# Cygolite Expilion 500



## moonlite (May 3, 2005)

It was hard to make the choice between the L&M Urban 500, NR Minewt 600, Serfas True 500 and the Cygolite Expilion 500. After weighing the pros and cons, including budget, for the latest lighting systems in the 500 lumen range, I ordered the Expilion 500 for $139 at REI. Below is a list of my criteria:
1) Made in the USA
2) Helmet mount
3) Sub-200g for head, battery and mount
4) Good halo around the spot

What makes the Expilion stand out for me is the ability to swap in a spare battery. The only possible con I can foresee is the beam pattern. Its siblings, the 400 and 350 are commented as having a tight beam pattern. However, Cygolite replied to me saying the 500 has a wider pattern and is using the new Cree XML. After I have time to ride with it, I'll post some pics and how it performs.


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## cyclocommuter (Dec 15, 2009)

Good choice! I am using 2 x Expilion 350s since November on my 3 times a week, 55 km commute (roundtrip) and have had no problems. The 350s have relatively long throw and somewhat narrow focus but this is just fine for commuting. I usually go over 30 kph on my XC commuter and have no problems outrunning the light. I use 2 of them mostly on medium mode so the battery last longer between charges. Now that the temps are not as cold as before I could get 5 hours run times before the low batt indicator starts blinking (this is on medium mode which is the 3rd brightest out of 4 steady mode settings).

EDIT: Forgot to mention another thing I also like about the Expilion... the excellent mounting system.


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## moonlite (May 3, 2005)

Yes the mounting hardware does look like it will work well. I like that the helmet mount will stay on the helmet and I just slide the light off for day rides and vice versa. It will make it easier to go for a spontaneous ride.

I know the 500 will give me enough light for trail riding because I was able to hit 30 MPH the other night when I zip-tied the Blackdiamond Spot, which is only 90 lumens, to my helmet... and there wasn't much moonlight. Granted... it was a very familiar trail.

I also ordered a spare battery, so I'll use it like a cordless drill kit... run down the first battery and swap in a fresh one. I'll just have to keep my ducks in a row when swapping the batteries again to charge the empty one.


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## bmp956 (Aug 29, 2008)

I was excited when Cygolite announced the introduction of the XM-L emitters to the Expilion line and went out and got the 500 also. A more efficient light that could pump out more lumens for equal run times looked like a great idea to me. You can't beat their rock solid mounting system, and I've been using two Trions on my Surley LHT for a while so I was curious as to how the smaller but nearly equal in lumens Expilion 500 would compare.

Disappointed would be an understatement. Cygolite's ads all showed run-times of 2.25 to 19hrs, better than the MiNewt 600. Yay! Until I opened up the literature that came with the unit, which states a run-time of 1hr 30min on boost. Which is really high. According to an email I received from them, boost mode is actually 100%, high 66%, med 33%, low 17%. Pretty deceiving, if you ask me. So battery life is equal to the (claimed) brighter MiNewt 600, but at least the Expilions can be swapped out (on sale for $30) for more rolling time. And don't get me started on their ridiculous usb covers. Even when I thought I had it down, upon returning home I noticed that stupid little rubber poking up in the air having let the rain get in the port. Nice!

As to the beam pattern, there's a fairly tight spot, which I imagine will give a decent throw, but for commuting purposes I prefer more of a spread to see any hazards than may be ahead. So it's probably a better helmet light than a bar mount, IMO. And I'm not real crazy about the color temp either. It appears sorta greenish when I run it against the Trion. It's a great addition to it, but alone, I don't know. Maybe my eyeballs are just used to what dueling Trion's put out that I'm doomed to not be impressed by the one Expilion.

On another note, I just received the Lezyne Superdrive, This one does impress. Has a better spread without the tight, noticeable spot as the Expilion, and maybe it's because of the whiter color but it seems equal, if not brighter, than the Cygo. And it's run-time is the same with their standard 2400mAh battery, so with the 3100 Callies I just ordered, which btw are half the price of Cygolite's spare batteries, it should boost run-times to 1hr 50min. If only they made a better mounting system, including helmet, it'd be the hands-down clear winner in my book. One downside, according to MTBRs shootout, is the loss in lux as the battery nears empty, which is a bummer.

I guess there's still no perfect option for seekers of cordless illumination. Yet.


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## cyclocommuter (Dec 15, 2009)

With 500 claimed lumens using the same form factor and the same battery as those in the Cygolite 350s, something's got to give and it appears that that is the battery run time. I have 2 x 350s and for commuting/training having them both on "Medium" provides more than adequate brightness for me to see the road ahead even when traveling in excess of 30 kph. At this setting I am now getting more than 5 hours before the low battery indicator lights up. This should go up a little more as the temps keep climbing. The 350s do have a tight focus (though good throw) and having two of them mitigates this problem.

I have no problems fitting in the rubber usb cover on my cygolite 350s. The technique appears to be push the inner, mating portion using your fingernails while pressing the base with another finger/thumb... a two handed operation.

My 350s have no tint issues... they are actually whiter than the light produced by a CREE LED powered flashlight (220 lumens) that I also use as a flasher.


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## moonlite (May 3, 2005)

I had a feeling there was not enough halo fill for using it as a single lamp. I was tempted to charge it up and demo the 500. However, I decided to return the unopened box to REI

I found the Jet Lite F-1 to be more attractive after seeing the backyard photos in the 2012 review. In these photos you can tell that the Expilion is more of a spot.

I bought the F-1 system and the extra battery which will give me more lamp run time and allow for proper battery charging cycles. To me this is to run a battery down down and swap in a fresh one. As soon as possible place the dead battery on a charge. The F-1 system comes with an external charger so this process will be easier to do.


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## SCOOTERINSLC (Jan 14, 2004)

I just bought two of these from R.E.I. today and they are on the charger as we spea........as I type... Looking forward to giving these a try tonight if the rain in Salt Lake holds off. I returned a Niterider Minewt.600. The handlebar mount was a joke (I should have heeded the reviews).
I will post back and report my thoughts on these two Cygolite Expilion 500's. My configuration will be one on the helmet and one on the bars.


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## SCOOTERINSLC (Jan 14, 2004)

*Cygolite Expilion 500 first impressions*

I finally made it out last night to try these lights out. Let me start by saying that my only frame of reference are the Niterider Evolution Smarts (halogen, roughly 120 lumens on high according to Rich @ Niterider) that I have been using for the last 6 years. I used the Cygolites configured with one on the helmet and one on the bars. Both the bar and helmet mounts seem very secure. Nothing moved on me during the ride. I left at around sundown with an hour climb ahead of me and ended up turning on the lights about halfway up. As it was a steep climb, I thought I would run them on low which I found to be adequate for climbing, except when I got to the top I realized I had them on walk mode! I would estimate the walk mode is as bright as the NR's were on low. How times have changed! The meandering portion of the ride was about 30 minutes and I ran them on true low and medium for a while. I stopped a couple times and got them both pointed where I wanted. I had the bar light throwing down the trail a little further than the helmet, which ended up working for me. For the downhill part and the ride home through the city I was toggling back and forth from high to medium, comparing the two. I just don't see a huge difference between high and med, so I will probably end up climbing in (true) low and switching to med for everything else. I know alot of others feel they need more light than these offer, but for me they are fine. I could see just fine and rode at normal speeds without a problem. I did not feel the weight of the light on my helmet at all. I can't speak to the run times yet, as the light were only on for a total of 2 1/2 hours at the various settings described above. They are small, bright and seem well made. No cords=heaven! I will try to remember to post back after a few more rides and report how they are doing.


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## bikerider83 (Apr 16, 2012)

Iv used the Cygolite Expilion 500. would recommend it highly


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