What Is the Best Light for Mountain Biking?

If you’re fond of outdoor activities with an extra thrill, you have probably tried mountain biking at night - or at least you’re planning to get into the sport. Mountain biking already has some dangers on its own. How much more when done at night?

Nevertheless, you’d be surprised how safe it can be to ride your mountain bike at night, especially with the best light for the activity.

There’s no question, the best light for mountain biking is the Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5. This nifty little wearable lighting device is every rider's dream given its slick design, adjustable light, a wide array of light angles, multiple modes, rear hazard lighting, and unparalleled comfort. 

Check out more details about this great headlamp and two other portable lighting devices that would color you more intrigued.

What Is the Best Light for Mountain Biking?

As fun as mountain biking is at night, it’s never going to be completely safe without a reliable lighting device. While you may install a light on your mountain bike, it may not suffice given the lack of full control with the light.

On the other hand, if you’re wondering which portable light is best for mountain biking, you better check out the Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5. Also, you can look into Flexit Headlamp 2.5 and Flexit Pocket Light. These are three of the best options Risk Racing has to offer that go beyond your average light for mountain biking. 

Here’s everything you need to know about these three mountain bike lighting devices.

Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5

When comfort meets functionality, that’s where the Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5 comes in. This ergonomic headlamp will keep you on the trails for hours without feeling any strain on your head, thanks to its comfort-fit foam layers. 

Plus, it has a 240 halo lighting that will ensure that you have light projected in all critical angles. This increases your visibility without the need to turn in a specific direction too much. In addition, it secures your peripheral vision eliminating the tunnel vision created by a single spotlight. 

Also, you can choose to use both the spotlight and floodlights or have them separately as you’ll get to control them independently. Moreover, you can move the spotlight in the direction of your focal point. 

You can also indulge in the fact that the Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5 comes with a red night vision mode allowing your eyes to reduce dilation from white light. 

Furthermore, if ever you find yourself in an unfortunate incident on the road or trail, you can use the red flashing hazard light to seek help. That’s one neat safety feature you can rely on. 

Key Features

• Brightness: 650 True Lumens
• Completely customizable brightness settings
• Center spotlight & Side floodlights independently controlled
• USB rechargeable high capacity 3350mAh 18650 Li-ion battery
• Comfort-fit foam
• Lightweight
• Weather-resistant
• Red night-vision area lighting
• Rear red hazard lighting

Flexit Headlamp 2.5

The Flexit Headlamp 2.5 is another stunning headlight that makes mountain biking at night more pleasurable and safe. It comes with a comfortable layer of foam on its band, making it ergonomic. With a total weight of 5.8 oz, it remains light on the head all throughout your ride. 

You can also say goodbye to the limiting tunnel vision that restricts your visibility as the Flexit Headlamp 2.5 comes with both a CREE spotlight and side floodlights just like its big brother, the 6.5 Pro. Using these lights, especially the latter, creates a 180° halo lighting that spreads the light on a wider scope.

It also comes with safety hazard lighting that will make you visible in terms of an emergency. So whether you’ve met some unfortunate incident on the road or trail, you can be confident that help will find you when they spot the hazard light. 

Moreover, with about 12 hours of runtime, you can expect to use the headlamp for a long time. You can wear it even when it rains as it is, after all, weather-resistant. 

Key Features

• Brightness: 250 True Lumens
• Batteries: 3X AAA batteries
• 180° halo lighting
• Adjustable spotlight 
• Lightweight 
• Comfort-fit foam
• Five light modes 
• Weather-resistant 

 

Flexit Headlamp Clips

The Flexit Headlamp series wouldn’t be a great fit for mountain biking if it didn’t match up well with your bike helmet. That’s where our Headlamp Helmet Clips come in. They are four clips that are designed to grab the headlamp strap and clip onto a thin edge of your helmet.

Flexit Pocket Light

If you’re not a fan of headlamps, then you can always use the Flexit Pocket Light. This innovative little lighting device goes above and beyond the typical flashlight. It may be tinier, but it’s packed with tons of lumens that could brighten your entire path while mountain biking. 

But what’s great about the Flexit Pocket Light is that you don’t have to hold it by hand, which can be problematic when riding a mountain bike. Instead, you can just clip it to your clothing. For example, attach it to your pants or shirt pocket. You can even clip it on your backpack or camelback strap. 

If you want to change the angle of the lighting, you don’t have to move the pocket light entirely. Instead, simply adjust the light head to your focal point. That’s all it takes. 

Moreover, if your eyes get tired of the white light at night, just switch to red LEDs preserving your night vision. That way, your eyes won’t dilate so much, relieving them from constant straining. 

Key Features

• Brightness: 650 True Lumens
• Battery: Rechargeable high capacity 3350mAh 18650 Li-ion
• Flexible Light Head
• Weather-resistant 
• Hands-free lighting 
• Red night vision

Why Do People Ride Mountain Bikes at Night? 

Now, you may wonder why so many people like to ride their mountain bikes at night. First, of course, the activity has plenty of benefits that appeal especially to those looking for something fun to do at night. Specifically, it has the following advantages.

It fits your schedule.

Not everyone has all the time during the day. That’s why lots of riders choose to do mountain biking at night. Sometimes it’s their only window given their hectic schedule. So instead of using the weekend to pursue their hobby, they’ll just schedule mountain biking at night.

It turns familiar paths into new ones.

If you’ve been mountain biking for some time, you may get this feeling of over-familiarity with one trail that your body begins to feel unchallenged. Every ride feels like a routine since you've memorized by tracks. But if you hit the same trail at night, you’ll find that it’s pretty different. Then you would get motivated and challenged again. 

It’s more relaxed and doesn’t get you exposed to heat. 

Mountain biking can feel like a punishment during the day, especially with the scorching sun. It can be even more grueling during summertime, considering the extreme heat and light. So, mountain biking at night becomes a desirable option. The temperature is lower, and you don’t have to take so much heat.

It’s more thrilling. 

Say whatever you want about mountain biking at night, but no one can deny that it is relatively cool and fun. It heightens your senses, and the adrenaline rushes even more given the restricted visibility. 

It helps you avoid conflict with other trail users. 

You may find yourself in constant interactions with other trail users during the daytime. They could be mountain bikers like yourself or dirt bike riders. Nevertheless, there’s a chance that the trails become full during the day. 

On the other hand, if you do your mountain biking at night, you’ll usually find a friend instead of a foe with whom you share the same interest.

Should a Mountain Bike Have Lights?

Mountain bikes on their own don’t have lights installed in their frames or handlebars. But you can choose to have it customized to place lights strategically that help the rider illuminate the track or trail. 

On the other hand, some riders are adamant in keeping their mountain bikes free of bolt on accessories. Hence, they simply choose to purchase a wearable lighting device they can take whether or not they ride the mountain bike. 

The headlamp can be a much more multifunction lighting device to purchase than a bike-mounted light. Then you have a tool to use for letting the dog out at night, checking for something in the attic, or having a good light source during a camping trip.

What to Look for in a Mountain Bike Light

When looking for a mountain bike light, it’s essential to come up with a standard that will serve as the basis for your purchase. 

After all, a light for mountain biking is an investment you would want to keep for a long time. 

Moreover, it would benefit you even more if you could use the lighting device in other activities. 

For example, a headlamp can be used in night hiking, and a pocket light can be used for emergencies and working on fine detail projects. 

Nonetheless, if you want to get the best light for mountain biking, consider the following parameters when choosing one. 

Brightness (Number of Lumens)

Of course, the main reason why you’re getting a lighting device is to ensure that you get proper illumination when going mountain bike riding. So, it only makes sense that you find a light that provides ample brightness to make the trail or tracks visible even from a distance. 

The lighting intensity of a headlamp or a flashlight depends on the number of lumens. When it comes to brightness, lumens are the official measuring stick which means the higher the lumens, the brighter the light is. 

For mountain biking at night, the average lumens required are between 50 to 200. However, if you could find something a bit higher, that would be better especially if the trail is completely covered with darkness at night. It keeps you safer and guarantees ample and consistent light. 

Likewise, when choosing a light, make sure the bulbs or panels are made of LED. Although to be fair, most headlamps, pocket lights, and traditional flashlights are made of LED, you could still end up with bulbs falling under incandescent or halogen types. 

Nonetheless, the thing about LED is that it's cooler to touch because it doesn’t a ton of energy creating heat as a byproduct of the light emitted. This makes it energy-efficient which means it provides intense lighting but doesn’t consume too much battery doing so. 

Multipurpose

Your lighting device of choice shouldn’t be just for mountain biking alone. It should encompass all lighting needs if possible. That’s why you don’t install it on your bike. Instead, take it with you. 

For instance, a pocket light can be used even though it is not attached to your clothing. 

Take the Flexit pocket light, for example. This device has a magnetic base that allows you to stick it on any metal surface. 

Also, it has a hook that lets you hang the device making it a good drop light in the woods. 

Simply put, the pocket light has plenty of uses in different situations, making it a valuable asset in your night-gear setup. 

Durable

Any lighting device used in mountain bike riding at night should be resilient and durable, considering the potential dangers of the activity. 

For one, it has to be shockproof. This means the headlamp or flashlight does not shatter or sustain critical damage upon casual or accidental drops. Otherwise, that’s going to be money down the drain. 

One way to find out if the device if durable is by looking at its materials. An even better way to find out is to see if the manufacturer does drop testing of their lights like we do here at Risk Racing.

That way you know the device is proven to last longer and is more resistant to damage than other alternatives. 

Weather Proof

Adding to the subject of durability, it is imperative that lighting devices used in mountain bike riding should be weatherproof. And by that, we mean resistance against harsh weather conditions such as when it rains all of a sudden. 

Obviously, the best light for mountain biking is made of materials that do not easily develop corrosion or immediately short circuit once exposed to some water or snow. 

With that, you can expect the lighting devices such as the Flexit headlamp pro 6.5 and 2.5, along with the Flexit pocket light, to be weather resistant, which allows you to stay lit and protected even as rain starts to end your riding day.

 

Comfortable

A lighting device that offers both functionality and comfort is a fine investment in any field - even more so in mountain biking. Nowadays, comfort can even take a higher value than practicality. 

When you are mountain biking, you probably have to deal with several discomforts on the road, such as the bumpy terrain and the straining position. 

If you wear a headlamp that puts too much pressure on your temple, you may just start to hate the activity altogether. 

So, one obvious solution is to go for headlamps that don’t bring any pain or awkwardness around your head. 

Headlamps like the Flexit headlamp series contain bands with comfort foams that fit snug yet comfortably on your head.

Reliable Batteries

Batteries are vital in any portable lighting device. They’re the source of power for the entire thing. Therefore, it’s imperative that the best light for mountain biking has to have the most reliable sets of batteries. 

So naturally, a rechargeable battery is preferable to a disposable one. It saves you money from buying more batteries over time, and it keeps you from throwing out empty batteries, which is not exactly friendly to the environment. 

Safety Hazard Light

Not all headlamps and pocket lights have safety hazard lights that ensure protection and rescue during unfortunate events. 

For instance, you may find yourself with a busted tire in the middle of the road. Using the Flexit headlamp’s hazard light, you can attract attention from other riders or drivers on the road to help you with your mountain bike or even just keep from crashing into you as you perform a roadside fix. 

Also, if you had a little mishap on the trail where you find yourself in distress and have to call in help, just turn on the safety hazard light so rescuers can find you easily. 

Wider Light Arrays

One of the critical issues with headlamps is that they typically focus light for distance like a spotlight. 

But with Flexit headlamps, you can forget about that problem since that headlamps employ halo lighting, which includes side floodlights in addition to the center spotlight, providing a much wider spread of light. That way, it illuminates your peripheral vision effectively.

Final Thoughts 

The Flexit Headlamp Pro 6.5 is regarded as the best light for mountain biking. It’s comfortable to wear, flexible as the name suggests, plus it is incredibly functional, emitting a bright light that illuminates your path well. 

With the Flexit headlamp series and the Flexit pocket light, it’s not just your visibility that is being protected, your safety is also a considerable part of the business. That’s why you can rest assured that during emergencies, these lighting devices work in your best interest.

Get your hands on one of these lighting devices right here at RiskRacing.com today.