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Hi all,
As above really. I have never ridden at night (will be getting some practice in) so have no idea what is hot and what is not with regards to lights. Can the STW massif help out please?
My thinking is one large light on the bars and something smaller on the helmet. Sound good?
There is a chance I can borrow a Hope for the bars so that leaves me to buy something for the helmet. My brief research and limited knowledge suggests that an Exposure Joystick Mk6 could do the job. Is there any reason to not go with this?
Many thanks in advance, DanW
Big bar light and smaller helmet light is good: (as is the opposite way round in my experience) but a helmet light without a lead means you can race easily without a backpack or a battery bouncing around in your jersey pocket too.
I suppose it depends how much you want to spend really. If you can afford it, the joystick really is very good. Are you racing in a team? -bear in mind the joystick will only work on full blast for 3 hours tops so you won't get a whole night's riding out of it if you are solo or paired with someone that does 45 minute laps! A Deal extreme torch plus rubbery helmey mount plus a couple of batteries plus a charger will set you back a quarter of the cost of a joystick if you shop around.
The joystick is better all round (I have both a mk6 joystick and a couple of similar size/power torches, and have ridden and raced with both) but obviously more spendy too.
BTW the 24/12 is a fantastic event. Very well organised, great course holds up well if it rains, brilliant without being overly dangrous singletracky bits, great atmosphere. Plenty of folk on this forum enter it. You'll have a right hoot 😀
The joystick mk6 is more powerful than the race maxx mk1 i used at the event 2 years ago.
Had that on the bars and a hope 1 on the helmet and used mid power which was fine for 2 night laps and a late doors lap.
both laps were just over the 1 hour, so i guess it depends on your speed and experience. There was nothing tech at it 2 years ago, the hardest was a lovely zig zag thing down onto a fireroad (just next to to the massive tarpaulin). Which I'd stick both lights onto max for.
btw - really wanted to go this year, but overspent on the wedding anniversary, tis a great event.
Are you soloing? (relevant because it affects how much battery life you'll need). If you're in a pair then torches become a very good option, because you'll get enough from a single battery for a lap, then you can swap- not an option with a Joystick or similiar with an integrated battery.
The Joystick's just an expensive torch at the end of the day... Not that bright on full power, and a fairly tight beam. For less money, there's this:
Or similiar. Cabled-in, which some people don't like but the tradeoff is a bucket more power. A lot brighter, but also much wider- the Joystick leaves you chasing the dot, whereas a more powerful light can give you a much more normal field of vision- letting you ride a bit more normally.
If you're struggling, I'd be happy to lend you lights for the weekend but I couldn't send them out much earlier so you wouldn't be able to practice much.
Thank you for the help everyone and thanks for the offer Northwind. I will be entering in a team so should hopefully make my first event and first night ride more manageable!
I had expected to spend £100-150 to get something half decent and would rather have something that will last well. I guess so long as battery life is 3 hours or greater I should be ok.
I stumbled across the Magicshine and it certainly looks a good option. Would you really want it on your helmet though?
Really excited about the 24/12! 🙂
Yep, I use it as a helmet light. Battery pack goes either in the top pocket of my camelbak or in ma jersey pocket (though that needed the extension cable to work well). It can be put on a belt instead if you prefer.
Originally it seemed like it'd be my bar light as it's a floodlight, and I'd use a spotlight on the head for range, but that turned out not to work too well- it used to make sense but now decent lights throw so much light that there's no need for a spotlight to get good range.
Doesn't have to be this particular light of course, I recommend it because I know it's good but I'm sure there's alternatives.