Second impressions after the road test this morning. Man, this thing is stupid bright compared to what I'm used to!!! I used med-high and it was still more than bright enough. High seemed to reflect back too much into the eye from the surface. I can't imagine needing to upgrade this thing.....but I suppose it's all what you're used to, and what you need it for. It was difficult at first to get used to how white the light is.....the halogen is definitely easier on the eyes. Plus, I liked the extra coverage and the definition of the halogen.
I so far haven't had the problem with the mounting bracket sliding.....mine seems very solid. But I did tighten the screw until it clamped down as tight as possible without breaking.
So, here are the pros and cons how I see them:
Pros:
- Insanely bright for commuting. I had more cars dimming their high beams than ever before on a single ride.
- Versatility. The various settings are indeed overkill and cumbersome, but handy nonetheless.
- Longevity. How can you beat the run times for this thing??? I probably will rarely even use the highest setting, so I'm going to get amazing run times (up to 7 hours) and fewer charges. I could only get an hour and a half out of my halogen with no settings options. And the LED's will not burn out.
- Peace of mind. Knowing that there is a gauge for the battery time.....and that even on the lowest setting there is useable light for 45 minutes when it gets to the final warning. That will get me home even if I forget to charge it.
- Cold tolerance. No more worrying about keeping the nimh's warm!
- I get my bottle holder back! The small and very lightweight li-ion battery straps easily to the handlebar stem.
- Value. This might be the best value out there lumen for lumen vs. run times. I paid $125 for this brand new and I may not have to buy another light for a long time.
Cons:
- Not as good for "seeing" definition and depth of things in the road. It illuminates great, but the halogen is so nice for actually seeing what's there.
- Spread of the light is better than most LED's with the cross action.....but still does not light up as broad an area as the halogen.
More later.