Control your bike lights with a single button - Trek Commuter Pro RT Connected Headlight Review
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- When it comes to cycling lights most people assume brighter is better. The reality is that bright lights often can be blinding for oncoming riders and traffic which is why Europe has adopted StVZO requirements with beam cutoffs. Trek’s new Commuter lights may lack the StVZO certification but have a similar sharp beam cutoff that Trek refers to as a Kindbeam. In this review we’ll be looking at the top-of-the-line $159.99 Commuter Pro RT which adds some cool tech features such as Bluetooth connectivity for one-button control of both the headlight and connected taillights. Using a simple Bluetooth pairing sequence the Computer Pro RT can be linked to other Bontrager RT lights which allows you to both the headlight and second light with a single press. The large 4800 mAh battery offers up to 12 hour runtime and even has a power bank mode to charge other devices. Note, Trek does have a more affordable Comp R version with the same lens design but without the connectivity features.
The Trek Commuter Pro RT utilizes a proprietary slot / tab design that is shared with the Bontrager Flare R and other lights. Included with the headlight is a tool-free handlebar mount which uses a cam-style mount and is compatible with handlebar diameters from 25.4 to 35.0mm. For smaller diameter handlebars there is an included rubber shim that goes between the handlebars and the mount. Although we are disappointed that Trek didn’t use a more common Garmin or GoPro style mount design which offers more accessories, the supplied mount works well. There is no side-to-side adjustment with the mount and only a minimal amount of upward/downward play. For cleanest mounting we’d recommend investing in the optional Blendr mount which allows you to place the headlight underneath a computer if you have a compatible Blendr handlebar setup.
Trek markets the Commuter Pro RT as the do-it-all front light that has enough output for commuting or off-road cycling. The exterior of the headlight has a premium feeling metal housing with an integrated 4800mAh Li-ion battery. It’s a fairly heavy headlight at 192g despite a relatively compact rectangular profile. Instead of having Bontrager branding, the light as Trek printed on the sides along with Commuter Pro RT. On the rear you’ll find a rubber cover for the USB-C port which can be used to charge the light or to use the headlight as a powerbank to charge other devices. The rubber cover is a bit fidgety and has to be aligned properly before it can be fully seated. We suspect this USB-C port position and cover design is partially to blame for the low IPX4 water resistance rating which would make us hesitant to use this light in heavy rain conditions.
... Read the full review @ thesweetcyclists.com/trek-com...
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00:00 Intro
00:10 Unboxing + Specs
03:48 Fit + Finish (Pairing / Flash Bypass / Power Bank Mode)
10:45 Light Output
12:32 Comparison (Topeak WhiteLite 800BT, Outbound Light Detour, Light Skin NACA, Magicshine)
16:09 The Final Score
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Trek - www.trekbikes.com/
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bless them for the ability to disable the flash mode. somebody out there in ux is actually listening. this is a genuinely intriguing set of lights
Yea, flash mode can be frustrating when your riding at night. Other lights like Magicshine or Outbound Lighting separate flash mode with double presses or holds which I think is a better approach then a full disable mode. Flash mode is pretty nice for daytime riding.
@@TheSweetCyclistswhat do you think of this compare to magicshine rn 1500?
The Magicshine RN 1500 is more affordable, but it lacks the anti-glare beam design and taillight control the Trek offers. If those aren't important to you, then the Magicshine is the better deal.@@JitinMisra
Excellent!
Thank you for your continuing series on the"Cut-off Beam Headlights"...
This new Trek light appears to be an ok first step. However, this light needs to have more output and the Amber bleeding with the white light beam is just wrong. I would hope that Trek could make a light that is with a clear side window (eliminating the Amber bleed) and with a higher light output. On pitch black nights, I often go down steep hills at high speeds. In the interest of my safety, I need that extra power to be available.
I did buy and then return the Outbound Detour. I really wanted to love this light, however the light beam had areas of inconsistency that I found to be distracting and a deal breaker. I simply want a consistent flat beam, with plenty of power on demand.
Lightskin appears to have promising light. It's not sold, backed and supported in US by any retailer and is expensive. That makes buying it a gamble. That being said, If they had US retailers and I could get my hands on demo to see if the light performed well for my needs, I would not hesitate to pay the price for my ability to ride safely.
The idea of a cutoff light has appealed to me for a long time. Maybe I need to go on Amazon's Germany site for results? Even though I'm in the US, Amazon Prime in Europe has the same return policy.
Good points. The side amber cutouts are definitely too bright and bleed into the beam. Have you looked into the Lupine SL lights? They are pricey but have crisp project lenses and fully serviceable designs. We have the review for the SL AF (czcams.com/video/KbXwq_dipjg/video.html) and are working on the SL Mono review which is similar but has an integrated battery that we'll be dropping soon.
If possible, can you make a review for Enfitnix lights?
Thanks god bless
I just purchased this today, I’m about to go out on a night ride and try it out. The one thing I can say now that I would like to see improved is the mount. The mount does not allow any left/right swivel. This is a problem for me because my handle bars are curved and this puts the light on a weird angle that I don’t like.
Hope you enjoy it. Yes - the handlebar mount is pretty basic. Trek offers a Blendr mount that lets you place the light under your stem which is a cleaner way to install it on your bike - www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-stems-accessories/bike-stem-parts-accessories/bontrager-blendr-low-commuter-light-mount/p/36285/?colorCode=black
If the Flare RT used USB C charging it would be almost the perfect lighting set.
It still surprises me that paired front/rear lighting sets with the ability to turn both on at the same time is not the de-facto standard given the technology to do it has been around for years.
Hopefully the next version of the Bontrager Flare RT and Ion RT light will be USB-C, both of the models are fairly dated already. I definitely agree with you though, being able to turn both lights on and off together makes so much sense. Imaging getting into your car and having separate switches for your headlight and taillight.
@@TheSweetCyclistsI want the lights to be controlled by bike computer .. so if I turn off/on bike computer it does same for lights
I'm not sure if there is a fully connected bike computer + light + taillight combination on the market yet. The Trek Bontrager RT lights can be paired with the RIDETime Elite computer which lets you turn them all off together - but you still manually them on.@@JitinMisra
@@JitinMisra bet those bikes with computers are expensive
@@migueltrujillo5932 my wahoo element bolt v2 got an update a few months ago that allows it to control my garmin varia and bontrager ion 200 front light . It’s pretty neat !
Nice job god bless
There was no mention of ant+ connection to garmin head units. Is it possible to turn on your garmin and all the lights turn on?
Good question - yes, the Commuter Pro RT has the same light control integration as the Ion / Flare RT so you can pair them with a Garmin computer.
because of the lens pattern, this needs to be mounted vertically with the controls on top.. it cannot be mounted below a garmin or otherwise upside-down
Yes - that's a downside of beam cut off lights. Trek does offer a Blendr mount (www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-stems-accessories/bike-stem-parts-accessories/bontrager-blendr-low-commuter-light-mount/p/36285/) that uses the bottom mounting spot of a compatible Blendr stem. You can put it underneath a computer if you own the right accessories.
Does this headlight support pass-thru charging? Like can you connect a USB power bank to the headlight so that it charges while running in order to get a longer run-time? The Outbound Detour supports this.
Just tried it out - surprisingly it does not. The light shuts off when it's plugged into power and won't turn on. The Outbound Lightning Detour does support the pass through which is a nice option for very long rides.
@@TheSweetCyclists thank you for trying this! Super helpful!
Will you be reviewing Farina smart light?
The Farina is definitely a cool looking light but the company Smart Bike Lights hasn't been responsive and has gotten a lot of negative feedback - I would be weary about buying products from them.
Can you pair the Commuter Pro with all the other RT headlights?
Yes, you can even sync it with any of the RT lights. I don't have two Commuter Pro RT headlights, but I wouldn't be surprised if you could also connect two of them together as well.
I've seen Soo many people complaining about it falling off the bracket is this true? Just ordered the set and now I'm worried
I haven't run into that issue, is it possible people aren't sliding it far enough back for it to lock in place? Trek also offers various Blendr mounts for this light (it shares same mounting as other Trek lights) so you can skip the handlebar mount and put this in front of your stem instead.
Can it connect with the Garmin edge 1030 ?
I don't have a device to test it, but Bontrager has a Light Control App (apps.garmin.com/apps/ef431dbd-f403-487c-85d5-685447dc393b?tid=0) that should work across the RT lights. I'm not sure if you could pair the taillight to the Commuter Pro RT and a Garmin headunit at the same time though.
I asked an employee from Trek bike store, he said yes and I purchased the rt trek light and it works with it.
Can you confirm if you can connect a taillight to the Commuter Pro RT and the Garmin at the same time?@@edvilleangol3279
Yes I can
This looks like a very nice little light. A little pricey but the cutoff is very nice. I'm going to send this video to my friend as he has a patented Chinese "A$$hole beam" technology which is annoying as all hell let me tell you. At least he has the good sense to basically point it directly in front of him 6 feet in front of him but it's basically dangerous as he can't see anything on the road at any sort of normal speed and if he tilts it up even just a bit the glare is horrible and blinding. Spend more than $30 please gentlemen. Damn Amazon. I'll point him to your channel and get him to go through your reviews of some real bike lights instead of buying the "1000000" lumen special on Amazon for $30. The even sadder thing is he put it on a $2000 e-bike. Like c'mon buddy, stop drinking for a month and put the money into something that doesn't napalm the pedestrians.
A$$hole beam 😂😂😂
The amount of money Trek is asking for this light, is silly in comparison to what the market has been offering for the past Two Years. The obnoxious amount of Lumens & Battery Life you can get for the same price is comical.
I agree, the full retail price for the headlight / taillight set just seems too high to me. Trek has sales fairly regularly so if you can buy these for 15-30% off then it's a lot more reasonable or the one button headlight and taillight control.
Its nice - aint going to lie - but Trek is gouging Americans - As a result i do not buy anything Trek-
Thanks god bless