Flood Light Vs. Spot Light

By Sophia Surk


So, you have decided to try mountainbiking at night (consider this article on why would you would like to ride your mountainbike at night)? Great, now you will need some bike lights. There are actually a number of kinds of bike lights, but as of late get a LED lamp - without a doubt. But what kind? The main differences between lamps is the power - how many lumens do they emit. What exactly is a lumen? A lumen is a unit of measurement for how much light is contained in an area. More lumens suggests more light. Then there is the built of the lamp - how quality it is, is it waterproof, what sort of mounting does it have and so on.. Then there are the batteries - how long do they last, how quickly are they re-charged, how heavy are they, how are the batteries mounted to your mountainbike. All these factors sort of go hand in hand with the value. So your price range limits the power of the lamp and the majority of other things.

But then there's one particular property of lamps which you also need to know. Does your lamp give flood light or spot light and which one is best, which one you will need. Initially let me explain the difference between flood lights and spot lights.

Flood Light

As the name suggests - a lamp that provides you flood light will lighten a bigger wider area in front of your bike. It'll light it evenly with out a bright spot in the middle but it will not light it really far ahead of the bike. This certainly also depends upon the power of the lamp. Flood light is also a lot more pleasant for the ascents.

Spot Light

Alternatively - a lamp which will offer you spot light will lighten a much more narrow area in front of one's bike however it will reach further ahead than a flood light. This certainly again also is determined by the power of the lamp. Spot light is also the brightest in the middle and after that fades away towards the edges.

So which one is far better for mountainbiking?

Both! If you would like the best of the best then you will want both lights at the same time. One flood and one spot. Flood to provide you fantastic visibility around your trail and spot to give you the distance. But for anyone who is only going to acquire one lamp then get a powerful flood lamp. A powerful flood lamp will do for most of the circumstances except a definitely fast downhill where you seriously also need the distance that the spot light offers you.

Then there is also the handlebars vs. helmet setup. I suggest you also read this article on the ideal bike light setup for mountainbiking.

And one more thing - quite normally the light manufacturers do not mention climate a certain light is a flood light or a spot light. I suggest that you just check the comments on every lamp on several mtb forums or assessment internet sites. Lamp users will swiftly mention if a light is a flood light or a spot light.




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