Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets
Reload this Page >

Good helmet light ideas?

Notices
Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets HRM, GPS, MP3, HID. Whether it's got an acronym or not, here's where you'll find discussions on all sorts of tools, toys and gadgets.

Good helmet light ideas?

Old 11-19-21, 02:08 AM
  #26  
Super Dave
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Super Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Kaneohe Bay, Oahu
Posts: 81

Bikes: Curt Goodrich Cruiser

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Thanks. I need a new helmet that locks in the plastic cradle at the base of the skull. That part is slipping on my helmet.

At any rate, here's tonights ride at dusk. I'm running the Lyzene E115 that is connected to the motor. Plus a B&M Ixon Space (150 lux) and the 2000 lumen light on my helmet.

Super Dave is offline  
Likes For Super Dave:
Old 11-19-21, 04:50 AM
  #27  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by Super Dave
Thanks. I need a new helmet that locks in the plastic cradle at the base of the skull. That part is slipping on my helmet.
At any rate, here's tonights ride at dusk. I'm running the Lyzene E115 that is connected to the motor. Plus a B&M Ixon Space (150 lux) and the 2000 lumen light on my helmet.
Tonights ride
haha that's great!
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 11-19-21, 12:23 PM
  #28  
Leisesturm
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,968
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2473 Post(s)
Liked 722 Times in 513 Posts
On a Zero Dark Thirty, Friday morning commute on the tandem, with rain no less, no less than three (3) MagicShine 808 lightheads will do. On dry days, one on the bars, one on the helmet works well. If this were a familiar route I probably would not bother with the helmet light, but we recently moved 2 miles further away from DW's worksite. This was only our third run, and the first using this particular routing. Stoker is blind, Captain partially sighted. I Need all the Lumens™ I can find. Yes, you can buy 1200lm and more in just one lighthead but you will NOT look like an oncoming GP9 locomotive with all the light coming from just one source. Just saying.

I had tried some of the zip tie wizardry displayed in earlier posts to affix the Gemini battery pack (4x18650 4400mah) to the back of my helmet but what I did in the end was buy an extension cable with a battery compatible socket on one end and a lighthead compatible plug at the other. I probably got it from Action LED. More than long enough to put the headlamp battery in my jacket pocket. I could mount it on the bike but I would forget and try to walk away from the bike after locking up.

Incidentally, I mentioned upthread that I had some Cygolite Metro 800's coming. Well they're here. So why did I use the aging (some of the lights are over 10yr old) MagicShine getup this morning? Because when the new lights arrived I simply couldn't resist doing a head to head comparo after charging up the new ones. I turned on the Cygolite first and it was alright but when I turned on the MagicShine it was like WHOMP. Simply no comparison! The Cygolites are going back to where they came from. Today. There really is no free lunch. I've tried the Amazon bargain lights because of posters in this and other forums but there really is no free lunch. My 4400mah pack cost $50 at least 3 years ago. I didn't think it was a screaming deal but I didn't think it was objectionable either. But I got curious about getting a MagicShine knock-off AND an 8800mah battery for $50. On high power my 3+ year old pack stays on the green power level for at least 20 minutes. The then new 8800mah pack went to blue after about the same amount of time! Twice the capacity and brand new and it couldn't outperform an older system. The lighthead was crap too. The genuine MS808 has a bright central spot with a wide corona of less bright but still useful light. The knock-off did not have that corona. It was just the central spot. Not a very useful item.. I expected much more from Cygolite than from the unbranded Amazon landfill debris. They probably will appeal to many. They obviously do. But when you've (literally) seen the light ...

From now on, make mine, genuine, mighty fine, MagicShine.


Last edited by Leisesturm; 11-19-21 at 01:08 PM.
Leisesturm is offline  
Likes For Leisesturm:
Old 11-19-21, 12:48 PM
  #29  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by Leisesturm
From now on, make mine, genuine, mighty fine, MagicShine.



I might rethink mounting my battery on my helmet (906). it died last night before I was done. so I had to move my better light (906) to the bars because I had another battery on the frame. that seemed easier than swapping batteries on the helmet. since I removed the 906 from the helmet I removed the battery as well. didn't have anywhere good to store the 808 off the bars, so I left it there. so they both wound up on the bars, but I only used the 906 to finish my ride. I love the 808 but the 906 is brighter & has a better beam pattern (more directional). I like having both. but if I run into this issue again & want to swap batteries then I don't really want to be messing with my helmet more than necessary. I still have an original extension wire & now that it is getting colder I'll be wearing jackets w/ pockets. just might give it a go. I might miss the counter weight at the back of the helmet. any suggestions for routing the extension from your helmet to your battery in your pocket?

fwiw profile pic of the 906
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 11-20-21, 02:49 PM
  #30  
Leisesturm
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,968
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2473 Post(s)
Liked 722 Times in 513 Posts
It's the batteries that make a light heavy. The lighthead part of a separated combo should actually be quite light compared to the battery. Systems like the MagicShine don't IMO need counterweighting. Especially since the majority of helmet mounts sit the light pretty much at the top of your head right at the center of gravity. There is a slightly forward weight bias since you are (probably) canted forward a little bit, but it shouldn't be objectionable. As for running the cable. I like to put the battery in the pocket of an inside layer or even pants pocket and then put the shell layer on so the cable exits at the back of the neck. Keeps cable from flopping around at your back and catching on things you walk past like your handlebars.
Leisesturm is offline  
Likes For Leisesturm:
Old 11-26-21, 04:06 AM
  #31  
cjenrick
Full Member
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 459
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 133 Times in 100 Posts
i like his first choice at 121 grams.

my neck gets sore without a helmet, with a helmet and a ray-o-vac headlamp that i spliced on the front the pain was excruciation after a 3 hour ride, just that little amount of extra weight...
cjenrick is offline  
Old 11-30-21, 09:10 AM
  #32  
bmwpowere36m3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Outbound Lighting Hangover... replacing the Fenix UC35 torch I have mounted ATM.
bmwpowere36m3 is offline  
Old 12-06-21, 07:30 AM
  #33  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,362
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,662 Times in 2,496 Posts
Someone left a hardhat with a very small light/remote battery pack sitting on a bench at work. I really wish that I had tried harder to figure out what brand it was, it looked like a good setup. Most of the time I don't need much light from my helmet light
unterhausen is offline  
Old 12-10-21, 09:16 AM
  #34  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by unterhausen
Someone left a hardhat with a very small light/remote battery pack sitting on a bench at work. I really wish that I had tried harder to figure out what brand it was, it looked like a good setup. Most of the time I don't need much light from my helmet light
like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-6...08FC1ZYGM?th=1
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 12-10-21, 09:19 AM
  #35  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by bmwpowere36m3
Outbound Lighting Hangover... replacing the Fenix UC35 torch I have mounted ATM.
looks good

https://www.outboundlighting.com/products/hangover

how does the battery hold up in cold weather?
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 12-10-21, 08:06 PM
  #36  
bmwpowere36m3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
looks good

https://www.outboundlighting.com/products/hangover

how does the battery hold up in cold weather?
I haven't got around to mounting it... and I've been fitting in afternoon rides as temps have dropped. With temps in 30-40*, based on my other lights I fully expect to easily get 2 hrs at the medium or 750 lumen setting.
bmwpowere36m3 is offline  
Likes For bmwpowere36m3:
Old 12-11-21, 01:03 AM
  #37  
Vintage Schwinn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 635
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 341 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 388 Times in 254 Posts
There is the ROCKBROS helmet with built in lights BUT THOUGH THE DESIGN IS NICE AND CLEANLY INTEGRATED, THE PRACTICAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE AVAILABLE FORWARD BEAM OF THE HEADLIGHT PROBABLY IS NOT ENOUGH TO SATISFY NIGHT RIDERS WITHOUT SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL FORWARD FACING HEADLIGHT ON THE BIKE. (see the YOUTUBE link below)


https://www.walmart.com/ip/ROCKBROS-...hite/348159922

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124879449498

I believe that bicycle mounted headlight(s) offer the best overall lighting option BECAUSE you can by how you position them when mounting them will allow you to project the light beam forward in the area ahead exactly where you want and need the light to be precisely focused for maximum road ahead visibility. LIGHTING ON THE HELMET ALONE MAKES YOUR HEAD NEED TO BE OR MOSTLY REMAIN IN A POSITION WHICH MAY NOT BE THE MOST COMFORTABLE. EVEN IF YOU DO GET THE LIGHT MOUNTED IN WHAT IS A COMFORTABLE POSITION, YOU MAY GET IRRITATED FROM THE INABILITY TO VARY HEAD POSITION & ANGLE, IF ONLY TO KEEP FROM THE FATIGUE OF TRYING TOO MUCH TO BE LIKE A STATUE OR MANNIQUIN TO ENABLE THE LIGHT TO FOCUS PRECISELY FORWARD IN THE BEST OVERALL PATTERN. Some folks don't like the idea of a headlight being physically mounted on the bike because it looks too "Fred" or uncool like something a Huffy, Schwinn or Wallyworld bike owner might affix to their bikes. Who gives a - - - - about that because it is about keeping you ALIVE & SAFE, so you can see the road ahead at least better than Mr. Magoo. If you think it looks goofy, well remove it when you don't ride at night & re-install when you DO NEED to ride at night. You all know this but it is worth repeating: IT IS BETTER TO HAVE TOO MANY HEADLIGHTS ABOARD YOUR BICYCLE AND ONLY USE THEM AS YOU NEED THEM, RATHER THAN NOT HAVE ENOUGH (INSUFFICIENT) HEAD LIGHTING. If you have enough aboard, you might not need to turn them all on, but it ain't such a great ride when you've only got ONE aboard and its fully lit and there is no moon out and the street has no streetlights, and you are at that moment wishing you had at least one more light on your bike....

Last edited by Vintage Schwinn; 12-11-21 at 01:20 AM.
Vintage Schwinn is offline  
Likes For Vintage Schwinn:
Old 12-11-21, 07:10 AM
  #38  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
just thinking out loud ... been using my helmet light in comb w/ a light on the bike

when not on the road, the helmet light is very nice

since I've been parking a short ride to the trails, I've been riding on the road, in traffic. I'll agree a powerful light on the helmet in traffic is not ideal because you don't want to blind ppl just because you looked at them. & you don't want to be limited to only looking at the road. a small light on the helmet so ppl would know where you are looking (like at intersections) would be helpful. a light on the bike pointed appropriately ahead of the bike & at whatever angle is suitable for your beam pattern is best, when sharing the road w/ cars at night. I agree it's nice to have some light choices in your arsenal

I need to do some road riding specifically at night in traffic. I have 2 new lites that I'd like to set up & try out

I guess I have 3 x 2 = 6 diff. lighting situations. meaning 3 riding options then add the day/night variables

road riding
  • day
    • almost any good light on bars w/ a flash mode, aimed for best beam use
  • night
    • powerful light on bars on high power, aimed for best beam use
    • small lite on helmet to indicate where rider is looking & provide rider some visibility when looking at bars & gear
      • backup in my bag in case they both die
      • headlamp in pocket for making adjustments or field repairs, flat fixes, etc

paved trail riding
  • day
    • no lights at all
  • night
    • modest light on bars, aimed for best beam on the trail & not in ppl's eyes
    • small lite on helmet to provide rider some visibility when looking at bars & gear
      • backup in my bag in case they both die
      • headlamp in pocket for making adjustments or field repairs, flat fixes, etc

unpaved trails & forest trails
  • day
    • no lights at all
  • night
    • all the fire power I can muster
      • biggest light on helmet
      • 2nd biggest light on bars
        • backup in my bag in case they both die
        • headlamp in pocket for making adjustments or field repairs, flat fixes, etc
right now this remains my helmet lite for unpaved trails or forest trails, at nite. MJ906 & a small battery. but I'll have another lite & battery on the bars, with a similar battery. & a 3rd battery in my trunk, in case either or both quit before I'm done w/ a ride. this time of year only 1-2 hrs

Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-11-21 at 09:02 AM.
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 12-11-21, 07:18 AM
  #39  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by Vintage Schwinn
There is the ROCKBROS helmet with built in lights
for commuting, in traffic, especially urban traffic, I like the idea of front & rear lites on the helmet, for being seen. the lights are higher, above the body of most cars. but for night commuting, for seeing where you are going, I think a bright lite on the bars, aimed appropriately for it's beam, is also required
rumrunn6 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.