Overall technology:This light uses old LED technology which make it shine only 130 lumen and the NiMH battery make it weigh over 800 grams (1.5 lbs) total.
Attaching to your bike:
The system it uses to attach to the frame is cumbersome and not very reliable. The size of the battery gets in the way of the water bottle.
The light mount quick release doesn't work well.
Vendor of this light and CatEye:
I didn't do enough research before purchasing it because CatEye doesn't use lumen in their advertising for obvious reasons. Their rating of 20000 candlepower is meaningless.
To return it, this vendor charges 20% restocking fee which is ridiculously high especially if you buy a high price item such as this.
How does it compare?
To compare its brightness I took it with me on a tour of specialized bike stores and REI and shined it along the lights in those stores (TriNewt, various cyglites). At REI all lights were brighter including a 90 dollars Cygolite with just one LED!
Trail Performance:
On the trail it performs OK and since your eyes are dark adapted, it shines just enough light to see the path ahead. Battery lasted 4 hours but it dimmed very noticeably after 3 hours.
Basic features missing on this light are flashing modes and low beam modes.
Battery and charging:
The battery charging system and the battery are designed poorly and the first charge is going to be very idiotic with indicator lights not showing anything appropriate. Subsequent charges seem to work OK but you have to watch it charge and unplug it when its done or the battery will be damaged as the charger is not a smart charger.
Final Thoughts:
What I really want is the Cygolite TridenX for only 60 dollars more but can't justify either taking a 30+ dollar loss on this light or buying another 230 dollar light.
UPDATE: I decided to mod this light with newer LEDs (~240 lumen max each - original about 80 at 1 Amp), a new driver (1 Amp with potentiometer so that I can change brightness), new reflector optics and now it's finally bright with a nice throw. It cost me around 65 dollars for the parts and now I have a 700 lumen light which is more than 3 times brighter than before and using about the same amount of power (slightly more if cranked up to 1 Amp).
Now that I know the inner workings of this light I have to say this:
- Engineering of the product is mediocre. Brittle bolts break when turned.
- Poor product support where upgrades should be easy and done at factory every year so that they don't advertise outdated products as new.
- Designing the product with an adjustable driver.
- Using AA NiMH battery cells is really cutting corners that don't need to be cut.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Cateye EL-700RC Triple Shot Rechargeable LED Bicycle Headlight
Product Description:
3 high-power LEDS with Opticube lens. Single bright setting with 3.3 hour run time. Intelligent 3-hour charger. Handlebar mount. Tough die-cast aluminum body is virtually indestructible. Locking cable connectors to prevent blackouts. 710 grams (25.0 oz) light, battery and mount.
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