Non-bike bike gear tested: Turning any helmet into a headlight with BioLite
The best way I’ve found to reduce or eliminate car usage in a city is with an electric bike. But in the winter, nights come at you early, and it’s more important than ever to ensure that as cyclists, we’re visible to the biggest danger on the roads: car drivers. I’ve been testing out a new headlamp called the BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro that isn’t specifically meant for cyclists, but has proven perfect for me as a way to add both front and rear LED lighting to pretty much any helmet.
That’s a major part of this series, often finding cool gear that might not have been originally meant for us as e-bikers, but that works great and can be co-opted to make car-replacing electric bikes even better and easier to use.
I love helmets that have built-in LED illumination. While most electric bikes come with their own headlights, having a higher-mounted LED makes riders even more visible. These are usually lower power be-seen lights, though the ability to actually shine light in an area you want to quickly glance at is a major superpower for those early winter nights on poorly lit trails and bike lanes. Light is good, but directional light is great.
The downside of helmet-based lights is that you’re limited to the few manufacturers that actually do incorporate them, and even then the lights are usually fairly weak. Even though there are great options out there (I love the helmet offered by Electric Bike Company for its 100% customizable paint job and built-in LED lighting), adding lighting to your own helmet can save money and give you a wider range of options for helmet features. I’ve been testing out the HeadLamp 800 Pro from BioLite for use as a cycling light, and this thing is darn near perfect for riding at night or in other low-visibility scenarios like rain/snow storms.
Like most headlamps, it’s easy to adjust it to fit just about any helmet, instantly giving you old-school mining helmet vibes. It’s also got a coating inside the bands that makes it lock onto the shell without sliding around like an old underwear waistband. I don’t ride without a helmet often, but it’s still comfortable right on your head or over a knit hat, if you like to go sans brain bucket.
Unlike my hiking headlamps that have been dancing around in my camping gear bags for nearly a decade, this thing is much lower profile so it doesn’t add a lot of bulk or momentum when turning my head around while cycling. I do a lot of shoulder checks, so not having something heavy out for in front of my face is important to me.
As far as lighting levels, there are plenty. The low brightness mode is just 5 lumens, so I don’t really use that one except when all I want is to be seen by drivers. Usually I like having more light thrown out in front of me to serve as my own headlight. The 250-lumen medium mode and 500-lumen high mode are great for everyday cycling use. There’s an even higher 800-lumen mode, but that’s more than I need and I don’t want to blind drivers, either. And it’s easy to adjust between the front spot light modes, flood light, strobe light, and dimming options.
There’s also a red light on the rear that is perfect for cyclists like us, as it gives you a high-mounted tail light – something you’ll almost never see on a bike. Lower-mounted e-bike lights under the seat are often blocked by backpacks or winter jackets that hang lower, so a high-mounted tail light on the back of your head is a great idea. That one can also either be full-on flood light or a strobe, depending on how you prefer. I like solid lights as opposed to strobes, and your head motion will likely give the rear LED enough movement to catch drivers attention, but the strobe option is there if you like it. The front light also has a red option, which is great for when I’m camping, but I wouldn’t use that front red mode while riding as it could cause some directional confusion for other drivers and is really meant as a night vision-preservation tool outside of cycling. For camping and hiking, it’s great.
As far as run-time, I find that the built-in battery is longer than any typical commuting trip I’ll ever make. The say medium power lasts four hours of constant use and high power lasts for two hours on constant use, which I haven’t really measured because I just try to charge it around once a week to not get too low. It uses a micro-USB port to charge, which I wish was USB-C since I have more of those cords laying around, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.
If you want to keep the power up high and still have an even longer run-time than several hours, the BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro has pass-through charging that allows you to run the light from a powerbank like you’d use to charge your phone.
I’ve tried it with the Charge 80 PD battery that BioLite sent me with the headlamp, which has massive capacity yet still fits in your pocket. It’s barely larger than a smartphone, yet can recharge a smartphone around 5 times. You could even use it to charge a laptop (which I have also done in a pinch while traveling) with the 18W USB-C PD port. I like my gear to be multi-use, and I try to avoid carrying single-use tools on principle whenever possible. So a power bank that can run my headlight, charge my phone, or come on flights with me to keep my laptop charged is a major force multiplier. (With a note towards travel, I once had to talk my way into not getting my 110Wh powerbank confiscated in a German airport, so this 75Wh power bank is a lot more airline-friendly in countries with 100Wh flight-approved battery limits).
When used with my headlamp, the Charge 80 PD powers the light with a “Run Forever” cord that includes a band clip so that the USB port isn’t put under stress while connected. That means I can keep the battery in my pocket and still have it powering or charging the headlamp. In practice, I tried this to test it out and it works well, but I’m never biking for more than a few hours in a row at night, so I haven’t really needed to run the headlamp off auxiliary power in a real-world use case – at least not yet. But if you’re taking it on a night hike then I can absolutely see that scenario being useful.
The only downside that jumps out at me is the price, since the BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro is rather expensive at $99.95. Since I’m used to my 10-year-old camping headlamp from REI that owes me nothing, that seems steep initially. But then again, this thing lasts so much longer, doesn’t require AAA batteries, is around 8x as powerful, is built out of aluminum for long-lasting ruggedness, and gives me a rear red LED light that’s perfect for cyclists.
It’s also not light, at 5.3 oz or around 150g. That’s a third of a pound or so. But I find that I don’t notice the extra weight after a minute or two, and the low-profile design helps it stay close to the helmet.
BioLite also has other models with some of the same features, though not quite as tricked out, for significantly less. So if you like the idea of adding front and rear LED lights to your helmet and can get away with fewer lumens or other features, they’ve got other options there too.
Lastly, I should probably note that helmet manufacturers usually say not to add things to helmets as it changes how they react in a crash.
Your bike helmet was certified in its naked form, so adding things like lights, GoPro mounts, and other foreign attachments is considered a “no-no” by helmet companies, even if everyone still does it.
The nice thing about adding something like the HeadLamp 800 Pro is that it is merely held on by an elastic band and thus likely has more freedom to move or slide out of the way in a crash. That doesn’t mean it necessarily will, and anything external added to a helmet probably reduces its performance in a crash compared to stock, but I feel like the ability for an elastic band to simply slide off is better than rigidly mounted objects like GoPro mounts that create non-moving stress risers. But hey, that’s just my two cents. Helmet manufacturers will still tell you to keep it clean.
Read more: Non-bike bike gear review: Foldylock Forever is the most secure folding bike lock
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![The new Momentum Cito E+ dares you to leave the car at home [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/momentum-cito-e.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
All the cool suburbanites are already taking their kids to school, loading up at the farmers’ market, and making deliveries on clever and capable cargo e-bikes, but the new Momentum Cito E+ from Giant raises the cargo bike bar even higher — and makes leaving the car at home easier than ever.
Momentum is a new brand of “lifestyle” e-bikes from Giant Group designed to deliver premium features to customers while still hitting that $3,000-4,000 market “sweet spot.” Their latest bike, the all-new for 2024 Cito E+ utility bike, does just that, coming to market with a premium battery, Bluetooth technology, a suite of high-end safety features, and a $3,200 starting price.
Premium battery
Getting the most out of your e-bike often means getting the most out of your battery — and Momentum absolutely gets that. The Cito E+ ships with a 780 Watt-hour Panasonic battery pack with 22700 cells that have been optimized for e-bike use.
Compared to other ebike batteries with similar power ratings, the Momentum’s Panasonic battery promises to be lighter and more durable, with superior IPX7 weather protection, thermal regulation, and other safety features built-in (in fact, Panasonic was the first e-bike supplier to score a UL safety rating for its batteries).
The battery is easily removable for charging at home or in an office, but it can be charged while it’s in the bike, too. Either way, charging won’t take long — from 0 to 80% of charge (approx. 60 miles) of range is available in 3.5 hours, while a full (75 mile) charge takes less than 5 hours.
Connected cargo bike
As our test rider highlights in the video (above), the Momentum Cito E+ uses a proprietary battery management system, or BMS, to monitor the battery pack for maximum efficiency and reliability down to the individual cell level.
The BMS uses Bluetooth connectivity to transfer battery health data, state of charge, and other important information straight to the RideControl app, which enables the bike’s owner to get an in-depth look at the overall state of their e-bike and provides valuable diagnostic data to both the technicians tasked with servicing the bike and Giant themselves, to help develop even better e-bikes in the future.
That connection to Giant Group is a huge potential benefit to Momentum Cito E+ buyers, by the way, as it gives them access to support from more than 1,200 brick and mortar Giant dealers across the US alone (above).
That’s a serious advantage that online-only bike brands simply can’t match.
Safety first … and maybe second, too
Momentum’s commitment to safety doesn’t stop at the battery. The Cito E+ features confidence-inspiring 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes and a heavy duty suspension for predictable handling even under heavy loads — important if you have to suddenly haul the bike down from its electronically assisted 28 mph top speed with precious kids and cargo on the back.
LED head and taillights with a lever-activated taillight ensure Cito E+ riders will be seen, too, helping you stay safer after hours.
Accessories and add-ons
Momentum’s Cito E+ offers a comprehensive selection of accessories to help optimize it for each rider’s unique use case — whether that’s hauling up to 132 lbs. of cargo on the rear rack and 33 lbs. on the optional front basket (shown, above), or adding 2 Thule Yepp Maxi seats and getting the little ones to school five times a week.
You can find out more about the Momentum Cito E+ and the brand’s available accessories by clicking here.
Momentum Cito E+ gallery
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Environment
‘This is a unique time’: ARK Invest’s chief futurist tackles tech innovation from AI to robotics
ARK Invest’s chief futurist lists five groups that should give tech investors an edge.
According to Brett Winton, robotics, artificial intelligence, multi-omics sequencing, public blockchain and energy storage are key areas because they’re all entering the marketplace at the same time.
“We believe that this is a unique time in technological economic history,” he told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.
Winton collaborates with ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood to maintain the ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX), which allows investors to buy into the private technology space.
According to the firm’s website, the goal of the fund is to make venture capital offerings of innovative spaces in the market accessible to individual investors. As of April 10, it shows the fund’s top holdings include Epic Games, known for online video game Fortnite, and biotech companies Freenome and Relation Therapeutics.
“Our emphasis is that we are investing in innovation over the long term and going to support management teams,” said Winton.
He contends it’s a strategy that’s often not prioritized.
“That’s a real challenge a lot of public market investors don’t have that long-term view,” Winton added.
The ARK Venture Fund is down more than 7% so far this year. However, it’s up almost 39% percent over the past 52-weeks.
FirstElement Fuels has opened the world’s first large-scale hydrogen fueling station for heavy-duty commercial trucks just outside the Port of Oakland.
FirstElement is calling their new filling station, which opened to the public this week for tours and demonstrations, the first of its kind. Located near the Port of Oakland, the company claims its hydrogen pumps can “fill” a truck’s hydrogen tanks in as little as ten minutes, which works out (in their math) to as many as 200 trucks per day.
As for customers, the company says there are 30 Hyundai Xcient semi trucks using the fueling station currently, as well as a number of Nikola hydrogen fuel-cell-powered trucks.
A ceremony to mark the station’s opening was held Tuesday, and was attended by state officials including Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Tyson Eckerle, clean transportation advisor for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s business development office. Primary funding for the Oakland station was provided by CARB and the California Energy Commission.
Eckerle notes that the US federal government is handing out $8 billion to jump-start what it calls the “hydrogen economy,” and expects sufficient funding to build up to 60 more hydrogen truck stations like this one in California – which would, theoretically, be enough to serve 5,000 trucks and 1,000 buses.
All well and good, but …
What if it’s already too late for hydrogen?
MAN Trucks CEO, Alexander Vlaskamp, said it best when he said that it was “impossible” for hydrogen to effectively compete with BEVs.
He’s right – on a level playing field, there is absolutely no reason to believe hydrogen has any kind of future. But we don’t operate on a level playing field, and comments like Eckerle’s, along with an $8 billion federal budget and a number of supposedly genuine industry experts touting its usefulness as a fuel, mean we have to take hydrogen seriously (at least, for now).
Even so, it seems like the tide of public opinion is already starting to turn against hydrogen. Outlets that may never have questioned a manufacturer’s claims about a hydrogen-fueled vehicle a few years ago now seem more than willing to call those claims out. Here’s just one example:
Producing hydrogen itself can be very dirty. Most hydrogen produced today requires methane, which is a fossil fuel and a strong greenhouse gas contributor. The industry is working on production alternatives, including carbon capture and storage from the burning of methane, or quitting methane altogether to make green hydrogen, using an electrolyzer to split water’s hydrogen and oxygen.
Both alternatives are prohibitively expensive without government subsidies.
RUSS MITCHELL, AOL/Los Angeles TIMES.
So far, it’s not clear that FirstElement’s claims about either the sustainability of its hydrogen or the practicality of its filling station will convince many battery electric absolutists.
Take the company’s hydrogen production process as an example. FirstElement says that its supplier, Air Liquide in Las Vegas, uses natural gas as “feedstock” for its hydrogen. It buys biogas to blend with natural gas in order to create hydrogen – and that, because the gas used is more than 60% renewable, the hydrogen qualifies as “green.”
FirstElement hydrogen production
Additionally, the claim of 10 minute fast fills should come with an asterisk or two. That’s because FirstGreen is using new “cryopump” technology from Bosch Rexroth to allow for filling at 900 bar (15,000 psi). While that seems like more enough to push 100 kg into a tank in about ten minutes, cryogenically cooling hydrogen is an energy intensive technology that requires a lot of electricity to function properly. Electricity that it says will come from the stored hydrogen.
In fairness, however, Bosch has some ideas here to help station owners maximize the usefulness of all that electricity.
“Cold is like gold,” says Dave Hull, regional vice-president, Bosch Rexroth. “You’ve got all this cold energy. All my career I worked to get rid of heat. You can take that energy and run a whole station’s refrigerators for Rock Star energy drinks, or air conditioning. Bosh has a whole division of heat pumps and building technologies.”
Whether or not that added efficiency adds up to actual energy and cost savings, rather than a lifeline for the gas industry and tier 1 auto suppliers like Bosch however, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, hydrogen costs continue to rise.
Platts last assessed California’s retail hydrogen price at $33.48/kg Jan. 4, 2023, which is the weighted average hydrogen price offered at retail fueling stations across the state. The price has risen 112% from when Platts began the assessment in September 2021, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights data.
Despite the high cost of hydrogen (“green” hydrogen is more expensive, still), Shane Stephens, one of FirstElement’s founders and its chief development officer, remains undeterred.
“We, at FirstElement Fuels, have a lot of confidence the market is coming,” says Stephens. “We see the regulations on the horizon, the OEMs and fleet owners are going to have to respond to that, especially when it comes to goods movement, and hydrogen and fuel cells are the best – if not only – solution that will work for many of those use cases.”
Electrek’s Take
As a light vehicle fuel – despite the efforts of Hyundai, Toyota, and (more recently) Honda – things aren’t going well for hydrogen. As a fuel for massive semi trucks and even bigger heavy equipment, however, it might stand a chance against current battery technology.
But battery tech isn’t stagnant, and lighter, better, faster charging battery news that used to come every year, and then every month, now seems to be coming every week – and I’d argue that you’d be foolish to assume batteries that are twice as energy dense at half the weight won’t be here well ahead of California’s 2035 ICE ban.
But that’s just me. You guys are smart. Head on down to the comments and let us know what you think.
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