# Best wide angle led light



## tjohns14 (Jun 28, 2010)

Need to get a new light this winter looking for a wide angle led light that will last at least 3 hours any suggestions not worried about price just quality and lumens .


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## Homebrew (Jan 2, 2004)

Lupine Betty is top of the heap for output and price. It will be comparable to car headlights and rated at 3 hrs at full power. Get the 22 degree optic for widest beam.

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=44


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## g3rG (Aug 29, 2009)

I have been quite impressed with the Seca 1400 for a nice wide bar light. Very broad and tailored beam pattern. Biased below the axis, so wasted light is greatly reduced.

gerG


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## Joe Bob (Oct 31, 2010)

*Lupine rules the night !*

Well, I'd say both are very good lights and you can't really go wrong takin either of em. I ride the Lupine Betty 22° but haven't seen the Secca in action yet.

Judging from francois' review and my experience with the Betty, the main beam differences are:

Betty: More throw, enough spill = better for higher speeds, but still 180° visibility (the more it gets to the sides light intesity is reduced gradually, the overall beam is very pleasing to the eye, you have a really good overview about whats going on in front and next to you)

Secca: A little less throw and even more light to the sides = even better for slower twistier tracks

Betty is upgradeable which is a nice feature since every one or two years there are significantly brighter Leds available.

So the widest of these both very wide lights probably is the secca, but if very good throw, upgradeability and very compact design matter to you as well, then...


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

Check the beamshots on this site:
http://www.full-beam.com/gallerynightnemesisbeamshots.htm

No personal experience, but this light is bighter than the Betty, and has an ultra-smooth wide beam pattern.

Btw. I DO ride the Betty 22°, and it doesn't have a wide pattern. It is a spot light with a halo, surprisingly similar to the Magicshine. Which is not necessarily bad, though you need a helmet light for twisty and technical sections.

Troutie's Liberator is another light that comes to my mind which has a special feature, it directs some light downwards, so I guess for slow technical riding it could be the ultimate:
http://troutie.com/?p=642

It is also ugly as hell, but in the darkness it doesn't matter anyway...


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## mehukatti (Sep 21, 2005)

The comparison charts on full-beam.com don't state whether the Lupine Betty they tested is the latest model with XP-G leds. My guess is that they tested the old model with P4 leds.

Otherwise the Full Beam light seems nice price/performance wise, but on pics it looks bigger than Betty, doesn't have helmet mount, and no info whether it is upgradeable to newer and better leds in the future.


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

No, the comparison is to the latest XPG-Betty. The Full-Beam light can be brighter because it has a much bigger body (-> better heat dissipation). That is also why the beam can be customized - the Betty/Wilma head is just too small for proper lens.

I did not say the Full-Beam light is better (in general) than the Betty, but the beam is certainly wider and probably a bit brighter


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## rschultz101 (Oct 5, 2009)

I do have a proto, sitting around...
it's a monster, 7x3" , custom HID fog, moded.
it does 3500 lumen, with 120 deg, its a 1 foot band of light horizontal,
kinda strange, once you see it.
you regular battery pack, can't even start it. takes about 40W if juice ,
my battery lasts for ~3hrs.
maybe one of these days, I'll do a beam-shot fest in the woods.

also, from what I gathered, he does not have a existing light,
as such any decent light will be an improvement.
did suggest , for the serious rider, to have a helmet light in addition,
so you can point to the side, or where you looking, and he is not a gnarly mtb single track, night rider. maybe in this case, a lupine piko , or other decent helmet light, would cover his use.

cheers, Rob
http://www.mtbl.robs-x.com


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

radirpok said:


> Check the beamshots on this site:
> http://www.full-beam.com/gallerynightnemesisbeamshots.htm
> 
> No personal experience, but this light is bighter than the Betty, and has an ultra-smooth wide beam pattern.
> ...


 Even though everybody's perceptions can vary i'm going to call the Betty beam pattern similar to the MS as i own both, no where near the same. Could be my old eye's,but the MS has a very narrow hot spot with a darker donut halo blending out to a huge but dim outer halo,never realy liked that type of beam at all as i find there to be to much waisted light,to spread out for the lumens . I do agree that the 22 degree lens isn't that much wider than the 16 degree as it looks to me like the only change was to the center optic,but it is better. I don't see the halo your refurring to,but what i see is a ton of usable light that will turn any 10/12 foot wide trail into daylight for 100+ feet .More than enough for just about any style of mountain bike riding.

The other two lights you mentioned are very good options.Haven't heard any feedback on the Liberator or even Troutie's 7-up,but the Night Nemessis probably has the Betty beat in pure performance and beam pattern,but at the cost of a reported (clunky)large lamp head.

Price been no object,, (Bias)- Betty2
- Seca 1400
- Centauri 1000
(If NR was reliable) - Pro 1400 
- Dinotte 1200+ - -
These would be my choices as i prefer not to have any any larger of a lamp head on my bars.:thumbsup:


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## tjohns14 (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the great reviews i checked everything out and will go with the secca 1400
found 2011 model for 600. A good second choice to the Betty i think


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## g3rG (Aug 29, 2009)

In case you hadn't found it, there is a cool little comparison tool over on the light and motion website. Select "Beam Test" on the left, and "Lupine" above the image. You can drag the vertical divider back and forth to see full field for either light. Plus moving the bar back and forth lets your mind paint a better contrast comparison. There are a few things that I don't like about their specific setup, but it does give some indication of side-fill comparison. Unfortunately they don't say which Betty version or which lens.

A cool thing about the Seca is that you can tip it up so that the mild center spot reaches straight out, and it does not really impact the nearfield illumination.

indebt talked me into getting a Wilma for my helmet (I owe him a German beer for that). It meshes pretty nicely with the Seca on the bar. More reach down the trail, and better illumination around corners when the trail gets really convoluted. Just an option in case you need more light.

http://www.bikelights.com/seca1400.html

gerG


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Cheers!!! g3rG,, Mug is chilled and ready.:thumbsup: On the Seca website i believe the Betty in the comparison shot was the XPG 16degree.Not 100% sure but don't think the 22degree was released yet.


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## marccrowley (May 16, 2009)

*Even & Wide Beam? Get a Night-Nemesis Wide*



radirpok said:


> No, the comparison is to the latest XPG-Betty. The Full-Beam light can be brighter because it has a much bigger body (-> better heat dissipation). That is also why the beam can be customized - the Betty/Wilma head is just too small for proper lens.
> 
> I did not say the Full-Beam light is better (in general) than the Betty, but the beam is certainly wider and probably a bit brighter


Hi,

I can confirm Full Beam compared the Night-Nemesis against the latest and greatest Lupine Betty, the X Pro (XPG version). Night-Nemesis has a far more even and wider beam than the Betty, the advantage being your eyes adjust to the centre of the beam, so if the light is too concentrated you lose the benefit of the width. The wide beam version has been described as near 180 degree spill by a customer.

Following significant testing, Nightfire is just being released too, it uses the same optic and lens combination as its bigger brother (Standard Lens) but is a helmet mounted light so you get the advantage of the extended throw plus the abilty to use the light off the bike (fixing punctures, etc.). Race version is under 390g all-in and Enduro version weighs a little more due to the larger battery pack. Both are neoprene wrapped for Camelbak or cycle jersey pocket storage.

The testing we did on Nightfire proved that we could squeeze a little more out of the Night-Nemesis housing, its large surface area is very efficient at disapating heat. "Night-Nemesis X12" is undergoing test and the beam pattern is being tuned. The clue is in the name. Until testing is complete I cannot even hint at the figures this product is capable of.

Night-Nemesis X12 isn't our only trick up our sleeves, there's something clever coming in the future...

If anyone wants to join us for a demo night ride just PM me or contact the team through the http://www.full-beam.com website. We always appreciate your feedback and enjoy giving an insight into how fun night-rding can be with the right lights.

Marc


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

marccrowley said:


> Hi,
> I can confirm Full Beam compared the Night-Nemesis against the latest and greatest Lupine Betty, the X Pro (XPG version). Night-Nemesis has a far more even and wider beam than the Betty, the advantage being your eyes adjust to the centre of the beam, so if the light is too concentrated you lose the benefit of the width. The wide beam version has been described as near 180 degree spill by a customer.


Hi Marc,

thanks for the reply, but we need beamshots please 
Also, just to make sure we are talking about the same thing, you used a 22 degre lens Betty for the comparison, didn't you?



marccrowley said:


> Following significant testing, Nightfire is just being released too, it uses the same optic and lens combination as its bigger brother (Standard Lens) but is a helmet mounted light so you get the advantage of the extended throw plus the abilty to use the light off the bike (fixing punctures, etc.). Race version is under 390g all-in and Enduro version weighs a little more due to the larger battery pack. Both are neoprene wrapped for Camelbak or cycle jersey pocket storage.


The problem with the Nightfire is that it is certainly too bulky for the average XC helmet, however it could work on a full-face helmet very well... put one on the bar another one on the helmet and... well... don't forget your sunglasses, too! 



marccrowley said:


> The testing we did on Nightfire proved that we could squeeze a little more out of the Night-Nemesis housing, its large surface area is very efficient at disapating heat. "Night-Nemesis X12" is undergoing test and the beam pattern is being tuned. The clue is in the name. Until testing is complete I cannot even hint at the figures this product is capable of.
> 
> Night-Nemesis X12 isn't our only trick up our sleeves, there's something clever coming in the future...
> 
> Marc


Wow, keep up the good work, and you certainly made me very curious about that 12 something....
Cheers!


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## Baja Designs (Aug 3, 2010)

Hi tjohns14,

I realize the Strykr is not the most expensive light out there (we can charge you more if you'd like it is however a very nice bright (52 lux according to MTBR) light and comes with a wide and a spot lens. The wide angle is one of the best (okay it is THE best I have used - I am admittedly biased however) in a single beam system, I have never had a light almost make a helmet light unnecessary, plus they are mil-spec and crazy tough light systems.

Baja Designs Strykr and Strykr Pro both come with a lifetime warranty on the light head and electronics, two years on the battery, and have a Loyalty program where BD owners can trade in their old Strykr light for the latest and greatest and receive a 25-50% discount on the new model anytime in the future.

I know you are looking at high end lights but I had chime in as the Strykr is a VERY good wide angle system - two of them would be ridiculously wide and bright. We also have a $100 trade-in program where you get $100 off the regular $298.95 price. My email is [email protected] if you'd like to know more.

Shannon


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