I have a light and motion. This time of year, there isn't a lot of dark (around here at least). A 900+ watt light run at 100 watts will last a long time. Cygolight and Night rider make some good stuff.
Its all about the battery and how hard you run the light though. Big battery and low power = long burn time. Bring a spare.
Dynamo hub (Shimano, SP, or Schmidt) plus front and rear lights. Never have to worry about batteries and you can run them in daytime mode for extra visibility.
Headlights: Schmidt eDelux; B&M IQ-X, IQ Cyo Premium, or Luxos; Spanninga Axendo 60
Taillight: B&M Secula (fender mount plus any reflector bracket)
A SON 28 is on the list for my commuter/steel gravel bike. In the mean time I have a Niterider, but on low it only lasts about 6ish hours. If I were to do 24 hour races I'd need a backup light and to carry a battery to recharge.
A lot of lights cant be on while charging, niterider included.
The Hope one has 3-4 settings on it. On the low setting it burns forever. You can change the settings really easily while riding with a button on the top. I use the high setting for tough stuff or downhill hill descents at night. It runs off 4 AA batteries so very easy to change out.
I'm guessing it's not gonna be dark for 24 hours straight? For a front light i'd buy something that takes 18650 or 26650 batteries. Buy a few quality, high capacity spares, bring them along the ride and you're set. Or if you have space, buy a light that uses a battery pack and just run it on a lower setting. Sadly you can't cheat reality, unless you go dynamo you'll have to bring a few spare batteries and/or run the light on a lower setting.
Zurichman wrote:The Hope one has 3-4 settings on it. On the low setting it burns forever. You can change the settings really easily while riding with a button on the top. I use the high setting for tough stuff or downhill hill descents at night. It runs off 4 AA batteries so very easy to change out.
No offense but that light is a bit outdated. Nowadays you could easily buy something that has at least about triple the light output, and much longer run times while also being cheaper. As far as I see you can't even buy that light anymore.
Another option is to use lights which can be charged by USB. This way you can carry a remote LiIon battery pack and plug into your lights to significantly extend run time. Before buying any of the lights, confirm that model will run when it is also being charged. Not all lights and other electronics allow this.
I have units from Cygolite and Light & Motion. The units I have are at least 5 years old and work great. I also have a generator setup which works well but is way expensive and doesn't put out near as much light as the new USB chargeable lights.
For long run times get the highest power version and then run it on a low setting. For example the Light & Motion Urban 1000 will put out 250 lumens on low and has a rated run time of 6 hours. If you're doing technical mountain biking or need more light then I'd suggest a 2nd light mounted on your helmet.
Also consider beam patterns (wide vs narrow). I prefer a wide beam on my handlebars and a narrower beam on my helmet.
IMO ... for me ....lights are no different than liquid/meal planning.
First .... you need to figure out what lighting you need. Is a mounted headlight enough? (They only shine where the bars are pointed). Do you need a helmet mounted light too? How bright does your light need to be? (conditions matter). Do you expect to be riding alone a lot? Do you expect to riding with others a lot? Etc
Then I work it backwards ...... how long between checkpoints, and is my drop bag there?
The answer to the drop bag determines if I am carrying recharge solutions or not.
I don't want to carry a whole bunch of extra weight if I don't have to.
Keep it simple..... rather than messing around carrying charge packs etc....get two or three Bontrager Ion Pro's. Keep them on the lowest setting needed (practice with whatever light you choose). Swap them out when needed, preferably with a charged one from your drop bag/crew. The Ion's are USB chargeable....giving you great relatively lightweight recharge options on the bike if needed. Portable USB chargers are light and cheap....and will keep getting lighter and cheaper.The light on your bike doesn't have to make it all night if drops or crews are allowed....it only has to make it to the next drop/crew (or to the nearest usb charger on your bike).
I also like the Ion's because they throw a great light for night riding imo, and they aren't an expense dedicated to night riding only, they have multiple uses.
also, ride with a helmet light and a bar light if conditions warrant. Turn one or the other off when not needed/backup.
For your tail light .... IMO you need to decide if you need it for safety, or if you need to comply with rules, or both.
Super bright high mounted tail lights are great for safety.
Super bright high mounted or bright strobe tail lights are (in my opinion) annoying as all get out when riding behind them.
I need both.
I run Bontrager Flares for taillights. Good battery life, not much weight, super visible when needed. Easy to adjust while riding....meaning. When riding alone when conditions require max viability to protect myself, night strobe........when group/pack riding if I care about their feelings and/or no vehicles to worry about, off or dim.
Similar to above response with the headlight, the nice thing about the flares is they also are fantastic (imo) daytime taillights too. Duel purpose, buy once cry once. Usb chargeable. (I will also say, when I started riding the Flare taillight on daytime strobe during the day....it was noticeable how much quicker gravel traffic see's me (they start slowing down a lot sooner), and how much more space they give me when passing. Don't go cheap or dim on your taillight if you ride alone. Both the day and night strobe's on the Flares are amazing attention getters!!)
GHC wrote: Super bright high mounted or bright strobe tail lights are (in my opinion) annoying as all get out when riding behind them.
Some of the better taillights offer a "soft strobe" where the intensity gradually ramps up and down. These are far less annoying (IMO) to be behind. I have had good luck with the Cygolite Hotshot but beware the soft strobe mode uses much more power so the runtime will be less.
NoCoGreg wrote: Some of the better taillights offer a "soft strobe" where the intensity gradually ramps up and down. These are far less annoying (IMO) to be behind. I have had good luck with the Cygolite Hotshot but beware the soft strobe mode uses much more power so the runtime will be less.
While a dynamo powers my main headlight/taillight, I also do have an auxiliary USB-charged headlamp and taillight. For the last several years I've been very happy with the Light & Motion VIS 180 taillight for its pulse mode. I used to ride with the brightest, most obnoxious strobing lights front and rear, but got tired of the negative feedback from drivers and riders of the affect of these bright strobes. I feel the Light & Motion lights, with the pulse mode, offer a good balance of visibility (see me!) functionality along with "don't blind me" pulsing light.
You were spot on with the USB + battery pack suggestion. A Bontrager Ion headlight should go 6 hours on 400 lumens and 3 hours on 800. 400-500 is what I have liked for nighttime gravel rides, but obviously not all lumens are equal between lights. A USB rechargeable battery could be had for ~$45 with 5x the battery capacity of that Ion which should easily get somebody through a day of riding with solid for dark and day flash for bright conditions.
I had both the pro and micro version of the Hotshot. Okay for their time, but I gave them away and have two Flares now. They aren't bad to ride behind because the beam is focused lower than where a cyclist's eyes would be. Both generations of Flares are head and shoulders better than the Hotshots. However, that daytime visibility flashing may specific to the USA. I don't believe the on-off flashing of a Flare is legal in parts (all?) of Europe. They require most of the 'soft strobe' that you mention. I don't think it's as attention grabbing for all of the yahoos driving 5,000 lb vehicles while mostly looking at their phones. That's just an opinion though.
HollyBoni wrote:I'm guessing it's not gonna be dark for 24 hours straight? For a front light i'd buy something that takes 18650 or 26650 batteries. Buy a few quality, high capacity spares, bring them along the ride and you're set. Or if you have space, buy a light that uses a battery pack and just run it on a lower setting. Sadly you can't cheat reality, unless you go dynamo you'll have to bring a few spare batteries and/or run the light on a lower setting.
HollyBoni wrote:
No offense but that light is a bit outdated. Nowadays you could easily buy something that has at least about triple the light output, and much longer run times while also being cheaper. As far as I see you can't even buy that light anymore.
Holly give me some examples of lights then as I am always looking for a better light. I saw hotshots mentioned above.
dangle wrote: I had both the pro and micro version of the Hotshot. Okay for their time, but I gave them away and have two Flares now. They aren't bad to ride behind because the beam is focused lower than where a cyclist's eyes would be. Both generations of Flares are head and shoulders better than the Hotshots. However, that daytime visibility flashing may specific to the USA. I don't believe the on-off flashing of a Flare is legal in parts (all?) of Europe. They require most of the 'soft strobe' that you mention. I don't think it's as attention grabbing for all of the yahoos driving 5,000 lb vehicles while mostly looking at their phones. That's just an opinion though.
I agree completely and it's funny you mention the Bontrager Flares. Yup the Flare's focused beam is not a problem if one is close to the rider, but it's extremely bright from 5 yard back. The models my wife and I have don't offer the soft pulse and that is the only drawback I'd have. I also agree with your assessment of the Hot Shot and like you I've had the Pro, Mini, and other versions. These were the best when they came out but other brands have caught up and are better.
Z-Man: For a USB light, check out the Light & Motion Urban line. I always get the top of the line as it'll have the same run time and more light output than lower models. These are very well designed and manufactured. Not cheap but they work great and with a battery pack strapped to the toptube they'll run all night long.
As someone mentioned, not all USB rechargeable lights will continue to operate while plugged into their chargers. Do your research if that's important to ya.
The current Bontrager Ion Pro's will continue to operate while attached to a USB charger. Can't speak to the others mentioned here, maybe they do too.
Unaided the Ion Pro's RT's run 1300LM-1.5hrs, 800LM-3hrs, 400LM-6hrs, night flash-26hrs, day flash 22hrs) .... attached to a USB charger, multiples with a decent charger.
GHC wrote:As someone mentioned, not all USB rechargeable lights will continue to operate while plugged into their chargers. Do your research if that's important to ya.
The current Bontrager Ion Pro's will continue to operate while attached to a USB charger. Can't speak to the others mentioned here, maybe they do too.
Unaided the Ion Pro's RT's run 1300LM-1.5hrs, 800LM-3hrs, 400LM-6hrs, night flash-26hrs, day flash 22hrs) .... attached to a USB charger, multiples with a decent charger.
hope this helps
These LED lights are all a foreign language to me. Curious as to which USB charger you used and how much the charger would weigh?
For a front light i'd buy something that takes 18650 or 26650 batteries. Buy a few quality, high capacity spares, bring them along the ride and you're set. Or if you have space, buy a light that uses a battery pack and just run it on a lower setting. Sadly you can't cheat reality, unless you go dynamo you'll have to bring a few spare batteries and/or run the light on a lower setting.