# Anyone tried the Airbike lights yet?



## tolleyman (Mar 5, 2006)

Its very tempting with 900 lumens claimed and under $250, just wondering if its a piece of @#%^!!!!


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

tolleyman said:


> Its very tempting with 900 lumens claimed and under $250, just wondering if its a piece of @#%^!!!!


Where do they claim 900lm?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

We sell em. Never a complaint. Really.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Geoman - how would you compare the Airbike 900 lumens against the Lupine 900 lumens? Any beam shots?

J.


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## tolleyman (Mar 5, 2006)

*900 Lumens*



znomit said:


> Where do they claim 900lm?


Here's a link:

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php...ducts_id=104&zenid=4amhg47bam75f0jg62ibocii65


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## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

GEOMAN said:


> We sell em. Never a complaint. Really.


I'm liking this light 900 lm light as a cost effective solution.

If i order it how much for shipping to Toronto, Ontario Canada ?

Thanks


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## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

wheeler26 said:


> I'm liking this light 900 lm light as a cost effective solution.
> 
> If i order it how much for shipping to Toronto, Ontario Canada ?
> 
> Thanks


just been to your website and got a price - ok thanks again

looks like a fantastic light )


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

...whether or not the Airbike actually puts out 900lm or has the claimed runtime is debatable. All things considered, this is still a decent package. The helmet mount is nifty looking although if I owned one I would likely bar mount it. The *Geoman* price is reasonable. If you can't afford a better light and aren't willing to settle for a torch than I say go for it..:yesnod: ...just be sure to tell us if it turns out not to be so great.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

JohnJ80 said:


> Geoman - how would you compare the Airbike 900 lumens against the Lupine 900 lumens? Any beam shots? J.


We don't have any beam shots to compare but you know Lupine is really one of the best brands out there and their optics are extremely "solid"... The Wilma's are great at 920 lumens but you "pay to play" at $5XX versus $229 for the 900 lumen Airbike.

I personally ride with the Betty 7 (bar mounted) and Tesla 4 on my helmet which is a very expensive setup with 2,200 combined lumens. I mostly do it to demonstrate how effective bright lighting can be on the trails.You really can't have too much light along, IMHO. With LED dimming on all models we sell, you don't have to ride at the brightest setting but it's there when you need it.

In the summer months I now pack just the Tesla with Lupine's smallest li-ion battery just in case of an emergency. Fits anywhere.

That being said, we've sold lots of Airbikes of several models locally and people are really thrilled at the price to performance ratio. I hear it all the time. We recently started selling the 200 lumen model Airbike Smartlight. At $99.99, complete with charger, li-ion battery, and both helmet and bar mounts, it's hard to justify spending a lot of time on a DIY - so I've been advised.

Tell me your first and second color preferences. No blue available right now - sold out - on both models.

Thanks!


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

I'm sort of planning my lighting needs for fall. Here in the recently thawed northland (Minnesota), light is not a problem for the next three months - it's light until after 9pm later this month.

J.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

JohnJ80 said:


> I'm sort of planning my lighting needs for fall. Here in the recently thawed northland (Minnesota), light is not a problem for the next three months - it's light until after 9pm later this month.J.


Grew up in Bemidji, know all about it.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

I just purchased two of these. I have a couple of mte p7 torchs already but dont have the time/skill to mod them to run external batt packs. These should solve that problem 

will review once i receive and post for everyone.


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## tolleyman (Mar 5, 2006)

That would be great!


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

jdc5r said:


> I just purchased two of these. I have a couple of mte p7 torchs already but dont have the time/skill to mod them to run external batt packs. These should solve that problem
> 
> will review once i receive and post for everyone.


Shipped 'em this morning. Thank you! Appreciate the support.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

no worries, a good seller deserves support


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

tolleyman said:


> It's very tempting with 900 lumens claimed and under $250, just wondering if its a piece of @#%^!!!!


We just lowered our price (temporarily - at least) to $199.99... We'll see how it goes. We want to incite some excitement!

Food for thought?


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## Jim311 (Feb 7, 2006)

Kinda confused by the specs. It says that it lasts x amount of hours on "mid" setting but it only mentions output at high and low settings?



> Specifications
> --------------------------------------------------
> 
> Model: AirBike SLH P7 (SSC P7 LED) 900 Lumens (includes lighthead, helmet mount, bar mount, li-ion battery, and "smart" battery charger - see pics)
> ...


Still, I'm kinda glad to see these cheaper options appearing. What we've been paying for these light sets is absurd IMO.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

I agree. This should not be terribly complex technology and it should drop very rapidly in price from this point onwards.

J.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

I just received my lights. Thanks geoman! Whilst the box/manual did not look the greatest the product itself was all quality. The mounts/brackets/lightunit/battery pack looked no worse than brands like niterider and ayups.

I have also noticed that airbike has customised the glass in order to address the lack of focus in most p7 lights. Of course once i received the product we are to have a whole week of rain .... 

I have a normal p7 torch and i am looking forward to comparing and sharing beam shots soon!


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

jdc5r said:


> I just received my lights. Thanks geoman! Whilst the box/manual did not look the greatest the product itself was all quality. The mounts/brackets/lightunit/battery pack looked no worse than brands like niterider and ayups.
> 
> I have also noticed that airbike has customised the glass in order to address the lack of focus in most p7 lights. Of course once i received the product we are to have a whole week of rain ....
> 
> I have a normal p7 torch and i am looking forward to comparing and sharing beam shots soon!


Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, if there was a spot where Airbike watches costs, it's on the original box. The operation of the light isn't complicated so their rudimentary instructions are fine, IMHO.

It's likely our prices are going up in the next two weeks... I may be able to continue the $199.99 price to MTBR members - exclusively. In the meantime, members, if you see our price go up, send an email to me and we can work it out. 

Anxious to hear your feedback. As I said earlier, I've sold that light to my friends and they all love it. That's the litmus test.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

some first impressions on light beam are as follows

1. It is brighter than the MTE p7 torch
2. Although the beam isnt as smooth as the MTE p7 torch the flood is wider whilst the spot is brighter.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

GEOMAN said:


> The operation of the light isn't complicated so their rudimentary instructions are fine, IMHO.


yup, pretty damn straightforward. red = chrage green = finished charging.

hold button to switch on/off, press button to switch through low/med/high/strobe.

took me 1 minute to figure it all out 

I was worried that the handlebar wouldn't fit on my 31.8mm handlebar from hearing some other reports on the net but i am happy it fits my 31.8mm handlebar just fine. Truvativ worldcup riser xc bars


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## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

luv to see some beam photos :thumbsup: 

my only worry is that if i buy it now they will come out with a 1200 lumen before the fall


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

wheeler26 said:


> luv to see some beam photos :thumbsup:
> 
> my only worry is that if i buy it now they will come out with a 1200 lumen before the fall


Why worry, you know they will.

Where will that leave you? In the fall you might worry that the 1,200 lumen model will be upgraded to a 1,500 lumen model - and of course it will.

Buy and enjoy. 900 lumens is terrifically bright on the trail. There's a point of diminishing returns. Waiting is an "opportunity cost", IMHO. What will you miss in the meantime? Opportunity!


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## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

good point


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Prices were raised today to the general public.

*Here are the GeoManGear coupon codes for MTBR members:*

Model & LINK / Redemption Code

Airbike SSH P7 KIT (900 lumens) for $199 & FREE SHIPPING / *AIRBIKEP7199
[*]*
Airbike P4 KIT (200 lumens) for $99.99 & FREE SHIPPING / *AIRBIKEP49999*


Thanks for your support!


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

wheeler26 said:


> luv to see some beam photos :thumbsup:
> 
> my only worry is that if i buy it now they will come out with a 1200 lumen before the fall


...I second the request for beam shots. Nice to hear that it's brighter than a P-7 torch. If it wasn't it would be hard to justify the added expense. Just remember you can still add a P-7 torch to supplement the Airbike light if you want super bright output. If used only for boost/ fast-ride/downhill a P-7 torch with single battery should last hours and bring total output to somewhere in the 1300-1400lm range. It would still only cost around $245 with an added torch. Not a bad set-up IMHO. *jdc5r*, what's the skinny on the mid-level setting? Is is good enough to ride with in most situations? ( note: jdc5r, sorry I forgot you already have torches...ride on! ) :thumbsup:


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

i purchased two airbike ones so i should not need the torch anymore i think.

I was all set to run the batt strapped to the frame on the handlebar light but to my surprise the connector cable is long enough to have both batteries in my camelbak. Now i just have to figure out way to get the cable out of the way.

I just couldn't wait before posting up a full review so i m going to put up some product shots.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Sweet, thanks!!!!


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## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

Looks good, well made, and i like the black color - can't wait for your review and light shots


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

jdc5r said:


> ...I just couldn't wait before posting up a full review so i m going to put up some product shots...


Looks nice...Am I mistaken or is there an optic on the front? Could you show a photo of the light from the front. Not to hound you but I'm still wondering about the mid-level setting.. anyway, Bring on the review..


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

yes there is an optic at the front which basically intensifies the center. i remember the steps between the low medium high to be very even. Nothing that was completely wacko like 100 lumen for low 200 lumen for medium and 700 lumen for high .... 

we are having a rain period for the next week and its hard to test beams when its rainy and wet and shiny will post as soon as i have complete trail experience which is what these lights are purchased for


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

wheeler26 said:


> luv to see some beam photos :thumbsup:
> 
> my only worry is that if i buy it now they will come out with a 1200 lumen before the fall


Me too - I'd love to see some comparison to other 900+ lumen lights.

I really do think that if you don't need a new light now, right away today, waiting until later this summer will show many more 900+ lumen lights out there and at lower prices. In the last month we have seen a number of new offerings show up and I think there is quite a bit more to come before the fall night time riding season starts.

J.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

did some comparisons tonight. hardly the most controlled enviroment but at least the camera settings are equal.

The airbiek lights is wider although the beam is not as smooth. The light is noticeably warmer too which should be good for depth perception. Pretty pleased considering the MTE P7 was already bloody bright. The beam is not as smooth but i believe once you have two of the lights on the trail they will cover each other up 

so far so good.

Single MTE P7 torch high mode









Airbike SLH high mode









MTE P7 torch high mode









Airbike SLH high mode


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Nice shots! Thanks!


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

jdc5r said:


> Airbike SLH high mode


Thats pretty horrible.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

i have to say i was a little weary of that beam too but honestly what can i expect from a 900 lumen light thats $199 usd? surely not lupine optics right?

The real test is the trail ride. I dont believe that ring will effect my riding at night espicially with two beams over lapping each other but i will be unbiased and if it does annoy me i will report as so here


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

The real test is satisfaction; price and quality.

We've sold quite a few of these (including to local riding buds) and all are very happy. I hear feedback all the time and see them in action.

Pics are subjective. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, FWIW.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

awesome! now please stop raining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

znomit said:


> Thats pretty horrible.


Well... ...I don't like the dark rings but on the upside it does look brighter than a standard P-7 torch and looks to have better throw. Quite possible when on the trails the rings will not be that apparent. I have an Aurora MC-E torch that has some small artifacts in the center hot spot but on the trails you really don't notice it at all. All you notice is the great throw and massive spill. I hope the Airbike works out the same way. *jdc5r,* let us know how it works on the trails...when it stops raining.


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## antonio (Jan 18, 2005)

While the rings aren't a positive, they're not that big of an issue either, and are not a deal-breaker, especially considering the price.


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## tolleyman (Mar 5, 2006)

Those rings may be easily fixed with a different reflector, usually one with a slightly textured finish, or a matte finish does a good job of smoothing out the beam with only a minimal loss of throw. Hopefully the reflector is easily removed.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

tolleyman said:


> Those rings may be easily fixed with a different reflector, usually one with a slightly textured finish, or a matte finish does a good job of smoothing out the beam with only a minimal loss of throw. Hopefully the reflector is easily removed.


Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe all you have to do is replace the glass optic on the front lens with a plain lens. I couldn't tell from the photos but the reflector is probably a smooth one. A nice OP reflector might be better as you stated. Of course I have no idea just how easy or hard it might be to take one of these apart.


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## FortOrdDirt (Apr 7, 2008)

geoman, is there any blue lights yet?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Sorry! Just red, yellow, and black at the moment...


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

So i went for my first ride today with the airbike SLH lights. One mounted on helmet and one mounted on handlebar. I have to say it is just nice to have a cycle specific set of lights as the mounts are sturdy full of adjustments. The handlebars have angle adjustment just incase you have to mount it on a part where there is a bit of sweep. The helmt have tilt adjustment so you can get it just right. This is important as i found myself looking up purposely more when i was using 2fish lockblocks.

Tested on my rigid hardtail so i know it definitly is shake proof.









How did the light perform? The ride i did was a little over 2hrs and by the end of the ride i did not notice the light tapering off like what the MTE p7 torch would do after about 20 minutes of riding. Having plenty of juice was very helpful and for this reason alone is a worthy upgrade from the MTE p7 torchs.

The thing with this light is it is an absolute flood monster. Now the MTE p7 torch are already flood monsters but this is on another level. First impressions? It definitly did not have the wow factor but after the ride i can see why which i will explain later. I was able to ride at a decent pace on the hardtail and did not at any moment wish for more light. Whether it is tech climbs or descents or fast firetrails i was never able to chase up to my light. For the most part of the ride the light did its job in the background and i stopped thinking about it after 15-20 minutes. Instead i focused more on the riding.

I honestly believe humans are adapatable creatures. Give a man a candle and he will ride fine with it give him a spot light and he will get used to it too. I remmeber riding with my fenix l2d torch which is about 180 lumens and thinking WOW this is a lot of light. Then i acquired the MTE p7 and i thought WOW!.....but after always 2-3 rides i would settle into that amount of light and the wow factor would go away. Hence i believe honestly that if you are given a 2000 lumen setup you will eventually adapt to it and then find it the normal standard. Why is this important? I felt from the start that i was already used to the airbike's lights and hence explains the lack of WOW factor.

I think that Airbike did not tune the SLH to have more spot in the middle i believe what they have done is magnified the flood on this set of light. This means the light is even more even interms of its brightness across the whole beam compared to the torch varient. With the torch you can still tell that the hot spot is definitly in the middle and it tapers off towards the sides. With the airbike it is very much even from center to outside meaning the outter ring isnt really that much softer interms of intensity compared to the inner ring. My previous pics illustrating the dark ring around the middle of the light was completly unnoticed. I did not notice the uneven center too. Like i said on a trail if you really have the ability to spot that over pebbles/rocks/branchs you are either not riding hard enough or you are super human. I tried too and i could not spot it at all.

Another thing which contributed to my lack of WOW was from the fact that people take flood more for granted. The best way i can explain it is with a wide flood and a lower even intensity across the whole beam range it translates to less wow factor compared to a very narrow ayup setup which sees you focusing on the hotspot during most of your riding.

In the end

1. There is more than enough light here for trail riding generally
2. Don't expect wow but rather know that the light is doing its wonder in the background. Think of it like an Subtle audi rs4 rather than a lambo in lime green.
3. The whole package is great for the price, the mounts are well thought out, the batteries are invaluable.

The pics below are taken of a set of ayup narrow helmet and intermediate handlebar and my setup as mentioned above both pointing towards the tree base.

Pics are unedited and i have tried to convey the shots as true as possible.

Ayup









Airbike SLH


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## FortOrdDirt (Apr 7, 2008)

thanks jdc5r, nice review:thumbsup: How well do you think I can go with only one, mounted to my helmet?


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

jdc5r said:


> ....I honestly believe humans are adapatable creatures. *Give a man a candle and he will ride fine with it give him a spot light and he will get used to it too.* I remmeber riding with my fenix l2d torch which is about 180 lumens and thinking WOW this is a lot of light. Then i acquired the MTE p7 and i thought WOW!.....but after always 2-3 rides i would settle into that amount of light and the wow factor would go away. Hence i believe honestly that if you are given a 2000 lumen setup you will eventually adapt to it and then find it the normal standard. Why is this important? I felt from the start that i was already used to the airbike's lights and hence explains the lack of WOW factor. ...


I can relate to this thought. Occasionally on a night ride I will stop and sit a while in complete darkness. When I decide to get going again I am always amazed at how bright my 600L seems on it's lowest setting. It almost looks to throw more than 75ft.! After a couple minutes my eyes adapt to the light and I start wanting more light. Time and time again I keep relearning old lessons. For me the best all around night riding visibility comes with using a bar mounted flood in the 300-400lm range supplemented with a helmet mounted spot/confined beam light source in the 500-600lm range. In my opinion the best night vision comes only when the helmet light (spot) is much brighter than the bar lamp. If too much light is reflected back close to the bike then ocular night vision becomes diminished. The only time I need more light is when I start getting the speed up on the downhills. At faster speeds it becomes necessary to have more light up close to avoid objects. The only problem is with brighter bar lights you need even more brighter helmet/spot lights to compensate so as not to lose valuable distance vision....There in lies the problem.

Once again, thanks for the review. Some people will not like the transitional areas in the beam pattern of the Airbike Ever light SLH. Personally I don't think I would have a problem with it because I doubt that it would be that noticeable once you hit the trails. I remember when torches started coming out with the first Cree LED's. People were belly-moaning about how the Cree's had donuts around the center spot. I think that was because they were tripping over the fact that they were looking at light patterns on a wall and thinking that it was going to be a problem. The truth was that the "Donut effect" is just a condensed transitional area when viewed on a wall. When used on the trails this "donut" is 
stretched and is hardly noticed. I'm not saying this is the case with the SLH. There are definite defined areas in the beam pattern...still, If I had one I think I would be too busy riding to trip too much over the fact. Besides there are people out there that like a light with a super-wide beam pattern which the SLH seems to offer. One small request...a trail or outside beam shot of the lower mode ( 400lm ) would be nice. Once again, Great review! :thumbsup:


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

haha yeah i know got a bit carried away riding. Will take some pics next few rides


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

FortOrdDirt said:


> thanks jdc5r, nice review:thumbsup: How well do you think I can go with only one, mounted to my helmet?


I think if you had one it would require a narrower beam on the helmet to provide a bit of throw. If you have two it seems to be ok since the light is pretty bright and covers everything.


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## jdc5r (Feb 15, 2008)

also it was late last night and i forgot to mention this but i found geoman to be 100% perfect to deal with. No doubts, no hassles, fastest shipping and that is before i paid my delivery fees too!

Awesome. The fact i also hear of him on our Australian forum and his good reputation says a lot. There are lesser Australian business people talk about!

Cheers and i am sure i will be back.


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## FortOrdDirt (Apr 7, 2008)

geoman, I dont know if you got my pm, but I was wondering how early you would I expect an airbike light if I ordered one today?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

We will ship immediately. Please see my PM.

Thank you!


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

jdc5r said:


> also it was late last night and i forgot to mention this but i found geoman to be 100% perfect to deal with. No doubts, no hassles, fastest shipping and that is before i paid my delivery fees too!
> 
> Awesome. The fact i also hear of him on our Australian forum and his good reputation says a lot. There are lesser Australian business people talk about!
> 
> Cheers and i am sure i will be back.


That's what we WANT to hear.

Thanks very much. We appreciate the support we receive from the MTBR community.


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## evensevenone (Sep 19, 2005)

GEOMAN, will you have spare parts for the Airbike (extra mounts, etc)?


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Always, whatcha need?


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## evensevenone (Sep 19, 2005)

I have like 4 bikes and two helmets... I would like to be able to put a mount on all of them and just move the lights around as needed.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

evensevenone said:


> I have like 4 bikes and two helmets... I would like to be able to put a mount on all of them and just move the lights around as needed.


Not a problem...


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

sorry to resurrect an old thread...but any feedback on the Airbike Smartlight P4s?


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## mrm1 (Apr 22, 2007)

Can't speak to Airbike Smartlights, but since this thread Geoman has started selling Magicshine 900s .... These are truly amazing for $85. I bought 2 last Christmas.

In the Light shoot out, MTBR calls it the "most revolutionary light of the year".


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