Bike lights for mountain biking at night extend your riding season by helping you to see the trail when it is dark. They also offer a different, challenging and fun biking experience.Â
Lights Vary In…
- the strength of the light
- how the light can be displayed. eg flashing modes versus constant beam
- length of the battery time
- type of battery eg. USB rechargeable or installed battery and whether that battery is integrated or separate
- where and how they can be attached to the bike or the rider
- weight and size of the light
Different types of lights suit different riding environments so it is important you get the right bike light for the type of riding YOU do.
Night Riding Mountain Bike Lights Need…
- Enough light so you can clearly see the trail and its obstacles and have an understanding of the surrounding environment
- Provide light for a good length of time (greater than your night mountain bike riding time).
- Make sure other riders can see you when riding in darkness.
- Durable and robust to match the mountain biking environment.
- Secure attachment that can be easily attached and removed for ease of use.
- Waterproof as you may need to ride in the rain.
Key Design Features of MTB Lights for Night Riding
Strength & Placement:
Strength of the front light – it is the strength of the light (measured in lumens) and where it is positioned that will help you to see the trail and its obstacles.
You must have a front light attached to the handlebars – slightly pointing down to luminate the lumps and bumps of the trail helping you to pick your riding line. Suggested strength of 2000 lumens plus.
A second light attached to your helmet of 800 lumens plus will flood light in front of you and give you awareness of the trail direction, its corners and the surrounding environment.
A low lumen constant rear light be can be used to help your riding group know where you are. This can be used on flashing mode if you need other riders sharing the trail to know they are approaching you.
Battery Life/Time – needs to be greater than your riding time. Different modes offer different levels of efficiency (that is greater battery life) so you may be able to maximise the life of the light by altering the mode used. E.g. less lumens are often needed when climbing compared to going downhill. Lithium ion batteries allow you to rechargeable the battery after every use without compromising the life of the battery. A battery life indicator can be helpful to understand the amount of battery remaining.
Flexible Attachment – this allows you to easily attach and remove the lights. You will only want these lights attached to your bike if you are heading out for a night ride, or there is a chance that you may not make it back from your ride before the onset of darkness.
 Variety of Modes – that are easy to switch between will offer you different strength outputs for different riding conditions which will help you manipulate the life of the battery.
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