How Would I Go About Putting Headlights On My Mountain Bike?

[jaredstephens6]

I like to ride during the day, but then when it gets dark, im pretty much screwed. I need a way to light it up.

 

[mayasupernova]

Well, what my dad did was he went to a store that sells bikes and biking equipment, and he asked for some lights for out bikes. He bought them, came back home, and just put them on the bike. You have plenty of different versions and shapes of lights for bikes. Just go there, and they will help you with your choice. In case you are not sure how to put them, you can always cycle to the store, and ask the men behind the counter to do it for you.

 

[kuroba]

Yup, there are plenty of options for bicycle specific lights. What you choose will mostly depends on your needs, are you riding trails at night or just commuting? Here's an article about lightning from one of my fave cycling blogs Lights for Road Cycling, Commuting and MTB (no affiliation).

I currently just use a couple pairs of blinkies to be seen, but I'm going to get a front light soon because this past winter I had trouble going through some unlit areas on my commute (It's currently summer where I live so I've got time )

 

[alfeng]

Well, what my dad did was he went to a store that sells bikes and biking equipment, and he asked for some lights for out bikes. He bought them, came back home, and just put them on the bike. You have plenty of different versions and shapes of lights for bikes. Just go there, and they will help you with your choice. In case you are not sure how to put them, you can always cycle to the store, and ask the men behind the counter to do it for you.

Right ...

Either go to your Local Bike Shop OR an REI ...​

YOU need to decide how well illuminated the roadways-or-pathways are that you ride on AND/OR how well you can see without additional illumination PLUS how far ahead on the road you need the light to actually illuminate (your riding speed is a factor + the condition of the roadway ... smooth or obstacle filled) ...

As kuroba noted, a blinking, red rear light is probably as important because you want vehicular traffic to know you are on the road.

Reflectors may be beneficial.

​

 

[bykster]

I don't mountain bike as much as I'd like to, but I do ride my bike at night quite a lot. I use LED lights up front and they're pretty great, but they're mostly for signaling I'm there since I ride through the city where the streets are well lit. Red rear light is a must. I do imagine mounting the lights on your mountain bike and keeping them secure is a different issue. You might want to make sure you got that covered before going out.

 

[Susimi]

You can pick up bike lights for very cheap these days with some examples going for as little as 1$, but for that price, or anything below 10$ for that matter, will likely not last you very long so take that in mind.

Go to your local bike shop and see what they have on offer and see what lights you like the look of and then get them mounted on your bike handlebars. If you're a little adventurous you could get some more fitted to the front forks!

You might also take into consideration what sort of bulb you want. LED's will be the best because they are bright and will not only light your way but they will guarantee you will be seen by fellow road users.

Good luck!

 

[alfeng]

BTW. This may be stating the obvious, but LEDs have the added advantage of being "shock proof."

Also, you will probably want lights which can be removed from their respective mounting brackets (an empty mounting bracket will deter theft of the actual light).

 

[slbenz]

I bought one of those inexpensive LED bike lights from China. They are very bright but the only issue I have is the rubber mount that many of them use. Depending on the light, going downhill over the rough stuff, the light will droop downward due to its weight. For commuting on the street, the inexpensive lights from China are more than enough. Even the least powerful one I own puts out more than 900 lumens and cost about $30 shipped.

 

[Corzhens]

For me, it looks practical to have a headlight for bikes. However, it is out of fashion and probably would look weird especially for a mountain bike. But for night riding, that's a good idea because bikes normally don't have headlights. So probably the best thing is to take it off in the daytime and just install when you are going to ride at night. That would be pretty cool.

 

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

Just order some online!
There are literally thousands to choose from.

I just run the cheap $1.99 lights from the convenience store, when they get dim I replace them.
They look like this
http://www.amazon.com/Aroko®-2-pack-Silicone-Bicycle-Lights/dp/B00NNZTCR6

I was thinking of ordering a hundred from China for like $ .50 a piece too.

 

[SolaNova]

There are plenty to choose from online. I wouldn't go to cheap though I've had quite a few lights disassemble themselves as Im cycling, like the casing falling out. If you dont want to get a light, you can get gloves that had LED strip that lights up and flashes when switched on.

But I like some other have pointed out above. Probably getting a rear light is the priority if you are cycling on roads at night

 

[mooray]

I thought there were mountain bikes that come with headlights. Or you can just buy small headlights and custom fit it.