SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING

Ours was the increasingly standard machined aluminium Go-Pro pattern. CNC machined clamp and other detailing is similarly flawless, which makes bolting everything together, a pleasure. The clamp is similarly standard 31.8, although you could easily raid the bodge box for rubber shim, to accommodate diameters 22.5 to 26.0. 

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There are other options, including fork crown and aero bars, which broadens the appeal yet further should you prefer. Incidentally, the lamp's design means it can be mounted above, or beneath the bars, with no effect upon beam pattern.

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Performance 4.75/5

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Wow, in a nutshell: but there are a few minor things to consider. In common with my long serving Exposure Revo, it takes a short while before the system awakens. A hundred feet, or so-from the box, nearer 50, once the capacitor's stored some charge. In my view, worth having a blinkie in flashing mode, especially if you live along a very dark, unlit road/street.

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Talking of which, I paired the road/gravel version with my fixed gear winter trainer and its trail sibling with my Univega. Now, while I was literally blown away by the output and navigational prowess, it’s worth mentioning that my first two outings were using the Shutter Precision SL9 hub .

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Now, to comply with strict German regulations, it's listed as being a 6V 1.5W and output does dip below 6V 3W at very slow speeds. Between 15 and 35mph, the hybrid beam is bang on, giving as much navigational oomph as you could want - even along the darkest lanes, on the wettest nights. 

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https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/videos/725962621210511/

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SUVs and other vehicles observed my right of way, all bar two have dipped down from main beam. The ability to generate this kind of power, under my own steam was incredibly satisfying. Probably a moot point, on a machine with variable gears but with a 79 inch fixed, you're going to be grinding up the climbs. In these scenarios, when speed dropped between 8 and 12mph, there was a noticeable dip in output. This was still vastly superior to the Trelock and to a lesser extent, the Revo but an educated guess suggested I'd gone from the full 1300 to 500 lumens. Similar narrative at junctions too, although the wide arc of light meant I was never at any risk of falling off the radar. Switching back to the PD8 and tackling the same loop confirmed my suspicions. Namely, that the bigger hub would reveal the lamp's true potential.

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Even at 13-14mph, there was noticeably greater light than produced by the SL9 and the pickup was much quicker-say when leaving an unlit junction. Obviously, this kind of firepower is anti-social through the suburbs, a deft flick of the switch dipped it suitably, although only one SUV pilot chose to ignore me.

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Some have suggested the beam's prowess doesn't quite cut it in the corners. I've had no problems, whatsoever, even tackling some S bends at 30+mph. The spot beams have also provided phenomenal amounts of detail, allowing me to pick out holes, glass, thorns and even toads at 20 feet, even at 33mph plus.

 
Output certainly cuts muster along gravel type roads. No less than I'd expect, given the quality and price point. Frankly, if you were looking at a system that would cope very well with mixed terrain riding, then the road version would certainly get my vote. 

So, to the Snow/MTB version.