Bontrager ION Pro RT bike light REVIEW | vs ION 800 R vs a Gas-Discharge Lamp
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- Bontrager ION Pro RT bike light REVIEW | vs ION 800 R vs a Gas-Discharge Lamp
A small test to find out if a single small LED bike light is enough for the Swedish woods in winter time. The Bontrager ION Pro RT is a small, lightweight bike light aimed for mountain biking and can be mounted to your handlebar or to your helmet.
A side note: Full power in colder conditions affects the battery life. I did test it (stationary) in about 0° celcius too, but didn't measure the time to depleted properly. It was still at full power after an estimated 2 hours though.
More info about this product: www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/gb...
0:00 Overview
1:34 Battery life test
2:41 Reference lights
3:05 Field test
► Subsribe: / @mtbs
► Music in this video: www.epidemicsound.com/referra... - Sport
You almost had me with the Thomas Edison remark, but then I got the joke about micro USB being ancient. Your deadpan delivery was flawless! I am currently trying to decide between a bike headlight and this model is in the running. I had ordered a Cat Eye Volt 800 on Amazon about a week ago because it was being sold for $64.50 USD. Cat Eye promptly canceled my order a couple days later saying there was a pricing error. So now I'm looking at other brands out of priciple. Thanks for your review!
😂 Hehe, I hope more viewers fell for that joke!
Just so you know before you buy, the beam is on the narrow side (which in turn makes the illuminated area brighter). Ideally I would prefer a wider beam on the handle bar and the ION on the helmet.
@@MTBs Good to know. Not sure how wide of a beam I'd really need if I stick to roads and maybe some gravel trails. Do you have any experience with the Cat Eye I mentioned? I'm also looking at the Cygolite Ranger 1400 as another option.
Honestly, then I think you will be fine. It's when it gets twisty and sketchy you want to see the sides a little bit more. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the other lights that you mention. I am guessing that any light in that price range will be of decent quality.
@@MTBs Yes, I'm glad you did mention the shape of the beam. Surprisingly for bike light reviews, it's a detail usually missed, and one that is almost as important as any other. For me, riding in the city, I need to make sure I'm not blinding everyone, so I think I will go for a Fenix light. I don't know any other manufacturer that gives as much thought to beam shape. Do you? I'd be happy to consider alternatives, and the Bontrager is certainly prettier and lighter weight, which is great for cycling, but Fenix just seem to me to be the experts at lights in general. The BC30 V2 I'm considering has a wide beam (hard to determine how smooth it is though, without testing in person) with both near and far focal points, and a refracting lens to save the eyes of other road users.
Oh, and I appreciated the joke too!
Great review! Appreciate the indepth assessment - and humor.
Many thanks! 😃
good job my bro! excellent review.
Great video review. Thank you.
Great video. I was on the fence between a Garmin product and this one and now I might just buy two of these. One for my helmet and one for the bars. I got lost in the dark of winter on a Colorado trail with a dinky little strobe light and it was terrifying. Never again!
That Swedish humor had me laughing out loud. Great stuff. 😂
Haha, someone called it dead pan humor.
Yes, they're good little lights and its always best to have two for redundance. I recently did a couple of other bike light tests two, they're at the top row on my channel page.
Cheers!
A side note: Full power in colder conditions affects the battery life. I did test it (stationary) in about 0° celcius too, but didn't measure the time to depleted properly. It was still at full power after an estimated 2 hours though.
Thanks for the nice review. I am currently looking for a light for a my bicycle. I would normally ride on bicycle roads, forrest trails and on urban settings. Would you be able to recommend something that could cover my needs?
Hi Henrik! First of all, I am only an amateur when it comes to bike lights, so you will need to take it from there.
I cannot recommend any other lights than the ones tested in this video, but here are some key features to look out for.
On a road bike or a bike for road use I assume you want to mount the light on your handlebar? A good mounting system is often overlooked. Preferably a system than can be used for your helmet too.
For urban use you don’t need that much power (= longer battery life). It also comes down to for how long you use to ride. Go for an internal battery if you don’t plan to be out for longer rides. A light with different power settings and a limp home mode is a big plus. For MTBs you want more power and ideally more than 1 light.
The light that I reviewed really is an allrounder, the beam is quite narrow, so it seems to be designed for both road and MTB use. One advantage with a narrow beam is that it can reach longer, the disadvantage is the beam does not catch everything (on the sides) when riding MTB. The light has also got daytime running light (flashing), which is a good safety feature for urban use.
//Olof
@@MTBs Hi Olof. Thank you very much for your reply. Indeed, I was thinking about the handlebar mounting. There are so many options available these days. Many of the bike lights focus on the number of lumens that they emit. During my research I came across an article, where it mentioned that it would be more important to focus on the LUX amount, as it would indicate better the illumination level. At any rate, I keep researching and keep your light as an option too.
@@RikuLeppanen Agreed, it comes down to how wide the beam is so it is not all about lumen.
I hope you will find a good quality light soon!
@@RikuLeppanen I think the quality of the beam is very important. If it's very bright in the centre, it won't necessarily make things easy to see, since your eyes will adjust to the brightest object in front of you. You want to get as close to floodlight as possible off road, and as close to car headlight as possible on road, IMO. Likewise, if the beam is blotchy, with darker and lighter spots, it's really not helpful (some manufacturers use an 'orange peel' reflector to overcome this). Also the colour of the light will affect how well the ground is rendered; the brightest LEDs tend to be on the bluer side, meaning colour rendering is poorer than from a natural white LED. Brighter is generally better though, in part since your pupils narrow and your vision is sharper; it's a balance.
Great review. Might need to get one of these for night riding
A great light, just be aware that the beam is on the narrow side. Ideally I would like to have something a little bit wider on the handlebar and this light on my helmet when riding in the woods.
@@MTBs cheers for the heads up
When I turn on the ion pro RT, it starts to heat up. Is this normal?
Hi! Yes, it is normal. They can get pretty hot.
I have a 800r and it is a very good torch. But i warn anyone who is thinking of getting one that in the winter, it is very difficult to operate the On/Off mode button (With gloves on)
Agreed, thin gloves are ok tho.
As soon as you said “torch”, I immediately started reading the rest of your comment in a British accent. Was I right, bruv? Are you British, bruv?
@@franko8572 Yes i am. I suppose everyone says light these days. I guess I'm showing my age. lol
@@saymyname218 Nah, you’re good! 💪! As an American it’s just one of those words that as soon as I read it I know for like 99.99999999% certainty you’re British. We don’t ever say torch. Just like “candy floss”! We don’t say that either.
is this light works while charging from a powerbank like trelock ls 950 ?
Do you mean using the light at the same time as charging it? Don't know to be honest. At least it is not the intended use for it. And it is micro USB, so it will not charge quickly.
@@MTBs Yes sir. even no charging; better to run with powerbank. I ride night alot so cant count on their internal batteries
@@CanTURKeyed Have checked and indeed it seems as if it can be run with an external battery pack!
How can I put a light on my helmet, be painful would it not.
For Bontrager lights you need a "Blendr" gopro mount (if you don't already have a Bontrager helmet of course). I found a mount for less than 6€ somewhere. Then there is a matter of mounting the gopro mount to the helmet, most use either 3M tejp or zip ties if you've haven't got a helmet that can take gopro mounts.
@@MTBs haha wasn't on about thay helmet ⛑ haha
Price? And where can I get it?
Around 120€. Bontrager is part of Trek, so your best bet is at a store that sells Trek bikes.
How many Krona is this light?
Usually between 1100 - 1500 SEK.
@@MTBs Thank you! Tack så mycket. Hej då!
I have had several bonetrager lights. They are expensive and after about a year they just completely stop working. This has happened to me multiple times now. One day you try to switch the light on and then nothing happens. It won't come on and it won't charge. I will never buy one of their lights ever again.
Hi Andrew!
Great feedback! Someone else commented on the longevity too. With a 2 year warranty he did get new lights no questions asked, so that might be something to explore?
I am going to test another bike light (Fenix) with a replacable battery in October when it's getting dark enough.
These lights are highly functional but they only last for 1 year (I have had 3 of them) before the battery and/or the switches fail, and cannot be replaced which for the price, is ridiculous.
Good to know! Nothing a review can reveal unfortunately. Well, a long term review maybe.
I am going to review another bike light this fall that has got a replacable 5000 mAh battery from Fenix.
@@MTBs I wanted to mention that I was in no way trying to diminish your review. Furthermore I discovered that the ligts have a two year warranty so I brought them back and they (Trek Maple Ridge, BC) gave me two new ones without any hissing. The replacement lights also have a 2 year warranty.
Best wishes from BC
No worries! Glad you found out about that warranty! 👍
It's pronounced l e d,as in the letters,not lead the metal