Diving Light
Probably the best bike-peripheral I've ever bought
By Eli C. on Nov 11, 2015
I am one of those Nerdy guys who custom retrofitted a full-suspension, racing mountain bike with a 50cc 4-Stroke motor for commuting to & from work and getting light errands done. On surface streets I am clipping along with traffic pretty well but the law in my state favors my still playing by "Bike rules" despite the motor: bike-lanes, passing on right, etc. For the shoulder seasons and particularly at times outside of daylight savings I needed a light that would allow me to see far enough ahead to still see sticks, glass, potholes or other hazards coming at me even at my higher average speed (than a conventional bike), particularly in total darkness. Not only does this light succeed marvelously in that department but also the flashing-function, for use during daytime or inclement weather, REALLY gets the attention of drivers! I never totally realized how often cars pulled out from side-streets in front of me or took sudden right-hand turns across my way when I'm near them in the bike lane. I realize it NOW though, because those occurrences have been reduced almost to zero! The light illuminates reflective sings WAY far ahead too!
Some reviewers have knocked off a star because they say it gets hot when used at max brightness. After a month of use I have not noticed it ever getting intolerably hot (though I do tend to wear light gloves). My only "concern" is that I suspect the battery may not hold a charge for quite as long as they say it does but I am still testing that out: power may still drain slowly when the light is hooked up but NOT in use. Example: Battery was on charger for 5hrs on a Thursday night. Hooked up light on Friday AM and used on flash mode for 20min. Battery still attached throughout day with light off. Home commute light was used 10min on medium and 10 on high. Bike sat in garage with light off over long weekend-- battery still attached though. Tuesday AM I turned on light for morning commute and had the low-power flash indicator & red-led going. That's 20min on flash, 10min on medium and 10 on high of actual use and off for ). The battery still gives at LEAST an hour at max level, which is more than I need most of the time.
I echo others' warning that this lights is indeed very bright- comparable to a car's high-beams. It is very easy to be courteous to drivers though, just rest your hand on your light or bars over the light and block the top half of the beam (when safe to do so) with your hand. Everybody wins.
Neither the alleged heat, my personal suspicion about the battery or certainly the satisfyingly bright capability if this bike light is significant enough for me to remove ANY stars. Bottom line is that this light has totally enabled me to continue to use my bike well after the sun has gone down and with nearly as much confidence as I have in the daytime. And, even in the daytime I feel a heck of a lot SAFER! (In bridge photo light is on set on #2 medium. In "Rural" picture it would be black as pitch if I had no light, setting is at max: photo does not give total justice to how well you can see in that environment.)
