Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
Hmm...I went to REI last night and they had this light (charged) that I could turn on. Unfortunately, they didn't have a dark room that I could try it out in, and at this time of year it's still light at 9pm so I couldn't really try it out.
On the wall, the beam pattern looked focused like a flashlight for the 180 version (they didn't have the 250 version in their display case for some reason). It looked kinda to narrow and focused, but...who knows?
The beam is less focused than a flashlight. Most of the light goes out in an even cone (no hot spots) with just enough spread from the main beam for off-center lighting. Too much spread, and you'll start getting complaints from others. 95% of the light goes right where you need it - on the trail. I use it mostly as a helmet light, but it's just as good on the bars. Definitely recommend the the 250, unless you are running two lights, and even then, the extra power is nice to have.