What to Consider When Buying Mountain Bike Lights?

Riding at night in cool breeze is one of the best experiences you'll ever have on a bike. The clearer roads, the cool and crisp air- such a ride at night can provide an exciting new challenge even to the mountain bikers. To make this work, it is important to choose the right lights for your needs.

 

Night riding is one of the most exciting aspects of bike riding. Obviously, there is a lot less daylight available to squeeze in a mountain bike ride. Here’s where the bike lights come in. Today, the lights are smaller, long lasting and brighter than anything we imagined years ago when we thought a 10-watt light were the pinnacle. While it’s easy to spend a little on a set of lights, the broad spectrum of affordable lights today offers mountain bikers a lot of choice.

So, for your convenience, we have listed here the key essentials that you must consider when buying mountain bike lights. 

1. Brightness: How much illumination does a bike light provides is what really matters. Roughly, 150-200 Lumens is enough for a helmet mounted light. Anything over 300 will let you keep a decent pace on trails. The more Lumens a light has the greater its power output will be. But, don’t take manufacturer claims too literally.

2. Lamp Types: The advancement in the LED technology has made it possible for the manufacturers to choose from a vast range of emitters and fulfill just about every need with them.

Entry-level lights make use of a single LED while more expensive and brighter options use several that give a better and more useful spread of light across the way.

3. Fit: An important thing to consider here is to check whether the light actually fit on your bike. The lights need to be mounted securely too which means that a great lamp can fit to your bar or helmet perfectly- a weak or loose bracket that suddenly twists on a rocky descent is a recipe for disaster. The bigger lights usually fit on the curve of your handlebar without sitting at a crazy angle.

4. Battery Life: You need a battery that gives enough run time to cope with your longest rides. Additionally, they should give a bit extra for emergencies or when the battery gets old or cold. Also, check whether it has a battery indicator for rationing power rather than relying on an emergency alert.

5. Controls: If you want the convenience of a remote switch or the ability to tune power output, add it into your list of considerations. Definitely, you’ll have to prepare yourself to pay some bugs more.

6. Reliability: Besides considering various essentials like powerful electronics and long-life batteries, reliability is absolutely vital, since failing of light at speed on technical terrain is no joke.

To have fun is something that everyone wants, but at the same time, one should abide the elements of safety and vigilance.