Let’s Get Lit!

In the bike shop world, spring and summer are our busiest seasons—often so busy that after long days of bike sales and service, there’s little time or energy left to ride. We call it bike fatigue or bike burnout. When fall rolls in with crisp air and cooler evenings, that fatigue fades and the itch to ride returns. The only catch? Daylight disappears. That’s when night riding begins.

Riding at night is a completely different experience. Trails you’ve ridden for years feel new, your focus sharpens, and you begin reading the terrain in an entirely different way. It’s easy to lose your sense of place, following only the trail illuminated in front of you or the lights of the rider ahead. It’s challenging, immersive, and incredibly rewarding.

Because of this, our lighting setup is carefully dialed. We’ve found the ideal combination to be 1200+ lumens on the handlebars paired with at least 1000 lumens on the helmet. The bar light provides your main field of vision, while the helmet light lets you see into corners and down the trail. Running a helmet light alone—especially in dusty conditions—often creates a “snow blind” effect. Together, the two allow you to ride confidently without outrunning your lights.

After more than ten years of testing evolving lighting technology, our go-to brands are Outbound Lighting, Gloworm, and Exposure Lights, chosen for their beam quality, brightness, and efficient battery life. Our current feature brand is Outbound Lighting, known for its trail-specific beam patterns, clean self-contained design, and dependable runtime.

To learn more about our night rides or the lighting systems we trust, stop by the shop or give us a call.