HID lights for Bicycle Front Lighting
High-intensity discharge (HID) lights are the brightest lights currently available for bikes. They are very efficient, very bright, but expensive. They also tend to have high power consumption (although they use less power than halogens for higher output), so a relatively limited burn time. Otherwise they have the same advantages and disadvantages as rechargeable halogen systems, and like halogen systems they are designed primarily for off-road use, having rotationally symmetrical beams which cast as much light up as down. An additional disadvantage compared with halogen or LED lights is that the HID lamp does not tolerate repeated strikes, and in many cases does not relight immediately after shutting down. Likewise, should the battery level fall too low, the lamp will shut down rather than dimming. But the longer battery life than halogens tends to negate these problems, as many riders simply switch the light on and leave it running throughout the ride.
Advantages of rechargeable HID systems
- Very high power output
- High luminous efficacy
Disadvantages
- Expensive
- Lamp requires warm up before reaching full output power and/or luminous efficacy
If using a HID lighting system on the road, lights should be adjusted to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.