"Affordable, easily mounted, adaptable for varied bikes and reliable"
It's hard work being a triathlete in winter, not only do you have to drag yourself off your indoor trainer from time to time, but you have to find a suitable light set up to fit your aerodynamic bike frame #firstworldproblems.
In saying that it does seem that the triathletes in my community seem to have particular trouble with appropriate light choices for their bike designs. Common faults are lights that are always falling off, twisted sideways, not bright enough or hidden by their saddle bags. It can't be that hard to find something appropriate? I ride the Giant Trinity Advanced Pro 0 and the Propel Advanced Pro, both of which have aerodynamically shaped handlebars and seat posts of varied widths. I am a pretty easy going guy, but I refuse to have more than one set of lights to meet the differing needs of both bikes (you imagine the amount of recharging I'd have to do along with my Garmin 510 and 920xt as well). So I'm testing a set of potentially suitable lights kindly donated by Guee.
Aero Xe Rear Light
Benefits:
Adjustable sidewings to be mounted on both aero and round tubing.
Wide beam design increases visibility from the rear as well as the left and right sides.
Multiple modes Modes: Flash/Strobe/Constant
Charge: Micro USB
Charge time (approx): 2.5 hours
Burn time (approx): 15hrs(flash)/ 9hrs(strobe)/ 4.5hrs(constant)
Mount on round ( ø 27.2 - 34.9mm) & aero tubing (maximum140mm)
$34.15 USD/ $44.92 AUD
The Aero Xe fits both of my oversized seat posts easily and came with a range of elastic bands for attachment. I was a little concerned with how thin the rubber bands were and thought that they might not stand up to bumpier roads, but so far so good. The adjustable wings make it adaptable to fit the rectangular or oval shaped posts on both my bikes. The charge time is good and the run time was plenty to get me through my long rides. The stability on the frame was impressive and I was surprised how well over some bumpy sections up the Old Pacific Highway, despite the thin band attachments..
Sol200 Plus Front Light
Benefits:
200 lumens output
180° wide visibility for better safety
Modes : Standard/High/Low/Strobe/Flash
Charge time (approx) : 3 hours
Burn time (approx) : 4.5hrs (standard)/3hrs (high)/6hrs(low)/12hrs(flash)/6hrs(strobe)
Mount size : Ø19~35mm with twist strap to change direction of light mounting
$49.50 USD/ $65.12 AUD
The Sol200 Plus with its varied light modes gives good vision for commutes or road rides. On shorter rides in the pitch black of Mosman, I opt for full beam as opposed to low mode when out on a longer ride. The rubber strap allows it to fit securely to my aerobars on the Trinity or oversized handlebars on my Propel road bike. It has the ability to rotate 360 degrees which is the best option when I use my TT and have it sat underneath my aerobars. Like with the rear light, the battery life is good if you pick the appropriate mode and it lasts amply for my long ride on standard mode.
Guee produce a wide range of lights to meet the varied demands of commuters, road riders, triathletes. I picked this light combo as being the most appropriate for both my bikes and the nature of my riding in my environment. I was particularly impressed with the ease and speed of attachment and stability of the lights during my rides. With ample illumination for the darker winter rides, good battery life and accessibility to meet the size and shape of a number of frames, I'd recommend giving these a go.
"Affordable, easily mounted, adaptable for varied bikes and reliable"
Check out Guee's range of lights, handlebar tape and various mounts at http://www.guee-intl.com/ Free shipping worldwide!
