luces 2012

2012 Bike Lights Shootout

By Francis November 07, 2011

For 2012, bike lights are now brighter than car head lights, smaller than your thumb and cheaper than ever before. Of course, this is not all in one light that has all these qualities. But now the market has evolved to these different segments. The customer can now choose the best type of lights for his application.

This year, we will break up our Lights Shootout into different categories:

High End
Commuter
Flashlight or Self-Contained
Tail Lights

Here’s a round-up of the complete set of lights. Please note that ‘Claimed Lumens’ is the stated lumen output by the light manufacturer. ‘Measured Output’ is a proprietary Mtbr tool where we use a Lux meter to measure the total reflected light in a controlled room. Details on the setup are here: http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/lights-shootout-light-meter-measurements. This has been very effective in comparing the output of the lights to each other.

So come join and explore the wonderful world of bike lights.

Complete 2012 Reviews
Baja Designs Double Stryk

Price: $450
Claimed Lumens: 1800
Measured output: 150 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 470 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

This light catapults Baja Designs into the arena of high-end ultimate lights and it can now compete with the best out there. more…
Baja Designs Strykr II

Price: $300
Claimed Lumens: 950
Measured output: 74 lux
Installed Weight: 495 grams
Run Time: 3 hours

This year, the Strykr is called the Strykr II and the output has increased from 700 claimed lumens to 950. On our light meter, the reading has increased from 52 lux to 74 lux so it is noticeably brighter. more…
Baja Designs Strykr SL

Price: $340.00
Claimed Lumens: 950
Measured output: 74 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 430 grams
Run Time: 3 hours

The purpose of the Stryker SL is primarily for helmet mounting as the Stryker II has a huge head. The Stryker SL is a much smaller, sleeker package with more advanced mounting system. more…
Cateye Econom Force HL-EL540RC

Price: $65.00
Claimed Lumens: 100
Measured output: 13 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: n/a grams
Run Time: n/a hours

The Cateye Econom Force is a commuter light from the manufacturing wizards from Japan. Don’t expect too bright a light here but expect an affordable light that is constructed with high quality materials. more…
Cateye Nano Shot

Price: $100.00
Claimed Lumens: 250
Measured output: 20 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: n/a grams
Run Time: n/a hours

We love this light. First look at it and it has the best form factor and feel of all the self-contained lights we’ve seen this year. more…
Dinotte 1200L

Price: $350.00
Claimed Lumens: 1200
Measured output: 88 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 382 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

The Dinotte 1200L is not a new light but it is the most expensive in Dinotte’s line. It features 8 emitters in two sets of 4 and they combine to produce a very wide and bright beam. more…
Dinotte 400L

Price: $209.00
Claimed Lumens: 400
Measured output: 40 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 323 grams
Run Time: 2.5 hours

The Dinotte 400L consists of a 2 led lights encased side by side in a small aluminum housing. It feels extremely rugged and compact and is surrounded by lots of cooling fins. more…
Dinotte XML-1

Price: $169.00
Claimed Lumens: 400
Measured output: 51 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 200 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

2012 is the year of the Cree XML Led. This new emitter is so powerful that any light that is engineered around it is going to be a winner. The XML emitter has the ability to put out 1000 lumens under ideal conditions. more…
Dinotte XML-3

Price: $259.00
Claimed Lumens: 1200
Measured output: 105 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 340 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

This XML-3 shines on the photos, mtbr lux meter, integrating sphere and most importantly, on the trail. It is a light that could sell for $500 but Dinotte is offering it at $259. more…
Exposure Lights Diablo

Price: $300.00
Claimed Lumens: 975
Measured output: 59 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: n/a grams
Run Time: 1 hours

The Exposure Diablo is the leader of the self-contained light phenomenon. It crams three Cree XPG emitters in a tiny housing and packages it in the slickest flashlights you’ve ever seen. more…
Exposure Lights Joystick

Price: $220.00
Claimed Lumens: 325
Measured output: n/a Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 98 grams
Run Time: 3 hours

The Exposure Joystick seems like the first light that launched Exposure into the US light market. It was small, useable and convenient. more…
Exposure Lights MaxxD

Price: $500.00
Claimed Lumens: 1285
Measured output: 85 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 276 grams
Run Time: 4 hours

The MaxxD is our favorite light from Exposure this year. It sports 4 Cree XPGs and puts out a wide beam pattern rated at 1285 lumens. more…

Exposure Lights Six Pack

Price: $600.00
Claimed Lumens: 1925
Measured output: 135 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 498 grams
Run Time: 3 hours

The Six Pack is a stubby, monster flashlight. It packs 6 Cree XPGs in one light head with a self-contained battery. more…
Full-Beam Fusion

Price: £400 GBP
Claimed Lumens: 2100
Measured output: 157 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 339 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

Holy moly, a self-contained light arrived from the UK from a brand new company. It must be a good day. more…
Lezyne Mini Drive

Price: $70.00
Claimed Lumens: 150
Measured output: 15 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 73.5 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

The Mini Drive is a self-contained light that claims 150 lumens. It uses a Cree emitter that is housed in an all aluminum case for heat dissipation. more…
Lezyne Power Drive

Price: $90.00
Claimed Lumens: 300
Measured output: 31 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: n/a grams
Run Time: n/a hours

The Power Drive is a self-contained light that claims 300 lumens. It uses a Cree XPG emitter that is housed in an all aluminum case for heat dissipation. more…
Lezyne Super Drive

Price: $110.00
Claimed Lumens: 450
Measured output: 50 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 128 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

The Super Drive is a self-contained light that claims 450 lumens. It uses a Cree XML emitter that is housed in an all aluminum case for heat dissipation. more…
Light & Motion Urban 500

Price: $160.00
Claimed Lumens: 500
Measured output: 53 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 110 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

The Light and Motion Urban 500 doesn’t look like much but pick it up and turn it on and you will be amazed. It is bright and it’s got an excellent beam pattern. more…
Light & Motion Vis360

Price: $170.00
Claimed Lumens: 110
Measured output: 11 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 119 grams
Run Time: 2.5 hours

The Vis 360 kit consists of the rear light and front light (connected via a cord), a USB cable, and front, and rear helmet mounts. more…
Lupine Betty

Price: $930.00
Claimed Lumens: 2050/2300/2600
Measured output: 173/197/217 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 460 grams
Run Time: 2 hours

The Lupine Betty is the ‘aspirational’ light. It’s what riders aspire to own when they’ve arrived. It’s what other lights aspire to be when they grow up. It’s like the Porsche of the lights category. more…
Lupine Piko 3

Price: $330.00
Claimed Lumens: 750
Measured output: 63 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 190 grams
Run Time: 2 hours

The Lupine Piko 3 will be the #1 selling product form Lupine. It is functional, flexible and useable with its 190 grams of total weight. more…
Lupine Piko TL Max

Price: $400.00
Claimed Lumens: 750
Measured output: 63 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 198 grams
Run Time: 2 hours

Lupine is entering the bike lights flashlight or ‘self-contained’ arena with the Lupine Piko TL Max. It is a 750 lumen light that shares the light head as the Lupine Piko 3. more…
Lupine Wilma TL

Price: $549.00
Claimed Lumens: 1200/1300/1500
Measured output: 113 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 234 grams
Run Time: 1.2 hours

The Lupine Wilma TL is the self-contained version of the trusty, sweet-spot light from Lupine. It’s not too small and not too big at the $500-$600 price range. more…
NiteFlux PMini 12

Price: $500.00
Claimed Lumens: 1000
Measured output: 62 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 214 grams
Run Time: n/a hours

Niteflux is a company from Australia that makes high end lights that are a little bit different from the US mold. This year, they were excited about their PMini12. more…
Niterider Mako 1

Price: $40.00
Claimed Lumens: 100
Measured output: 5 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 164 grams
Run Time: 35 hours

The Niterider Mako series is the affordable option for the budget-conscious commuter. It features AA batteries (included) to keep the price affordable and to allow the user to put fresh batteries any time. more…
Niterider Mako 2

Price: $50.00
Claimed Lumens: 130
Measured output: 11 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 164 grams
Run Time: 25 hours

The Niterider Mako series is the affordable option for the budget-conscious commuter. It features AA batteries (included) to keep the price affordable and to allow the user to put fresh batteries any time. more…
Niterider Minewt 600 Cordless

Price: $150.00
Claimed Lumens: 600
Measured output: 50 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 188 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

This light used to be 150 lumens, then last year it jumed up to 350 lumens. Now it is 600 and it is rockin! 600 lumens is significant cause now, you can really see with when riding the road or the trail. more…
Niterider Pro 1500

Price: $350.00
Claimed Lumens: 1500
Measured output: 115 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 496 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

Last year, this light was called the Niterider Pro 700 Race and it retailed for $500. This year, with the same form factor and weight, the output is more than doubled to the Niterider Pro 1500 with 1500 lumens. more…
Niterider Pro 3000

Price: $700.00
Claimed Lumens: 3000
Measured output: 255 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 828 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

This light used to have 800 lumens. Then it was upgraded to 1200. This year it just catapults to a claimed 3000 lumens. What the heck happened? more…
Niterider Pro 750

Price: $250.00
Claimed Lumens: 750
Measured output: 60 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 250 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours

The Niterider 750 sits in a middle of a crowded line of lights with a small lighthead and small battery that provides 1.5 hours of output at a claimed 750 lumens. more…
Philips SafeRide

Price: $200
Claimed Lumens: 400
Measured output: 39 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 334 grams
Run Time: 2 hours

There’s a lot of new bike lights out there but with few radical innovations. That’s why we were extremely excited to try the new Philips SafeRide. more…
Princeton Tec Push 100

Price: $50.00
Claimed Lumens: 100
Measured output: 10 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 120 grams
Run Time: 14 hours

Princeton Tec is an outdoor sports company with a loyal following. Working with this light, I began to understand their core values. They offer basic, no-frills products that work. more…
Serfas True 1500

Price: $390.00
Claimed Lumens: 1500
Measured output: 133 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 490 grams
Run Time: 2.5 hours

A significant step up to the Serfas 500 light is the Serfas 1500 which claims a 1500 lumen output. This light is a high-end head unit with separate battery light which retails for $390. more…
Serfas True 500

Price: $150.00
Claimed Lumens: 500
Measured output: 43 Mtbr Lux
Installed Weight: 150 grams
Run Time: 1.75 hours

Serfas teased us last year with the True 250 light. It was interesting but not quite bright enough for anything but commuting. more…



to read more click link



http://reviews.mtbr.com/2012-bike-lights-shootout
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mason Cass · James Madison University
Everyone... Just spend the $100 and get the Magic Shine 900.

All of these lights are stupidly overpriced. Two of my riding buddies and I have been testing these for over a year, side by side with big brands (light and motion, niterider, etc...). They have been bashed, submerged in cold water, etc... These things are awesome!

The light output of the magic shine 900 is about the same as the competitions 600 lumen lights.

I am just a rider. I have no affiliation with the bike or bike light industry. I have just always thought that prices on lights are outrageous. Magic Shine is a game-changer. Buy five of them for the price of one of the competitors lights. It's a no brainer. And they WORK. WELL.
so this is his recommendation
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.






MagicShine 900* Lumen 4.5Ah Light Set 89.95 US$

MJ-808 P7 900* Lumen 4 mode Light set with the new GEOMANGEAR 4.5Ah battery pack.



MagicShine MJ-808 P7 900* Lumen light head (105 grams) comes with two great new improvements:

Integrated control circuit to protect against overheating by automatically reducing the light head to approximately 200 lumens if it is in danger of overheating. When it has cooled sufficiently it resumes high output.

A 5 stage power meter - as the battery depletes from 100% the backlit button will change colors from Green(100%) - Blue(95 - 70%) - Yellow(70 - 50%) - Red(50 - 5%) - Flashing Red(5 - 0%). ** Note results may vary as lightheads were designed after the battery, runtime estimates below are accurate however in the higher modes of output the indicator can provide incorrect readings.

The light head includes a 4 Mode sequence:

Plug in the lighthead and it starts in OFF.
Cycle through the 3 constant modes (High, Medium and Low) by clicking the backlit button.
Hold the backlit button for 2 seconds to shutoff the lighthead, hold it for 3 seconds to enter the strobe mode.


What's in the Box:
Magicshine 900 P7 LED Light
Geomangear 4.5Ah Battery Pack (USA designed and built) and velcro strap
110V U.S. Li-ion Charger
Mounting O-Rings
1m Extension Cable

Helmet mount not included but available - Magicshine Helmet Mount $9.99


Product Specifications:
Brand: Magicshine
Model: MJ-808
Emitter Brand/Type: P7
Total Emitters: 1
Power Cord Length: Approximately 12" on lighthead plus 1 meter extension
Weight: Lighthead 105 grams
Size : Lighthead 42mm x 49mm
Brightness: 900* lumens maximum brightness (manufacturer rated)
Runtime: 3 hours on High, 4.5 hours on Medium, 9 hours on Low
Lens: Coated Glass Lens
Mount: Integrated bar mount attached to lighthead.
Warranty: Magicshine parts - 90 days. GMG battery - 1 year
Origin: USA and China

* Manufacturer rating




http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_41&products_id=295&zenid=ung4468m59m7h7dbh0hg35o5h5



more info of P7 and a place to buy it!

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ha-iii-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-bike-light-set-25149