Oh what a wonderful headlight this is!
ARC
If you like to mountain bike at night or you are a really dedicated year-round commuter, an HID type headlight is a marvelous luxury that you almost can’t afford to be without. An HID (High Intensity Discharge) light uses a ballast to illuminate and it can throw out many more “lumens” which are a measure of brightness, than either LED or hallogen bulbs.
Last year, I gave up on the winter commuting about the first day of winter, December 21st. I could see the road okay with my 15 watt halogen light, but I had to seriously reduce my speed and peer anxiously for those potholes that the thaws and freezes open up. This year, I’m on the path to a full winter of commuting because of the power this light puts out. It gives a nice spotlight area up ahead and what seems like a good 180 degree flood of light to the sides with no dark spots. Armed with a flashing front and rear light, and the ARC HID light in the front, you’ll be seen by cars and see the road hazards ahead.
The ARC HID comes with a handlebar or helmet mounting system. The rapid charge NiMH slimline battery is in a water-resistant, insulating plastic coating and has an extra long cord allowing you to mount it just about anywhere on your bike where you have six inches of tube available. It will run at full power for about 3 hours and low power for about 3.5 hours. I think I’ve actually managed to stretch out out even longer than that. The smart battery will signal you when it’s running down and shut itself off automatically to protect itself from draining down too low. A recharge takes about 2 hours – no more overnight charging – but the battery charger won’t overcharge or damage the battery if you leave it charging longer than that. No tools required to mount the light itself, so you can pop it on and back off again if you’re leaving your bike outside where it might get pinched.
HID technology is not inexpensive – this light will set you back a good amount of change, but I’ve been able to keep riding and saving gas money weeks longer than I could before. Light & Motion makes it easy to keep rolling, so get out there and light up the night!
Light & Motion ARC HID NiMH Headlight, MSRP: $429.99
