Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Headlights for Cycling - Are There Better Options?


As I was riding my bike down dark neighborhood streets to my weekly pick-up basketball game last night I got to thinking: Are lighting options for the bike industry keeping pace with other industries?

I had decided to use my NightRider MiNewt light this time as it is now dark enough that I need more than the simple “blinky” I had been using. The MiNewt was a good light for its time and I feel pretty safe with it. Lighting options have improved lately though – getting brighter with longer battery life and some new options. But how do we compare to other industries needing lighting for similar purposes?

I turned to the ATV industry; as I had seen a friend’s setup on his Polaris Ranger and I figured they deal with similar speeds and in the case comparing the needs of lights for mountain biking they encounter similar environments and obstacles.  My search for Polaris Ranger accessories led me to SideBySideStuff.com and particularly to a page for lighting products. Among their respectable selection of lights; the ones I found that mimicked what we see in cycling were the Rigid Industries Dually LED set.

These were possibly a little heavier than many of us would choose – at 1.25 lbs a set – and they need a separate power source. But, at just under $200 for 1300 lumens with two different reflector patterns available I’d say I’m impressed.  Many features we see in the bike industry’s leading products are present – but I think we’re a little behind on brightness.

What do you think? How do we stack up? Who could we learn a thing or two from? (Or could we teach some other industries a thing or two…) Leave a comment and let’s discuss…

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