LED Lights Review
Latest LEDs
LED technology continues to march forward, and with it we have yet another batch of brand new lights to review!
AyUp V4 Adventure Kit $500
AyUp Lighting Systems (07) 3869 1251 / www.ayup.com.au
AyUp lights have taken the MTB world by storm, both inAustraliaand overseas. Their combination of minimal weight, simplicity and value has won many fans but AyUp hasn’t rested on their laurels.
While they may look the same, the review lights are part of the brand new 09 AyUp range that has just been launched. All of the new kits come in a robust waterproof plastic case with a carry handle. There are three kits on offer, ranging from the single light ‘V-Twin Sports’ at $290, to the $930 ‘V-8 Explorer’ which contains enough gear to fully equip two people.
We tested the mid-range ‘V-4 Adventure’ kit. It roughly compares with the ‘08 MTB’ kit that we reviewed last year but at $500 it costs around $100 more. The price hike isn’t hard to justify when you see the extra gear that comes inside the plastic hard case. As with the 08 kit you get two light units, three batteries, twin battery charger, a car charger and an assortment of spares. In addition to this you now get a neat headband that converts a light into a hands free head torch. A lighter and simpler ‘Gecko’ helmet mount now comes as standard and you get two red ‘Saxon’ light covers that allow you to convert one unit into a super-bright tail light for commuting.
The big news is that AyUp has boosted their light output and added a low beam to extend their runtimes. In a side-by-side comparison, the new lights are clearly brighter than before—around 25% more light at a guess. This additional brightness hasn’t compromised the runtimes and you’ll still get three hours on high beam with the small battery and six hours with the larger one. The new low beam isn’t as bright as the old single mode version but it bumps the battery life up to six and 12 hours respectively. AyUp has also added a flashing commuter mode which works well when mounted as a tail light with the Saxon covers in place.
As always, I like the minimalist weight of the AyUp lights. One helmet mounted unit weighs only 156g with the Gecko mount and battery, or you can put the tiny battery in your pocket and just have the 66g light on your head. While this is great, I’m still not a fan of the mounting hardware—the cable tie mounted handlebar bracket is a semi-permanent affair unless you want to continuously eat your way thought cable ties. The Gecko mount may be removable but you’ll need to have around eight Velcro tabs permanently stuck to your helmet. It may be a little anal but I don’t like having light brackets and bits dangling from my bike when I’m not out on a night ride.
Even with the increased light output, there are still plenty of lights out there that pump out more light with cleaner and tidier beam patterns. The real key with the AyUp is that the light is split between your handlebars and helmet. Neither puts out a massive amount of light but the combined spread, along with the ability to independently direct the beams, means that one $500 kit is all you really need to hit the trail with confidence. There’s a lot to be said for running both bar and helmet lights and AyUp delivers this for a price that’s hard to beat. With the additional features they’re likely to be more popular than ever.
Ay-up: A narrow light spread with a few rings around the edges but the handlebar/helmet-mounted combination helps it outperform individual lights with better beam patterns.
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HID Technologies Lumen8r Pygmy $320
Distributed by HID Technologies 0432 922 603 / www.hidtechnologies.com.au
When I first saw the Pygmy light, I questioned the need for it within the HID Technologies range. Yes, it may be compact but their 1,000 lumen Quad is already light enough for helmet mounting, quite affordable and offers excellent runtimes. I was also sceptical of the claimed 600 lumen output; how could such a tiny 75g light unit put out that much light—it had to be wrong.
In use the Pygmy proved to be a fantastic addition. Most lights of this size are single LED units that put out around 100-200 lumens. Amazingly, the cluster of three tiny LEDs puts out more light than many bigger units that claim to be 600 lumens. It’s not a narrow pencil beam either—it throws a surprisingly broad spread of light across the trail. Most compact LEDs focus the light into a narrow beam to boost their apparent intensity and give enough distance throw. While this beam may sacrifice a little distance sight on super fast fire trails, it gives much better peripheral vision. In addition to making it a viable option for handlebar mounting, it also leads to less neck twisting in singletrack when helmet mounted.
At 75g, you’ll barely notice the light mounted to your head. Another advantage over their bigger Lumen8r Quad is the battery size. At 157g with a relatively flat profile, it will sit comfortably in a jersey pocket without bouncing around. Rather than placing it in a backpack, I took to putting the battery in my side pocket and wearing my pack over the top. That way I could take the backpack off mid ride without having my helmet pulled off by the light cable. The only possible criticism is that the battery is too heavy to be helmet mounted like the AyUp, but you do get a full three hours on high beam with 600 lumens from the one tiny light unit—even the eight hour low beam is very bright.
The other cool thing about the Pygmy is its price. At $320 it would have to be the most affordable 600 lumen light on the Aussie market. The price may be low but it is far from a disposable item; in fact the machined alloy housing can be updated with newer LEDs as technology improves. On its own the light pumps out enough light to inspire reasonably confident off road riding—especially when helmet mounted. Its affordability also makes it a great second unit to supplement an existing handlebar mounted light. You could even buy a Pygmy for your head and a Lumen8r Quad for your bars to get an amazing 1,600 lumens of light for around $850—there are many sub-1,000 lumen lights that cost more than that!
I found that the switch had a nice light touch making it very easy to use. Just make sure that you always unplug the battery when not in use as it can easily get bumped and switch on accidentally. Initially the strong coiled up cable was a little short and tended to pull slightly on my helmet. HID Technologies suggested heating and stretching the coil cable in boiling water. This proved to be an effective solution—better too short than too long in some ways as excess cable can be equally annoying. Finally the o-ring mounted handlebar mount may allow easy swaps between helmet and bar mounting positions but it was a little fiddly to use and agricultural in its appearance. In contrast, straight helmet mounting was a breeze and the milled out alloy bracket allows for easy angle adjustment whilst riding.
Beyond the minor nitpicks, it is hard to fault the Pygmy for the price. It makes an excellent helmet light and gives far more expensive lights a good boot up the backside.
HID Pygmy: Whilst not completely clean around the edges, the tiny Pygmy punches out a surprisingly broad swathe of light that puts many bigger units to shame.
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Cygolite $679
Distributed by Bikecorp / www.cygolite.com
Good light design is more involved than just pumping out great wads of light. Practicality and ease of use can be just as important—after all, you’ll be more likely to hit the trail if you don’t have to wrestle with an unruly mess of wires to prepare your bike.
All in one lights are usually the winners on this front but until now, Exposure Lights from theUKwere the only brand producing a wire free lighting system with enough punch for serious MTB use. With the release of the new Trion 600, Cygolite has stepped up to the plate with a similar design. It may lack the CNC machined alloy look but it does put out a seriously competitive amount of light.
Cygolite claim a 600 lumen output and I would be inclined to believe this figure. The three LED arrangement offers a good even spread of light without any rings or dark spots. While it isn’t the brightest in the middle distance, it provides a nice filtering of light in the foreground that makes it quite effective at lower speed in singletrack. Obviously the 258g weight means that it is a handlebar only system, although this is very light for an integrated battery and light unit.
At 2:15 on high beam (2.5 hours was claimed), the burntime is not exceptional but there are four power levels in total that allow you to extend the available ride time as required. Both the ‘medium-high’ and ‘medium-low’ settings provide a decent amount of light for most situations and extend the runtimes to 3.5 and five hours respectively. Low beam is really a limp home or climbing mode for 12 hours of use and the light also offers a number of flashing commuter settings as well as an SOS function.
Cygolite has employed a backlit two button arrangement to control the light. In practice it’s quite intuitive with less ‘double clicking’ and ‘button holding for so many seconds’ to access a particular mode. One click of the big button turns it on and off while the smaller button scrolls through the power levels—simple. Four power levels could be overkill but at least it provides flexibility in tailoring the slightly limited burntimes. While on the topic of battery life, it is helpful that the backlit power level switch acts as a fuel gauge, allowing you to keep tabs on the remaining runtime. Extended burntimes can also be achieved by plugging an additional 7.6-volt Cygolite battery into the port on the side of the Trion.
While I liked the concept of the tool free mounting bracket, I was not a fan of the execution. The light bracket mounts use a split clamp and a thumb-nut—it takes no more than ten seconds to do. However, the adhesive backed rubber pad that sits inside just kept falling off. I eventually glued it onto the bracket with ‘Tarzans Grip’ and didn’t have any further issues. The light head also mounts to the handlebar bracket using a slide on and clip arrangement, so the bracket can be left in place on your bars. I was always suspect of this and wouldn’t trust the little nylon catch to retain the light in the rough and tumble of off-road use. Personally, I’d glue the bracket together and rely on the tool free quick release clamp for fitting and removing the light.
Once I had the mounting bracket issues under control the Trion proved to be a great off-road light. It’s compact, easy to use and fits to your bike in a flash.
Cygolite: Not the best distance throw but the nice filtering of light in the foreground makes it quite effective for singletrack.
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Exposure Maxx-D Approx Price $825
Distributed by Bike Box (03) 9555 5800 / www.exposurelights.com
Around a year ago we reviewed the three LED Enduro Maxx fromUKlight specialist Exposure. Then their top of the line light, we commented that it provided good distance throw but lacked a broad enough flood for a bar mounted MTB light. Since then, they have added the bigger and brighter D-Maxx to their range.
The new reflectors and four LED cluster is said to produce 960 lumens of light which is huge. Having used the D-Maxx in anger, I’d have to say that the claimed output is optimistic. Perhaps 600 or 700 lumens would have been a fairer claim. I’m willing to let this boast slip by, as the D-Maxx performs very well in so many respects.
To begin with, the beam is clearly more effective than their Enduro Maxx (which is supposed to be a 720 lumen light). The distance throw may be a touch less but it is much broader in the middle ground—around 10-20 metres down the trail. The flood in the immediate foreground is lacking compared to some lights but it’s still a good step up from the Enduro. These changes have made the D-Maxx much better in singletrack and technical terrain. It mightn’t offer the claimed output but it remains a very bright light for serious off road use. Supplementing it with a helmet light (like their wire free Joystick on page 22) would fill in the gaps when tackling twisty singletrack and make a very good light set.
This boost in power doesn’t compromise the burntimes. Exposure claims three hours on high beam but our sample went for well over four hours every time—you can’t complain about that! The mid-beam setting is quite effective and extends the battery life to over 10 hours—extremely impressive for a convenient self-contained light. Low beam goes for over 24 hours but it’s really a limp home light.
More LEDs and a bigger battery adds some heft to the D-Maxx but 331g is still light when you consider that it is the entire kit—battery and all. This weight means that it needs to be strapped to your bars with some authority to hold the light in place over rough terrain. While holding the light isn’t a problem for the tidy alloy handlebar clamp, you can’t tinker with the vertical aim without whipping out a 4mm allen key to adjust it. A tool free thumb-nut would at least allow for beam adjustment without having to stop and rummage for tools—it only requires 3NM of tightening force which should be quite attainable via a thumbnut.
Other handy features include a backlit button that doubles as a beam indicator and fuel gauge. Whilst more of a road oriented item, the compatibility with their ‘RedEye’ tail light also rates a mention. Shown on page 22 of this issue, we did get to try this tail light and the light output was stunning—it quite literally illuminated the road behind bright red! Most mountain bikers spend some time on the blacktop and this light should dramatically improve your road presence. It plugs into the rear ‘SmartPort’ via a cable which is kind of against the Exposure philosophy but worth the effort in this instance. TheSmartPortalso allows you to attach supplementary batteries to extend the already long burntimes if required.
All in all, Exposure continues to excel with their innovative lighting packages.
Exposure Maxx D: Not 960 lumens by my reckoning but a good strong beam non-the-less.
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Distributed by HID Technologies 0432 922 603 / www.hidtechnologies.com.au
The Lumen8r Quad has been reviewed before in the pages of MBA. This time last year we tested it in stock form—that is helmet mounted with a narrow beam. Being a locally made product, the buyer can customise their light to a fair degree. With this in mind we decided to review the same light in a different guise; as a wide beam handlebar mounted light.
The wide beam contrasts sharply with the narrow and makes it look like a completely different light. Where the narrow four LED appears stunningly bright, firing a strong beam down the centre of the trail, the wide option appears far more subdued. While it is still a 1,000 lumen light, the beam floods across the trail and loses much of its distance punch. It lights the full width of the trail with an even spread and no real hot spot. This mightn’t look as impressive but it is easier on your eyes when handlebar mounted, as you don’t have an overly bright focal point darting across the trail with every twitch of the handlebars. Spot beams are better suited for helmet mounting as your head remains far more stable and you can point the light where you want it.
Functionally, all other aspects of this light remain the same as the Quad that we reviewed before. The standard 4,000mAh battery provides an impressive five hours on full power and the very effective mid-beam goes for 18 hours! Low is very dim but goes forever as a ‘limp home’ mode. The 400g battery is weighty but this won’t really be an issue when bike mounted. That said, you can also opt for a lighter 2,200mAh battery if you desire.
The Lumen8r Quad is primarily designed as a helmet mounted light, but it can be handlebar mounted via a simple o-ring adaptor bracket that is supplied free of charge with the kit if you request it. You can also specify the appropriate cable length to reach the battery mounting point. You’ll need a good strong Velcro strap to fit the battery to your frame (it is too bulky to mount under the stem), and HID Technologies will soon have new neoprene battery bags to make frame mounting a little more secure. In short, let them know how you plan to mount the light and the kit can be adapted as required.
The handlebar bracket is a little agricultural in its appearance and pulling the o-ring around requires a good deal of finger force. Once mounted it worked okay but never felt as solid as a more traditional clamp. The foam pad on the bracket may allow it to conform to irregular handlebar shapes but it also creates a slightly spongy and movable foundation for the light to sit on. I would graft a nylon quick release style bracket from another brand of light if running it as a dedicated handlebar unit (not hard to do).
Straight out of the box, the narrow beam Lumen8r Quad is a well-sorted helmet light. If you don’t mind a little fiddling to get the mounting system sorted, the wide beam Quad makes a great handlebar light that provides big dollar light output on a beer budget. Being locally made, the Quad is also future upgradeable; so you can update the light as LED technology advances.
The wide beam option from HID Technologies is great for bar mounted applications while the beam quality is on par with lights that are almost double the price.
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Distributed by Radical Lights (02) 8006 2991 / www.radical-lights.com
Hailing from Wagga in NSW, Radical Lights is yet another Aussie brand making its mark in the LED lighting world. They are shooting for the top and want to play ball with the likes of Lupine and other big name brands. To do this, they are focused on providing high-end products backed by a lifetime warranty and by making their light units upgradeable for when new LED technology comes along.
The machined alloy housing is covered with an array of fine fins for heat dissipation. This body is used on their three and four LED models, and both are offered in mid or narrow beam options. We tested the mid-beam four LED unit; the Podda 4L.
While called a ‘medium beam’, it had very similar intensity and spread to the wide beam Lunen8r Quad reviewed opposite. It was very even with no hot spot and the light tapered off ever so gradually towards the extremities. This broad spread makes the Radical mid-beam a great option for handlebar mounted applications.
The 340g battery is compact enough to go under your stem (as long as it isn’t too stubby) and it powers the light for 3:20 on high beam (Radical claims just under three hours). A total of five closely spaced beam levels can be accessed by pushing the power button; press it quickly to go brighter or hold it for a second to dim the light. This system was pretty easy to get used to and it saves you scrolling through unwanted power levels—hit a descent and you can go up in brightness without having to cycle through a dimmer mode. Switching the light on requires three quick hits of the button. This sequence reduces the risk of accidental start-ups. You’ll also find a small indicator light on the back that tells you when the battery power is getting low.
Radical supplies their kits with both helmet and handlebar mounts. The handlebar mount is a simple rubber backed semi-circular base with an o-ring to strap it down. A fair amount of effort was required to pull the o-ring around the handlebar and it was hard to do with cold fingers. The narrow bracket width it also seems a little insecure compared with a more traditional handlebar clamp. That said, the light didn’t actually slip during the review. Radical actually supplies the kit with a rubber heat-shrink band that can be fitted to the handlebars for added security in particularly wet riding conditions or if you have bars with a very slippery finish.
One advantage of the mounting system is its ease of swapping to the helmet mount. The same o-ring fitting attaches to the helmet mounting plate and away you go. While this allows for easy tilt adjustment, it also makes the light unit sit up fairly high on your helmet. The resultant high centre of gravity makes the light feel heavier than it really is as well as being more prone to catching on low branches.
Radical now offers an alternative ‘low profile’ helmet mount to fix these issues. You remove the o-ring fitting and bolt the light directly to a carbon fibre plate. This in turn straps directly to the helmet. It removes 20g in weight and places the light nice and low on the helmet. This solves the weight and vulnerability issues but removes any tilt adjustment—you now have to move the light bracket on your helmet to vary the aim of the beam. In the end neither system is ideal but you can choose the one that suits you best when ordering the light.
While the mounting systems could do with some refinement, the actual light performance is up there with the best.
Radical Podda: Plenty of power with a broad and even spread of light across the trail.
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Note: All of the night time trail photos were taken on a Canon 5D (28mm lens) with a 20 second exposure at F9 and an ISO of 400. Ten reflectors on the trail are spaced at 10 metre intervals so the furthest is 100m away from the light. These images should not be compared with our last lighting shootout as variations can occur with different print runs.
