Commuting - Planet Bike Alias HID

http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Products/Cycling/5011275_v1_m56577569830602681.jpg


I bit today and ordered the Planet Bike Alias HID. After looking at all the systems on this board, I was hooked. I like the self contained unit, however I would have liked a bit more run time as well. I was considering the LM system, but it's US price with Li-Ion battery was more than the Alias HID from MEC. My Commute is only 10 minutes each way, so a charge should last about a weeks use (I hope).

I'm sure this will not be my last HID bike light system (or alternative system), so I think it's a good start. I was also considering a Night Hawk K2 Emitter for a general use system.

I'm thinking of a DiNotte Tail lamp to match up with this, however I would like a self contained unit as well.

I'll post pictures once the Alias HID arrives.

http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Products/Cycling/5011275_v1_m56577569830602681.jpg
I'll post pictures once the Alias HID arrives.

I'm really looking forward to hearing more about this light. It doesn't seem like many places stock it, and even Planet Bike is out of stock. But I really like the self-contained design, and low weight. Please post a full review!

I'm really looking forward to hearing more about this light. It doesn't seem like many places stock it, and even Planet Bike is out of stock. But I really like the self-contained design, and low weight. Please post a full review!


Will do! I'm hoping it's at least in the same leauge as top brands as the LM unit. I haven't seen a lot of reviews on this unit (none), and not a lot of comments on the forums regarding it, so I guess I'll be the Test Pilot :)

If anything it'll make a nice back up to a LM HID or Dinotte long burn LED system ;)

Or I was thinking, 2 Alias HID's in parallel would be killer! for 2.5 -3 hours at least :lol:

Cool! The self-contained design is so slick; no wires going all over your bike! What's the burn time?

I have heard that self-contained lights may have vibration issues from the extra mass of the battery - hope yours holds up well; I expect it will.

Cool! The self-contained design is so slick; no wires going all over your bike! What's the burn time?

I have heard that self-contained lights may have vibration issues from the extra mass of the battery - hope yours holds up well; I expect it will.

I've been using a L&M Vega, which is a self-contained LED, not a HID, for going on two years now, no problems with it at all.

Interested in hearing about your results, as i've been eyeing that light every time i go thru mec. My commute is close to an hour each way so would only get 1 day out of it. But if i can blind a few hundred cagers each day, thats worth it.

Cool! The self-contained design is so slick; no wires going all over your bike! What's the burn time?

I have heard that self-contained lights may have vibration issues from the extra mass of the battery - hope yours holds up well; I expect it will.


Lets hope not on the Vibration issues :rolleyes:

These are the specs on the Alias HID

382 grams
14.4 volt Lithium Ion battery speed charges in under 3 hours
Welch Allyn 10 watt High-Intensity Discharge bulb with Solarc™ Light technology
2.5 hours of run time on High, 3.25 hours on low
Includes custom soft case for convenient transport and storage
Bracket fits 25.5mm to 31.8mm handlebars

Interested in hearing about your results, as i've been eyeing that light every time i go thru mec. My commute is close to an hour each way so would only get 1 day out of it. But if i can blind a few hundred cagers each day, thats worth it.

How big is the light comparatively? I have not seen it in person yet.

How big is the light comparatively? I have not seen it in person yet.

All the bulbs are the same diameter. Can you judge it roughly from that?

It looked like a skinny can of pop.

It looked like a skinny can of pop.

Like a Red Bull size? Thats a Huge B!tch! :eek:

I may have to Ante up, break down and get a LM Arc as well..... :(

All the bulbs are the same diameter. Can you judge it roughly from that?

Maybe, if I could see the bulb....

Maybe, if I could see the bulb....

Do you have a Halogen bike light? Same diameter. A little over 1".

Do you have a Halogen bike light? Same diameter. A little over 1".
Ok, got it....


I can't wait to get it. I'm thumping along on a Cateye EL500 right now and while it does the job during my well lit commute, it's when I get in downtown traffic that I fear I get lost in all the lights and action in the morning when everyone is dopey and in a mad rush.

Does anybody make a dual headlight HID with single battery system? :D

Ok, got it....


I can't wait to get it. I'm thumping along on a Cateye EL500 right now and while it does the job during my well lit commute, it's when I get in downtown traffic that I fear I get lost in all the lights and action in the morning when everyone is dopey and in a mad rush.

Does anybody make a dual headlight HID with single battery system? :D

I bet you didn't expect this answer ! :)

My single HID is equal to 65 watts halogen, it's brighter than one car headlight. I don't want two. :)

There is a dual HID light 14w X14W =28watt HID. Super high quaity, one of the nicest in the world.
It's about $1400.oo. when it's on sale. Equal to over 100w halogen. Do you have your credit card ready? :D



There is a HID with a halogen next to it, I can't remember the price without looking. You leave the HID on and switch the halogen as you need it. It's not good to switch HID's ON and off all the time. The also need to startup like a flourescent bulb, it takes a few seconds. Did you want to ask about the quantity discounts? :D

I bet you didn't expect this answer ! :)

My single HID is equal to 65 watts halogen, it's brighter than one car headlight. I don't want two. :)

There is a dual HID light 14w X14W =28watt HID. Super high quaity, one of the nicest in the world.
It's about $1400.oo. when it's on sale. Equal to over 100w halogen. Do you have your credit card ready? :D



There is a HID with a halogen next to it, I can't remember the price without looking. You leave the HID on and switch the halogen as you need it. It's not good to switch HID's ON and off all the time. The also need to startup like a flourescent bulb, it takes a few seconds. Did you want to ask about the quantity discounts? :D

No, actually I did expect somebody to have something that is over the top like that :D

That sounds interesting, have a link? Why would you want Halogen in addition to HID, besides the turn on issue?


I found this one at Powerizer...

http://www.batteryspace.com/productimages/hid/Dual-HID-Effect.jpg

Link Here (http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2953)

Only 2 hours burn time however... It'll need a bigger battery, and a bar mounting kit.

I was thinking with 2 a person could have a 6 degree spot on one and a flood on the other. Or a 6 degrees spot and a projector lens for even deeper depths... Unless a 6 degree spot is deep enough.



Our bike club has night rides in the summer. That dual unit may fry the persons lycra in front of me in the pack. Coupled with the blinding Dinotte Ultra Tail light, I can see that I would be a joy to be around in a pace line :D :lol:

No, actually I did expect somebody to have something that is over the top like that :D

That sounds interesting, have a link? Why would you want Halogen in addition to HID, besides the turn on issue?I found this one at Powerizer...Only 2 hours burn time however... It'll need a bigger battery, and a bar mounting kit.
I was thinking with 2 a person could have a 6 degree spot on one and a flood on the other. Or a 6 degrees spot and a projector lens for even deeper depths... Unless a 6 degree spot is deep enough.
Our bike club has night rides in the summer. That dual unit may fry the persons lycra in front of me in the pack. Coupled with the blinding Dinotte Ultra Tail light, I can see that I would be a joy to be around in a pace line :D :lol:

:D Instant pace line crash !!

This is mine. I need the 8 hour run time. Look for the “Edison 10” Lupine

http://www.lupine-lights.com/index.php?lang=de If you have time look around.

There is a page with all the specs. Go to the comparison night photos to see the beams. I have the 16 degree flood ( I think it’s 16) you can see why you don’t need two bulbs. There is a link to the reviews at mtbreview .com too.

Supernova http://www.supernova-lights.com/en/index.html

The P-99D is great, but a wide head and to short run time for me. But the idea is nice. If you have time look around here too, all sorts of nice stuff. There are good beam comparison photos too.

Nitesun http://www.night-sun.com/htmldocs/civilian.html

The Hid with a halogen.


View this page too. http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/headlights.htm

Nightrider has a 12 hour HID.

Look way down the path at the fence on the left. Look at the shadow of the bridge railing against the trees on the right. Look at the ground close to the front tire and the left side of the right brifter. Don't need a flood and a spot beam.

2many, Thanks for those links! Thats a nice photo of your rig too!

I'll take a look around.

I'm stalling on a purchase pending a review of the PlanetBike light. I'm also kicking around the idea of the tripleshot pro. Sooner is better:D

I'm stalling on a purchase pending a review of the PlanetBike light. I'm also kicking around the idea of the tripleshot pro. Sooner is better:D

I have high hopes for this light for I was sort of wanting a L&M Arc. However I was taken by the integrated design, and the sleekness of the Alias unit. I hope I'm not too dissapointed. :o

2many....


WOWWEE! Those SuperNova systems are beautiful and intelligently designed! Expensive you're right :eek:


I like the Lupine Edison, and the 5 hour burn time would be a perfect amount for me. I like the 16 degree as it's distance depth still seem very good.

The Alias HID Arrived today and was waiting for me when I got home. What a sweet lamp! It came nicely packaged with all the accessories required. The battery was charged for when I plugged it in, the charger started blinking Green (fully charged) with in 3 minutes.


When I turned it on, I felt like Luke Skywalker turning on a Light saber, it was soo cool :D

The dimensions of this unit is 50mm at the biggest diameter and 150mm in length. The case is made of aluminum and it has a very nice textured Titanium finish to it. The battery is very quick to replace by threading open the back, dropping it in. I'll definitely get a spare battery to carry around in my pack or for those longer rides. The battery is a Li-Ion and is certainly small enough. Burn time is said to be 2.5 hours on high.

Over all it's pretty small in size and packs a lot of punch. The handlebar mount is like a quick release on a wheel, and detaches very quickly. The Light slides in from the front and locks in place with a very positive click. There is a button that needs to be pressed to release the light from the mount.

I tested it on both bike to see how it would fit and feel, both mounted well with out really changing to much to the feel of the steering with the weight of the light. In tests it is bright! Maybe not Lupine Bright, but baby, even in the darkest alley, I could see as far as I wanted to see, and the peripheral light was excellent as well. I really love the way the shadows are cast on to pebbles, rocks, dips, basically the whole textured terrain of the road. It was like some extra 7th sense vision riding with this light.

I get to ride to work in the morning with it and I can't wait. This is going to be a lot of fun!

I'll let the pictures do the talking now.


http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/1358/ahid1ti7.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6446/ahid2zq3.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2774/ahid3lq7.jpg

http://img290.imageshack.us/img290/9111/ahid4hk9.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/8260/ahid5xp0.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2136/ahid6ab9.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3633/ahid7uu8.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4464/ahid9dc4.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3094/ahid8pp2.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2748/ahid10gd2.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5016/ahid11hg9.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/6245/ahid12zm0.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/1014/ahid13vv9.jpg

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/913/ahid14az2.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/6930/ahid15mk4.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/9511/ahid16jz2.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8324/ahid17bn5.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/9745/ahid19tc7.jpg

The picture actually makes the dark ring more apperent that it really is. to the naked eye, it isn't even really there.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5894/ahid20gt8.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/9820/ahid21og6.jpg

On my Winter commuter bike now, ready to go with the exception of snow studs, which may get mounted this weekend as it's suppose to snow.

DiNotte Tail lamp to match up with this, however I would like a self contained unit as well.

FYI I just got my Dinotte today. While I like self-contained units a bit better too, in this case I think it is worth the extra effort. Cars gave me noticeably more room on a busy 40-50 mph room. They pretty much just gave me the lane. Since the light is so bright, they see you from farther away, and have more time to figure out how to get around you with plenty of room.

Awesome ! Now get pedaling to new york so we can compare it in the same spot as the others !

Great pics and nice bike!

Lightsaber lol.

Awesome ! Now get pedaling to new york so we can compare it in the same spot as the others !

I know it's not as bright as a L&M or even a Lupine as it's only a 10watt system, but I tell you, it's more than bright enough :) It puts out a ridiculous amount of light onto the road. During my test ride tonight, people were looking and pointing at me as if I was some sort of freak show :lol:



Great pics and nice bike!

Lightsaber lol.

Thanks :)

Behold the power of the Darkside..... :lol:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1531/lightsaberbd4.jpg


It makes to be one Kickass Flash light off the bike :D

It is a nice setup. I like the self contained aspect a lot, no wires is great.

Could it mount ok under the bars? Or does it appear it might fall out of the mount if banged enough then? I prefer to flip my commuter bike over to fix flats so prefer nothing on top of the bars.

Also curious as to how stable it is when going on a bumpy road, does the weight of it cause it to rock up and down?

Thanks for the pics and review by the way

No Contest :lol:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7643/dscn6074mediumze3.jpg

It is a nice setup. I like the self contained aspect a lot, no wires is great.

Could it mount ok under the bars? Or does it appear it might fall out of the mount if banged enough then? I prefer to flip my commuter bike over to fix flats so prefer nothing on top of the bars.

Also curious as to how stable it is when going on a bumpy road, does the weight of it cause it to rock up and down?

Thanks for the pics and review by the way


It is a clean and elegant set up, that was my primary reason for choosing it. It's a lot simpler to remove and pack each day when I lock up my bike downtown.

It could be mounted under the bars provided there is nothing in the way such as cables. The mount looks sturdy enough.

No rocking at all. The Clamp can be tightened enough that moving by hand takes a lot of pressure. I have the rubber inserts in the clamp.

I did ride into some big dips and pot holes to test the stability of the arc. I could see the HID arc flicker (slightly) from blue to a warmer orange color. Apparently this is common with HID and isn't an issue at all.

Nice photos Viper. More helpful than what Planet Bike uses. I like the Photo of the light next to the D cell Maglight, that makes it easier for me to understand how big it is. It's not as wide as I thought. Most people know about how wide a D cell flashlight is, that should help just about everyone. It looks Good on the Tuscany, nice and simple. It's nice to be able see the little things on the ground when you're going quickly with 23c tires.
Ride down to New England and pick me up, we can ride down to NYC so slvoid and Jarery can see it. If they are not busy we'll ride over to the west coast and show mechBgon. Bring two bottles, and maybe a windbreaker. :D

Hmm. I had a look at it at MEC, and was also wondering if it would fit under the bars... I insist on under-bar mounting too (for fashion rather than function though) :D

Thank you for sharing. That's a great looking light.

1. What did you pay for it?

2. Am I understanding correctly that the color changes when you go over serious bumps? The LM ARC does not change color at all.

3. For your purpose the lack of a wire is great, possible the biggest difference. As an owner of an LM ARc, I cannot imagine taking off the light head and rerouting the wire every time I park the bike, Luckily, I leave mine on and the bike is in my warehouse.

I am really impressed by what you have shared so far. Let us know how it works in the real world after you've used it al ittle bit..

That is really a nicely done package, all around. The light seems well thought out, and the 'box' is slick too.

It is a clean and elegant set up, that was my primary reason for choosing it. It's a lot simpler to remove and pack each day when I lock up my bike downtown.

It could be mounted under the bars provided there is nothing in the way such as cables. The mount looks sturdy enough.

No rocking at all. The Clamp can be tightened enough that moving by hand takes a lot of pressure. I have the rubber inserts in the clamp.

I did ride into some big dips and pot holes to test the stability of the arc. I could see the HID arc flicker (slightly) from blue to a warmer orange color. Apparently this is common with HID and isn't an issue at all.

Now if you want to see your computer on the move hold your hand out in the light and aim some light at the computer. If you have all black gloves on, or if you want to see any part of your bike, even the rear cogs while moving just hold a white water bottle in front of the light.

No rocking at all. The Clamp can be tightened enough that moving by hand takes a lot of pressure. I have the rubber inserts in the clamp.


It's not really any heavier than some of the big self-contained LED light setups out there, right? So if they can make those work...

Nice photos Viper. More helpful than what Planet Bike uses. I like the Photo of the light next to the D cell Maglight, that makes it easier for me to understand how big it is. It's not as wide as I thought. Most people know about how wide a D cell flashlight is, that should help just about everyone. It looks Good on the Tuscany, nice and simple. It's nice to be able see the little things on the ground when you're going quickly with 23c tires.
Ride down to New England and pick me up, we can ride down to NYC so slvoid and Jarery can see it. If they are not busy we'll ride over to the west coast and show mechBgon. Bring two bottles, and maybe a windbreaker. :D

Thanks 2many... :) That D Cell Mag Light has been my staple light around the home... It sure pales in comparision if the Alias HID was used as a flashlight :lol:

Ride up to New England? That would be a great ride, we could pick up Slvoid, see what R600DA is up to in Prospect park. I would only have to dial in 100 watts for that ride I think :lol:

Hmm. I had a look at it at MEC, and was also wondering if it would fit under the bars... I insist on under-bar mounting too (for fashion rather than function though) :D

I to was planning on mounting under the bar for the cleaner aesthetics, however it will not work like that in the MTB as my brake levers are too close together. It could be done on the Tuscany, but I don't mind it on top so much ( ;) ) and it allows me to see the status LED in the switch. It turns to Red when the battery is low, warning of shutdown in 15-30 minutes.

You would also have to be careful that it did not impact the top tube of your bike as it looks like it would on my Tuscany if I turned the bar too far.



Thank you for sharing. That's a great looking light.

1. What did you pay for it?

$389 cdn, $412 cdn after taxes and shipped to my door (free)



2. Am I understanding correctly that the color changes when you go over serious bumps? The LM ARC does not change color at all.

It's not really a color change at all, rather if you look closely at the center of the cast light on the ground, you can see a slight shift of the arc in the HID capsule. It's really small, and un-apparent unless you are looking for it, which I was. All HID's are susceptible to this the L&M included.



3. For your purpose the lack of a wire is great, possible the biggest difference. As an owner of an LM ARc, I cannot imagine taking off the light head and rerouting the wire every time I park the bike, Luckily, I leave mine on and the bike is in my warehouse.

You know it! That was the primary consideration for a unit like this. It is easy to mount and dismount. As it is now I have a lot of motions and things to check, detach, undo before I'm in the building. Less is less :)



I am really impressed by what you have shared so far. Let us know how it works in the real world after you've used it al ittle bit..

Thanks! It works really well so far. I rode to work with it this morning, it was not totally dark, but it was not totally light out either. I was amazed at how much of the light I could still see on the road. When I road home tonight, I noticed the light really gets you a lot of respect in downtown traffic. On two instances, drivers were speeding out of a parking lot to perform a no stop right hand turn, only to hit the brake because they seen me coming :lol: Perfect, it's doing what I wanted it to do, make me visible in all the downtown traffic and lights.

That is really a nicely done package, all around. The light seems well thought out, and the 'box' is slick too.

Thanks, it is very precision instrument like and I'm not disappointed. I had ordered an L&M Arc as well, but cancelled it because it was the NiMH version. I was considering ordering a Li-Ion L&M Arc, and sending one or the other back, but I'm keeping the Alias now. It's as bright as I had hoped for and the integrated unit was the big factor. It has fully delivered on what I was needing.


I was wanting a Dinotte Ultra Tail Light, however that external battery pack is just and other hassle I don't really need. I'm going to try and stay integrated, and had my daughter pick me up a Planet Bike Super Flash. It will have to do as much as I wanted a Dinotte.




Now if you want to see your computer on the move hold your hand out in the light and aim some light at the computer. If you have all black gloves on, or if you want to see any part of your bike, even the rear cogs while moving just hold a white water bottle in front of the light.

On the Tuscany I can actually read the CPC with the light from the surrounding area :lol:



It's not really any heavier than some of the big self-contained LED light setups out there, right? So if they can make those work... Agreed, it's solid on there and can be actually tough to adjust up or down if the clamp is too tight. The clamp is like a wheels Quick Release in that you just tun it CW or CCW to loosen or tighten the clamping pressure. Once set, a flick of the QR releases the clamp.

see what R600DA is up to in Prospect park. :lol:

I think I would buy a new video camera for that ! :)

This is a chart that shows the temerature range that EDPM O rings are good for. It looks like your in good shape, EDPM is the second from the top.

http://www.oringswest.com/ click on "temperature ranges" on the top right.

Looks like about -55 or 60 F or lower is OK.

I think I would buy a new video camera for that ! :)

This is a chart that shows the temerature range that EDPM O rings are good for. It looks like your in good shape, EDPM is the second from the top.

http://www.oringswest.com/ click on "temperature ranges" on the top right.

The Lupine is OK to go! ;)

Video footage would be great! But unless you were racing, you could not match his speed, and he would just be a blur in the frame :roflmao:

Wow.....what a light! That's a nice set up! :D

The Lupine is OK to go! ;)

Video footage would be great! But unless you were racing, you could not match his speed, and he would just be a blur in the frame :roflmao:

We can only dream....:D


While you were posting I was reading the Edison 10 manual it says operating temp is -40 to +70 C

I lost a digtal camera to a plastic bracket breaking in the cold. If you could find out, it would be nice to know what the bracket on the Alias is made of. Then you could look that up too.

Wow.....what a light! That's a nice set up! :D


Thanks Fixer, it is uber cool! While I was riding home with it, it's amazing the amount of looks I was getting with it. :lol:



We can only dream....:D


While you were posting I was reading the Edison 10 manual it says operating temp is -40 to +70 C

I lost a digtal camera to a plastic bracket breaking in the cold. If you could find out, it would be nice to know what the bracket on the Alias is made of. Then you could look that up too.

Alas it is plastic as well. My Cat Eye500 has a plastic mount as well, and has survived more than 10 years of winter riding. I hope the Alias will stand the test of time as well.

Thanks Fixer, it is uber cool! While I was riding home with it, it's amazing the amount of looks I was getting with it. :lol:




Alas it is plastic as well. My Cat Eye500 has a plastic mount as well, and has survived more than 10 years of winter riding. I hope the Alias will stand the test of time as well.


I know it's plastic, but if you could find out what kind you can actually look up a temp range. I would guess it's the same as the cat eye anyway.

Nice light Viper. I'm sure Darth Vador would be envious.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/9745/ahid19tc7.jpg


About how far away is that bottle?

I've thought about getting this unit as well. the images are real helpful as the manufactuers website blows in giving you any light comparison.

I like the fact that this unit is self contained. I tend to do a lot of on/off riding as I pick up stuff here and there shopping along my route so disconnecting the cables, light, and battery pack (yah I can keep it on the bike frame but it would blow if it got stolen) 2-3 times a night is not fun. Now with a helmet mount I can live witht he battery not being self contained as it's always on your body as you move about.


Zero_Enigma

I know it's plastic, but if you could find out what kind you can actually look up a temp range. I would guess it's the same as the cat eye anyway.


Good Point :) I may try to contact Planet Bike





About how far away is that bottle?


Thanks TJ! It's 75 feet away.