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I have a Lumenator (helmet) and lumen 800 (bars). I'm toying with the ideas of reversing them, but anyway need a spare battery for one - £50 to get me through the night. I carry the battery in an old camelback with the lead thread backward over my helmet.
Is there better alternative with some value around or stick with what I have? Other than exploding Chinese lights...
MTB batteries. I did buy a 10-cell pack from Torchy on ebay but it's been rubbish - only lasts for 3 hours when I expected 6
Candbseen do some pretty good bar lights for reasonable price.
@Kryton. I did a lot of research into the same thing last year before my first 24 attempt. You already have a really nice combo of lights there. Absolutely swap them over though. Wide beam on the bars, narrow on the lid.
Mtbbatteries will do you a good reliable spare battery.
Also check out the spare beema battery from bikelightsuk.
Make sure you know what events you have in mind. Lighting requirements are vastly different between mountain mayhem and relentless for example.
I think you are right. What's be best - a spare for the Lumen 800 up to and using the now bar mounted Lumenator on a lower setting?
Depends how long you'll be riding in the dark along with a bit of trial and error to see what works for you.
I went for the beema as-2000 on the bars and fluxient 1xU2 for the helmet - very similar to your setup, however the beema comes with an excellent battery as standard (7800mah).
I got an extra 7800mah battery too.
I then ran the helmet light on one of the large batteries, leaving me a 7800mah + 4400mah for the bar light. This gave me enough to run the helmet light on low setting all night long (15hrs) and the bar light on low for climbing and medium for descending.
I chose that way round because a lot of the relentless descent is narrow/rocky/twisty, so i valued a stronger flood in front of the front wheel. If the descents had been smoother and faster i may have used the extra battery for the helmet light.
If you are doing a summer 24hr then obviously you can run longer on higher modes, or with lower capacity batteries.
Great thanks.
I run the lumen 800 on my road bike as well, and noted they are £55 at the moment - I might just order a whole new one and use two batteries. I'll email mark first and see if I can't run the 800 off a bigger battery for extended run time. It's for the Bonty 24/7 so I probably only need max 8hrs.
Carrots
Good value it aint, but an Exposure 6 pack last for friggin ages and is so neat and simple with no cables or owt. An added advantage being a cable free single box is it makes an absolutely amazing torch!
Agreed, six pack is an absolutely fabulous bit of kit, but as you point out, not very good value, and also leaves you without the flexibility of a separate helmet light.
With unlimited budget though i'd definitely be running exposure. Integrated batteries are so much nicer than cables and battery packs.
Very much recommend mtbbatteries or bikelightsuk for anyone shopping for 24hr lights on a budget. Both were great to communicate with by email before purchasing, and both offer well regarded products. Have been delighted with my beema/fluxient combo.
One off? Borrow a light from a mate
Value, it's all relative. I've got an Exposure Maxx-D the newest one and it's perfect. Nearly 12 hours on mid power (1200lumen) more than enough for summer time 24hour races, great build quality, great warranty, no flappy wires from external batteries, light and it won't set your house on fire
If I was competing in many overnight events I'd buy one. However I'm doing one 24 and two 12's this year so with the MTB batteries kit which I like a lot and already have, it doesn't make sense to pay more than £50 when I don't have to.
With the Lumen 800 up top I think I can get away without the camelbak as well due to the battery being so light.
Does anyone know whether the batteries for each are interchangeable?
it doesn't make sense to pay more than £50 when I don't have to.
hence
One off? Borrow a light from a mate
You must know someone who has a spare light? This is also what your support/help is there to help you with, swapping batteries etc. while you eat & change.
I don't do stopping or changing with assistance, I have everything I need trail side to jump off and jump on again, food and drink is pre-laid out on my trestle table. Lighting up coincides with an evening meal and is preconfigured enough so it's a 5 minute job, the helmet light on a spare helmet for a quick change.
But yes I could borrow a battery but my mates who have one won't be at all my events, I'd rather be independent.
Evans have a lot of ex display lights for sale
fair enough, most of the solo's I know take along someone to help with all that (for when the brain melts)
As usual, Mark at MTB Batteries has come through with some excellent service by providing me with a mega battery (in terms of duration) for the Lumen 800.
Should get approx 7hrs on full out of it, then still have the standard one 2-3hrs as a spare.