Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend is here and that means two things, there are loads of great mountain bike deals around and if you're living in the northern hemisphere daylight hours are in short supply. If you're interested in hitting the trails in the dark there is no better time to invest in some new lights.
When you're mountain biking at night you need a lot of lumens to properly light up the trail ahead. The best mountain bike lights are capable of some serious power, with many of them being able to put out over 2,000 lumens. Lumens aren't cheap though and these lights are often very expensive, especially when you factor in one of the best MTB helmet lights as well.
We have been on the hunt and found the best deals on the brightest mountain bike lights this Cyber Monday.
US quick links
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Gloworm X2 G2.0 bike light: Was
$273.80, now $185.49 at Wiggle -
Niterider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote bike light: Was
$674.99, now $449.99 at Jenson USA -
Exposure Diablo SYNC Mk 5 bike light: Was
$408.20, now $311.99 at Wiggle -
LifeLine Ara 3500 Lumen bike light: Was
$249.99, now $137.49 at Wiggle
UK quick links
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Gloworm X2 G2.0 bike light: Was
£239.99, now £136 at Wiggle -
Niterider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote bike light: Was
£475, now £380 at Decathlon -
Exposure MaXx-D SYNC Mk5 & Exposure Diablo SYNC Mk5 bike light: Was
£725, now £600 at Tredz -
LifeLine Ara 3500 Lumen bike light: Was
£199.99, now £94.99 at Wiggle
Cyber Monday bike light deals 2023
1. Gloworm X2 G2.0 bike light
To match it's handlebar-mounted XSV G2.0, Gloworm sells the smaller X2 G2.0 which has been given a Cyber Monday discount. The X2 G2.0 light is better suited to helmet use although it can be used on the handlebars too, it comes with both sets of mounts as well. The headlamp has two LEDs which are capable of putting out 2,000 lumens which Guy Kesteven found gave an impressive range and clarity when riding at speed. For more info, see our Gloworm G2.0 X2 and XSV Adventure bike lights review.
2. Niterider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote bike light
Niterider's Pro 4200 Enduro Remote Front Light is designed for nighttime enduro riding and has a dual beam design featuring size Cree LEDs that emit an impressive 4,200 lumens. Battery life is 1.5 hours at full power and 3.5 hours at 2,000 lumens. The beam is quite focused so you won't get much peripheral illumination, however, if you already have a helmet-mounted light this isn't as much of an issue. The Pro comes with a remote to quickly change between the four solid and three flashing modes while riding.
3. Exposure MaXx-D SYNC Mk5 and Diablo SYNC Mk5 bike light
If you're seriously into night-time mountain biking, then you really need a handlebar and helmet light. The handlebar light takes care of general illumination while the helmet-mounted light will point in the direction you are looking – helping you spot your lines around tight corners, as well as adding a little more depth of field.
It's a powerful combo with the 4,600 lumen Exposure MaXx-D SYNC Mk5 on the handlebars and the Diablo SYNC Mk5 up top with 2,100 lumens. The Diablo SYNC Mk5 includes a Bluetooth handlebar remote so the MaXx-D SYNC Mk5 and Diablo SYNC Mk5 can be simultaneously controlled which is pretty nifty.
Unfortunately, the deals we'd found on the twin set of Exposure lights have now expired in the US, but you can still get the Exposure Diablo SYNC Mk5 helmet light at discount from Wiggle for $311.99 – a 24% saving over the regular $408.20 price
4. LifeLine Ara 3500 Lumen bike light
If you're simply looking for the maximum lumen rating for your money then you aren't going to find any better than the LifeLine Ara 3500 Lumen front light. As you can probably already guess it has a bright 3500 lumen output and is currently sporting a massive Cyber Monday discount in both the US and UK. It may not have all the fancy features of the Exposure lights or the performance of the Gloworm lights, but for sheer value, it's unmatched.
The light does feature some smart modes too, there is a standard 2500 constant mode, a flash mode, and three Motion Control modes. The Motion Control modes halves the lumens when the light comes to a standstill, with 3,500 L/ 1,750 L, 1,750 L/ 875 L, and 875 L/ 437 L modes.
How to choose the best mountain bike lights?
If you're looking to head out into the night for a mountain bike ride you need to have some bright lights to see where you are going. The best light setups for proper trail riding consist of a handlebar and helmet-mounted lights, packing plenty of lumens across both.
It's not just about max power though, battery life, weight, and mounting hardware also play a part in creating the best lights. For more information and in-depth reviews, check out our best mountain bike light guide and best MTB helmet light guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many lumens do you need for mountain biking at night?
With advancements in LEDs and batteries, it's possible to buy bike lights that are several times more powerful than car headlights. Lights are rated in lumens but it's an imperfect measure because the calculation is based on the LED power and battery charge in ideal conditions. In the real world, lights deal with limitations created by circuitry, and thermal rollback – that is, when a light automatically reduces its output to prevent it from bursting into flames.
Most lights designed for trail riding are rated to a minimum of 1,500 lumens, though if you're using a bar and helmet setup, you can get away with closer to 1,000 lumens depending on how fast you ride. If you're just running a bar-mounted light, buy the brightest unit you can afford.
Are bar or helmet-mounted lights better?
In a light system, bar-mounted lights should provide the majority of the lumens, flooding a wide beam down the trail. Mounted below your eye line, this light creates shadows helping you to spot rollers, rocks, and roots as well as creating some depth perception.
Helmet-mounted lights shine where you're looking, helping you see around corners, over rocks and anywhere your bars aren't pointing. This light doesn't need to have the power of the sun and should have a tighter beam pattern than your bar lights.
If possible the best option is to have both helmet and handlebar-mounted lights simultaneously to get the advantages of both setups to illuminate as much of the trail as possible.
Does beam shape matter?
When we talk about lights, lumen count usually grabs the headlines, but the beam shape is equally, if not more important. Ideally, you want something that will have a smooth transition from flood to spotlight with no dark spots or hotspots as this can distract from the trail.
If you're doing lots of high-speed riding and your trails aren't all that curvy, a narrow spotlight beam will suit, but if your local singletrack is twisty and more technical, look for something wide and bright.
What type of battery is best?
Pretty much every light will use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Some lights will be completely self-contained, while others will use a separate battery pack.
Self-contained lights eliminate the awkward cables and cumbersome battery packs, however, they are usually bigger and considerably more substantial.
For lights that have a battery pack, consisting of the head and the battery; you'll need to find somewhere to put the power pack, either on your bike or in a backpack. As batteries degrade over time, external packs can be replaced or upgraded, and some brands offer options with different capacities.
How much battery life do I need?
A light that won't last the entire duration of the ride is about as useful as a puffy jacket in the middle of summer. Take into account how long you're planning to ride (keeping in mind that you're probably going to be slower in the dark) and factor in some extra time.
Also, keep in mind that many batteries are affected by temperature, and the cold can have a severe effect on run time. If you live in an area where nighttime temps go below freezing, consider buying a bigger battery or storing it somewhere that's insulated from the cold.
Knowing how much juice your light has left is also vitally important. Some lights have rudimentary green, orange, and red battery indicator lights, while others will show you the time or percentage remaining.
Where are the best Cyber Monday mountain bike deals?
If you just want to head to your favorite mountain bike retailer then just take a look below for a summary of the best offers.
US mountain bike deals
Amazon US: Cyber Monday discounts on cycling tech including Garmin devices
Wiggle US: Over 60% off a huge range of bikes and mountain biking kit
Evo: Celebrating their anniversary with massive discounts
Chain Reaction US: Discounts on hundreds of bikes
Jenson USA: Celebrating 20 years with a huge sale
Mikes Bikes: Savings on bikes, shoes, clothing, helmets, and more
UK mountain bike deals
Amazon UK: Offers on all things cycling plus Garmin devices
Sigma Sports UK: Big savings on bikes, shoes, clothing, helmets, and more
Tredz UK: Up to 50% off bikes, shoes, clothing, helmets, and more
Leisure Lakes UK: Massive discounts on Specialized bikes and more
Cycle Store UK: Discounts on hundreds of bikes and clothing
Wiggle UK: Huge discounts across the site Offers on loads of cycling kit
Evans Cycles: Up to 40% off mountain bikes and 30% off eMTBs
We've also curated our favorite Cyber Monday mountain bike deals all in one place, and we've also got guides to the best Cyber Monday budget full suspension MTB deals, the best Cyber Monday kids mountain bike deals, and some superb Cyber Monday electric mountain bike deals.
Should I still shop at Wiggle and Chain Reaction?
Yes, we believe so as there are many excellent deals at these two online stores owned by the same parent company. You may have heard the news that Wiggle/Chain Reaction has gone into administration, but the administrators have issued a statement saying that "all operations are running as normal".
