Which headlights are programmable?
 

Apologies for the rather vague title.

I have a Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL headlight (model from a few years ago, discontinued now), and one of my favourite features is its "race mode". When put into this mode all the brightness/flashing options are locked out except for high and low steady settings. I don't want flashing options or four different brightness levels to scroll through all the time, so I use race mode 100% of the time. It's great, except...

The high setting is the max that the light is rated for (600 lumens, "overdrive"), which produces a run time of under two hours. The low setting is the "economy" setting, which has a good runtime (seven hours) but only produces 150 lumens. In other words (for my purposes) the high setting has a useful output but short runtime, and the low setting is too low.

All of Lezyne's lights do this in race mode - max brightness (ie short run time) on high and too-low output on low. For example, the current Macro Drive 1100XL produces 1100 lumens for 1:20 on high, and 150 lumens for 10:00 on low. If only we could choose which levels are included in race mode then it would be perfect.

So, (finally) getting to the point, does anybody know of any headlights which are either programmable or offer a useful "race mode" type option to eliminate unused settings? Bonus points if the light:

1. Is all-in-one (no separate battery pack)
2. Has a rubber strap mount instead of a clamp
3. Has fast charging

I'm aware that Light and Motion have a race mode option with some useful output levels, but from reading the documentation it looks like you have to explicitly enable race mode every time you switch on the light. The Lezyne lights are better in this regard IMO; once you enable race mode you need to switch it off and go through a separate command sequence to re-enable the other modes.

BTW, my gold standard for this feature is my Niteflux Red Zone tail light. It has eight possible settings, but you can simply disable the ones you don't want to use. I have mine setup with a single flashing mode for daytime riding and a single steady mode for night. Having just the two settings makes it really nice to use.

Exposure Lights might suit your needs.

I own a Strada 1200 which has high, medium, low and flash settings. There are at least five programs to choose from which allow different brightnesss and runtimes.

I use program 3 which cycles through high @ 1200 lumens for 3 hours runtime and low @ 300 lumes for 10 hours runtime. A 50 mile night ride is possible if I drop to the low setting when high is not needed such as when climbing.

They are not inexpensive but can be found on the internet for at least 25% less than list price. I purchased mine through Chain Reaction.

Charge time is advertised at 9 hours but mine rarely goes below 50% charge anyway and it only takes 2 or 3 hours in practice.


-Tim-

MY gloworm X1 can be configured as 2 or 3 levels. Each level is programmable(10% steps).

Thanks. I just had a look at the Exposure and Gloworm lights. The programmability of both looks good, but the form factor (especially the mount) isn't quite what I'm looking for.

I've stopped dimming the lights. I'll simply take the flex mounted light,and point it downward until the cars pass.

I do ride on low power a lot, just for fear that I'll run out of battery power.

A few things I dislike about some lights.

• I find Android USB ports far too fragile. I've got one headlight that I can no longer reliably charge... so it is now toast. One phone that also should have its USB port replaced, and maybe a second. I also find the unidirectional port very hard to see which direction is which.
• One of my lights has the lowest power mode in flash mode. So, I either have to flash, or run it at medium power.
• I'm chewing through the silicone straps for my Fly6 at an alarming rate. To buy replacement straps, I have to purchase a complete mount kit for about 10x the value of the straps alone, and no guarantee the mount kit would last more than a few months.
• None of my current lights have a shaped beam which I consider far superior
• Some lights blink from 100% to off without waning.
• Low charge indicators are on several of my lights, but often in a place that is hard to see when riding a road bike. One should have a couple of intermediate charged/partial charge/nearly dead indicators.
• I've had at least one taillight style that fell off a few times. A secure catch is good.

I tend to do the same. One of the reasons I like the lights with the rubber straps. I do still like having a low beam option for roadside repairs etc. Plus preserving the battery with currently available lights.

I would love to have a shaped beam, but I frequently hang my headlight from underneath my bars instead of sitting it on top. I haven't yet seen any all-in-one lights with shaped beams which can be run this way.

The more I think about it, I would be perfectly happy if I could have my current light with double the battery capacity. Of course, that's with keeping the same brightness, weight, size and rugged construction. Physics wins again.

I agree about the mount for the Exposure and never used it. In fact, the factory mount has been replaced with a GoPro style mount from a Light & Motion Urban series light.

https://www.lightandmotion.com/urban-gopro-mount


-Tim-.

Oh, interesting thought. I prefer my light on top of the bars, but have thrown it under if for some reason I think there isn't space on top.

A dual sided mount would be nice.

I think many of the generator lights are designed for a low mount, perhaps a brake mount or a stem mount, but they would be a special case.

Oh, recently I've been using a little cube shaped light. Dice HL. I don't have the full specs on them, but it is designed to fit in front of the bars. :) Unfortunately, also a symmetrical beam.

I don't think it has konked out on me yet. :) However, I typically run it on low beam in the city, and medium beam out of town. The dimming pattern is annoying, and I think goes (Medium, High, Flash, Flash, Low).

Not sure if that will do but my CateEye Volt800 will go to full brightness when the button is 'double clicked' and then return to its previous mode when the button is single clicked. It also uses internal (screwed on) replaceable Lithium Ion batteries. Support quick charging.Doesn't have a rubber strap but a plastic strap that 'screws on' its bracket.

Don't see how you could go wrong with the new 2018 version Gloworm X2 or XS. All modes are programmable and there are various menus as well. ( all flash modes are hidden ) If you just want High/low you can have it. Gloworm has great mounting options as well. Their handlebar mounts are simply the best but they also have various options ( including Gopro I think ) for the helmet. Not to mention both of these now offer wireless remote ( as well as on board buttons ) as well.

Hard to find but the ITUO lights are all programmable too. ( I use the XP3 on the helmet for MTB ). If you only want High/low you can always program the three modes of the lamp to ...low / high / low. or High/low/high. You might have to double press every now or then but it's doable. The gloworms though offer a dedicated two mode menu just for people who race

I'd really like to disable every mode that I'm not going to use.

Mulling over this a bit more, the mount is actually quite important to me. I really like the way I can quickly and easily attach the rubber strap mount to any bike with no tools and then adjust the angle as I ride. It's robust too, which is important as I often use my lights on my unicycle (see pic if you're curious) where they can see a bit of abuse.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...66e7e4d413.jpg

I'm starting to think that what I'm looking for doesn't exist. I see that Lezyne have a new model coming out soon which is basically identical to what I have but with fast charging. Maybe I just need to buy a couple of them and keep them in rotation. Either that or go down the route of dedicated lights per bike (probably the ones with separate batteries), which I was hoping to avoid.

I also have some red COBs and a cheapie headlight reflector/body/LED unit that I was planning on turning into something a while back but never got around to it. Maybe I'll end up DIYing something yet...

You may be right. Since you seem to favor something that is self-contained I was going to recommend The Gloworm CX. Totally programmable, self contained and might even have just a 2 mode menu although I'd check on that first. If it's lke the other GW's it has a two mode somewhere in it's menu. The thing is a lamp like the CX is somewhat heavy and would not work well with a rubber strap. That said GW does have mounts that are quick release so you can always buy more mounts.

Now if that's still not what you are looking for you might look into a custom built torch such as the Convoy S2. I use an S2 as a back up for when I go mountain biking. Helps if the one you buy has a shallow reflector as that gives you a wider beam pattern. Of course you want programmable. While you might not be able to get one that you can program yourself ( unless you can flash your own driver ) you can order something that will give you only two modes. I suggest contacting the seller on the PFlexPro website. Talk to him and tell him what you want. He will have several different options. They even has some self programmable drivers now . Anyway, with the PFlexPro's you can order the emitter of choice and get whatever driver you want. The ones I own have a menu with at least 11 different options including a couple versions of 2-mode. If I were to use a torch with only two modes I go with 600 lumen as the high and 200-300 as the low....but that's me. I prefer three modes though which I find much more useful.

The advantage of using a custom torch ( your choice of emitter and driver setup ) is that it will be a much better setup than the cheap Chinese versions. You should be able to buy a rubber handlebar mount in a variety of places and since it's a torch it will be very light weight and easy to adjust as to aim. Not to mention you can buy and/or carry as many batteries with you as you think you might need.

The PFlexPro website looks like it has a ton of info, thanks for the pointer! I've looked briefly at the torch/flashlight options in the past but there are such an overwhelming number of options that I didn't know where to start.

I'm starting to realise that I basically have three options:

1. All-in-one cycling-specific headlight which I can quickly switch between bikes and generally abuse. In terms of ruggedness, functionality and bang-for-buck that pretty much means sticking with what I have now, with the downside of short runtime (<2 hours) when used at "to see by" levels.
2. Try and replicate option 1 (but with a longer runtime) with a torch/flashlight style setup. Potentially more fiddling required to get a rugged mount and cycling-friendly UI. Also may require a separate charger (can't beat USB charging for travelling).
3. Go with a split head/battery setup. More $$$, especially since I would probably end up with a couple of light heads so that I don't need to switch them between bikes all the time. Proprietary charger required :(. May or may not be able to service the battery packs myself. Certainly the best performance and runtime though.

I must admit that I'm starting to flirt with option 3. If I do go in that direction, the Gloworm lights are the best option I've seen so far. Since you have some experience with them (I think), I have a couple of questions:

1. Are the runtimes listed on the website realistic? When compared to, say, similar Ay-Up and Gemini lights, the Gloworms have significantly better runtime. For instance, the Alpha and X2 are listed as running for five hours at 700 lumens with a two cell battery. Is it too good to be true?
2. How long do the two and four cell packs take to fully charge in the real world?
3. Do you know the width of the Alpha and X2 housings?
4. Do you know offhand of any GoPro mounts which would fit a 22.2mm bar? O-ring style would be ok.

If I do go with the Gloworms I'm leaning towards the Alpha. It's bright enough for my needs and I like the idea of a smaller, lighter housing. I'm not interested in a remote at the moment but it looks like I can add one later if I want anyway. Probably the only thing that would push me towards the X2 is the better fuel gauge on the battery.

Thanks everybody for your in-depth replies so far :).

Did you look at the smaller Exposure lights (Sirus, etc) - they use a clip + rubber strap mount (it's a completely different setup to the Strada) and they have all the same programming functions as the Strada. I guess they might not be bright enough and/or have enough run time however...

I'd written them off as not having enough runtime. Looking again, the Diablo would give 3 hours at its 500 lumen setting, so it would maybe do ok. The next brightness setting is 2 hours at 750 lumens, which is a bit short.

The proprietary charge cable puts me off the Exposure lights a bit. They're a bit pricey too, but that's not really a big deal if they work well.

Actually, I've noticed that the Ay-Ups and Geminis just have lower capacity batteries than the Gloworms, so that would explain the runtime.

I just caved and ordered a Gloworm Alpha :o. It should solve the runtime problem for my bike. Not sure if it'll fit my unicycle yet, but I'm not doing long night rides on it at the moment. If it doesn't fit then I may may pick a Micro Drive Pro 650XL (basically what I have now but with fast charging) once they're available and it can live on the unicycle. I'll just have to continue to nurse the batter on longer rides. I could maybe stretch to an Exposure Diablo, but it's many more $$$ for less of an improvement. Probably in another couple of years there will be more options available and I can re-evaluate then...

So I didn't end up where I expected I would when I first asked the question... The Gloworm looks neat though, so I decided it was worth a shot. The runtime was the main thing that made me choose it over other similar lights, plus the neutral white option. Second in the running was the Lupine Piko, but it's a lot more expensive, has slightly shorter runtime, and uses a slightly less common connector. Anyway, looking forward to trying out the Alpha!

You seem to be outside the guidelines of your own priorities, namely self-contained, rubber mounting feature and no flash modes in the main menu. Not that you won't do well with the Alpha. Should be programmable and all the flash modes should be hidden. It will require an external battery though. You will find the Alpha to have exceptional throw, throw that actually rivals the X2 according to one person I know who has one. OTB though the Alpha tends to have a somewhat narrow beam pattern from what I'm told. That said I believe they might also offer a wider optic but I'd have to recheck on that. At least with the Alpha you will have lots of options when it comes to buying batteries. I'm starting to see more cell holders that offer even more options. I just picked up a Trustfire 4 cell holder and have it setup with 4 LG-MJ1's ( 3500mAh ) cells. You can even buy 2-cell 18650 holders ( cells in series ) but they are harder to find.

The Lezyne Micro drive Pro you linked to looks very interesting but like most smaller self-contained lamps they ( unfortunately ) don't hide the flash modes. You might take a look at the lamps made by Raveman. The Raveman's have a very unique lens that creates a very impressive road cut-off beam pattern. I use one of the Raveman's myself and beside that fact that I was asked to review two of the lamps ( which I received for free ), I absolutely love the cut-off beam pattern for road use. Of course like most you have to deal with the flash modes in the main menu but with the included wired remote, not real hard to rapid fire through the unwanted modes. Down side of the Raveman's ( like a lot of others ) is that the batteries are not user accessible.

Actually, this is not an unusual request and has nothing to do with choice of mode. The real issue is, "More run time". Since both the Lezyne MD XL600 and the Raveman type lamps are totally self contained with sealed batteries, the best way to increase run time is to include a feature with the USB charging circuit port that would allow the lamp to utilize an external battery bank to both power the lamp and/or charge at the same time. With most self contained lamps the lamp will not operate while the mico USB port is being used to charge the lamp. It would only take a different circuit design and then an external battery could then be used for extended run time.

The Raveman CR-900 I use will give me a good 3 hrs run time with it's internal 3000mAh battery when used on it's medium mode ( 450 lumen ). It is my hope that future models will incorporate both hidden flash modes and perhaps one of the newer generation 20700 4200mAh Li-ion cells. If it does the lamp will be maybe a half inch longer and supply perhaps 20% more run time. Even better if they would upgrade the USB electronics to allow use of an external battery while the lamp is on. The CR-900 does have one programmable mode but sadly the setting cannot be saved once you change modes. Would be nice if they could fix that or even better make all the modes programmable and saveable.

Yeah, that would be the other way to go. A couple of the Lezyne lights support an external battery pack to boost the runtimes. But, once you're doing that it seems more logical to me to go with one of the modular light head/battery systems.

The Lezyne lights are a bit frustrating with runtimes. Most of them do have a fairly useful medium power level which gives you ~3 hours, but to use it the light needs to be in "normal" mode where you have 4 steady settings, a pulse setting and 1-2 flash settings to scroll through all the time. Annoying. Then when you put it in "race" mode the high setting is always the headline max brightness level with a corresponding short runtime.

Anyway, my feature request is here if it's something that other people also want to see: https://support.lezyne.com/hc/en-us/...-on-headlights

One of the few things I don't like about my NiteRider 1800. When its dead, its dead, and no emergency backup or limp home. Its completely out of commission unit it is recharged again. Just one reason why I'm considering carrying a small auxiliary clip-on headlight if for no other reason than to keep me legal.

As for its programmable there is none. And its requirement to have to scroll through all the modes on every startup is just a nuisance.

On the other hand, my Canon DSLR, can not only accept its regular replaceable camera batteries, but has an accessory cartridge that will accept the ubiquitous AA batteries in a pinch. This is true forward thinking you have to wonder why its not more widespread. It is the biggest issue with built-in, sealed batteries.

Sounds like a PITA to me. I just looked at the NR 1800 online. I don't understand why the 4-cell battery only supplies 1.5 hrs of run time on high. That has me scratching my head.. I could understand if the lamp was rated at 2500 lumen, still, 1.5 hrs sucks. Would help big time if the lamp was programmable. Still, I can't help but wonder what capacity cells they are using in their humongously expensive proprietary battery ( $120 for a 4-cell, they got to be kidding ). What's the amp hour rating??...don't know because it's not listed. Likely 4000mAh.

A lot of my MTB rides I only use a two cell for my bar lamp if I know that I won't be out more than two hours. I only run the high mode when going faster but then again all of my lamps are programmable. Right now I only use a four cell with my helmet lamp because it pulls a lot of amps when on high ( ITUO XP3 ). I always carry a back up though, Convoy S2 torch on the bars. If for some reason I forgot to charge the two cell for my bar lamp I have the Convoy which can give me 3hrs if used on medium.....and if that fails, I have a pocket AA torch in my pocket that would get me out of the woods no problem at all.

I have no issues with the light spread/pattern which is wide and bright enough. It doesn't just light up the road but a cone patter/overhead (@ level, see below) as well.

I used to be an avid nightrider -- which is why I bought it -- but living in the city, I've yet to come across an instance or location where I needed full power. I use strobe 95% of the time since I don't need it to see rather, just to alert motorist which it does very well.

To its credit, its weather sealed and structurally built like a tank, with a quick release lamp and lockjaw tight Velcro straps for the power cell and cabling. Still, NR is one of the most expensive lights on the market.

My only consolation is that every thing is heavy duty if you're a off-roader/rough environment type -- which I'm not.

Example:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...896e2e9f1e.jpg

Yeah but if the lamp you have gives you the "choice" to use either the self-contained battery and/or carry an external battery bank with you, you pretty much have the best of both worlds. Pretty much depends on the user as to just how useful something like that can be. Personally I can get by with just the self-contained as long as I know I'm only going to be riding in the dark for no more than 3hrs. Of course all of this depends on the user's priorities. If you have to have programmable modes, hidden flash modes and longer run times the modular light systems are the way to go. Otherwise if you want something with a very good cutoff road beam pattern you'll have to buy a self-contained lamp designed for such with either a one or two cell internal battery setup. Hopefully though future models may offer more features. In the mean time the buyer has to choose which features are the most desired and then go with a lamp that gives them what they want.

This isn't programmable, but I believe it exhibits the behavior you would prefer:

Light & Motion Urban 900 (Probably the entire "Urban" series behaves similarly):

This light has two modes. Race mode lets you select between full power, and the next lower setting; 900 lumens, or 350. Regular mode cycles between 900, 350, 150, and sine-wave flasher. The 900 is under $100 in price.