Submitted by
Art101
a Weekend Warrior
from San Pedro, CA Date Reviewed: February 16, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Amazon
Strengths:
Well made. Aesthetically pleasing. Light is very bright.
Weaknesses:
Battery life is too short.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider halogen, Nightstick
Bike Setup:
Road bike: 2007 Schwinn Peloton Pro
Bottom Line:
When new this light was fantastic. After about 3-4 months of using the light 2x per week for about 1.75 hours each time the battery would only last 30-45 minutes before the low battery indicator would come on. The light goes to dim mode when this happens and in some parts of my ride it is just not bright enough to ride much more than 15 MPH.
The good: Planet Bike was very responsive to my problem and shipped my a new battery and charger. The bad: the same thing happened - battery only good for 30 minutes before going to dim mode. I am putting up with it because even though the low battery indicator is on I find I can still put into bright mode for critical spots on my ride. I am reluctant to leave in the bright mode with the low battery indicator on though for fear of losing the light altogether.
And speaking of losing the light - I did physically lose it once. The bike mount broke and the light went to the ground. The good: the light still worked. The bad: another mount cost $10.
This is a good light but probably not worth the money until the design is tweaked so that the battery lasts longer (how about a slower charge rate?).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
walker
a Racer
from manhattan beach, ca, usa Date Reviewed: February 3, 2009
Favorite Trail:
ocean front path to the office
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
veloworx
Strengths:
very bright light, great distance projection
Weaknesses:
battery loses charge fairly quickly
Bike Setup:
used in conjunction with daily urban commuter bike
Bottom Line:
22-mile round-trip commute to the office daily--very dark sections of the ride--this light makes a tremendous difference. Somewhat expensive and heavy, but at least I can see where I'm going @ 20 mph in the dark!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mark doane
a Cross Country Rider
from honolulu, hi Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$329.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
1. Super bright beam - good main beam with usable spill 2. Relatively small/light package that's easy to take on/off bike. Great commuter light. NO CORDS!!! 3. Good Battery life
Weaknesses:
1. Expensive - but you get what you pay for 2. Not quite as bright as my nightrider storm but still is almost overkill for commuting.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider storm, several small LED lights, Performance halogen setup.
Bike Setup:
Lemond Poprad cyclocross. Dura ace/XTR. Wound Up X carbon fork.
Bottom Line:
Great overall package. Perfect for commuting and road riding at night. I haven't used it for trail riding yet as I always use my helmet mounted HID system for that. Expensive but the best usually is. Have only been using for about a month but no problems yet. Get about 2 1/2 hours out of a full charge as advertised and about 3 hours to recharge. Great product - would definitely recommend to the serious bicycle commuter but would probably stick with helmet mount hid systems for fast night-time trail riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ed
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte, NC Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere my bike can go
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Local bike shop
Strengths:
1. Compact, lightweight. For a commuter such as myself, it's ideal because the battery is contained in the same compartment as the light itself, so I take the whole light off when I get where I'm going. 2. It has GREAT visibility. There is no doubt that cars clearly see me in the dark, as well as in bad weather such as rain and fog. I frequently see cars on side streets come up to a stop sign. There's no hesitation: They either pull away confidently because they can tell I'm far enough away, or they wait until I've passed. 3. Rugged casing. 4. Seems to hold charge well. Also, when the LED to indicate charge turns red, I've gotten close to 30 minutes on the low beam (which is still bright!!) without the light shutting down, or damaging the battery. 5. Planet Bike's service department was responsive and congenial.
Weaknesses:
1. Very expensive. (I got a great deal because the bike shop wanted to quit carrying this product because it wasn't moving well.) 2. The Welch-Allyn bulb is fragile. The light slipped out of my jacket pocket, and while the casing was just slightly scratched, the filament in the bulb broke. (The bulb shell was fine . . .) I was greatly distressed to find out how expensive the replacement bulb was, and that there were NO alternative suppliers. On the PLUS SIDE: When I mentioned this to the service folks at Planet Bike, they were good enough to sell me a new bulb at their cost (which was cheaper than I could have bought it directly from the Welch Allyn website). 3. I didn't think the handlebar on my hybrid bike was particularly skinny, but found that the mount was too large. To solve that problem, I wrapped some good old duct tape around the handlebar a few times at the mounting location, and the mount has worked just fine for the last six months. (I suspect I'll have to replace the duct tape again by the time I hit the one year mark.)
Similar Products Used:
Only other light I've ever owned was a Blackburn Quadrant LED. There is NO comparison!!
Bike Setup:
Raleigh SC40 hybrid accessoried for serious commuting.
Bottom Line:
I'm glad I bought the light. It's definitely a lot cheaper than orthopedic surgery. My visibility at night to others is REALLY good with this light. My only beef is the durability of the bulb. I'm hoping at this point that this light will last me until LED lights that can match its brightness are available at a similar price. A very good, simple, and BRIGHT light for a commuter cyclist.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andriko
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA, USA Date Reviewed: March 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$325.00
Strengths:
Great illumination, super easy portability, holds a charge for about 2 hours on full power.
Weaknesses:
Not as rugged as halogen or LED. Do NOT drop this light... the bulbs are fragile and the replacements are about $100. Not the best for in city use, but I use a small LED for in town use and the HID for dark stretches.
Similar Products Used:
Have only used a 10W PB halogen, DiNotte 2x5W LED and Lupine 2x12W LED - this is my first HID.
Bike Setup:
Around town: Bianchi Boardwalk with albatross bars, racks, panniers, using PB HID Alias. Off-road/trails: Custom Bernie Mikkelson 9/6/9 CroMoly, 700x50C Marathon XR, Rohloff hub, S&S coupling with LUPINE WILMA 8 & 2x12W LED lamp heads
Bottom Line:
This is a great light for convenience, ie for around town. You can't beat the illumination for the price and the package (integrated battery). However, if you're off-road and take a spill, good luck. Out in the middle of nowhere without a light is a major set back. If you use the PB HID Alias for off-road, keep a spare, el-cheepo LED in case you knock the bulb. If your treks are long and nasty, I highly recommend the Lupine Wilma 4/8 LED set up. More expensive, but rock solid durability with 420 lumens per lamp head.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Torres
a Cross Country Rider
from São Paulo, Brasil Date Reviewed: February 23, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Test unit
Strengths:
- HID brightness. - Very lightweight and compact. - No wires, easy easy installing. - Very neat soft case. - Price - Easy bulb and ballast replacement, no need to return anything if those go bad. - Craftmanship of the alu casing and the other parts. - Solid, stable, reliable and consistent.
Weaknesses:
- A bit bulky at first. - Not as bright as other HIDs I tested and owned (7W low is a bit too low and blue, although still good enough for climbing and anything but downhilling or fast riding). - Need to get hands off the bar to switch between high/low or on/off.
I´ve been using this as test unit for over a month (10+ rides) after my MoonShine HID went bad about a month ago and it´s going strong, no surprises so far. It works as expected: fast and reliable charging, simple and easy to install, solid and reliable when in use.
It´s a bit bulky with the integrated battery/headlamp sitting there at the top of the hbar but I got used to it and it never interfered with steering or anything. Also nevre hit it, accidentaly or not. Actually you won´t even notice it´s there once out in the darkness.
On a side-by-side comparison, I found it slightly more "blue" and less bright than my previous Topeak MoonShine and my new L&M Arc, but it´s still stupidly bright and good enough for most trail situations, even fast descending (more technical riding demand a helmet light). HIDs just can´t be beat yet, there´s no such thing as "too much lumens" when in a dark trail or road. More is more in this case, and a 10W white splash in front of the bike for 3 hours is always cool.
I found it a nice, reliable HID light. It´s not super anything, just good and solid wich is something by itself when it comes to HID bike lights. Reliability and consistence are confidence-inspiring and those are important topics when going for trail exploits in the dark. I never ran out of juice, and I pushed it past the estimated burn times on a couple of rides.
My tips to HID users: once you turn your light on, leave it on for the rest of the ride, unless you need to stop for over 30 minutes or so. That should avoid battery, bulb and ballast problems and improve their lifetime, as well as other problems during rides or anything. Only turn it on when out for a ride, ditto. Don´t ever let heat build up on your lights, that does harm the ballast and lamp, and in the case of the Alias, the integrated li-ion battery also.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklin, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Durham
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
MEC
Strengths:
Super bright.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider.
Bike Setup:
Giant VT3.
Bottom Line:
This light is amazing. HID technology is way superior to my old 10W halogen. I do most of my trail riding at night, and its made a huge difference in how much better I can see the terrain. If you have spare $350, I would highly recommend this HID light. Oh yes, no wires !!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cycled
a Racer
from Vancouver BC Date Reviewed: December 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Hatzic Valley, BC
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
MEC
Strengths:
Smaller, lighter, and much cheaper then most HID lights on the market. Compact all in one design is a plus. Very solid construction without any fragile wires to get in the way. Two power settings.
Weaknesses:
Uses standard Planet Bike mount which was designed for their smaller lights but hasn't fallen off my handle bar yet. Low setting has constant colour artifacts.
Similar Products Used:
Stenlight S7 dual 3w LED, Niteawk Phoenix single 10w.
Bike Setup:
2007 Brodie Infinity hybrid
Bottom Line:
I recently tried a the Stenlight S7 which is almost a fantastic product for my almost 2 hours a day commute in dark, cool, wet Vancouver. Half my winter rides include rain or recent rain. The Stenlight is so tiny as a package but not quite the perfect commuting light for me. The reflections on the wet roads bounced off too much of the wide beam. Enter the Alias HID. There are no other lights in this price range I could find with lithium battery. It is tough finding HID lights in my city so mail order from across the border is the other option. Lucky for me, MEC is close by and with a great return policy in case I didn't like the light. The packaging includes a soft case with pockets for all the different components. You sure get what you pay for with this light. The battery comes pretty close to a full charge so you can use the light right away. The fit and finish of the light case is impressive. The light is well focus with a tight spot beam and has a very usable spill beam. You can point the beam straight ahead and still see the spill beam although you might tick off a few people in your path. In low setting, I find I have enough light to see and be seen in moderate speeds. There are rotating colour artefacts in low setting which is slightly distracting. Battery life is about 2 hours in the cold weather. Carry a spare light at all times! Overall a great product with few faults. HID now comes in a convenient package.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Newport Beach, CA, USA Date Reviewed: December 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:
San Juan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Compact, lightweight and sleek design. Light broadcasts evenly.
Weaknesses:
Battery life indicator - only gives you a 30 minute heads up then no other warnings (that I know of)
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider Moab
Bike Setup:
'03 Specialized SJ
Bottom Line:
A design concept sure to be mimicked... battery life is 2.5 hours on high so rides must be well planned... doesn't seem to affect steering...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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