Night riding setup for eMTB — what lights are you using?

CyclingInsights

CyclingInsights

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I recently tried the ME 2000 and it has been a solid option so far, but I’m still curious about different setups.

Do you guys run a handlebar light, helmet light, or both?
What beam pattern and brightness do you find works best for night trail riding?

Always interested to hear what other eMTB riders are using.
 
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CyclingInsights said:
Do you guys run a handlebar light, helmet light, or both?
What beam pattern and brightness do you find works best for night trail riding?
Click to expand...

I like bright lights. For many years I used the MagicShine clones because they put out a lot of light and they were dirt cheap. I always liked TWO lights: one for the bar, one for the helmet. The helmet is good so you can point the light where you want to go. But since it's in line with your vision, you can't see shadows and it "flattens out" the terrain. For that reason, you need a handlebar mounted light. Two of these lights in the 1000 to 2000 lumen range is good.

However... last year I wanted something new, so I picked up the Monteer 8000S V2. The amount of light it puts out is absurd. I just have one on my handlebars, and it eliminates the need for a light on the helmet. If an unfortunate rider is coming the other way, he'll be blinded. If you ride too closely behind your buddy, his tire might burst into flames. Realistically, the 8000S is overkill, but it's cool to know that no one will be able to outshine you.
 
Exposure six pack on the bars & a Moon Meteor storm on the helmet. The Exposure turns night into day & the Moon looks round corners. If you're in America, then Outbound looks like a well regarded company. The Magicshine stuff is ok if you're happy to have yet another battery strapped to the bike. IMO it's a major drawback but people's mileage varies.
 
Similar to Rusty, I’ve got an Exposure six pack on the bars and an Exposure joystick on the helmet.

As they get switched between a lot of bikes, it’s handy to not have to faff with batteries etc.
 
Since your in the US, Outbound is by far the way to go. They may not be the brightest, but whatever they do to the lens really make the light super usable. They are not cheap, but have a great warranty and will last forever.
 
I run Outbound Lighting's "Portal Downhill Package" that includes their Trail Evo bike light, and their Portal helmet light.


IMG_1942.webp
 
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I like bright lights but very white and overly bright lights wash out trail details. Anyway, I have a few different Lupie light- Betty on bar, Piko on helmet mainly. If it is a bright night with moonlight, I use my old Lupine Tesla on the helmet.
 
CyclingInsights said:
Do you guys run a handlebar light, helmet light, or both?
Click to expand...
IMO both always best. I have two old Lezyne pen style lights, small and light, probably not as powerful as the bigger more recent lamps but work fine for me in combination.
 
Magishine monteer on the bars. Great light let down by a cable that melts where it enters the lamp unit. Have had to shorten the cable and re-solder it a couple of times now as the outer gets hot and goes brittle which falls off and causes intermittent shorting.
After years of a helmet mounted lamp up top I was fed up of hitting trees and breaking mounts and from the inevitable shadow cast by the helmet peak. So now I use a Fenix head torch same as below

Fenix HM70R 21700 powered LED headlamp

www.fenixlight.co.uk www.fenixlight.co.uk
It is simple to remove the headstrap and I fix it to my helmet below the peak using one of these

Fenix ALG-03 V2.0 Headlamp Mount

www.fenixlight.co.uk www.fenixlight.co.uk
No more problems with tree strikes or shadows. Light output is great. I can carry a spare battery for longer rides, and it can still be used as a normal head torch with the original strap whenever needed.

Discclaimer: I am in the Cave Rescue organisation and we get a generous discount on Fenix gear.
 
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magicshineuk.com

Magicshine MONTEER 12000 - Magic Shine UK

✔ Max Lumen: 12000 LM ✔ Battery Capacity: 14.4V/10,000mAh (144Wh) ✔ Max Runtime: 121hrs ✔ Max Throw: 360m ✔ Floodlight with cutoff line & Spotlight: Support ✔ Waterproof: IPX6 ✔ Charger: USB-C(charging & discharging) ✔ Remote Control: Support ✔ APP Customization: Support The new MONTEER 12000 is...
magicshineuk.com magicshineuk.com

I use one of these, it's insane! I also have an old 2000 lumen Magicshine as backup on my helmet.
I've had 3 Magicshine lights over around 15 years, and they all still work. Mates that have bought cheap Chinese lights go through around one a year, they produce nowhere near the lumens claimed, and the optics are often harsh. Magicshine may be expensive, but they are well built and last.
 
Loving all these guys with Exposure lights.

Both my boys and I rode bikes, so I had to supply light for 3 bikes and also we did 24hr races, so they needed to last all night for at least 2 riders.

I went Magicshine as we could swap batteries, we have 6 x 902 (helmet)and 3 x 906 and I have recently got a Monteer 5000. 10 batteries all compatible. I also have a set of AyUps which are still great for the helmet but lack spread at distance.

Rear, Ive has a few Exposure rears, BlazeR, TraceR etc... currently running a MagicShine SeeMee 300 which is probably the the best rear available currently.

My thoughts were to grab an Exposure Six pack for the bars and a Zenith/Joystick/Diablo for the helmet when they were no longer needing me to supply their shit but I have so many batteries and they just work.

Maybe someday I'll get on the Exposure train.
 
I use magic shine. 3000lumin on the handle bar and 4500 on the head.
Get powerful flood beams on both head and bar.
 
CarolinaCrawler said:
Since your in the US, Outbound is by far the way to go. They may not be the brightest, but whatever they do to the lens really make the light super usable. They are not cheap, but have a great warranty and will last forever.
Click to expand...
This can't be emphasized enough....It's the beam pattern, stupid. The highest output isn't always the best. You reach a point of diminishing returns where all you are doing is showing off to your mates that your's is bigger than their's..errr..& really aren't improving your visability (sometimes decreasing it because of glare).

The point of lighting is obviously too see the path & inspire the confidence so you can ride as close to the same level as you do in daylight. The analogy is do you ride more confidently in the blazing noontime sun or on a cloudy day? Rarely is it the former.

Also, don't get me started about the incivility of riding behind someone with your 40,000 lumen Moose-Blinder Mk.II so you're drowning out his light(s) & he can't see in front of him.
 
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ozzybmx said:
Loving all these guys with Exposure lights.

Both my boys and I rode bikes, so I had to supply light for 3 bikes and also we did 24hr races, so they needed to last all night for at least 2 riders.

I went Magicshine as we could swap batteries, we have 6 x 902 (helmet)and 3 x 906 and I have recently got a Monteer 5000. 10 batteries all compatible. I also have a set of AyUps which are still great for the helmet but lack spread at distance.

Rear, Ive has a few Exposure rears, BlazeR, TraceR etc... currently running a MagicShine SeeMee 300 which is probably the the best rear available currently.

My thoughts were to grab an Exposure Six pack for the bars and a Zenith/Joystick/Diablo for the helmet when they were no longer needing me to supply their shit but I have so many batteries and they just work.

Maybe someday I'll get on the Exposure train.
Click to expand...
Dmaxx is the light for mtb
 
Another potential mistake is buying just a spot light (vs. flood light). There is virtually no value in getting a narrow long distance beam capable of seeing an object 500 - 1000ft away.
You are probably riding <20mph most of the time at night traveling <30' (10 meters) per second.

So all that is needed is a beam projecting 300' (100m). If you can't stop or change course in 10 seconds perhaps an opthomologist or physiologist visit should be in your future.
 
If just one light, I always use a helmet light but we have many tight switchbacks and steep as well so I need to see around them before I turn the bike.
 
F4Flyer said:
If just one light, I always use a helmet light but we have many tight switchbacks and steep as well so I need to see around them before I turn the bike.
Click to expand...
This is debated because a helmet mounted light will deceptively flatten the terrain; while a bar light will as you imply, mostly provide light where your wheel is pointed.

The other factors... like output and battery life significantly favors the bar light. That is why I advise the bar light first; then buy a helmet light when you can.
 
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We generally cannot (on most trails I ride here in Colorado) only ride with a bar light. We have too many switchbacks in these mountains. Your bike turns much later than your eyes/head. In our neighborhood, you can do a bar light only but on our lower trails not build on the sides of steep mountains. You can't do that on most of our trails built up high unless you want to walk most of the switchbacks.
 
CyclingInsights said:
I recently tried the ME 2000 and it has been a solid option so far, but I’m still curious about different setups.

Do you guys run a handlebar light, helmet light, or both?
What beam pattern and brightness do you find works best for night trail riding?

Always interested to hear what other eMTB riders are using.
Click to expand...
Handlebar mounted Lupine headlight turns night into day.
 
Got to be a bar light and a head light. Putting all the light on your head is too much weight, and if you only have it on the bar you can't see round corners or to lift the bike over a fence etc.

But I don't use any bike specific lights. Instead I use normal flashlights. Had too many bad experiences with cables and connectors going bad mid-ride.
Flashlights are much better value and because of all the enthusiasts out there you can get a huge range of beam patterns and light temperatures at very competitive prices. You also don't need to carry more battery weight than you need. Middle of summer and only need a light for the last half an hour, just take the battery in the lights; middle of winter and going for a huge mission, load up on extra cells.

I use Emisar lights from LED Flashlight-INTL Outdoor Store they will custom make you whatever combo you want. Can't remember what I specified but did a load of research at the time and have been very happy with the results and reliability. I have a DW4 for the helmet using an 18650 and a D4K using a 21700 for the bars, going strong 3 years.

They also run a fully programmable firmware, so you can choose the brightest and dimmest settings and how many steps you want in-between.

You can even buy additional battery tubes so you can run an even smaller lighter battery in the summer. Total setup is not much over $100 for both lights and budget another $50 for some quality cells and a charger and some mounts etc. a single 18650 in the headtorch is usually good for a couple of hours and the 21700 in the bar light can do 3, depending on output selection.
 
Exposure 6 pack and Diablo. Amazing coverage no matter how steep or technical, if you’re riding in adverse conditions and rain then exposure are a great choice.
 
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