What Bicycle Lights Do I Need for the 24 Hours of Oak Valley?
24 Hours of Oak Valley racing is all about trail riding and camping overload. Dirtopia has been running these events since 2001 and sets up the perfect environment for you to spend the ultimate mountain bike weekend with friends and family. The Oak Valley venue lends itself perfectly to this format of racing with its large campsite and of course, the awesome trails surrounding it.
For the 24 Hours of Oak Valley, you should have three lights, each serving a different purpose:
- PRIMARY HANDLEBAR LIGHT
The two front running bicycle lights to choose from:
THE BAVIAANS BICYCLE LIGHT
The new Baviaans Bicycle Light is the best of the best and made for mountain bikers who live for 24-hour endurance events to fun single tracks during early morning training. Key features you can take into account when making your buying decision:
- Beam Pattern & Distance
Our brightest bicycle light yet at 3600 Lumen - a wide hotspot fading into a 180-degree wide beam - lets you see far in the distance, to everything around you (240m). The wide flood on the sides allows you to see “through” the corners, which will help going downhill and around sharp corners throughout the race.
- Runtimes
You can now Choose Your Battery capacity according to your needs. Paired with the 5200 / 6800 or 10200 mAh high capacity battery pack, it is the best what Extreme Lights has to offer for mountain biking night stage events. You can check the various runtimes you can expect to get on each battery on the Bicycle Light Battery Runtimes Guide. Ideally, you'll be riding your light in mid- and low mode, only switching to high or boost mode while chasing down steep descents at great speed.
THE ENDURANCE+ BICYCLE LIGHT
The Extreme Lights Endurance+ Cycle Light was designed specifically for ultra-long distance races at night time, such as the Trans Baviaans. These are the features you need to look at for the race:
- Beam Pattern & Distance
The Endurance Cycle Light has a very wide beam pattern with a concentration of light in the middle. The hotspot in the middle lets you see very far (up to 223m). The wide flood on the sides allows you to see “through” the corners.
- Runtimes
Exceptional battery life. The standard battery pack should last you the entire duration of the race unless you are one of the backmarkers! LOW mode (40 hours) is fine to use on flat and uphill terrain. MID mode (10 hours) is great for fast flats and normal downhills. BOOST mode (3.5 hours) should only be used if you are chasing down steep descents at great speed and need maximum light.
- BACKUP LIGHT
The purpose of a backup light is to:
- Get you home safe if your primary light fails (due to crash, damage or running out of battery), or
- Let you work on your bike when you have technical problems en route.
A backup light has to have its own batteries. The Extreme Lights Basecamp Headlamp is ideal. You can keep it in your rear pocket, and wear it on your forehead, beneath your helmet, in case of an emergency. It is lightweight and comes with 3 AAA batteries in the box.
- REAR RED LIGHT
You need to be visible from the rear, for safety. The new ultra-durable BackUp Rear Bicycle Light, USB C Rechargeable Rear Bicycle Light, is super bright - even during daytime.
Remember to be on the lookout for your 10% Extreme Lights Discount Coupon in one of the event emails, which will be sent to all the race participants.