Darth Lefty 

It doesn't matter how wide the beam is if the cone isn't aimed down the road. The light has a clip on the back of it. If I clip this for example onto my backpack, is it shining on the floor? outer space? into the eyes of the guy passing me? The deer off to the right?

ItsJustMe

It is "as wide as the road" but the problem is that many people mount their lights on helmets or bags and they can be pointing any which way. Also, not all roads are straight, and curves are where you most need people coming around those curves to see you sooner. People take curves tight or wide sometimes, and they have not had much chance ahead of time to see you.

Fly2High

Not to mention the need for perpendicular visibility when crossing intersections.

Not always going to have a piece of paper 1inch behind it

Looigi

FWIW: Lumens and Watts are two different things and can't be directly equated. Watts is general the power consumed by a light. Lumens is visible light output. A light may consume some power but the amount of visible light it puts out will depend on its spectrum and efficiency. LEDs (and fluorescent lamps) are much more efficient than incandescent lamps so can provide much more light for a given power consumed. A hair dryer might consume 2000 Watts but it isn't very bright in the visible spetrum.

vol

Then I think bike light makers should provide lumens instead of (or in addition to) watts for their products.

BKNYCyclist

See it in action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NmYmnEhPy4

noglider 

Well, it sure is bright. On Saturday, my wife and I took a couple of long rides at night, and we each had the 2w Hotshot. Sometimes she was in front, and sometimes I was. When she was in front, her tail light bothered my eyes. I had her switch from flashing to steady, and it was less annoying but still annoying. I realize this is good when you want to warn motorists of your presence, but there are times when you have too much light. So you probably won't run your Pro 80 in a paceline.

rm -rf

Yes, a Hotshot 2W is very bright if you are drafting the rider. Aiming it slightly below level helps a little, and it still projects way down the road. If it's tilted up at all (which seems to happen a lot), it's really annoying when you are close.

But the nice feature of the Hotshot 2w is that the steady mode can be dimmed, just like the blinking modes can be speeded up or slowed down. Press the left button to change to steady mode, and hold the right button to increase or decrease the brightness. I leave the steady mode around half brightness or a little less. That's fine for a group ride, where there's a lot of taillights. Solo, I keep it on single blink mode.

a1penguin

Hmmm. In the slow flash mode, I easily notice the brightness difference, but in fast flash, I'm not sure I could differentiate one from the other in a blind test. Perhaps at 100 yards there is a noticeable difference.

I've been happy with the Axiom 60 I bought a few weeks ago except that the length of the clip is not as long as the strap on my seat bag and the light can come off on bumpy rides.

dim

I will be getting a Hotshot soon (I commute on very dangerous unlit roads in the dark)

I was looking closely at the Dinotte 400R, but that costs a lot more ... Dinotte also sell one called 'daytime red' ....

from what I have read, the 'daytime red' one is so bright, that it must not be used in the dark

here's a video showing how bright these Crygolite hotshot are, even during the day:

Fly2High

Can you make a side view and a 45 degree video of the cygolite? This was where they were not as good according to the reviews

dwmckee

I think watts is a measure of power consumed and to convert that to light output you have to assume an efficiency. Different LEDs have different efficiencies, so I am not sure how accurate the conversion could be unless you know efficiency of the different LEDs you are comparing.

PatrickGSR94

I've been running a pair of original Hotshots for nearly 3 years, and just got a pair of Pro80's for Christmas. The new ones are ABSOLUTELY noticeably brighter even in full, bright sunshine. The beam pattern of the 80's is at least 3 times wider than the original also.

I have a video where I'm riding another bike towards two of my bikes sitting stationary on the road in front of my house, one with the two originals and the other with the two 80's. The difference to the human eye is quite dramatic even from 1000' back. But unfortunately the camera doesn't pick up the difference as well. I still haven't processed the video or uploaded it yet.

noglider 

I don't even know which model my wife and I have, but it was painful to ride behind her. I had her switch from blinking to steady, and it was still painful, just a little less. If the 80 is brighter, I don't think you would want to use it on a group ride.

ItsJustMe

$45 isn't horrible, but with the Pulse 60 going for $30 (on perpetual sale at Performance) probably not a must buy.

warriorphan

Adjust light intensity while in the steady mode, the intensity will follow to the flashing mode. Speed of the flashing mode is independently adjustable. Group ride friendly!!

noglider 

Oh I didn't know that's possible. Thanks for the tip.

rm -rf

I just tried this with my Hotshot 2W. Turning the steady beam all the way dim or all the way bright didn't change either of the flash mode's brightness. (Either flash mode can be run at a range of fast or slow speeds.)

The triple flash mode has never seemed nearly as bright as the single flash mode. So I'm either running steady at medium to low brightness on a group ride, or single flash at about 2 flashes a second.

PatrickGSR94

Quick shot of my gen 1 Hotshot on steady mode (unsure of battery level, probably somewhere mid-level) on bottom vs. the Pro 80 with the low-battery indicator flashing when I turn it on or off, set to full brightness on steady, up top, both held in the same hand. Pretty dang impressive if you ask me.

avidone1

I have the hotshot 2w and it's all the safety I could want. I put it on pulse and kept walking down the street to see how visible it was. I was pretty far down when I just said "Good enough"
LOL......If they don't see it's cause they don't want to.

warriorphan

Sorry, my error. Brightness is not adjustable on flash modes.

vol

Yes it's very impressive, thanks for the picture. Wonder if the new version also lasts longer time on full charge?

I wish you also had the Serfas TL60 and Axiom Pulse 60 to put there for comparisons.

1nterceptor

I have the original Hotshot, Micro and Pro. Anybody in NYC that wants to do a comparo with their light(s);
or just want to see this(these) light(s) in person - just hit me up with a PM. I'm in Manhattan(midtown east).
Will be going to the Long Island City Home Depot later tonite.

My folder with the Pro under the saddle and Micro half way down the seatpost:
Lights on my Brompton by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Garfield Cat

Impressive photo, not because of the lights but because of the artistic expression. "A fire breathing dragon". That's it, the light should be named as dragon.

ItsJustMe

Well, depends on conditions. I have a DS500, because I ride in bad weather. In heavy fog, heavy snow, heavy rain, I definitely want more than a hotshot on the back.