Last Tuesday at 6am I was speeding through San Francisco Presidio park a little ahead of the ~15 other cyclists part of the Mission Cycling Headlands Raid that morning. The public lights were out, the fog was thick and I had only my minuscule blinking LED with me. I believe I was thinking: "When do I get my new front light again?" when my front wheel hit the curb and I hit the pavement with my left side. At the same time I heard someone behind: "Ohhhhhhh" and another: "Shit". Yeah.. You said it.
To answer my own question, I received the new front light yesterday, and I got to try it on my commute. So far it's been an absolutely insanely great light. It's the first time I have a powerful LED (1000 lumens) on my bike, so I may be a bit too enthousiastic about it, but the experience was just "wow" (read below). I'm poundering getting a second one with an helmet mount.
- Price is $90, which seems to be a good lumens/$ ratio out there.
- The only con - so far (it's a early review) - is that the battery doesn't charge with USB
Your own disco with you.
This is what it feels like. Except you are not alone on the dance floor, you automatically bring several blocks of the street in front of you. The blinking mode makes the entire street flash in rythm. It's very difficult for anyone to ignore your presense. Although, a car on Brannan and Townsend turned on red just in front of me: proof that this is not the antidote for stupidity.
I've seen pedestrians cover their eyes from a beam that I think is similarly powerful as an average car headlamp. I learned my lessons and I politely decrease the power of the lamp in a busy, correctly lighted street. The light is equiped with the following settings: 100%, 50%, 25% and 100%-blinking.
I can't wait to try it outside the city and take my revenge over the evil Presidio curb that now bears my name.
I'll update this post If I change my opinion or have anything else to share. But I'd give this 5 stars so far:
