Bike Lights

Five lights, two packages. Answer two questions and we'll show you the right one.

Step 1 of 2Where Do You Ride?

Not sure? Most riders start with Trail Evo on the handlebar. See All Lights

Mountain Bike Lights

One light on the handlebar, one on your helmet. That's the setup we'd tell a friend to buy.

On the Handlebar

Bike Helmet Lights

A helmet light points where you look, so you see around the corner before the bike gets there. Portal is our first pick for trail. Hangover is the lighter one, and the one we'd put on a road or commuter helmet.

PortalHangover
Built ForMost light, longest ridesLeast weight on your head
Output1,600 lumens900 lumens
Runtime (Adaptive Mode)2.5 hours1.6 hours
Weight170 g105 g

Bike Light Sets: Handlebar and Helmet Together

Road and Gravel Bike Lights

See the road without blinding the people coming the other way, and have a wide security blanket thrown over you from behind.

Bike Light Specs, Side by Side

Lumens are only part of it. Where the light goes matters more than how much of it there is.

LightMounts OnOutputRuntime (Adaptive Mode)WeightBuilt For
Trail EvoHandlebar~2,200 lumens2.6 hours275 gTrail / Enduro / XC
PortalHelmet1,600 lumens2.5 hours170 gTrail helmet light, the most power
HangoverHelmet900 lumens1.6 hours105 gLightest helmet light, road and commute
DetourHandlebar~1,200 lumens2.6 hours150 gRoad / Gravel / Commute, cutoff beam
BladeSeat PostRed rear, amber side8 to 120 hours, by mode125 gTail light for road and gravel

Handlebar Light vs Helmet Light

They do different jobs. That's why we sell them as a pair.

The handlebar light shows you the ground. It sits low, so rocks and roots throw shadows and you can read the trail surface. It points where the bike points.

The helmet light shows you where you're going. It follows your eyes into the corner, up the switchback, over the drop. On its own it sits too close to your eye line and flattens everything out.

Run both and you get texture and direction at once. Power is nothing without control.

A mountain biker in silhouette riding at dusk with a twilight sky and distant mountains in the background.

Questions People Actually Ask Us

How many lumens do I need?

Fewer than the number on most boxes would have you believe. Lumens tell you how much light comes out, not where it goes. A light that throws half its output into the sky or into one hot spot needs a huge number to feel bright. Ours put the light on the ground where you're looking, which is why 900 to 2,200 lumens covers everything from a commuter helmet light to a full speed trail setup. The longer version is in this post.

How long do the lights run?

Adaptive mode is the default on every light, and it's tuned around a typical night ride. In that mode Trail Evo and Detour run about 2.6 hours, Portal about 2.5 and Hangover about 1.6. Every product page has the runtime chart for every mode. Our numbers are conservative, and cold, heat and battery age all move the real figure, so treat them as a guide.

Can I charge the light while I'm riding?

Yes. Our headlights charge over USB-C and support pass-through charging, so you can plug in any USB power bank and keep riding in any mode. It's how people get through 24 hour races and all night brevets on one light.

Can I just run a helmet light?

You can, and plenty of people start there. You'll see where you're going but the trail will look flat, because the light is coming from right next to your eyes. Add a handlebar light when you can.

Can I use Trail Evo on the road?

It'll work, but it has no cutoff, so you'll be that person blinding drivers and other riders. Detour exists for exactly this reason.

Can I take Detour on trails?

We'd steer you away from it. Detour has a cutoff beam, which is the whole point on the road, but on a trail it means no light above the horizon and nothing where you need it when the bike is leaned hard into a corner. Trail Evo is built for that job.

Which helmet mount do I need?

Probably none. Every helmet light ships with two mounts: a wide one that bridges the vent hole on a lot of bike helmets, and a standard curved one. Between them they cover most helmets out there. The exception is a helmet that comes to a strong point at the center, like the Fox Proframe, Troy Lee D4 or Lazer G1. For those, grab the notched mount. It's five bucks and the product page lists the helmets we know it fits.

What's the warranty?

Three years, plus our Don't Be A Dick lifetime extension. Two rules: be kind, and be honest about what happened, even if it was your fault. Crashed it, dog chewed it, ran it over on the highway. We've seen it, and we'd rather fix it and learn from it than argue about it. Details are on the warranty page.

Who Makes These

We do. Outbound Lighting is a small, independent company based out of Chicago, with an office in Bellingham, Washington as well. No private equity, not publicly traded. The lights are designed, engineered and assembled by our own team, and they ship straight from our production floor.

We started in 2017, out of automotive lighting engineering and a lot of frustration with riding behind glorified flashlights. Every beam pattern here is designed the way a car headlight is: put the light exactly where it's needed and don't waste the rest. Power is nothing without control.