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I’ll admit, I’m not usually the biggest fan of night riding, partly because I don’t have the best night vision, and I always feel like I end up making mistakes I wouldn’t in the day time. However, this year Magicshine’s Monteer 8000s Galaxy has me singing a different tune due to how ridiculously bright it is. At the maximum brightness it’ll deliver 8,000 retina-searing lumens, with a 1.5 hour run time. Take it down a notch to the 4,000 lumen setting and you’ll still have more than enough light for any nigthtime adventure, with a 3:25 run time.
There are a total of five CREE XHP 50.2 LEDs, three at the top with a 32-degree beam angle, and two at the bottom, with a 21-degree beam angle. It’s possible to choose to only run the floodlight or the spotlight in one of four power settings, or power all of the LEDs at once for a beam pattern that illuminates a huge swath of trail. There’s also a flashing mode for commuting, or if an impromptu dance party breaks out. The 8000s uses a handlebar mount with a Garmin-style mount, and the battery is attached to a top or downtube with two velcro straps. The cord is long enough that it could also be used as a helmet light with the battery in a backpack – Magicshine sells a helmet mount that makes this possible. I’ve been using it on my handlebar and pairing it with a small 800 lumen helmet light, and I’ve found that more often than not I’m able to get away with just using the 8000s – the beam pattern and coverage are that good. |
