What to look for in a (Cheap) MTB headlight for night trail riding

Asked by: Larry Fogg

How many lumens do you need for night trail riding?

An average trail rider will likely be fine with about 200 lumens minimum; ideal is about 250-400 lumens. Some riders can ride really fast offroad at night but we find anything above 400 lumens doesn’t help us go faster but burns battery life faster.

What are the best lights for mountain biking at night?

Best mountain bike front lights

• Gloworm XSV G2. Excellent power with bombproof construction and changeable lenses. …
• Magicshine RN3000. Light the way on a budget. …
• Cateye AMPP 1100 / AMPP 800 combo light set. …
• NiteRider Lumina 1200 Boost. …
• Moon Canopus. …
• Gloworm Alpha. …
• Knog Cobber Mid. …
• Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 300L.

How many lumens should a bike headlight be?

Generally speaking, we’d recommend a minimum of 200 lumens for urban commuting and 400 lumens for riding on unlit roads. If you’re after lights for riding off-road on trails, you’ll need something brighter, with greater power and battery life. Check out our separate round-up of the best mountain bike lights.

What should I look for in a mountain bike light?

The brightness of a light is measured in lumens. While mountain biking in low light, you’ll definitely want a bright light that adequately illuminates the terrain ahead. If you plan to ride in the full darkness, we recommend a light with at least 500 lumens on your handlebars and 500 lumens on your helmet.

How many lumens is good for mountain biking at night?

A minimum of 1,500 lumens will provide enough light for well-lit riding. You can get away with less, but if you ride fast or on technical trails more lumens is better than less. Run time can vary a great deal between lights and it is minimised the more power the LEDs are pumping out.

How many lumens do I need for a night mountain bike?

A suitable light for mountain biking at night needs to have sufficient power. Generally, we’d say that you should look for more than a claimed 1,500 lumens for a handlebar-mounted light. Lumens measure the total amount of visible light, so the more lumens, the brighter the light.

What is the most powerful bike light?

Best high-power front bike lights

• Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL. 2021/22 grouptest: Best performance/value blend. …
• Exposure Strada MK10 SB. 2021/22 grouptest: Best ‘money no object’ option. …
• KNOG PWR Trail 1100. …
• Blackburn Dayblazer 1500. …
• Ravemen PR1600. …
• Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright. …
• Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL. …
• Knog PWR Rider.

Are NiteRider lights waterproof?

Are NiteRider systems waterproof? NiteRider systems are water-resistant and will perform in wet weather conditions, but submerging them in water will cause damage.

Where do you mount a bike light?

Quote from video: Place the bottom of the bracket in the notch furthest from the mount unscrew. The bracket and place it around your handlebar. Once you position the bracket.

Is 1000 lumens good for a bike light?

1000+ lumens: If you’re riding on rural roads at night, then you’ll need a light above 1000 lumens so you can ride with confidence. The on-road bike lights will have a powerful beam showing you a long way in front of you. If you’re riding off-road at night, you’ll need to be as far above 1000 lumens as possible.

How far does 800 lumens shine?

The brightness of an 800 lumen torch (UK for flashlight) is the power of light of 800 candles. This level is regarded as a very bright level of torch suitable for most outdoor tasks. The throw of light can be up to a 200m distance.

Is 800 lumens bright for a bike light?

An 800 lumen light, like the Cateye Volt 800 is bright enough so you can ride with confidence on pitch dark roads at 20 mph or even faster. If you ride blazing fast (25+ mph) or you ride on dark forest trails, you need an even more powerful light (1600 lumens or more).

How many lumens is a car headlight?

On average, 2,000 – 4,000 Lumens is common range for many headlights. However, the output of an LED headlight kit is dependent upon many factors. One of the primary factors is the number or LEDs contained in each bulb.

What lights should a cyclist use?

Cyclists must have white light on the front, a red light on the back which is either flashing or solid, a red reflector on the rear, and red reflectors on each side of the bicycle frame.

Are lezyne bike lights waterproof?

LEZYNE Stick Drive Bicycle Taillight, 30 Lumens LED, Super Compact, USB Rechargeable, IPX7 Water Proof, Magnetic Clip Base, 270° of Visibility, Rear Bike Light.

How many lumens is good for night time?

When you hike at night or jog on the trail, it requires approximately 66 lumens of floodlights. If you just walk normally at night, the flashlight lumen requirement is between 25-45 lumens. Walking on flat road, flashlights with 50 lumens is enough.

Is 100 lumens bright enough for hiking?

For most outdoor folk a lumen count between 100-200 will be more than sufficient. That is enough to search your pack, tent, and campsite at night, and to do some light trail-finding at a max setting.

How many lumens do you need camping headlamp?

Recommended Lumen Count for Outdoor Use



A headlamp with a brightness of at least 300 lumens and a flood light beam is the most useful for any kind of general outdoor activities like hiking, camping, or climbing.

What should I look for in a good headlight?

These are the first things to mull over as you evaluate your choices in headlamps.

• LIGHT OUTPUT. One of the most important features of a headlamp is the light output, which is a measurement of the brightness of the light. …
• PEAK BEAM INTENSITY. …
• BEAM DISTANCE. …
• RUN-TIME. …
• IMPACT-RESISTANCE. …
• WATER-RESISTANCE. …
• LAMP TYPE. …
• BEAM TYPE.

How far can 300 lumens reach?

A typical 300 lumen torch is regarded as a bright level of torch suitable for hunting, sailing, hiking and tactical tasks. The throw of light can be up to a 50m distance.