Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
I've read about that light and it kind of intrigues me. Have you compared it in real life to other lights? If so which ones and how did yours fair against them?
Does it also have side illumination?
$100 isn't too bad if it's really much more noticeable then the likes of the Cygolite Hotshot, Serfas Shield, L&M Vis 180 and others. People here spend $800 or more on a head light (I wouldn't) so $100 for a tail light is not real bad.
I did find this by the way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFNH6MWfN6g which makes look very effective.
I don't have the Hotshot or other lights to do a comparison. I bought one but it was never delivered
. Lost in the mail. Still trying to get my money back! Anyway...
From what I understand, and in the video, the Hotshot has a very strong beam, but focused straight on and needs to be aimed. The narrow beam is the chief criticism. But IMO even narrow beams spread out with distance. So in all likelihood the Hotshot is plenty visible at medium to long distances but may struggle a bit at short.
The redzone is more like a grenade. It just explodes! It's visibility is fair at medium to long distances, but really good up close. It illuminates my rear, the saddle and seatpost, nearby trees, pedestrians and pavement, in rich glowing red. Without a doubt it can be seen from the sides and from the front as well since I notice a little spill.
I would say the Hotshot is good enough for straight roads with low traffic. I would prefer the Redzone for busier areas like in the city where I am. The red zone does well in competing with other motorist lights. It could also be that due to the heavy spill and illumination of adjacent objects - long range visibility is enhanced.
A nice middle ground may be the Niterider Solas - similar to the Hotshot but with more spill.