New front light for daytime riding to fit GoPro mount

[DennisEdwards]

Looking for headlight recommendations as overwhelmed by options.

Using bike for medium to long (up to 6 hours) day time rides like 100km - 150km or the Classics. Front lights are mandatory for Classics.

I have a Garmin Edge so I'll get (probably) a K-Edge combo ihs mount, so now all I need is a front light which is GoPro mount compatible.

Someone mentioned to me Knog Blinder 900 but seems to be MTB.

Thanks for the recommendations.

[g-boaf]

Looking for headlight recommendations as overwhelmed by options.

Using bike for medium to long (up to 6 hours) day time rides like 100km - 150km or the Classics. Front lights are mandatory for Classics.

I have a Garmin Edge so I'll get (probably) a K-Edge combo ihs mount, so now all I need is a front light which is GoPro mount compatible.

Someone mentioned to me Knog Blinder 900 but seems to be MTB.

Thanks for the recommendations.

I like the Serfas e-Lume 1750 and have a specific mount rigged up to a combo mount (not K-edge but similar). I have to say I like the support from Serfas as well, I had an older e-Lume light which had bad batteries, I could order replacements and fit them easily.

It should be fairly easy for you to fit those e-Lume lights, they have a particular mount available for the job.

[am50em]

Take a look at the https://ravemen.com/ range. Need the optional adapter for GoPro mount. They have cut off lens that can be rotated when you mount upside down.

[warthog1]

I have a Giant recon HL1100.
https://road.cc/content/review/giant-re ... 100-279275

It comes with a garmin mount to run under the computer mount.
That is where I run mine.

[Retrobyte]

Take a look at the https://ravemen.com/ range. Need the optional adapter for GoPro mount. They have cut off lens that can be rotated when you mount upside down.

Specifically, the https://ravemen.com/FR/FR160.html - then you don't need a GoPro mount at all - just attach your Garmin to the inbuilt mount on top and you're set. On low/medium or flashing you get 6 hours of light plus.

[g-boaf]

One thing that would be great for lights is a uniform adaptor for all of them so one clip can be used to attach all of them.

Even the Serfas e-Lume lights all have slightly different clips to connect them - even though they look similar.

[nathg]

Ravemen CR1000. Have been using it since May last year after being recommended on here. It is a brilliant light. Did 150km today and about 90 yesterday, all up over 9 hours it had been on (mix of lowest setting solid light and flashing), indicator is still green and not needing to be charged.

[grt046]

Another Ravemen CR1000 user here and happy with the unit.
Run it on Day Flash on all day rides and combined with Garmin Varia rear radar/tail light am all set

[DennisEdwards]

Thanks for this. I'm now researching the Ravemen and the required mounts and brackets.

In the meantime, has anyone looked at the Varia? I have the Varia rear radar so maybe a good combo?
https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/550821

[caneye]

I use a mount like this (under my Garmin).
The elastic will hold any cylindrical-shaped light.



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006 ... ouSCijlssI

[g-boaf]

This is how mine are mounted (on Canyon Ultimate CF Evo and Cervelo S5):



I was able to disassemble the top of the Garmin mount and underneath it has holes for screws/bolts. The bolts are slim enough to fit in the small gap then I can screw the go-pro mount to that. Then the light just has a go-pro adaptor.

I cannot take credit for that neat installation, it was my very clever local bike shop mechanic who is a wizard with things like this. Then I copied his work for the S5.

Thanks for this. I'm now researching the Ravemen and the required mounts and brackets.

In the meantime, has anyone looked at the Varia? I have the Varia rear radar so maybe a good combo?
https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/550821

Not sure the performance specs on that light are the greatest. Only 1.5h?

Compare this: https://www.serfas.com/shop/products/li ... headlight/

Solid Mode:
Overdrive 1750 Lumens – 2 hrs
High 1000 Lumens – 3.5 hrs
Medium 700 Lumens – 6.5 hrs
Low 400 Lumens – 9 hrs
Flash Mode:
Daytime Flash 1750 Lumens – 50 hrs
Low Flash 200 Lumens – 35 hrs

That lasts a lot longer in case you are doing long rides at night. Something else I recommend is having a backup light with you just in case your main one fails.

[warthog1]

The HL 1100 I am running has pretty good runtime, aint expensive and is compact.
I cannot see it under my Garmin edge.

Runtime: High (1100LM) 1.5hrs,
Middle 3.5hrs (500LM),
Low 7hrs (275LM),
Smart Mode Day (100LM>275 LM) 36hrs;
Smart Mode Night (500LM) 3.5hrs,
Flash (100 LM) 33hrs

[Retrobyte]

Thanks for this. I'm now researching the Ravemen and the required mounts and brackets.

In the meantime, has anyone looked at the Varia? I have the Varia rear radar so maybe a good combo?
https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/550821

The Ravemen FR160 doesn't need a mount. The light fits your Garmin mount, and your Garmin clips into the Garmin mount on top of the light

[MattyK]

The FR160 is strictly a “be seen” light, it has no beam pattern and is too underpowered to light up the road to see with.

If you want a good beam, my new favourite is the Lightskin Nacaroad headlight. It might have enough runtime for you in low mode (and it will still have enough lux to see where you’re going), but yeah battery life is a limitation if you want to go far. (Though it can run off an external battery pack)

[Retrobyte]

The FR160 is strictly a “be seen” light, it has no beam pattern and is too underpowered to light up the road to see with.

OP said "Using bike for medium to long (up to 6 hours) day time rides like 100km - 150km or the Classics. Front lights are mandatory for Classics."

[MattyK]

Fair - probably perfect for that application.

The 1000+ lumen possum fryers mentioned in this thread are a different ballgame and totally unnecessary for daytime road riding.

[Andy01]

Having said that, the "slow flash" of the RM160 is only 50 lumen (8 hour life), which is pretty pathetic and won't really be seen in brighter daytime conditions. Even my Cateye Ampp 400 flashes between 200 and 400 lumens and is not very bright on a sunny Brisbane day.

The Moon Mizar that I had before was a supposed 100 lumens on the daylight flash but it was such a quick/short flash that it wasn't very "visible" at all - I was using it when a SUV rounded a corner without looking and took me out head-on if that tells you anything.

If it is just to "tick the box" for a organised ride, then the 160 is probably OK, but it isn't really a "be seen" option in my opinion.

[jasonc]

The HL 1100 I am running has pretty good runtime, aint expensive and is compact.
I cannot see it under my Garmin edge.

might be worth blanking out your rego there

[g-boaf]

Having said that, the "slow flash" of the RM160 is only 50 lumen (8 hour life), which is pretty pathetic and won't really be seen in brighter daytime conditions. Even my Cateye Ampp 400 flashes between 200 and 400 lumens and is not very bright on a sunny Brisbane day.

The Moon Mizar that I had before was a supposed 100 lumens on the daylight flash but it was such a quick/short flash that it wasn't very "visible" at all - I was using it when a SUV rounded a corner without looking and took me out head-on if that tells you anything.

If it is just to "tick the box" for a organised ride, then the 160 is probably OK, but it isn't really a "be seen" option in my opinion.

Personally I wouldn't want to be just ticking the box, I'd prefer a light that you really know will be seen and will have enough life left in it when the sun goes down so you can see where you are going, if you get in that situation.

Mine can be very bright, but I rarely use it on full brightness. Even on it's mid level, that's enough and also decent battery life. If the battery should fail, it's nice that you can buy replacement batteries rather than throwing away the entire light.

[warthog1]

The HL 1100 I am running has pretty good runtime, aint expensive and is compact.
I cannot see it under my Garmin edge.

might be worth blanking out your rego there

Not much worth stealing here but thanks

[Andy01]

Having said that, the "slow flash" of the RM160 is only 50 lumen (8 hour life), which is pretty pathetic and won't really be seen in brighter daytime conditions. Even my Cateye Ampp 400 flashes between 200 and 400 lumens and is not very bright on a sunny Brisbane day.

The Moon Mizar that I had before was a supposed 100 lumens on the daylight flash but it was such a quick/short flash that it wasn't very "visible" at all - I was using it when a SUV rounded a corner without looking and took me out head-on if that tells you anything.

If it is just to "tick the box" for a organised ride, then the 160 is probably OK, but it isn't really a "be seen" option in my opinion.

Personally I wouldn't want to be just ticking the box, I'd prefer a light that you really know will be seen and will have enough life left in it when the sun goes down so you can see where you are going, if you get in that situation.

Mine can be very bright, but I rarely use it on full brightness. Even on it's mid level, that's enough and also decent battery life. If the battery should fail, it's nice that you can buy replacement batteries rather than throwing away the entire light.

I agree. Within reason (I wasn't about to spend hundreds of dollars on a 1000+ lumen light knowing that I will never ride at night) I think the brighter the better and IMO less than 300-400 lumens for a front light is a waste of time for daylight use. My Ampp 400 gives me about 7 hours when set on the option where the 200 lumen is on continuously and the flash is 400 lumen - and from memory it cost me less than $50.

But, as above, if it is just to make the event organisers happy, then I guess anything would do.