Hi all

Thinking of investing in some bright lights thinking 1 set for bar around 2000lumens and one for helmet mounting, maybe 1000 e.g. exposure diablo.

I’ve never used a really bright (2000 lumen +) set of bar lights before and was wondering if you still need a helmet light? I tend to ride places like Forest of Dean, Cwmcarn, Mendips etc. so fairly twisty and not sure the bar lights would still be enough to light up around corners over crests etc.

Any input appreciated
Cheers

Required, no .. a good idea, yes.
As you say, you get light where your looking and not where the bike is pointing.

Twistier it gets, more useful a helmet mount is. Looking round corners, not where your bars are pointing.

Also if you only have one light on and it stops working it’ll be very dark all of a sudden.

i only use a bar mounted light

I prefer both. If anything I’d just run a helmet torch.

Conversely, what about a helmet light only? I’ve got a Gemini Olympia coming, so as long as that lights up round the wheel as well as in the distance (so I still have peripheral vision) I thought that would probably be enough?

Typed and posted prior to reading post above!

wow lots of replys and fast – thanks all

Pretty much confirms what I was thinking, both still good even with a bright bar light.

Keen to go cable free so thinking of an exposure diablo for the helmet. Will make do with my old magic shine for this season and save up for a new bar light for next winter.

thegreatape – I was keen to keep the bar light as I find helmet only means no shadows and I can’t see the bumps so well.

Cheers again for the input

Both have advantages and issues.. Helmet lights tend to flatten out your view, of upcoming obsticals, losing perspective. A mix of both, is best, plus a spare for the bag just in case (you can never have enough torches)

EDIT: Dang too slow

i use both for the reasons stated above.
also, if one suddenly craps out, i’m not totally blind in a forest, possibly moving at speed…

ymmv.

If I have just one light, it goes on the head. 2 is better than 1 bright light for all these reasons above.

Spot on lid, more lumens and wider pattern on the bars for me.

Cable free means more weight on the lid which I don’t like. Also means you can’t swap battery mid ride.

I’m also expecting one of those MBUK 400 lumen Lezyne helmet lights. Will that be drowned out by the Gemini (around 1500 lumen from what I read) on the bars, or will that work well together?

Head light makes going over gates and fencing so much more simple.

I’d rather have 1000lumens on the head than 2000 on the bars,but ideally, both!

I once crashed on a night ride and my bike went pinging off down the hill by itself. Quite glad I had a helmet light 🙂

I run with 1000 moomins on the bars and 2000 cheap Chinese ones (see Fig 1. below) on my hat (if the figures are to be believed). I like being able to see round corners, not just where the bike is pointing.

Fig 1.

I want one of those lights now. Maybe not quite that many