Beam pattern is great as it has a big center spot with a huge, wide halo around it. The light combines good peripheral beam with a far-reaching center throw. The case and switch ergonomics seem excellent as there is a positive click when activating the switch. There's three light modes and a flashing mode to scroll through before the light shuts off. Another way to shut the light off is be depressing the switch for about 2 seconds. The light dims to shut-off rather than an abrupt cut-off like most lights. This is a nice touch that gives the impression of quality.

One thing we noticed with this light is it stayed cooler than competition during our bench test in front of the fan. That means that it has excellent heat dissipation qualities and it will not only protect the circuits better but it will also stay brighter longer under hot or non-moving conditions. Most lights over 1000 Lumen just heat up on High mode even when directly in front of a fan. Serfas seems to manage heat very well and the head unit stays the coolest in our bench test. They seem to have accomplished this with good air flow porting and providing a lot of surface area to dissipate heat. This means that the light is well-suited for high heat conditions or situations where the rider is stopped a lot. This also means that the light will not have to step down in light output to protect the circuits from heat damage.

Specifications:
  • Price: $290
  • Claimed Lumens: 1000 Lumens
  • Measured Lumens: 1005 Lumens
  • Measured MTBR Lux: 101 Lux
  • Light Head Weight: 152 grams
  • Installed Weight: 459 grams
  • Run Time: 4 Hours
  • Category: High End

Strengths:
  • Good light output and beam pattern
  • Good switch action and logic
  • Light stays cool even at high power and some airflow
  • Amazing run time at 4 hours at full power
  • Bar and helmet mount are included>
  • Excellent materials and build quality
  • Battery can be stem mounted.
Weaknesses:
  • Would be nice to have this big light head center mounted on the handlebar.
  • The same output as last year
  • A bit heavy for a 1000 lumen light
[youtube width="610" height="343" align="left"]httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehcVLkffGcY&hd=1

Mounting:

Handlebar mounting is done with a quick release mount that works quite well once snug. It can be aimed left to right. The quick release lever is non-intuitive at first though as it seems to be reversed. Mounting on different diameter bast is a bit tricky as two pins have to be aligned in the right holes to get the proper bracket size. There is an included helmet mount as well as this head unit can be mounted on the top of the helmet as well. At 153 grams, the light head is not too heavy to mount on the helmet. Also, it is low profile enough that it is decent for low-branch clearance.

MTBR Light Meter Measurements: Compare all lights here.

This light measured 101 Lux on our ambient light measurement facility.

Integrating Sphere Measured Lumens: Compare all lights here.

1005 measured Lumens. Claimed Lumens by the manufacturer is 1000 Lumens. The Lumen-hour graph below shows how the light performs over the first three minutes of its battery cycle.



Backyard Beam Pattern Photo: Compare all lights here.



We photographed the lights in the same location setting with the same camera settings. The photos were taken in the back yard that is approximately 25 yards long. These photos feature many objects and a distinct background to analyze detail and beam pattern.

Tunnel Beam Pattern Photo: Compare all lights here.



The location is useful since it has walls and a ceiling that can display a bike light beam pattern. The walls have a lot of graffiti on them and actually show detail when they are lit up by a light with a wide angle. Cones and targets are set up with the far target set up at 80 yards.


Related Links
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2013 Backyard Beam Pattern Comparisons »
2013 Tunnel Beam Pattern Comparisons »
2013 Mtbr Lux measurements »
2013 Mtbr Lumen Tests »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
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