Ultra Bright Metal Halide Arc Lamp with a perfect 13 degree beam spread for off road riding or 6 degree beam for road riding.
New outstanding aluminum lamp housing in choice of black or silver anodised.
Features new Q/R camlock bracket.
4 hours bright white light mounted on your handlebars and aimed right where you need it. Combined with a 4 hour Fast two-stage charger and our 13.2v NiMH battery pack available in choice of frame or bottle cage mount.
Price: £299.99 Including VAT at 17.5%
Submitted by
Big Bad Wolf
a Cross Country Rider
from Woods Date Reviewed: December 1, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
lumicycle website
Strengths:
White light, very bright, quick release so is easily switched from bike to bike. Smart loading system , just plug in and forget until the next time you need it
Weaknesses:
None really
Similar Products Used:
Petzl
Bike Setup:
Lumicycle 10 Watt Halide Arc Lamp Unit with NiMh Frame Mount Bag Battery. 20W halogen for street use. .
Bottom Line:
This is a great light, compact yet bright beam. 10W Halide has 40W of WHITE light output in a 13 degree beam . 10W input means you can run it for 4 hours before the battery is drained. White light means there is no difference between daylight so my average speeds are almost as high as during the day. 13 degree beam angle is ideal for offroad conditions. Ideally suited for long nightrides. I use this light practically every day in the Winter months. Occasional nightriders shouldn't bother, there are a lot of cheaper systems, but for people who really bike a lot at night, this is your ticket.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hereford Flyer
a Racer
from Hereford, UK Date Reviewed: November 16, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$480.00
Purchased At:
Lumicycle website www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
Review for the Lumicycle HID lithium Ion system with an extra halogen lamp as a back up/short ride light. Light weight simple design (just over 700 g with 2 lamps + battery). You can change the bulb yourself - no need to return to the factory for replacement. Choice of beam pattern to suit your riding. I use the 6 degree for road riding. Choice of battery type NiMh will run for 4 hours or the Li-Ion (smaller + lighter) which will run for just over 5 hours. Also you can choose between a bottle battery or a frame bag. Best to go for the frame bag as you can then adapt an old bottle if you ever need to bottle mount it. The light output is awsome with street signs over 500 metres away reflecting back light. Great service and spares backup from Lumicycle they aheve always been very helpful if I have ever needed any advice.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
No other HID lights but used the Lumicycle Twin halogen NiMh system for nearly 3 years
Bike Setup:
Use it mainly on my winter road bike with a Topeak space bar to keep the handlebars clutter free.
Bottom Line:
If you want a good value simple, robust and well made HID system then go for it. There is a marked difference in how other road users treat you (much more caution + space).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce Cockburn
a Racer
from Scotland Date Reviewed: March 10, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere, as long as I’m on my bike, I’m happy
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
WWW.LUMICYCLE.CO.UK
Strengths:
Bright, simple design which works well. 5W, 12W, 20W, 35W, spot, mid & wide beam combine to make a very versatile system to suit all needs, on and off road. Smart charger has never been off all winter, totally reliable. Cars dip their lights as soon as I come into view. It’s broadly believed that simple designs work best and are the most reliable, and these lights prove this theory to be correct. New QR brackets are superb. They are not brittle like some others which means they won't snap.
Weaknesses:
Airport security very suspicious of water bottle with cable sticking out. Didn’t realise it was just a battery pack, beware!
Split pin socket on lamp, should be solid connection for better grip of battery plug.
Similar Products Used:
Vistalite. Not nearly as good.
Bike Setup:
Old winter road bike, Heinz 57.
Bottom Line:
Yet another hassle free winter training in the dark almost over, that’s three now with my trusty Lumicycle lights which performed flawlessly. Two batteries and two 35W spots light up the road nicely, enough to descend at daylight speeds. 35W lamps do get very hot very quickly when stationary, take care not to allow over heating. Ceramic lamp holders and slightly longer lamps to dissipate heat would fix this minor flaw.
Took mine to France where I was working. French airport security spent 20+ minutes trying to decide what was inside the water bottle with the protruding cable. I should have carried a lamp in my hand luggage to prove it was just a battery pack.
Please e-mail any questions as I’ll be glad to answer these
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ben dufeu
a
from jersey C.I. Date Reviewed: December 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
woods
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
very bright customisable excellent service simple construction little to go wrong cable ties are simple and seem good
Weaknesses:
look like they are mad in primary school workshop but hey get 35W gets realy hot
Similar Products Used:
Smart 10/10W
Bike Setup:
scott comp 03
Bottom Line:
the lights are excellent, very bright short charge time 5 hours with fast charger and the lights actaully last as long as they say on their website and slightly longer. the "spot lights" give a very wide beam plenty for offroad. I chose 35mid and 12spot but would suggest to get all lights with spot beam.
The glow ring idea is quite good at lighting up handle bars for side visibility but blinds the bike rider so i covered the very top with black tape, the glow ring is also good if you find that you cant see your speedometer
dont get any other lites the service is very good and all spares are available
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
scott Lennie
a Cross Country Rider
from Kent Date Reviewed: October 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
nant-y-rian
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Lumicycles.co.uk
Strengths:
Made in Great Britain Reasonable light weight 4 hor run time Cost
Weaknesses:
not as bright as other HID systems. electric leads have tendancy to ejct from lamp... Switch is easily knocked to 'off' position
Orange P7, Hope Mini Brakes, SRAM 9.0SL shifters and mech, Deore frontmech, USE seat post, bars and Stem, Hope Cane Creek headset,eggbeater pedals
Bottom Line:
These lights are not worth the £280, I paid. First fewrides were great but then I started getting used to it and it's shortcomings became clearer. it's not as bright as my mates Cateye Stadium lights and not as robust. Crashed on night ride last week and lamp shut off. Took a few tries to get it working again. will have to replace the battery because it looks like a few cells have been damaged in the crash.
Overall I'm just not happy that I spent £280 on this system and the Cateye Stadium on my mates bike is £20 cheaper and much much better. Also the home made look does nothing for me
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rooster
a Racer
from Great Britain Date Reviewed: May 1, 2003
Favorite Trail:
If I'm on my bike, I'm happy anywhere.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$265.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Simple design, bright light and durability. Fast charger is excellent and I have no problems whatsoever with this. Plug and forget chargers are by far the best way to go. Quality batteries used in production. These guys care about cyclists.
Weaknesses:
Rough road surfaces tend encourage the jack plug to work it's way out of the lamp socket. My solution to this is to hook a small rubber band over the cable and the point it enters the lamp socket and then over the lamp housing to come to rest against the screw located between the lamp housing and bracket. The cable has never worked loose after adopting this small modification.
Similar Products Used:
VistaLite, not in the same class.
Bike Setup:
Bog standard winter training road bike
Bottom Line:
Great lights. Two seasons now and no problems to cause me any concern. The model I purchased was the bottle battery with two lamps, non Halide. The bottle battery is 13.2 volts and very adequate, but my greed for more light encouraged me to rig up an additional 14.4v battery. This worked fine all winter and I now use two 35W spots, one @13.2V and one @ 14.4V. Awesome. The extra light the 14.4V battery throws out over the 13.2 volt version is whiter and a good deal brighter, but I do believe this will do bulb life no favours as a result, perhaps bringing it down to about 10% of it's nominal value. I should still get about 200+ hours worth though. Buy these lights, there great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben Saunders
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkshire Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Judges Ride
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Bright, compact, battery life
Weaknesses:
Cable comes loose occassionally and I have managed to knock the power switch off a couple of times
Similar Products Used:
Lumicycle Halogens
Bike Setup:
GT RTS
Bottom Line:
I have used a pair of Lumicycle's older halogen lights (20W flood, 12W spot) for a while (and still do), and this Halide light is very impressive. It doesn't quite give the spread of the Halogen flood but the overall brightness compensates for this.
I ride road and MTB and no longer try and use the Halide light for the road. Because the light is so bright you are tempted to aim them a long way ahead, and the net result is you end up blinding motorists and will get flashed regularly. It seems a waste to have such brightness focussed a short way ahead. Offroad the light does work extremely well. I'm not sure that the Halide v Halogen power factor is quite correct, but the light is definitely brighter than the combined 32W output from the Halogens and batteries last much longer.
Added to this, Lumicycle have finally come up with a decent cam lock type quick release fitting, and this works really well. With no permanent attachments to the bike you can detach the whole lot in seconds (particularly handy for swapping bikes or when you don't want to leave £300 worth of kit attached to your bike outside the pub!)
It does seem like a lot of money for a light but if you really want to see rather than just be seen these do the job.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spangelsaregreat
a Weekend Warrior
from edinburgh, scotland Date Reviewed: January 2, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
manufacturer
Strengths:
Robust and simple design, easy to get spare parts, long burn time, bright lights, fast charging
Weaknesses:
Zip ties (see below), leads pull out of lights sometimes, becareful not to leave 20w on at rest (see below)
Similar Products Used:
Smart 2,4/10w Halogen Nicad
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS, SRAM 9.0, RaceFace Turbine etc etc
Bottom Line:
These are great lights as is testified here and in most bike mag reviews. There design is simple and well manufactured. The 12w spot is bright enough for most single track but the 20w really lights up the trail at higher speeds. Burn time is good and the batteries are reliable (so far).The battery bag fits well under the bars and stem. If you can afford it get the fast charger.
The zip ties are crap, basically. I have binned them in favour of their new quick release clamps which should now be standard issue (ditch the ties guys!!). As observed by other users the battery cables can pull out of the lamp at times which is a pain but a minor one. I used my light as a torch last week and forgot about the heat. It melted the innards of my 20w. My own stupid fault but they sent out new innards by return post and they are easy to fit.
Not cheap lights but they are very good and I can't see me ever needing anything else. If you buy them now get the QR clamps, you won't regret it. Great backup support from a true cottage industry taking on (and beating) the big companies.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy Smale
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: December 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Lumicycle
Strengths:
This is a review of the new Lumicycle Halide HID lamp unit, not the halogen system. 13 deg beam, which in real life is a 10 deg spot with a dimmer halo around three times that. Looks well made, decent clamp (at last!), and it is of course more efficient than a halogen light.
Weaknesses:
(Some of the following also applies to most HIDs on sale:) This simply does not put out the equivalent of 40W halogen - 20-25W is a much more realistic estimate (and Lumicycle admitted to me their claims are way off the mark). I think the bluish colour fools you into thinking it is brighter than it is. The spot is only fractionally brighter than Lumi's own 12W halogen spot, although it does kick out more light sideways. If you ride it on the road you have to keep it pointed down (drivers will full-beam you otherwise, something that never happens with my 12W halogen), and this limits what you can see in the distance - not a problem off-road of course! Distinctly blue light, no closer to "daylight" than halogen. If you're thinking about using this in conjunction with a halogen bulb on your existing Lumi battery, my battery (in good nick) won't handle 35W and HID together, and I have doubts as to how long even new batteries would stay the course with this treatment.
Similar Products Used:
Lumicycle NiMH2000 halogen system.
Bike Setup:
MTB used on-road
Bottom Line:
If you intend to use this off-road as a stand-alone light, provided you accept it only puts out 20-25W equivalent for 12W input, then you may well be happy with this. I'm not sure I would recommend the HID/Halogen 'PLUS' system for fear it wouldn't last too long, and for riding on-road, a 12W/35W spot halogen setup is far more suitable - 35W is just way too handy for flashing people and fast downhills, and the HID doesn't offer much advantage over the 12W halogen.
I AM a road rider, and mine's been sent back...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Howard
a Weekend Warrior
from The North of England Date Reviewed: October 11, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Drop from Supermorzine lift
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Direct from manufacturer
Strengths:
Small, lightweight, burntime beats pretty-much anything else out there (watt for watt)
Weaknesses:
Beam not as "white" as they say, Cateye ABS has better beam pattern but lasts for half as long. Zip ties mean that the lamps move when you switch them on, due to lack of remote switches. Needs remote switches!!! Battery pack needs decent straps & leads vibrate out of the lamp units quite easily.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye ABS25 & 30, Cateye Stadium
Bike Setup:
Kona hardtail, but does it really matter?
Bottom Line:
Buy'em, cuz they last for ages and thats all that matters really.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
uncle nick
a Cross Country Rider
from the north of england Date Reviewed: September 6, 2002
Favorite Trail:
the uk has great trails everywhere
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
from the supplier - they were race support
Strengths:
burn time, light weight, simplicity, zip tie mounts (really, i like it!), cables don't look like the sort to wear thru' and blow the fuse (damn you blt)
Weaknesses:
straps on frame mounted battery a little too short to go round aluminium frames - and i'm not on a 'dale. plugs can come undone a little too easily. specialized use a rubber cap to seal the socket from water when disconnected that also does a good job of holding the plug in.
Similar Products Used:
blt, vistalite, cateye, nite rider, stadium lights, specialized; night riding for over 10 years now so burnt out my fair share of lighting rigs.
Bike Setup:
singlespeed xc jeyboy. full-suss geared rig for day rides
Bottom Line:
love 'em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian Humphreys
a Cross Country Rider
from Salisbury Date Reviewed: September 5, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Wessex
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
Compact (much smaller than my Nightsuns), light weight, bright white light
Weaknesses:
Zip ties
Similar Products Used:
Nightsun Team Issue
Bike Setup:
Proflex 757 upgraded with Risse Astro 5 and Genesis air shocks
Bottom Line:
Update on my last post. The zip ties are just a pain to take them on and off the bike easily. The Nightsun modification did not work so bought the Vistalight quick releases (sick squid £6 form www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk - excellent web based mail order with free delivery, excellent prices and always turns up the next day)which work perfectly. Now it is September I have recently started using the lights again. They charged up without a problem and work as new. 5 chilis even though the zip ties are a pain because it is cheap to sort out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian Humphreys
a Cross Country Rider
from Salisbury Date Reviewed: April 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Wessex
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
Compact (much smaller than my Nightsuns), light weight, bright white light
Weaknesses:
Zip ties. My Nightsuns had a great quick release that I am loooking to modify.
Similar Products Used:
Nightsun Team Issue
Bike Setup:
Proflex 757
Bottom Line:
Compared with my Nightsuns the light is much whiter, has a much better burn time, the Nightsuns where old, and is much lighter. I bought the rapid charger so that I did not need to worry about charge times. The information with the products is brief but to the point. I opted for the frame bag rather than the water bottle battery. The first couple of times I was not getting it attached properly so therefore I had it rattling around a bit. This has now been sorted and I have no problems. The zip ties... no real problems with the system just not as good as the Nightsuns. Use cut pieces of old inner tube to pad the handlebars to get a good grip. I do not see the value of having one switch. The switching on the back of each lamp works just fine. I have labelled them up so that I know which lamp is which.
I am using the standard 12 spot 20 flood but will look to try a 20 mid instead of the flood. Overall these are just FAB. They are light, very bright and look to be engineered to provide many years of service.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce
a Racer
from Scotland Date Reviewed: January 25, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Any quiet road without potholes
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$210.00
Purchased At:
WWW.LUMICYCLE.CO.UK
Strengths:
No nonsense, excellent night time illumination attainable without any of the high tech gadgetry found on other more expensive systems, just pure bright white light which is what most of us crave on night time rides. Lumicycle have got it right by supplying all their light systems with a quality 13.2 Volt Nimh battery which provides excellent run times, and lets face it, the battery is the main driving force behind any light set. The small neat lamp units are simple in design and function and work well. All of this should be an asset when it comes to long term reliability. Lumicycle have available a wide range of upgrades which can be ordered directly from their web page. Not all light suppliers provide this kind of support.
Weaknesses:
None yet.
Similar Products Used:
VistaLite.
Bike Setup:
Well maintained old road bike for winter training. Vitus alloy frame with bits and pieces from everywhere.
Bottom Line:
I opted for the £149 two lamp system with bottle battery and standard charger (I couldn't stretch to the extra cash required for the smart charger - two kids and a wife to support). The 20W & 35W spot bulbs I use are best suited to my needs and choice of use is determined by the duration of my ride on the night. This system is way more impressive than the VistaLite package I used to own and if long term reliability matches my initial impression then I won't be disappointed. Nothing wrong with zip ties by the way.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Piers Newland
a Cross Country Rider
from Wakefield Date Reviewed: November 19, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Rooty, rocky, twisty single track
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
Bright, long burn times, utterly reliable, dont vibrate and cause strobe effects, great customer service, light weight, good value for money, British.
Weaknesses:
After 4 years of use; NONE!
Similar Products Used:
See the list at the foot of the review page.
Bike Setup:
S-C Heckler with 90mm Pace Pro Class forks, XT, Hope and Velociraptors. Pace RC200 F8 fully rigid
Bottom Line:
My lights are still going strong (mine is the first review on this page) with the same battery and bulbs as came supplied, even the same cable ties that are on and off the bars at least once a week, every week. Four other riders in our club (www.bad-brains.co.uk) have bought them in the past 1 1/2 years and all are delighted. The new system runs at 13.2V which is 10% greater than my old battery so, when I sent mine back to the manufacturer for a health check (A-OK apparently), I asked if Lumicycle could add a cell and increase the out put. For £12 my wish was granted and now I have even brighter, whiter lights. Regarding the comments about weather proofing, I've never had any problem with water ingress despite lots of wet, muddy rides. Zip ties = pants? Not really, they are easy to tighten and remove and, if you use a bit of rubber between the bars and mounting plate, they are secure. Still top lights.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Noah
a Weekend Warrior
from Henley, Oxfordshire, UK Date Reviewed: October 11, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Yappy Dog
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
www.lumicycle.co.uk
Strengths:
Battery, Value, Simplicity
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Weedy toy lights from Cateye, Vista, Spesh "Proper" lights - Turbocat S25 (excellent!)
Bike Setup:
Zaskar Custom, USE XCR, Bombers, usual stuff
Bottom Line:
Sensational value with a superb NiMH battery. As others have mentioned, the lamp units are a little crude, but they do work and don't go wrong. I have actually solved this by running my (also superb) Turbocat S25 lamp fixture with the lumi lamp and battery. Perfect! The 35W hi beam turns night into day! Get some - you will not regret it! But please, Mr. Lumi, could we have a remote thumb switch ?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Bunker
a Cross Country Rider
from Rotherham, England Date Reviewed: April 12, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Trans Pennine
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Lumicycle website
Strengths:
Very light weight, excellent light output. I am no longer invisible to cars. Small and neat on handlebars. Easy to set up and remove. Great for commuters and trail riders.
Weaknesses:
Battery life much less than published. Left me stranded in the middle of nowhere a couple of times before the penny dropped. Micky Mouse straps to hold batteries to bike top bar. I've resorted to gaffer tape, which is effective, but not pretty. Poor sealing around lamps. Not quite so bright since they've been filled with water!
Similar Products Used:
Cateyes.
Bike Setup:
Trek 9800 OCLV. Lights are fitted to tri-bars.
Bottom Line:
Worth the money, but keep a backup LED light on your bike for when the batteries run out. The best lights I've ever had by a long way, but for £179 they should be. Some room for detail design improvement.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Lyons
a Cross Country Rider
from Northampton, England Date Reviewed: March 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Karrimor, Coed-y-Brenin
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Seems it's all been said... light, neat, incredible value for money.
Weaknesses:
None... I happen to think the cable-tie solution is superb.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye, vistalights, Smarts
Bike Setup:
Mount Vision
Bottom Line:
Stretch the budget ever so slightly and go for an extra lamp. Get 2x20W wide angle lamps and a single 10W spot. Only switch the 20Ws on when the going gets tight, tough and scary. My mate got a 12W spot and a 20W wide angle set up, the usual setup from Lumicycle and the one that all the comics got and raved about. I believe my set up with the extra lamp is way, way more than 1 lamp better (that sounds daft), but with the standard set up, if you angle them both in different directions one side of the trail ends up looking really dark.
Can't get better for the price
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Huw Watkins
a Weekend Warrior
from London, UK Date Reviewed: February 15, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$255.00
Purchased At:
www.limicycle.clara.net
Strengths:
Everything that everybody else has written. Light, durable, a 3 hr charge time and very, very bright - cheap by comparison with anything else offering this sort of performance.
Weaknesses:
Those zip-ties again. Also, if you try to use the lights straight after charging and before the battery's cooled a little then it'll cut out. This isn't a problem unless you're racing 24 hr events i.e. if you leave it to right before the start of your next lap before picking the battery up from the charging tent. One last thing - they're Al and they get hot so don't touch.
Similar Products Used:
Vistalite 10 w somethings
Bike Setup:
XC Voodoo
Bottom Line:
Top, top lights. Don't know why anyone else can't make lights these good at this price. As for you, Lumicycle - get yourselves in gear and try pushing these harder outside the UK. You've got a great product and you seem to be literally keeping your light under a bushel.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Slartibartfast
a Cross Country Rider
from Bucks, UK Date Reviewed: February 12, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Depends on the weather, the company, the time .....
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$384.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Mr Lumicycle
Strengths:
Very light weight Very bright Long lasting Neat design
Weaknesses:
Er.... zipties?
Similar Products Used:
Cateye Daylights, Vistalight Nightstick HYP 25, Cateye Stadium, Niterider Digital Pro 12
Bike Setup:
Frame, wheels, cranks, brakes, saddle, handlebars .. the usual
Bottom Line:
Remarkable value (half the price of Cateye, Niterider equivalents), incredible brightness (not far off the Stadium, way better than Niterider, I won't bother talking about the HYP25 or Daylights!), ridiculously low weight, long lasting, RELIABLE, difficult to damage!!!
OK I've only had them a few months so I have yet to discover long term reliability, but I routinely go out 3 times a week for night time blats and get 3 hours plus out of the 12w (14 equiv) and 20w (24 equiv)light combo using the 12 permanently and plugging in the 20 when things get hairy. Light attachment with zip ties looks scrappy but works better and is more flexible then normal brackets (and as someone else noted - if you're a porn queen just use Vista Light HYP brackets (#3, c. $5 each) as they're a perfect fit).
Only a friend's Stadium produces more light for a comparable length of time but (a) for the same weight I can carry a spare battery and double my lumicycle's light time (b) if I crash everything still works perfectly - can anyone claim the same with a Stadium? (c) the light weight and neat design of the lumicycle means it has no effect on the handling / behaviour of the bike, whereas the the 1.5 Kg of Stadium, not to mention the warm up battery ........
My set up was #240 (c. $380) direct from the manufacturer and includes 2 lights, 2 batteries (thats [a genuine] 3+ hrs 40 watts or 5 hours 24 watts or 8 hours 14 watts - for 2 * 0.6 Kgs weight) and auto shut-off fast charger that can be used with lights in any state of charge (c. 3 hours max to fully recharge).
Run time has been too the minute reliable and the brightness and spread of the lights have made previously inconceivable night time routes a doddle. If you take night-time riding seriously in the UK, get in contact with Mr Lumicycle - www.lumicycle.co.uk (my friend with the [broken!] Stadium has already converted - need I say more?)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matthew
a Cross Country Rider
from Essex Date Reviewed: January 17, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Fantastic lights......Bright, sturdy etc..... Have the 12Wspot & 20w Flood, the NiMH Bottle battery pack and the smart charger.....Cool combo.
Brigt, Easy to use/charge & reliable (so far!)
Weaknesses:
Zip-ties are not he best, I've purchased some VistaLite 500 series mounting brackets, and the fit straight on....no more messing with Zip-ties/rubber strips etc.....Have made the best lights even better....
Similar Products Used:
VistaLite 500 series water-bottle NiCdset up (10 & 15w) Cheap Cateye HL500 (Or something..... )
Lumicylce lights are the best I've seen/used....but they are not perfect. The whole zip-tie idea is Pants.....I had trouble getting a secure fitting without using the rubber strips....and if you try to put them on in the dark, it can be far from easy. I had an old set of VistaLight500 lights, that have the nice little "thum-screw" fixing, which works a treat (Shame about the reliability of the VistaLights!), and fit straight onto the Lumicycle light.....
The VistaLite brackets are avaible from most shops that seel VistaLites, and are around £6 each...........they are well worth the money.
If the guys at Lumicycle read this..........get a decent lamp fixture....people will pay a little more for a much more useable product (Well, I would/have!)
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Submitted by
Martyn Parr
a
from Rhyl NWales Date Reviewed: January 8, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Llamberis bridleway
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$135.00
Purchased At:
The manufacturer
Strengths:
Rather bright
Weaknesses:
Battery mounting difficult on the dale
Similar Products Used:
Smart (not very)
Bike Setup:
SV Z1 130s etc
Bottom Line:
I use them for commuting on 35W which is fun. But the bottom line is after using them on Snowdon I dont know how I got down on my old 10x10s. Maximum respect to those lights.
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Submitted by
Andy Smale
a Cross Country Rider
from Winchester, UK Date Reviewed: December 20, 2000
Slightly suspect weatherproofing Some cells not well secured together
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Used on-road, on both road bike and MTB
Bottom Line:
I use 12W and 35W bulbs as you would dip and full-beam on a car. The 12W provides enough visibility even on wet country roads to maintain 20mph+ with sufficient stopping distance, without dazzling on-coming drivers (if the absence of flashes is a good sign). The 35W is great for bombing downhill, and putting (most) drivers on full-beam in their place. This setup gives at least 3 hours if used sensibly. The beam patterns on both are very smooth and even, and put out a good white light. Only a few minor gripes - in heavy rain, the lamps can let in a bit of water around the bulbs, but not enough to stop them working (will try screwing on a bit more firmly!). Two of the 11 cells are taped end-to-end - these sheared apart after a couple of months, breaking the circuit - a quick solder and more tape sorted that out, but it's not a very robust arrangement to begin with. Finally, if you take the battery pack hot off the charger, and run full-beam within half an hour or so, the lights cut out (thermal fuse?, resets after a few seconds), which ain't too great at 30mph. Leave 'em to cool down first if you use the fast charger. Still, I don't believe there's a better light set on the UK market if you want to train on-road - it gives you real confidence. And beats turbo-training by a loooooong way.
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Submitted by
David
a
from Dorset, UK Date Reviewed: October 27, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$265.00
Purchased At:
direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Light, lightweight, bright, quality product. These lights are good, with a range of spot, mid, or flood to suit.
Weaknesses:
I am going to replace the cable ties with jubilee clips.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye (no competeition here)
Bottom Line:
Support your local manufacturer, and see where you are going, too.
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Submitted by
Piers Newland
a Cross Country Rider
from West Yorkshire, England Date Reviewed: October 24, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Warncliffe Crags
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
Direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Lots of light and big battery charge (48watt hours). See my review at the foot of the page.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
See earlier review
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler for hacking across country and a fully rigid custom steel jobby for blasting rooty and rocky trails.
Bottom Line:
Three years on and they are still good. The newer editions are slightly over volted to give a noticably whiter light and there is a fast charger too. Lumicycle continue to be really friendly and helpful: they even sent a 20W spot gratis when I thought my bulb was going. Can't be beat.
I run a 12W spot and a 20W spot rather than the flood because I'd rather not be distracted by detail in a bright pool of light neat the bike and to either side of the trail. I've also taken to using a very tight beam 12W spot as a head mounted lamp (because I'm a show off and I can go faster).
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Submitted by
Ben Saunders
a Cross Country Rider
from Newbury, UK Date Reviewed: October 15, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Test Way
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Lumicycle
Strengths:
Very compact, bright and lightweight.
Weaknesses:
Not convinced about the cable tie attachment to the handle bars. I haven't had a problem with them yet but it seems to be overly simple.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye Daylights
Bike Setup:
GT RTS3 with Judy XC forks and LX bits
Bottom Line:
These lights are brilliant. The light units themselves are amazingly compact, strong and lightweight and yet they give a really bright output. With individual toggle switches on each light any combination is possible. I use mine with a 20W flood and 12W spot. The flood gives a really even and bright spread of light so you can see everything in front of you on the trail. The spot isn't really needed until you get some speed up.
The battery last well too. With carefull use of the spot you can easily get 3.5 hours out of the NiMHi battery pack.
I'm still not convinced that the method of using a cable tie to fix the light units to the handle bars is going to be OK in the long term, but I haven't had any problems yet. The only downside so far is that they are not easily removeable/reinstallable which could be a security worry for some.
I've used Cateye Daylights for mountain biking in the past and they just don't compare to the Lumicycle lights. The spread on the flood is nothing like as wide, even or powerfull as the Lumicycles, although I must admit the spot is almost as good. The Daylights have been religated to my road racer for commuting purposes only.
As you can only buy these lights direct from the manufacturer they are very good value as well. With a standard charger they cost £149. Comparible lights are well over £200.
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Submitted by
Paul Carruthers
a Cross Country Rider
from Horsham, England Date Reviewed: October 9, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Karrimor @ Coed Y Brenin
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Via e mail
Strengths:
I cannot believe the amount of charge that the compact battery retains. A 5 watt lamp lasts for 10 hours! My usual setup is a 15 watt spot and a 25 watt flood. Used sensibly this combination is good for at least three hours on the trail. The lamp units are simple and well made, with the ability to change lamp units in seconds ( I have got a 5 watt spot, 10 watt spot, 15 watt spot and 25 watt flood to offer good combinations for road and MTB riding ). Everything looks durable and well made, with no pointless gizmos.
Smart charger recharges in 3 hours.
Weaknesses:
I'm not sure that the zip tie system is the best one for attaching lights to handlebars - a "banjo" clip would be better.
Similar Products Used:
All sorts
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F900
Bottom Line:
I am really happy with these lights and hope to have many hours of riding ahead.
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Submitted by
Brian Trevelyan
a Weekend Warrior
from Leeds, England Date Reviewed: June 9, 2000
Favorite Trail:
oooh...er...The Gorple Road, East -West
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Fantastic brightness! I use a 12W spot plus 20W flood, and I can ride at full daylight speed on all tracks! I commute as well as my recreational riding, and they've been fantastic for the 5 miles or so along a canal towpath, and even stayed lit when the bike went in the canal, completely submerged! There's not a flicker on even the roughest terrain and the lamps are easy to aim. Once positioned, they stay put, too! The zip-ties are cheap and simple to use, and obviously can be replaced for pennies if they break (unlike some mounting brackets). I use the NiMH cell in a bottle pack, with the fast charger, and the charge time is so fast I can do it fully before I go to bed! Compared to similar priced systems these are astonishing value. Buy 'em! And that goes for all you non-UK people too! Just look at their website www.lumicycle.co.uk
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
BLT
Bike Setup:
Specialized Rockhopper fs
Bottom Line:
Aww...just see above, eh? Oh and by the way, this is a friendly firm who WILL respond to your queries or complaints (not that you'll have any). I'd recommend Lumicycle setups for anyone who's going to do some proper off-road riding in proper darkness. Although mine was £160, there are cheaper options using one lamp or with NiCad or Lead/acid cells available, which have also been rave reviewed in the UK cycling press.
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Submitted by
Piers Newland
a cross-country rider
from Wakefield Date Reviewed: December 5, 1998
Bottom Line:
Brilliant. Why buy anything else? Better than: my Night Sun Commuter Specials (7.5W and 20W) at £150 in 1996; my Specialized ProView NiCad (12W) at £70 this year; my assorted friend’s systems from Cat Eye and Smart. Three magazines, MBUK, Total Bike and an other that I forget, rate them 5 out of 5 for performance and value. I go night riding twice a week in all weathers. I wanted a good, reliable system. I think I’ve got one. For £150 you get 2 independently operable MR11 lamps in neat machined Al housings, a 48 or 50W/hr Nickel Metal Hydride battery in a tough frame mount bag and a charger. The system is very compact, the lamp units are the same size as 35mm film canisters and the battery pack is palm sized. It is much lighter than anything else on the market (750g total) and looks better than the offerings from Night Sun or BLT. Mounting is pretty easy, though a little primitive, with reusable cable ties and self adhesive rubber strip to give the brackets something to grip on the bars. I’m using two pieces of old handle bar grip to seat the lamps on instead of the sticky stuff because I don’t want anything left on the bars after removal. I’m a bike tart. Beam pattern is what ever you want really, the choice when you buy is 10W or 20W flood and 12W, 20W or 35W spot. Extra MR11 lamps are available for about £7 form Lumicycle and changing them is a doddle - unscrew the end cap on the housing, pull out the old one and bob in the new. When I got mine Lumicycle didn’t have the 12W spot in stock so they sent a 10W flood instead and posted the 12W later at no extra cost. The system is designed and manufactured in the UK so weather proofing shouldn’t be a problem. Just to be on the safe side though I fixed sections of split 35mm film canister to the rear of each housing. These act as little rain hoods over the cable connections. The battery pack is very neat, compact and light (520g). It takes about 15 hours to charge fully and apparently suffers no memory effects if you occasionally top it up from a partial charge. The charger supplied is not smart so you do need to watch the time. I use a simple timer switch because I’m forgetful.Other companies charge approximately £250 for similar, or inferior, systems that don’t offer the Lumicycle’s flexibility.These lights are only available direct from the manufacturer. The phone number is 01202 269863, their web site is at www.limicycle.clara.net .
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