Cyclops Battery-Powered Helmet Light

Dirt Rider had the chance to race the 24 Hours of Glen Helen in San Bernardino, California, and the brutal conditions we encountered formed the ideal testing situation to really see how the Cyclops battery-powered helmet light holds up. We sampled the original Cyclops system during our 24-Hour (June '04), but this has an improved battery-powered system.

The folks from Cyclops hung out all night to keep all the riders charged up on battery power. We ran mostly 35-watt bulbs as they were bright enough for our distance of sight due to the heavy dust, and a fully charged battery pack lasted for about 11/2 hours. While we could have tethered two batteries together, which would have given 3 hours of illumination, the life of one battery seemed to be the ideal amount of time because we switched riders about every hour. Bryan rode with the 50-watt unit and two batteries connected and enjoyed the light on the MX track--but the dust turned into a blizzardlike whiteout in the boonies.

We liked the low-tech attachment--other than the permanent hook-and-loop fastener on our lids--but some had the helmet light knocked off by branches; a few crashes also popped it off. Another gripe was that the wire from the light runs along the back of the helmet, and no means of attaching it to the helmet is provided; we used a strip of duct tape to keep the cord in place. Finally, we carried the battery packs in a tool bag or in the extra pouch in our drink system; this could be a problem if you have neither.

All in all, the helmet light worked fine all night despite our intense abuse. We really feel it is a useful addition to a bike's lighting system, but we would like to see a better means of securing it to the helmet and some sort of pouch carrier for the battery packs. Suggested retail for the 35-watt light is $295.95, and it includes two batteries and an overnight trickle charger; a 50-watt bulb costs $11.95, and a 45-minute quick charger retails for $129.95.
--Joe McKimmy