sean were the woods on fire behind Texago monday night?
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i didn't hear anything about it, but it's a possibility. lot's of kids out partying asll the time in the texaco pits and the mini pits behind stanlick. i've ridden plenty of jefferson trails at night with an led light. i've even ridden them by moonlight.
 
J

jimex7

Guest
I will give it a try.
There was fire engines at the gate and stanlick school was loaded with jfd and they had a chopper in the sky doin low fly byes? Wierd huh and the smell of leaves burning all around the lake I hosed my roof before i went to bed:D .
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
yeah, some dipshit kids probably lit a fire back there. i'll ask tomorrow at work. there's a few jfd guys there, and i'm sure i'll see vinnie at some point.
 
J

jimex7

Guest
It was real dry out with the fresh leaves i thought for sure it would have been a real blaze.. I bet somone crashed in the woods with a radio shack led cause they couldnt see..
Im thinking something brighter than radio shack now, like 3 radio shck lamps mounted to my head i can see it already ... ufo sightings in jefferson for sure going to get shot maybe i will just stay home..
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
hahaha! at $30 you might as well stop at the bike shop and get one of the commuter lights with super bright led's.
 
J

jimex7

Guest
looks as if martys at lunch.. maybe have something laying around i can try for the weekend.
 
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