I’ve been riding Hope R4 and Vision 2’s, but endless problems with the utterly rubbish cabling (three sets, two years). I want a helmet mounted light, with no light on the bars. Can anyone recommend a helmet light with decent spread (the U.S.E. ones seem narrow). Reliability is a top priority.

Just out of interest, what is the issue with the Hope cabling? Most people would consider those reliable, high end units>

The one on the right gets a good review
but the weight and price are wrong

The head units are fine, but if you ride regularly the cabling will come to bits. My Vision 2’s lasted a year, R4’s the same. I mate’s V2’s did the same 12 months, and his R4 cables are coming to bits. The connectors and connection to the head unit are the weak links.

I have another friend with V2’s with striped cables. Speak to anyone in who sells them and it’s the weak link. Hope are great at sorting issues, but I can’t be arsed with the hassle. Just want something which is more robust.

Basically, the plugs need bonding to the cable outer’s in a better manner, and connectors need vaseline in to stop them from pulling apart when you are changing the batteries. I ride off road twice a week of a night in the winter, so they see a lot of use. Looking for something better.

The Gloworm X2 that we’re selling has got some great feedback as a helmet light with a good beam spread (you can customise the beam by changing the optics – spot/flood combinations). It has a low profile helmet mount so it doesn’t stick up too high like some lights.

Do a search on here and there is plenty of feedback.

http://www.crgmoto.co.uk/mountain-bike-lights-26-c.asp

Interesting. I ride at night every week through the winter, and I have 2 year old magic shines with no cable issues. I would have expected better from Hope.

For me, if I had the cash, Trouties SpiderEyes. If not, a Gloworm or a Lumenator from mtbbatteries. They are both quite new though, so I couldn’t comment on cable longevity.

Mr Trout- what are the correct details?

And Trout, do you have any details on runtime with the different battery options? Thanks.

Am I missing something? £500 for a light? Really?

Admittedly, I’ve only just started night riding, but my lights are great and only cost £30 each. Got one on the helmet and one on the bars. Loads of light and last at least 2 hours (they’ve not run out yet)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140744146377?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I can’t believe people are paying those kind of prices.

can`t blame WMB for the price as it did say that on my site when it was tested daft thing was there were not going to be any more spiders or lights of any kind but I had lent a spider to Guy the WMB stuff tester but not with any intention of a mag review at the time .
It was only when I found out it was going in the mag that I ordered a batch of housings from my machine shop . so its been a bit of a panic getting some built up as only got them back from the anodisers on friday

it was only because the chinese have no light like it that I wanted to give it another shot .

weight of the light head and mount is 160 grams small battery which of course does not go on the helmet is 200 grams

I have not yet had a chance to do a runtime test but the on paper runtimes are
small battery 2.6 amp hour 14.8 volt
low 9 hours
med 3.75 hours
hi 1.5 hours
large battery 4.4 amp hour 14.8 volt
low 15.7 hours
med 6 hours
hi 2.5 hours

low is plenty of light to ride most trails hi is lunatic bright but good fun

up to date prices are on my website .

Theendisnigh

for some strange reason its only the chinese who seem to get the really good leds one led = 1800 lupins

us normal folks can only get the lower powered leds

by the ebay and chinese lumens my light is 5400 lumens

but its only about 2500 normal lumens

TEIN – £30 gets you a functional Chinese light which may or may not pack up half way down a trail, and has passed no EU safety tests, and whose batteries may burn down your house whilst charging (I kid you not – lots of issues a few years back!!)

£300 to Troutie gets you a handmade piece of ingenious engineering, like no other light!!

Call it Primark and Prada if you like!!

I’ve had my Hope V2’s for about 2 1/2 years now and I use them to night ride and with the head band for fell running. I’ve got the enduro pack with 2 batteries and swap them over after every use. they get some hammer during the ‘dark’ ends of the year. I’ve had no problems at all with the cabling.

I know that its not 1800 lumens, but they are very good regardless.
2 of them provide more than enough light and the battery seeems good.
Maybe they will stop working, if they don’t then I will let you know so you can save some cash! I’ll keep you posted.

The burn your house down bit has crossed my mind, I charge them under the smoke alarm.

I have done over 250 hope vision upgrades to XML since starting and have found that the cable fatigues where it leaves the strain relief
so have to chop off about an inch to get back to good wire .

and in a few cases water has got into the cable and corroded the wire core pretty badly this needs a new cable

another issue is muck or corrosion in the connectors a squirt of wd40 or silicon spray or similar helps here

Most of us in my cycle group use Magicshine, or cheaper copies. I always start with 2 lights, but normally finish with 1, as someone’s light/battery usually gives up.

The MS/DX lights are great for what they are – they have opened up night riding for the masses – me included. However – I am now at the stage when I want a bit more, and I’m starting to assess the next rung up the ladder.

Have just ventured over to this side of the forum to post regarding lights, and thought I’d read this first. Answered all the questions and that very same eBay thirty pounder is what I was going to ask about!
Theendisnigh, do you rate it as a stand alone light? As a virgin night rider I can’t see me hammering down the trails too fast to start off with!

theendisnigh – Member
The burn your house down bit has crossed my mind, I charge them under the smoke alarm.

I charge my cheapo magicshines in an old Quality Street tin, both battery and charger inside.

Well I dug my eBay special out of the bottom of a bag today, having not charged the thing since sometime last winter and worked a treat, to and from work….I do fancy a Trout special but wee baby types are putting paid to regular night rides…

wrightyson
3 of my friends have these lights, so far with no issues but we haven’t used them extensively. I find they give ample light but I think you need 2. One on the helmet and 1 on the bars. bit risky with only 1. I turned mine off in the woods to see how dark it was, it was VERY VERY dark.

Good idea with old sweet tin. I might adopt that myself. Or I might start charging them at work.

dantsw13 – exactly where I was too. I’ve had 2 cheap magicshines for the last 2 winters and the micro (clicky) switches on both now work only with difficulty so I was ready to spend a bit more.

Just started using a Gloworm x2 and whilst it’s plenty more expensive then the mj’s it’s not silly money and very pleased with it so far. Quality seems good, head unit is very light. It’s very versatile with modes from 100 to 1300 lumens and has a decent throw & spread. And they’re apparently real, measured lumens. Very bright.

Also, Danny is very good to deal with, and no, I don’t have any connection to them 🙂

OP, have to recommend the Gloworm X2, only a few weeks to show but build quality is first rate so I’ll be surprised if anything fails in the short term….

X2 thread from a few weeks back

My Exposure Diablo is on it’s 3rd winter now. No external batteries, no problems, and it’s piddly 900 lumens is strangely much brighter than my several of my friends supposedly 1100/1200/1500 lumen chinese lights.

The current version has 1200 lumens and having seen it, it’s definitely much brighter than mine. £180 might seem like a lot but considering mine has outlived a hope vision 2, vison 4 and several chinese lights it’s not much for hassle free nightriding.

I various cheap alternatives before taking the plunge and I am very glad I did as everything else was just a complete faff.

Why pay £29.99 for the chinese lights, when you can get them for £19.99 ! 😯

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230825016348?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

had mine over 2 years now, still going strong.. def good advice to have a working smoke alarm mind..

mine were shipped from the UK. Might get a back up from that seller 😀

I got the Chinese lights for £16.50 each. eBay seller was tomtop_game I think.

Edit: From here: http://bit.ly/VwxOoW

Came in 1 1/2 weeks, work ok. I bought orange peel reflectors for them too, which makes them a bit less spotty.

Gloworm x2 for me also , excellent light on the bars or helmet ……when the x1 comes out will prob have that on helmet x2 on bars

In 3 years of night riding, I can definately say I have witnessed the rapid degradation in battery run time on the really cheap batteries. My current main light is a MJ817 (Mickey Mouse one) Powered by a Open Light Systems upgraded battery. On a 3 hr ride it finishes either green or blue. Some of the MJ batteries on their second season barely make it through, even with careful mode management.

If you are going to buy a magicshine, invest in the battery upgrade.