6 Best Mountain Bike Riding Lights

  /  GearReviews  /  6 Best Mountain Bike Riding Lights

OLIVER L. Author

Published: December 21, 2020

Oliver has been mountain biking for over 20 years, raced downhill nationally and is part of several mountain biking clubs and communities. He currently owns five bikes... and they all get used (as he reminds his girlfriend regularly) Read More

Riding your bike at night can be dangerous, but it is also one of the most exhilarating experiences you can undertake. However, the best mountain bike riding lights can make it safer, while allowing you to enjoy your experience. You must put in the time and effort to find the right riding lights and ensure they can keep you lit up.

Best Mountain Bike Lights

There are tons of different night riding lights on the market today. However, only a couple of them have the luminosity and usefulness for you to ensure you get the value for your money. In the following article, we take a deeper look at the top options on the market today; while the buyer’s guide will help you see the features we used in the process.

 BatteriesLuminosityPriceRating
GLOWORM XS 2500 LUMEN LIGHT SETLithium-Ion Batteries2500-lumens$$$$★★★★★
Hope R8+ LED6-cell ES Batteries4000-lumens$$$★★★★★
TeamObsidian Bike Light SetAAA Batteries200-lumens$$★★★★
Lupine Alpha Mountain Bike LightsLithium-ion Batteries7200-lumens$$$$$★★★★★
Ascher USB Rechargeable Bike Light SetLithium-ion Batteries80-lumens$★★★★★
NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLEDLithium-ion Batteries1100-lumens$$$$★★★★★

Top Mountain Bike Riding Lights

Before diving into some of the top mountain bike riding light features, we must reveal the best options on the market today. These lights can help you with night riding and ensure that you remain safe on the road. We tried to find the best lights when it comes to usability and luminosity for your mountain bikes:

Top Pick: GLOWORM XS 2500 LUMEN LIGHT SET

The GLOWORM XS 2500 LUMEN LIGHT SET is one of the most popular options on the market today. It is a powerful light that will give you up to 2500-lumens of light when you are riding. The set includes a complete design with different lenses and you can choose to have a single floodlight or narrow lens depending on the route.

Since it is one of the lightest options on the market, it does not add additional weight to your handlebars or frame. The unit features a 6600 mAh lithium-ion battery that takes some time to charge. However, it will still give you two hours of lighting. The additional remote control makes it much easier to operate without touching it.

Pros:

  • Remote Control: The remote control is useful for controlling the light with your hands on the handlebars.
  • Battery: The unit features one of the best batteries on the market, which gives you long working hours.
  • Versatility: You can use the light for more than simply attaching it to your bike, which offers you additional versatility.

Cons:

  • Price: The only downside is the price and it is one of the most expensive options available for your bike.

Best Powerful LED Lights: Hope R8+ LED

If you are looking for a powerful LED light, you might want to consider the Hope R8+ LED. The unit is not as bulky as some of the others and still features a powerful luminosity. In total, the light will give you 4000-lumens of power output. The light features 6-cell ES batteries, which should make it possible for long hours of use.

One of the first things you will notice is the battery pack, which is not connected to the light. The benefit of this is that the light is much smaller and will be easier to connect to your handlebars. Additionally, it will attach the battery pack close to the light. The unit features two power sequences with 3 lighting levels.

Pros:

  • Powerful: The light is one of the most powerful on the market today with a 4000-lumen brightness.
  • Different lighting: You have 3 different lighting levels, which should help with the different locations.
  • Lightweight: Since the light does not have the battery pack attached, it is lightweight and easy to set up.

Cons:

  • Battery Life: Unfortunately, it does not have the best battery life and will need to be recharged often.

Best Budget Lights: TeamObsidian Bike Light Set

The TeamObsidian Bike Light Set is one of the most useful options on the market today. It features a light that attaches to the front of the bike and rear light. This means you have around 200-lumens of lighting power at the front. Additionally, you have a rear light that ensures you are always visible when riding with your friends or on the road.

TeamObsidian Lights
Budget Mountain Bike Lights

The light itself is made from durable aluminum, but it includes a plastic cover, which ensures the unit is weatherproof. To power the complete set, you will need 5 AAA batteries. However, the batteries will give you a couple of hours of light. Since it uses standard batteries, you can always carry a few with you while riding.

Pros:

  • Durable Construction: The light features an aluminum and plastic construction, which ensures your lights can withstand the weather.
  • Brightness: 200-lumens might not be a lot, but when you are using a standard trail at night, it will be more than enough.
  • AAA batteries: The use of standard batteries is great for those that don’t have the time to constantly recharge them.

Cons:

  • Rattles: Unfortunately, the lights tend to rattle when you constantly ride over tough trails with your bike.

Best High-End Lights: Lupine Alpha

If you are serious about cycling, you might have one of the best mountain bikes. To compliment your high-end mountain bike, you might want to consider the Lupine Alpha Mountain Bike Lights. The lights have a 7200-lumen brightness, which means it will light up a large part of your route and even those of your friends.

Lupine Riding Lights

The unit features 6 LED lights, which can operate together, or you can adjust the different modes to find one that is most comfortable for your needs. Additionally, the light straps to your helmet, which means it is easy to set up. The unit features a separate lithium-ion battery with up to 1.5-hours of use at the highest brightness level.

Pros:

  • Brightness: The light is one of the most powerful on the market today and features a 7200-lumen brightness.
  • Battery: While it might have a bulky battery, it will give you up 1.5-hours of battery life at the peak brightness.
  • LED lights: Having LED lights means the unit features durable lighting, which will last you multiple trips.

Cons:

  • Price: Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive options on the market today, but definitely worth the price.

Best Entry-Level Bike Lights: Ascher USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set

You don’t always need to spend hundreds of dollars on the best lights for your bike. The Ascher USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set is one of the basic lights and features two lights for your bike. One of the lights will connect to your handlebars, while the second option will connect to the rear of the bike for visibility.

Ascher Riding Lights
Best Entry-Level Bike Lights

The unit can be recharged with a USB, which makes it much easier to recharge. The 650mAh lithium-ion battery is still one of the powerful options and features 4 different lighting modes. The biggest downside is the brightness and since this is a light that will dimly give you light, you only have 80-lumens of brightness to use.

Pros:

  • Lighting Modes: Having 4 lighting modes will give you versatility for different situations on your trips at night.
  • Versatility: Having a versatile design, you can use the lights as a headlight or strap it to the handlebars of the bike.
  • Complete set: As mentioned, you will receive a complete set of lights for the front and the rear of your bike.

Cons:

  • Brightness: The 80-lumen brightness is not one of the best and you might need to have a second option for dark trails.

Best Multifunctional Light: NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED

Occasionally, you will need a multifunctional light with a powerful lighting feature. The NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED lights will offer you 1100-lumens of brightness and it has been constructed from durable aluminum. The hardened ABS plastic will seal all the cracks and ensure that the unit can be weatherproof and resistant to water.

NiteRider Riding Lights
Best Multifunctional Bike Lights

Once again, the lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and you will need to recharge them using a basic USB charger. A quick-release bracket is perfect for your handlebars and means you can simply clip the lights on your handlebars when needed. We would recommend it for the value of the lights and powerful luminosity.

Pros:

  • Brightness: It might not be the brightest of lights on the market today. However, the 1100-lumens is more than you might need.
  • Battery: Having a lithium-ion battery means you have a durable battery that will last you numerous years.
  • Durable Construction: As mentioned, the lights have one of the most durable designs, which makes them extremely useful.

Cons:

  • Price: It is not the most expensive option on the market today. However, the price will still be more than some of the others.
Riding Lights

4 Tips To Buy The Best Mountain Bike Riding Lights

Now that you have seen some of the top lights on the market today, you must understand the different features. We have isolated a couple of the top features used in selecting these lights. The following features are useful for selecting any light you could need for your mountain bike and riding at night.

1. Usability

One of the first things you will need to look for is usability. The light needs to be easy to set up and it should also be easy to operate. Nowadays, the lights have evolved to give you a remote control. The remote control will enable the user to keep their eyes fixed on the roads while they are still in the position of controlling the lights.

Additionally, you should also look if the light is made to be attached to handlebars or if the lights can be attached to the helmets. The helmet lights are often better for lighting where you are looking. However, lights attached to the handlebars can useful for stability.

2. Luminosity

There are different luminosity for each light. You will need to find a light that offers enough brightness for your needs. It is hard for us to judge how much brightness you will need. However, you can simply look at the lumens of the lights to see how bright they are. The brightness of around 500-lumens or higher should be sufficient for most situations.

3. Batteries

The lights will not be of any use if they are not powered. As you might have noticed, almost every light has a battery pack. There are different batteries that one can choose from. However, lithium-ion batteries are the most useful. Generally, these lights have a much longer lifespan than other battery packs.

4. Lighting Modes

While you have different lighting modes, we have left this as one of the last features. Since you will be on the bike, you might not be in the position to shift between the different lighting modes. However, different lighting modes can ensure you don’t need to use all of the battery life and perhaps even save some battery life.

Wrap-Up

If you like riding your bike at night and you take on different trails, it is best to find useful riding lights that will make your life easier. The best mountain bike riding lights are designed to make life easier and ensure that you have visibility when you are riding your bike. We highly recommend these lights for the value they offer and the brightness on offer.

Below is a Pinterest friendly photo… so you can pin it to your Mountain Bike Board!


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