Can anyone tell me if a Hope Vision 1 is actually bright enough to ride with off road? I wouldn't be going mad

Ta

Are you buying this new and full RRP? If so I wouldn't get one, but then your reviews in the blog show you're aware of the chinese lantern alternatives....

on it's own - no, not bright enough.

but.....i've been using mine with a LED Lenser 'HR7' head-torch (look 'em up - cheap and very handy) and it's fine (definitely not amazing) for a good couple of hours of semi-technical off-road riding.

I found out that they keep the LED LENSER HR7s on display with the batteries in at Go Outdoors...

Certainly bright enough at 2 feet straight in the eye!

What I'm after is something that runs on AA's or similar, that will give me a couple of hours of 'riding light' then use as a torch/headlamp in camp.

I'm thinking about those trips when recharging isn't an option ... obviously a Revo would sort the charging issues out but it really isn't going to happen

Any ideas?

s8tannorm wrote:What I'm after is something that runs on AA's or similar, that will give me a couple of hours of 'riding light' then use as a torch/headlamp in camp.

Something from the Fenix range. I used my two AA Fenix torches (an LD22 and an older version of the same) on their own on the Bear Bones and rode all night with a couple of changes of batteries.

One on it's own is more than enough for night road riding.

Buy a lockblock and it'll fit on your bars or helmet, and ChrisN will tell you how I've used it more than once with zipties holding it round my bonce as a headtorch in camp (not a fashion statement).

http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/

I'll be sporting one of these on my head for El-an Back.

Not AAs but comes with a couple of 18650s and only takes one at a time so you'll have a spare. Takes a couple of weeks to arrive but you cant complain for £11

http://r.ebay.com/UMZpZJ

Another vote for Fenix AA torches. My L2d q5 is 4 years old, battered but still going strong. Light output is lovely.

For open fast trails you really do need a bit more.

I'd be buying the latest version of a joystick. Light and small, great helmet mount, perfect runtime for your requirements, well built and just bright enough for most riding.

They don't depreciate in value too quickly either.

Looks like a Fenix could be in order then, I've got a Fenix MC10 which I like and seems well made.

The Joystick's out of the running as it needs charging.

s8tannorm wrote:Can anyone tell me if a Hope Vision 1 is actually bright enough to ride with off road? I wouldn't be going mad

Ta

I'll let you know next Sunday morning.....

s8tannorm wrote:Looks like a Fenix could be in order then, I've got a Fenix MC10 which I like and seems well made.

The Joystick's out of the running as it needs charging.

I've got a Fenix LD20 and have used it for road riding. There was plenty of light on the mid setting. My mate was using a Hope that was brighter than my Fenix but not enough that it mattered on country lanes.

Have ridden with Fenix torches and they were plenty good enough. They used to do an orange peel and smooth reflector versions which provided flood and spot type beams, respectively. Run time was average so I'd buy good rechargeables and be canny with the modes.

The lock blocks are good and can be used to lash to bars, helmet etc. Also worth getting a diffuser cap for use as a camp lantern, IMO. It'll look like a sex toy but work well.

I've also used those cheap torches running on 18650 cells. Bonkers bright and not bad battery life but the beam pattern was average, they're a bit weightier and were a bit niggly. Still good though and silly cheap for the output when they work.

Cheeky Monkey wrote:
Also worth getting a diffuser cap for use as a camp lantern, IMO. It'll look like a sex toy but work well.

The sex toy look alike diffuser is for waving aircraft onto aircraft carriers in heavy seas. The camping lantern diffuser is dinky and is likely to be painful as a sex toy, but in the privacy of ones own bivi who cares :D

The dildo-esque one was all that was available at the time

I'll have to look at these so called alternatives 8-)