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

[Rod B.]

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.

I enjoy night riding during the winter months. I'm currently using Outbound Lighting's, "Trail Evo" light. It's hands down the best bike light I've ever used. It's a bit pricey at $245. You get what you pay for these days.

The light's handlebar mounting bracket is well designed and securely holds the light. It's easy to install and use. When not in use, the mount can be quickly removed. I like that there's no vibration of the light due to how solid the mount is. I've never had the light or it's mount loosen up on the handlebar, no matter how rugged, potholed, brake bumped the trail is.

The light itself is very rugged and well designed. The light beam is wide and offers plenty of lumens to see what's ahead of you. The light has mutiple brightness settings. On full pop, I can get over 2.5 hours of riding. I've yet to run it dry. I joke that the light is bright, like the surface of the sun. It's not that bright, however it's bright.

I've used helmet lights in the past. However, I haven't felt a need for a helmet light with this light

Be safe,
Rod

 

[Roaming50]

Helmet light is a must if you have trails that are stupidly twisty.

I run the Outbound Lighting EVO on my bars with the Portal on my head. The Portal is a bit heavy but my biggest issue is that I have an odd shaped head and lights will pull the helmet down over my eyes. Doesn't matter the brand....

So, I have a 12Ah Nitecore battery (from a headlight accessory I also have Nitecore Carbon Battery 12K Extended Headlamp Runtime Kit for Headlamps) that I use on the back of the helmet mounted in a old flip phone soft pocket case that works on the back of the helmet. That allows me to run full power while having a balanced helmet.

I also use the OL Road on my road bike along with the Hangover on the helmet.

Over the years I have gone from NightSun halogen bottle lights in the mid 90s to Vistalite and Cyglolite and others and the Outbound Lighting is the best and there service second to none - For instance, a few months ago I cycled into a low bridge and broke the mount off my Portal. Totally my fault. I explained this to Outbound and they said send it back and they repaired it for free. Turn around was one week. That makes a life long and repeat customer.

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

and there service second to none

This is pretty big for me too. I grabbed the light one day out of my riding bag and the mounting tab broke off. Emailed them and they sent me a bottom clamshell of the light. They let me replace it. I was very impressed. Most companies don't want you taking apart anything. They told me if I had a hard time to call and they could walk me through any problems. It was very straight forward and took 3 minutes. Great company with a great warranty.

 

[zakflip]

interesting thread, good to see what other people are using.

Im using a Exposure Toro as it's got plenty of battery life and is more than bright enough for any terrain, its also small enough to switch between the MTB and Gravel bike.
For the helmet light an exposure joystick.

The Amflow front light is ok, not great and seems to have a weird line across the light beam, like a band/dead spot.
Looking forward to some decent swap out options that will be plug and play now that many more brands have added the Avinox motor to their range.

 

[retrograde]

For long backcountry missions, I use Gloworm's X2 (helmet) and XSV (bars). This is the previous generation and runs off external batteries.

For shorter rides, I use an Outbound Detour (bars) and Gloworm CX Core (helmet). I went with the CX Core over an Outbound Portal partly because the the former has bar-mounted wireless controls.

I wear a Smith Forefront 3 which has a really nice quick-release accessory mount for helmet lights.

 

[CyclingInsights]

Helmet light is a must if you have trails that are stupidly twisty.

I run the Outbound Lighting EVO on my bars with the Portal on my head. The Portal is a bit heavy but my biggest issue is that I have an odd shaped head and lights will pull the helmet down over my eyes. Doesn't matter the brand....

So, I have a 12Ah Nitecore battery (from a headlight accessory I also have Nitecore Carbon Battery 12K Extended Headlamp Runtime Kit for Headlamps) that I use on the back of the helmet mounted in a old flip phone soft pocket case that works on the back of the helmet. That allows me to run full power while having a balanced helmet.

I also use the OL Road on my road bike along with the Hangover on the helmet.

Over the years I have gone from NightSun halogen bottle lights in the mid 90s to Vistalite and Cyglolite and others and the Outbound Lighting is the best and there service second to none - For instance, a few months ago I cycled into a low bridge and broke the mount off my Portal. Totally my fault. I explained this to Outbound and they said send it back and they repaired it for free. Turn around was one week. That makes a life long and repeat customer.

thank you

 

[CyclingInsights]

I enjoy night riding during the winter months. I'm currently using Outbound Lighting's, "Trail Evo" light. It's hands down the best bike light I've ever used. It's a bit pricey at $245. You get what you pay for these days.

The light's handlebar mounting bracket is well designed and securely holds the light. It's easy to install and use. When not in use, the mount can be quickly removed. I like that there's no vibration of the light due to how solid the mount is. I've never had the light or it's mount loosen up on the handlebar, no matter how rugged, potholed, brake bumped the trail is.

The light itself is very rugged and well designed. The light beam is wide and offers plenty of lumens to see what's ahead of you. The light has mutiple brightness settings. On full pop, I can get over 2.5 hours of riding. I've yet to run it dry. I joke that the light is bright, like the surface of the sun. It's not that bright, however it's bright.

I've used helmet lights in the past. However, I haven't felt a need for a helmet light with this light

Be safe,
Rod

View attachment 189089

Thank you so much for sharing your detailed experience and thoughts!

 

[CyclingInsights]

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.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

The bar + helmet light setup is definitely a popular choice for night riding. As you mentioned, a helmet light gives you the flexibility to look through corners and point the beam where you need it, while a handlebar light creates shadows and depth that help you read the terrain better.

The Monteer 8000S V2 is certainly a powerful light, and it’s designed for riders who want maximum visibility for demanding off-road conditions. For many riders, that level of output may be more than they actually need, but having extra power available can make a big difference when riding fast, exploring technical trails, or dealing with poor visibility.

 

[retrograde]

The beam pattern is just as important, maybe more, as brightness. Companies like Outbound and Gloworm design optics for their lights to make the most of the available emitted light (I thought one of the founders of Outbound used to design optics for automobile headlights?).

And if you get picky, the "color temperature" of the light can also be a differentiator (I believe colors of vegetation, dirt, etc.) are more realistic at night with higher temperature emitters). I know Gloworm has offered emitters in different color temperatures in the past. The forums are full of deep dive threads about this stuff.

And then there's external battery vs internal battery. Makes a difference depending on your application.