Biking with a headlamp?

Hello, I was wondering if anybody has any recommendations for a headlamp to use while biking at night? Will see mostly on-road, though I'm sure I'll manage to get twisted up on some trails at night too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Anyways, it absolutely must be diveable, as I enjoy going out to the lake at night for a swim, or even some snorkling. Right now I have a "Solo" (I think its a Priceton Tec lamp), and its almost perfect... Just lacks power. I'm thinking about possibly a remote battery pack, but have been having trouble finding a diveable lamp with a remote power source.

Any thoughts? Main consideration is power - must be able to bike effectively at night. Also must be waterproof.

Thanks for any insight you can provide /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Would the Princeton Tec Vortec work? It's like your Solo, but with two extra batteries. I don't know if the Corona or Yukon would be waterproof enough, although the flood beam of the Corona would probably be good for biking.

hmmm.... I think the Yukon would be damn near perfect /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I dunked the original Yukon along with a BD Gemini in a kitchen waste basket filled with water. I held both lights down at about 2 feet, and for no more than a minute. The Yukon battery pack leaked, and what shocked me is that it leaked more than the BD pack.

I should mention that the newer Yukons have a wider gasket on the pack, but I haven't repeated the test with those.

I put a BB500 R2H regulator sandwich in a minimag, slapped in a Fraen LP and attached a Kroll tailswitch for my helmet light.

To improve the waterproofness (actually make it waterproof) I lock-tited the head to the body so it would not move or let water in. Replaced the plastic lens with a mineral glass lens and made sure the oring above and below the glass was lubricated. The Kroll seals the body.

I have ridden with the light on in pouring rain and other slop and it has never leaked. The light is good for around 15-18MPH riding with the Fraen throwing a bright, squarish beam into the night. My minimag is mounted on a old helmet mount and it has worked great over the last year of use.

The thing will run over 2 hours on a set of Powerex NiMH 2200mAH batteries. Would I dump the modified minimag into a lake and watch it? No! It has been fine in the rain but I would not want to push it.

The upcoming XM-3 from Elektrolumens would work, 600mA driving a Luxeon III through a reflector. It has serious weight however, the sidewalls are 1/4 inch thick!

His using it to dive, the mag will surely leak. Princeton Tec's range have better luck coz their also known for dive lights.

Have done a LOT of night riding on a bike. I gotta say that a light on your head is about the worse place to put one (you lose all depth perception due to no shadows). Go to www.twofishunlimited.com and check out their rubber/velco mounts. They are unbeatable.

Find a light that'll fit into the twofish mount. Maybe a UK4aa, pelican?, tec 40. If you just GOTTA have a headlamp, the tec40 is available in a headlamp setup and it IS watertight.

I think PT makes some of the worst lights around. I have always heard of problems unimaginable. Switch mechanism being too fragile. Placement of lamp and batteries not taken into which leads to accidental breakage. Bulb blowing within and melting the plastics. And many more.

My friend had bought a PT Surge quite sometime ago and the unit failed to work after the first day. On inspection the small little micro switch that comes in contact with the main switch on the body was broken when he tried to change batteries. Why is the micro switch positioned beside the batteries left me wondering. He called PT and they sent him another unit. When he collected the unit from the post office he took out the unit and what he noticed is the inside of the main switch is broken.

I was at a shop when I toyed with the PT Yukon. My concern is the built of the light. True enough, when I opened up the battery cover I realized how sucky the contacts was positioned which would lead to accidental breakage while changing batteries, more so if you have big fingers. I don't bother about the purchase.

Some other friends of mine who bought PT also had problems with their light but I can't recall what it is. Mainly to do with switches breaking and the likes.

To me, PT suckz.

The tec40 is a VERY solid, tested, bright, tough, reliable, and nicely-priced light.

Surge has had problems, PT has stood behind it though.

I would recommend the PT Vortec if you want a waterproof headlamp with enough brightness to bike. I would disagree that a headlamp is the wrong place to mount a light for biking. I think that it is better to have a light you can aim independent of where the handlebars are aimed.

With that said, I road in the rain once with a helmet light, and having a light at the same angle as my eyes made it harder to see. I use both a helmet light with a tight beam, and 1 or 2 flood lights on the handlbars.

Also, I have had good luck with my Princeton Tec lights, better than the maglites they replaced. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

If you had to pick just one place for a light, put it on your handlebars. If two... bars and head.

I will defer to Turbodog's advice here. For most people a handlebar light should be the first choice. I mostly use handlebar lights with a flood beam when a ride at dusk on mostly straight paths. The helmet light is better when riding on paths that have lots of curves when there is no ambient light from sky or streetlights.

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turbodog said:
If you had to pick just one place for a light, put it on your handlebars. If two... bars and head.

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Wait wait wait,

ONLY 1 or 2 lights? What are we?

I see 2-3 lights strapped to the head, 1 in the mouth, 1 behind each ear, flashing red lights in 3-4 strategic spots, 3 lights on the bar, 1 light in the rear (not the bike's rear either), little led lights aimed at the gear shifters so you can see which gear you're in, and more...

I have 2 Cateye mounted on my handlebar but I am thinking of changing it to 2 of the 1 watter version.

Cateye have a Luxeon headlight available? I just got one of their 3x5mm LEDs and it's nowhere near bright enough. Only Luxeon bikelight ive found is from www.exposurelights.com and i dont think thats available yet.

Currently using an E2e/PRT strapped to the handlebars, but i find the tight spot to be less than useful for my typical speeds (slow).

I use two lights in the winter, one on my head and the other mounted under the front boom of my recumbent bicycle. (2D Mag MM+ R2H) For summer, I generally don't ride around in the dark so the helmet mounted BB500 R2H Fraen LP it is.

When riding on the street, I find a helmet light superior to just a frame light. I can see no matter the direction my head is pointed but the major thing is safety. Cars notice a light that is moving around much easier than a stationary one. I've had cops tell me that it always captures their attention when they see that piercing white beam that moves...they know its me.

For off-roading, I would use a helmet and frame mount lighting system. The high powered cannon mounted on the frame to blast a narrow beam at a great distance. The Fraen LP makes a great beam for close to medium distances to look at things a little closer.