Product Description
Five LEDs and Opticube lens technology make the new HL-EL220 a perfect light for hops around town after the sun has set. Use the flashing mode in city lights shine the constant beam in dark patches.
Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout - over 50 bike lights
reviewed, photographed and measured here.
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Reviews 1 - 11 (11 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
scooby214
a Cross Country Rider
from Oklahoma City, OKDate Reviewed: December 2, 2011
Strengths: Long batterylLif; good flashing mode visibility; good mounts availableWeaknesses: Beam spot too small; very dim spill light; included mount doesn't work well with some oversize handlebarsBottom Line: The 320 was a pretty good light back when it first came out, but many newer, brighter options are now available for reasonable prices. The 320 still works well as a daytime flashing light. The beam is too tight to light the road well in the dark, especially when an oncoming car's headlights cause you to not see your side of the road. Before switching to a brighter light, I used the 320 together with a Cateye HL-EL135. The 135 has better spread but less beam, so I aimed it closer to me, while the 320 had a better beam but almost no spread, so I aimed it so that the beam hit the pavement just past the edge of the 135's beam. Worked pretty well, but not half as well as my current Serfas True 250.
Favorite Trail: Katy Trail
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At: Wheeler Dealer
Similar Products Used: Serfas True 250; Cateye HL-EL135
Bike Setup: Drop bar road bike; hybrid flat bar commuter bike
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
swtralph
a Weekend Warrior
from College Station TxDate Reviewed: February 26, 2011
Strengths: Bright enough for commuting, easy to remove/install, can buy mounts for multiple bikes at reasonable price from cateye.Weaknesses: screw will work out battery cover difficult to removeBottom Line: Great light for the price easy to remove/install for the price great buy. Gave my coworker a headache when i pulled up behind with the light in blinking mode, it was too bright for him. In steady mode bright enough to light up the street at 12-15 mph. My adjustment screw in the middle of the mount fell out also. went by my LBS in 30 seconds he replaced it for free just keep an eye on it and you will be fine.
Favorite Trail: Lake Bryan
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$24.00
Purchased At: Performance
Bike Setup: Diamondback Insight RS City bike
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
cornell
a Weekend Warrior
from Amherst MADate Reviewed: November 5, 2010
Bottom Line: It wasn't quite bright enough for riding at night. Attachment wasn't particularly easy and mount was a pain. Battery compartment hard to open. Batteries a major pain to remove.
Duration Product Used: Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: Nashbar
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
bcu000
a Weekend Warrior
from AustraliaDate Reviewed: September 21, 2010
Strengths: The powerful projecting beam is relatively good, the unit is quite compact.Weaknesses: The unit is heavy and the handlebar strap is cheap, flimsy and doesn't grasp bar enough.Bottom Line: This product is rather a good won apart from the worm strap.
Favorite Trail: national park trails
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At: ebay
Similar Products Used: cateye EL-500
Bike Setup: Giant trance 3, 2006
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
p pusteco
a Weekend Warrior
from buckeye az usaDate Reviewed: September 11, 2010
Strengths: priceWeaknesses: battery cover slides easyBottom Line: I was runing 1 light only but was wondering what 2 would be like. now I use two and cars actually flash the high beams at me..
Favorite Trail: I-10 at sun valley parkway
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At: performance
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
CFM001
a Weekend Warrior
from PhilippinesDate Reviewed: June 7, 2009
Strengths: Offers excellent visibility. Great balance between bright center light and peripheral lighting (good spread). Solid mounting (does not move once set).Weaknesses: a little heavy with the 4AA batts. Could have used AAA. Other than that, I LOVE IT!Bottom Line: Excellent value for your money.
Favorite Trail: n/a
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At: Local Store
Similar Products Used: Cateye UNO, another one that I forget the name.
Bike Setup: '09 Garry Fisher Wahoo Disc
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Adept
a Cross Country Rider
from Hungary, BudapestDate Reviewed: February 14, 2009
Strengths: Strong, durableWeaknesses: need battery :DBottom Line: I have replaced the original LED to a Q5 type. It eats the same power, but much more lighter.
I use it in the flashing mode day and night. Every car driver sees the flashing, and let me go. Very good to feel they see me and they know Iam there behind.
USE LIGHT ALWAYS!!
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Purchased At: LBS
Bike Setup: Haro Shift R3
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Inigo_Questa
a Weekend Warrior
from Glasgow, ScotlandDate Reviewed: October 11, 2008
Strengths: Bright light, compact, flashing mode, long battery life.Weaknesses: None at this price.Bottom Line: This is a great commuter light. Better value than the EL530, as it is just as bright (I don't believe Cateye claims, and neither does myn light meter) as the EL530, but with a flashing mode. Batterries last for ages.
Favorite Trail: Route 75
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Similar Products Used: Cateye EL530, Smart Nova 1watt
Bike Setup: Old steel Raleigh
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Submitted by
k v
a Weekend Warrior
from cambrige, MA, USADate Reviewed: September 11, 2007
Strengths: it's bright and good. I really only write this to reply to the other posters about how the light comes off the bracket. It is actually pretty smooth. There's a button on the side. Push it toward the center of the light. Then pull the whole light back off the bracket. it takes about 1 second. Don't let that be a reason not to get this quite good lightWeaknesses: The battery case is too easily removed.Bottom Line: great light. good price. good side visibility
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from Tampa, FL USADate Reviewed: September 10, 2007
Strengths: Bright light given the size, weight and batter life. I purchased 2 of these to be more visible to motorists while riding on the road. I mounted one on the front of the bike and one on the rear. The flashing mode seems to do the job and provide long battery life. Motorists seem to be more aware of my presence.
Weaknesses: It is very difficult the get the light on and off of the mount. There are no instructions on the CatEye web site. A call to CatEye tech. support was useless. The person I spoke with, Harry, did not know how to use the mount and did not seem very interested in figuring it out. I currently cannot get the lights off of the bike without removing the mounts.
The mount has a worm drive strap that is flimsy and does not work well. It cannot be tightened enough by hand to prevent the light from turning on the handlebar or seat post.
A screw fell out of the mount after about 500 miles and was lost. CatEye told me that do not sell the screws and that I would have to purchase a new mount.Bottom Line: Great light. Poor mounting system and customer support. My impression of CatEye used to be that they are a high end quality vendor. That has changed. I would not buy another CatEye product. I am grateful that Nashbar has a good return policy.
This is a great light for riders who want to improve visibility to motorists. Don't buy it if you expect high quality hardware or will want to remove the light from your bike frequently.
Favorite Trail: SunCoast Trail
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At: Nashbar
Similar Products Used: Planet Bike Super Spot, CatEye EL410
Bike Setup: Full Carbon Road Bike, Utegra, Richey, Set up for training and racing
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
locksalordy
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaDate Reviewed: April 27, 2007
Strengths: Very intense light that throws a good beam on the steady setting and a bright strobe on the flash setting. Light is clearly visible during the day which is very important to me because I commute on a mix of public roads, bike lanes and bike paths. Battery life is very good while still delivering acceptable light output.Weaknesses: The EL320 gets its power from 4 AA batteries which makes it heavier than AAA powered lights. The first problem is that the new Cateye band mount (kind of like a worm drive hose clip) slips and can't be tightened enough to hold the light securely; the light will rotate around the bar under its own weight requiring respositioning every so often. The second problem is that it is very easy to dislodge the sliding top battery cover when turning the light on and off. A band of electrical tape now holds the cover securely but this should not be needed on a pricey product that claims to be "quality".Bottom Line: While the light output is much better than competitive products the EL320 is let down by the mounting system and by the flimsy battery cover. Not good enough for a premium priced product. This is a real pity because well thought out and functioning mounting systems and hardware used to be a Cateye hallmark (they used to think of everything - even down to tiny little plastic caps to put on any exposed length of screw thread). If you want a LED light that is very bright and has steady state and flash modes then consider the Cateye EL320 but be aware of its deficiencies.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At: Brunswick Street Cycles
Similar Products Used: Smart and Sun
Bike Setup: Surly Long Haul Trucker with 26 inch wheels set up for commuting.
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Reviews 1 - 11 (11 Reviews Total)
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