Originally Posted by
daniell
I am tired of the exaggerated claims. I want a light that would stand out in daylight. I am considering the following.
The Cygolite Hypershot 350
The Cygolite Hotshot Pro 200
I would like to know whether the added cost of the Hypershot 350 is worth the extra cost over the Cygolite Hotshot Pro 200.
Are you riding at night, at sunrise or sunset, or during the day? I see you mentioned daylight.
Lumens are kind of like sound decibels. a lot more sound or light appears just somewhat brighter. It's not linear.
200 lumens vs 150: It will appear "a little brighter" than the 150.
350 vs 200: this will be "yes, brighter" than the 200. I'm guessing the width of the bright cone of light is larger, too.
Beam width: my 150 has a somewhat narrow beam. But that's fine. Up close, off to the side, the light is obvious. Far away, the beam is so spread out that it covers most curves and side road approaches.
I have the
Hotshot pro 150. I ride during the day, and sometimes just past sunset.
I use the single flash mode, at 2 flashes per second. The flashes are extremely bright, and very short, so the battery lasts a long time. Probably 15 hours or so, but I charge it more often.
Yesterday, part of our group was a quarter mile up the road, in bright noontime sunlight, with some tree shadows on parts of the road. Most of the riders have Hotshots or equivalent. As I crested a short hill, the blinking immediately caught my eye, even though the riders weren't close enough to otherwise identify as cyclists. It's very effective.
One rider has the
Hypershot 350, with a seatstay mounting, and it's pointed upward maybe 10 degrees. I can't ride behind him, from about 8 feet out to 20 feet or so, since the brightest part of the beam is dazzling, even with dark sunglasses. It's probably not much better when pointed horizontally.
Even my 150 is too bright for night group rides. I switch it to steady beam, which can be dimmed down, unlike the flash modes.
Solo at night I use the ramped brightness mode, kind of a "waa - waa" effect. I think it's less annoying to cars than sharp flashes, and it's quite distinctive, good.