My headlight is crap

[RoostChucker]

I realized tonight that I have been living in denial. My light is not bright enough for night time riding no matter how much I don't feel like screwing with it.

Any recommendations? I'm not looking to punish oncoming traffic. I just need to be able to see pot holes in the dark at 25mph.

 

[major masingil]

I rock this one, I don't ride a lot at night, but this one definitely lights things up

OLIGHT ALLTY 2000 Bike Light 2000... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B42G281D?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[RoostChucker]

I probably should have added some important details.

It needs to be:

• Wired 48 volt or accommodates 48v if there is a range.
• Bracket mount not handle bar mount
• Bonus points if it comes with a Yellow Julet connector on it even though my light has no Hi/Low function or a horn
• If the light come with a horn, thats fine. I have no easy way to use it but it will likely have that 3 wire Julet which will save me a frustrating soldering episode.

Trying to replace this one, which is switched from display and is power by the main battery. I can fabricate a bracket if need be but it will need some kind of attachment point.

• 

 

[Smaug]

A headlight for 25 mph and that will wire up to your bike's electrics is asking a lot. The light you picture is like the standard one on many eBikes, and its useful for being seen, and up to maybe 10-12 mph in the dark.

I think you'll do better shopping for ones with built-in rechargeable batteries and that are designed around just as single LED. The ones with multiple LEDs just add up the brightness for each LED, but the assumption is that the brightness is additive and linearly effective. ...only it's not.

Before I knew that about the multiple LEDs ratings trick, I bought this one to add to my eMoped:

Amazon.com

It's pretty good and a LOT better than the one you picture, but not really up to the task of 25 mph in darkness.

I have this Planet Bike Beamer 700 on my gravel bike, and it is much smaller, lighter and more effective than the aforementioned one.

25 mph is pushing it though.

I also have a Bontrager Ion Comp R on my Domane road bike. It performs about like the Planet Bike Beamer 700 and is more compact. I think they're discontinuing it, as it's on sale for $50 now directly from the mfr. Although they have higher-end lights, this is the only one with a 5-star user rating on their site..

If I were trying for legit 25 mph lighting, you will likely need to adapt a more powerful light for bike usage. The trick is getting it mounted so that they'll stay aimed.

 

[RoostChucker]

I was thinking about the impossibilities of the incredibly tiny wires that are used in Julet cables. Sure LED's use magnitudes less power for similar light output when compared to conventional bulbs but in retrospect, I am asking a lot from 24AWG wires.

I still like my handle bar display actuated set up. I'm going to change gears and consider a relay that fires a switch on a proper high power light. That should be fairly easy to pull off I suppose. I just realized I already own a light that fits the bill. It's a picatinny rail mounted light that has an optional remote switch. This thing is blindingly bright but it has like 5 brightness settings.

I'll cut off the pressure switch pad and wire in a 48v relay. They make really tiny relays so it shouldn't look to bad.

If anybody is interested. Those lights are incredible bright, usually waterproof and start at around $20 on Amazon. They will be picatinny and/or MLOK mounted and there are a gazillion mounting solutions for both of those.

 

[Smaug]

For the remote switch, it may be pilot duty; that is: it doesn't switch the full current, but just switches the logic level signal on a controller. In that case, you won't need a relay.

 

[Atavar]

I would suggest you do some more research. Most headlights that wire to a Julet plug are 6V, not 48V, with the voltage reduced by the controller. Get out your multimeter and measure at the Julet plug if you can’t find a reference.

 

[RoostChucker]

I checked the voltage before a mod because I had the same thought—48V isn't common outside golf carts and forklifts. With a full charge, the headlight wire outputs around 52V. I added a 48V taillight/brake light using a 3-pin Julet Y splitter, and it worked fine, though lower-voltage taillights are much more available.

I also found a rare 48V mechanical relay at a used electronics store. It’s tiny—about ¾" long and ½" tall. I had to dig through a crate of oddball relays with a magnifying glass to find it.

For reference (Atavar is not wrong), there’s a 6V lead on a short 4-wire cable from my controller, likely for a taillight. It wasn’t on the wiring diagram for my bike but its safe assumption. That cable is always on when the bike is powered up. I used the switched headlight circuit instead, running the cable internally through the top tube (instead of strapped to the side of the seat tube) for a cleaner look. I also prefer the taillight being switched, it's more about discretion in my world rather than the minimal power savings though.

 

[m@Robertson]

I gave up on single bulb solutions long ago. It is almost impossible to get an acceptable beam pattern from a single light, in my experience. I say 'almost' because there is one dual light that I have a couple of - the Fisher Fab House light that plugs directly into an ebike battery. I have the BBSHD version. But it is crazy-expensive, and its still a dual beam (one spot and one flood).

I did a write-up on what I have figured out on front lights awhile back. Its still largely true. I have gotten away from the NiteRider Luminas, mostly because of their cost. You can get some pretty good low cost lights nowadays. Particularly the current flavor of the Blitzu Gators, and the Victagen is a $30 light that beats a Lumina in value and performance.

And the $30 Te-Rich light is excellent and has the benefit of being able to be plugged into a standard USB power bank. So after a few years if the battery gets weak, you can just plug it into a fresh pack.

Which Front Bicycle Lights Should I Use?

What front bicycle lights give the best beam pattern? Are blinking lights safer?

talesontwowheels.com

A Te-Rich for a long narrow center beam, and a couple of Blitzus for short range floods and you have a pear-shaped beam pattern that is ideal.

 

[RoostChucker]

...If I were trying for legit 25 mph lighting, you will likely need to adapt a more powerful light for bike usage. The trick is getting it mounted so that they'll stay aimed.

If a bike has a suspension fork, I think I’ve come up with a highly robust yet adjustable headlight mounting solution using inexpensive, off-the-shelf Picatinny rail sections and other common parts. This setup should allow you to securely mount anything compatible with a Picatinny system—lights, cameras, lasers (ha), cell phones, you name it—while maintaining rock-solid adjustability up, down, left, and right. It should be able to take a bit of a beating and still not deflect. There are no friction clamps or straps, its all nuts and bolts. My headlight application is going to cost about $4.

I will do a new post on it if it works out... I think others might be interested in this as well. Its not just screwing a rail section to the bike (but it could be in some cases), it's more a technique than a mounting kit. I think people could really get creative with this.

 

[m@Robertson]

For me, a solid mount is a lot more easily achieved if the battery is NOT a part of the light itself. If the cells are in the light, all that weight has to be handled by the light mount and as @Smaug has indicated, most lighting mounts are not up to that challenge.

The Niterider Luminas have their cells inside, and needed an upgrade mount that Niterider should have given you with every Lumina, but instead charged an extra ten bucks for. The Victagens that replaced the Niteriders for me had a decently solid mount, but I used them sandwiched between two other wider-beam lights, and a tiny Velcro Onewrap strap holding all three together as one solved the move-over-time issue.

I mounted a pair on my Big Fat Dummy rack and use two Onewrap straps on each and they never move. But thats a special case with the rack being put to good use.

The Te-Rich light has a separate battery pack and its very small size does not hang out over the mount, so no leverage to bounce it around and no battery to weigh down the mount. Never moves.

 

[Lovetoride]

I am not so young anymore but not old enough to be stupid. To make generous Pocket Money I drive a 18Wheeler once a Week from early AM to pitch dark in the evening and guess what I like to know where I am goiing and if there is anybody including Pedestrians or Wildlife in my path. The same goes when I enjoy my eBike which came with a decent light but I almost instantly bought a real good rechargeable Light for the front and another one for the rear because I like to avoid any kind of trouble.
The light I purchased about 18 month ago is a rechargeable Yosky from Amazon 2000 Lumens for about 80 Bucks' bit Price but I illuminates fantastically and no doubt oncoming traffic cant avoid to see my coming.

Cheers

 

[hsdrggr]

If cost is not a factor the Magicshine Monteer series of lights are incredible. They have a road beam that has cutoffs so traffic is not offended and a flood setting that makes night almost day. I have the Magicshine Monteer 12000 lumen on my eMTB bike and there is nothing that even comes close to what it does. They also make several other versions with lesser lumen output and very capable.

 

[RoostChucker]

I’m sure I’m not the first to think of mounting a tactical rail to a bicycle, but this setup is rock-solid—you can lift my 97 lb. bike off the ground by this light mount, and it won’t budge. You need tools to remove it so it shouldn't walk off but I used a cheap non adjustable light just in case. Tactical flashlights are typically blindingly bright and this light does not disappoint.

With a Picatinny adapter, you can mount pretty much anything you’d want to a bike. I’ll follow up with another post detailing the specifics of the mounting setup.

This pic shows the remote pressure switch wiring as well.

 

[RoostChucker]

Check this thing out... "Picatinny Rail-Mounted Searchlights feature 12,000,000 CandlePower output and a 3,500 meter range. Searchlights can be controlled using wired switches"

This light could probably disrupt air traffic, but I could mount it on that rail in just a few minutes. I bet it costs a fortune. You have to contact them to get a quote.

https://www.peakbeam.com/products/mbs-430-w4-series/

 

[EVDan]

Ride in the dark at 25 mpg is complicated & somewhat dangerous -- especially if on city streets. I suggest rather than rather than relying solely on a bike mounted headlight, you consider getting a good headlamp that you can mount to your helmet.

One huge disadvantage with the bike mounted light is that it only illuminates directly ahead of the bike.

Advantage for the headlamp is that the light shines where you look -- up, down, to the side... basically you can see all your surroundings.

 

[RoostChucker]

Ride in the dark at 25 mpg is complicated & somewhat dangerous -- especially if on city streets. I suggest rather than rather than relying solely on a bike mounted headlight, you consider getting a good headlamp that you can mount to your helmet.

One huge disadvantage with the bike mounted light is that it only illuminates directly ahead of the bike.

Advantage for the headlamp is that the light shines where you look -- up, down, to the side... basically you can see all your surroundings.

I own several dirt bikes and a street bike, and I’ve never really felt the need for a headlamp while riding. However, I do have an extremely bright one that I use for camping. It features straps and a remote battery pack mounted on the back, powered by three 3.7V batteries. While it’s impressively bright, I often feel a bit awkward wearing it. In very dark conditions, it can be somewhat disorienting for me.

 

[m@Robertson]

I agree with @RoostChucker . I've been bicycle commuting and around-town riding for years (decades if you count my riding pre-'e') and never felt any need for a head-mounted light. The advantage of the head-mounted light can also be a disadvantage... anyone you look at gets a faceful of lumens. And of course you don't move your head every time you shift your gaze unless you are Batman, so shifting the headlight's direction is not quite so intuitive if you think on it a bit.

If helmet-mounted lights were so advantageous, their use would be much more widespread.

One huge disadvantage with the bike mounted light is that it only illuminates directly ahead of the bike.

If you have a light mounted on the handlebars or the forks, the light moves as you travel. Also, a big part of your beam pattern is picking a light that spreads that beam wide enough so you have peripheral lighting. Many bike lights do this. Especially the ones that have a 'flood' beam.

Nothing is guaranteed so you have to use your brain and pick the right light(s) to give you the beam pattern that is best. I have found a super bright but tight beam is fine for singletrack, but a terrible choice on the street.