A Stellar Self-Contained Bicycle Light Setup from Outbound Lights

The times are getting shorter again, which signifies night riding time is right here! 

A great lighting system is critical to retain the riding risk-free, and the stroke higher. For me, a usual set up will consist of (at least) two highly effective lights: just one handlebar light and one particular helmet mild. The handlebar light provides a tunnel of light-weight on the trail forward while a helmet light-weight tracks head movement. So when you are peeking all over the bend, it’ll be lit even when your handlebars have not yet made it by the transform. Presented the twisty-turny nature of mountain biking, the latter is as, if not additional, critical than the bar light.

But highly effective lights need to have mighty battery packs, and usually these batteries are exterior and a little bit of a inconvenience to deal with. For entire independence of motion, I am a major supporter of the self-contained light-weight notion in which the battery and mild are built-in into a person offer. On the other hand, this benefit usually will come at the cost of battery daily life. Outbound Lights is a young-ish but popular player in the high-end lights game. The organization commenced with a thriving Kickstarter campaign to deliver their automotive-grade lights to the masses in mid-2018. The Illinois-based mostly model has given that marketed more than 5,000 of their US-intended and designed lights, and they despatched alongside their The Evo Downhill package deal, which consists of the Path Evo for the handlebars and the Hangover for the helmet, to take a look at. 

The beefy Path Evo is intended to give up-near and mid-variety fill light-weight, though the Hangover gives a vast flare. And, appealingly, there are no wires! We place this completely self-contained package to the test on some classic PNW trails, and in a variety of climate, to see how these lights — and batteries— done. 

But first, some science converse

LUX and Lumens and Beam Designs, oh my!

Now, right before you talk to. I simply cannot inform you the correct Lumen output for these lights. It is not a matter Outbound lists in their product descriptions. They feel that Lumens by yourself are a minimal measure of the high-quality of a gentle or the visibility it offers. Alternatively, for the Outbound engineers, it’s a balancing act of Lumens, Lux, and beam styles. 

For case in point, one particular can have a super bright 3000-Lumen highlight, but the place are those people Lumens directed? You really can’t see a lot outside the house the narrow tunnel it produces. In comparison, the typical halogen bulb in a car’s headlight emits around 700 Lumens in reduced beam and 1,200 Lumens when in large beam. That is a great deal of visibility for a rather minimal sum of Lumens.

And so, Outbound modeled their layouts dependent on automotive lights. They invested a great deal of time finding out beam patterns, and amount their lights on measurement of a light’s depth —or brightness if you will— at unique details in that beam pattern, which is referred to as Lux. 

A narrow beam, for case in point, sends a ton of potent light-weight considerably down the path, but has a inclination to make a tunnel with a severe dropoff, which is draining on the eyes and thoughts when using at night. A large flare might not allow for you to see as much, but it does illuminate your peripheral vision, allowing for you to see far more of your environment. Ideally, a person would have a mix, or a equilibrium, of the two. 

In the Evo Downhill Package, Outbound believes to have observed that harmony — a person that offers actual-world general performance rather of mere “brightness”. 

But if pressed for quantities, Outbound states that the Trail Evo competes with lights at 2,000 Lumens and the Hangover with those saying to have 1000 Lumens. 

Ok, science talk accomplished. Now let us find out how these lights appear and execute.

So smooth!

Although unboxing the offer, I was straight away amazed with the structure of these lights. They just glance sturdy, clear, and modern. 

The Trail Evo light-weight characteristics 9 LEDs in a rectangle entire body built of cast aluminum and a rubberized higher. The package deal is about 3.5” vast by 2” tall and 3” deep, and weighs 312g which includes the mount. The bracket-design bar mount can accommodate many spacers for unique bar diameters and options a horizontal click on-in process with a lever release. It seems surprisingly compact for this kind of a beefy mild, but also undeniably modern and person-helpful. Due to the fact the light-weight sits in entrance of your bars, the total bundle normally takes up significantly less than 50 % an inch of bar place. 

The Hangover helmet light, named right after Sedona’s signature trail, is essentially very slight for carrying an spectacular 6 LEDs. With the GoPro design mount bundled, the Hangover weighs 138g on my kitchen scale. The body is 3.5” extensive, only an inch tall, and significantly less than 2” deep. 

The all-black bodies element a single, wintertime-glove-pleasant one particular-inch electric power button, a USB-C port, a lighted indicator to show mode and battery daily life, but very little else. They search super smooth, but also, importantly, fairly crash-proof. 

On the trail

Without needing bulky mounts or battery packs, the whole lights method is amid the smallest high-output packages I have at any time applied. Just stick the adhesive helmet mount onto your helmet, simply click in the bar mild, and you’re off! There was no have to have for set up instructions or even an adjustment interval to communicate off. It is extremely intuitive for any one who’s ever applied a bicycle mild of any variety. 

When I double-checked the bar light-weight to guarantee it was completely clicked in, I did discover the teensiest little bit of wiggle home in between the Trail Evo light body and mount but that was hardly ever evident whilst using. In actuality, I was totally amazed with how this modest mount could keep a alternatively heavy load. I totally anticipated to observe the bar mount rotate and little by little fall as it succumbed to the fat with each and every bump or jump, but it under no circumstances did. 

The only draw back is that the helmet mount depends on a 3M Adhesive sticker. So the moment you decide to mount the mild, you can get rid of the entire body but the mount desires to continue to be on the helmet, except you use a unique GoPro helmet mount.  

As far as running the lights goes, I genuinely appreciate the straightforward, 1-major-button strategy. Press at the time to convert the gentle on, a different force to toggle through to the future placing, and a extended, two-2nd push to convert the mild off. No will need to complicate things. 

There are six modes to pick out from, WIth a run time amongst 10 hrs (strobe) to 1.7 several hours. 

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A first in my working experience, Outbound provides an “adaptive placing,” which slowly but surely tapers down the light’s brightness as you trip to make the most of your battery lifetime, which is tremendous awesome. And you know it operates perfectly when you do not even know it is functioning. The light-weight grew steadily dimmer over the system of the journey, but my eyes modified obviously and I found no real lack in output. For more XC-fashion rides, you could put in the adaptive mode and never ever contact your mild again. 

With that reported, I did continue to change to higher mode for the more technical sections, and medium when adhering to an individual else’s wheels or on the lengthy forest road climb up. I didn’t use the minimal location significantly other than on a unusual paved section — for my comfort and ease and skill degree, it was far too dim for singletrack. Even so, it could be a very good selection for combined terrain bikepacking journeys, or nighttime highway rides.

The gentle coming from the Path Evo on the bars is huge and evenly distributed — gentle, even. More like a flood of lights relatively than a crisp tunnel. It lets me to not only see my environment, it truly helps my depth perception, which is typically lacking in evening using.

The helmet light-weight gives a additional punchy and slender beam, but it’s significantly sq. and not spherical like a spotlight. The light area is broader than most helmet lights on the market but nevertheless throws gentle even further down the path than the Trail Evo. This can help you see what’s ahead and sheds some added brightness on notably techy sections. 

Together these lights generate what Outbound phone calls a “light carpet” rather than a tunnel. Not only do you see far more, but you also pressure your eyes and thoughts much less, generating the total night time using working experience much more enjoyable (and risk-free, possibly). 

I also really like the shallow profile of the Hangover — to stay clear of getting snagged in branches — and the truth that it is definitely light-weight for its output dimension. 

Now the battery daily life is a great deal for publish-perform rides but would be a dilemma for 24-hour or stamina events. Fortunately, Outbound considered of that. Not only do the lights cost tremendous quickly (—in amongst night laps—), you can also cost on-the-go. Each lights have pass-by way of USB charging, meaning you can carry an external battery and demand although you experience. 

Conclusion

Though some individuals may get a kick out of riding in a narrow tunnel surrounded by pitch darkness, I desire to see my environment. With a wider industry of eyesight, I get to decide on extra line alternatives, and my mind won’t operate wild with all the factors that could be lurking in the darkness. The Evo Downhill Deal by Outbound Lights is the very best lighting method I have experimented with in yrs. Not only does it deliver the lights I will need on the path, but it also will come in a tremendous smooth, self-contained package deal. No wires, no bulk, no hassle. Just, pure night time-riding pleasure.