# Ayup has their webstore up, interesting lightset



## robhloff (Feb 15, 2005)

www.ayup.com.au


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

*ordered as soon as it was up*

I have had my eye on this product for a few months, and can't wait for my lightset to arrive. I know they're not going to be a 500 lumen set but, 6 hours burntime, 300grams, bullet-proof construction and some funky anodised colours won my vote. Plus I think the price is pretty good. 
Night riding is only a new thing for me, I have been using a cheap $20 LEd light and just doing some road miles. But have been waiting for a decent lightset to do some single tracks. 
Originally I was going to go down the HID path, but I would have had to purchase a "cheaper" product ie Batteryspace. But after a few crashes lately I realised that replacing HID bulbs could have been quite expensive for me, So then I started looking at LED. If I didn't have 2 young children and a full-time job, (and too many other hobbies) I'd probably like to build my own, as the best LED lights seem to be the home-made jobs, probably because LED tech is moving too fast. But I reckon I'll be pretty happy with my Ayups.......that seemed to be a really long post.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

I could not resist the Ay Up lights and i've just ordered a set to go with my new Cateye Tripleshot pros.

Well... thats me sorted for winter and this seasons 24hr crazyness 

Why Ay Ups over a set of HIDs??? Meh.. support Aussie, light weight, fast charge times and they look so bling sir!! Oh, and this NZ review helped my decision  http://www.vorb.org.nz/article-55301.html

It looks like they ship as a pair too? :skep: 

i was fairly boring though... i went for black as i'm a ninja after 8pm  :thumbsup:

I'll add a detailed review once they arrive.

*excited*

Paul.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

What on earth is wrong with you Paul, they are probably one of the most customizable light sets currently on the market and you went for black?!  :eekster: 

These guys have really shown that they have put some serious design work into these unique lights without skimping on the details many would ignore. From the touch sensitive switching through to the well thought out custom mounts, the thoughtful packaging and “completeness” of the kit, it looks like these guys have things dialled. :thumbsup:

The customizable casing is a cool idea, and the whole lot is very competitively priced when you consider my LBS are currently trying to sell single Nite Rider MiNewt lights at a very similar price to the AY UP! “Regular Light Set Pack”! Four times the light, customizable, and plenty of accessories at the same price. The math ain’t real hard when you look at it like that! 

My only negative thoughts are in relation to a lack of beam shots. I know it’s hard to portray how the light illuminates the trail let alone to make comparisons between lights, but there’s no way I’d buy a light without a rough idea to begin with.

My other niggle is that it seems such a shame that they have put so much effort into designing a great package, yet are running emitters that are very outdated by current standards. I understand the “tried and tested” mentality to promote a new product, but the major gains from the newer emitters are hard to ignore. Perhaps we may see another release from them later on after they have sold a bit of product?

I’m looking forward to the ride reports guys!  

Dave.


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## [email protected] (Jan 4, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> My other niggle is that it seems such a shame that they have put so much effort into designing a great package, yet are running emitters that are very outdated by current standards. I understand the "tried and tested" mentality to promote a new product, but the major gains from the newer emitters are hard to ignore. Perhaps we may see another release from them later on after they have sold a bit of product?
> 
> I'm looking forward to the ride reports guys!


My thoughts exactly. I wonder how upgradeable these will be. The pricing is nice, as is the fact that it comes so complete. I like the rollup holder. Like Low_Rider, I'm looking forward to reading what people think.

Hmmm.... I wonder if they ship to the States?


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## scarch (Dec 19, 2006)

I'm not optimistic about the light from a specification point of view. 6 hours of runtime from a battery that only has 19.24 watt hours of power? That's only 3.2 watts spread across 2 x 3 watt Luxeon emitters. No wonder they claim that the lighthead runs cool! At ~30 lumens per watt the lighthead won't make it to 100 lumens, and that's without even figuring in circuit loss. The low output explains why they use 6 degree optics.

I'm a bit thrown by this quote:

"...our MINI LIPPS which is a 3 hr hour burn battery will run at full power for 3 hours. It will then slowly dim to that of a bright torch by 7 – 8 hours. You can still ride with this light output after the initial 3 hours or at least get you home if something happened deep in the forest or bush."

This sounds an awful lot like a light that is not regulated, speculation that is supported by the low price and no readily apparent location for circuitry. IMO it is vastly preferably to have a fully regulated light that has variable output and a battery meter so you can choose when to conserve and when to use high power to meet your ride needs. Imagine a 3 hour night ride that ends in a fast technical downhill section. With a regulated/variable light you'd run low beam on the way up and save high beam for the descent. No can do with an unregulated light.

Speculation though. I look forward to hearing more later as the lights are put into service, or being corrected by people who know more about actual construction.


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## [email protected] (Jan 4, 2004)

scarch said:


> I'm not optimistic about the light from a specification point of view. 6 hours of runtime from a battery that only has 19.24 watt hours of power? That's only 3.2 watts spread across 2 x 3 watt Luxeon emitters. No wonder they claim that the lighthead runs cool! At ~30 lumens per watt the lighthead won't make it to 100 lumens, and that's without even figuring in circuit loss. The low output explains why they use 6 degree optics.
> 
> I'm a bit thrown by this quote:
> 
> ...


They could regulate the light until the battery drops below a certain level. Princeton Tec does this with the Eos -- 2 hours regulated, then it drops off like an unregulated light. DiNotte is similar; once the battery drops below a certain level, their lights lock on until the battery is completely dead. The light dims, but this is after they've used up most of the power available. I would not be surprised if this is what Ay-Up is doing.


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## PoorBehavior (Sep 1, 2005)

I recently got an email from them giving some info on what they had to remove (touch sensitive on/off). I was very interested before and I am now a bit hesitant. 
Here is the text:
"Dear Ay Up! Enquirer,
Firstly, thank you for your continued interest

Ay Up! Lights have taken over 12 months to evolve and many of you would have followed the progress via the AYUP web site over this time.
A ‘smart’ touch switch was to be offered with the light. Unfortunately the circuitry for the switch & associated functions has so far proven to be unreliable. This option may be available later when technology again catches up and has proved reliable.
After many months of trialing and testing we feel that the touch switching, light power and flashing modes are unreliable and not what is wanted anyway.
With any night riding the most important thing is light. Solid reliable light! Most riders we spoke to have experienced some kind of problems with their lights.
During some of our after dark testing escapades we have helped fellow riders with failed lights. Some of these lights were the expensive HID and LED lights already on the market. Circuitry, vibration, switch, leads, have all played a part in their lights demise. This did come as a surprise to us as we did not expect these expensive lights to have any such problems.
So what we have done is to change the format of how we control the light and now it has been made even more reliable. We’ve taken out the switch ‘smarts’ and we now offer a lighting system with the purest possible light beam and extremely long burn times. For example, our MINI LIPPS which is a 3 hr hour burn battery will run at full power for 3 hours. It will then slowly dim to that of a bright torch by 7 – 8 hours. You can still ride with this light output after the initial 3 hours or at least get you home if something happened deep in the forest or bush.
Our on / off switch is the power plug itself. Many racers and riders we have spoken to about this method of switching have said that it appeals to them more than having a switch. “Just one less thing to go wrong, brilliant”
Our batteries have been designed to be mounted within 100mm from the light, be it on handle bar stem or helmet. There are no problems with dangly leads and we offer only very long burn times, so no need to keep turning the lights on and off whilst resting.
Our lights can be powered up and down in the wettest conditions providing it is fresh or rainwater.
The power connectors we have chosen for our light system are a high quality Japanese type, which has proven to be the most reliable.
The batteries carry their own ‘smarts’ & unlike most other batteries are fully protected internally with short circuit, over voltage and low voltage cut off. The battery casings are waterproof to a depth of 3 meters. They are also designed to withstand a fall of 5 meters to a concrete floor.
The aluminium, independently rotating, light shells are anodised for beauty and protection. We are initially offering six colours along with two tone anodising. A further twenty fantastic colours will be coming online over the next 6 months as is the option of laser marking your name or logo on the side of one of the light shells.
The LED’s we use are genuine Luxeon III all the way from USA which have a life of 100,000 hours of use. The optics are a solid optical grade acrylic, 6 degree spot lens to complement the LED. The beam that is thrown is a spot with diffused edges so no shaky light here. No other light set offers the ability to stagger the light beam should you wish to do so.
The light units have been tested to a depth of 5 meters in water so can withstand high pressure hosing or just washing under a tap. The lamps are fully sealed and therefore not serviceable.
Our warranty policy is such that if any part fails through normal use within 2 years it will be replaced free of charge. How’s that for confidence! 
The development / testing stage has involved users from all over the globe. Elite and average Joe. Thousands of hours of testing had been undertaken and now we feel we have a fully tried and tested quality light kit. Ay Up’s will continue to evolve and improve as new options and variants come online down the track. You’ll be notified of future developments in Ay Up if you are in our mailing list.
All in all we now have the most bullet proof, most reliable, lightest, best engineered, prettiest, most practical MTB lighting system on the market. Oh, and not to mention the cheapest.

You will be able to order your lights when the new site is posted this week. We’ll email you as soon as the site goes up and we expect to take orders this Monday 19th March and shipped the following day. This means you’ll have your lights by then end of next week!

Happy trails

Ay Up! Team "


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I had wondered about the touch sensitive switching previously. Capacitive touch switches can be a real pain to set up, and I was really hoping they had things sorted as it would have been a cool solution. Running no switch at all apart from the cord isn’t a great way to solve things IMO. :skep:

As James mentions, many drivers can drop out of regulation and continue to power the light until the protection circuitry in the battery pack itself cuts the power. They also mention on their site that they’re under driving their emitters. Although I agree it’s not a lot of light, sometimes it’s the quality of light and spread as a full system that’s important rather then total light output. Just don’t tell anyone I said that hey?  

I’d still be interested to have a play with a set of these out of curiosity. :thumbsup:

Dave.


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## Lumbee1 (Dec 16, 2004)

Well, at least they look pretty...

I would much rather have my quad CREE configuration with 640 lumens.


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## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

Yer Naybers have been on the cutting edge for awhile:

http://www.nightlightning.co.nz/endurenz details.htm

wonder when they will "discover" the Cree......


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Agreed! The last I heard there were most definitely new lights in the works!


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Well, the Ay Up lights have arrived and are charging now. First impressions are great with the quality being first class. I'll be doing a full test tomorrow night.

As for the on and off switch/ power/ brightness concerns.... i'm buying these to compliment a bar mounted setup that i'm already happy with (triple shot pros), and i'm looking or a light weight unit with a strong direct beam to show up those cornering "black spots". I'm confident that these will do the job 

I agree the lack of an on and off switch is a bit weak, but i'm sure the option will happen as an add on soon.

Meanwhile, here is the helmet mounted setup.. they are tiny!

More over the weekend....


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

What are your initial thoughts on the mounting system? 

It looks very DiNotte like with the battery pack light enough to be helmet mounted. Should be like a DiNotte on steroids! 

It sounds like the Ay Up should do the job for you very nicely, I’ll be interested to see how you go with them after a few rides. :thumbsup:


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## blackjack (Apr 20, 2005)

Thanks for the info re these lights.
A ride report will be awsome ilostmypassword.

Am I right in assuming the only means of turning the light on and off is by unplugging the light head?

I know this has been discussed, but it sure seems like a big downfall.

Having the things in your hands ilostmypassword, how difficult is it to actually do, particularly with the helmet mounted unit?

They still seem like great value.

Cheers.


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

They look like interesting lights. It is a pity that have to use the term "lubra" in reference to their 6 hour run time battery. Lubra is a derogatory word in Australia for an aboriginal woman. And referring to the battery as LIPPS just compounds the problem. I guess they think they are funny.

Tim


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I didn’t even think of it like that Tim, but now that you mention it…

As I’ve mentioned in previous threads before their release, the terminology and acronyms that they’re using are a load of rubbish anyway. Basically what it all boils down to is that their packs have protection circuitry, which any Lithium Ion pack should have as a mandatory requirement anyway.

Dave.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

*First Impressions*

First up, my digital camera is out of action, so sorry no beam shots. I ordered the red/yellow combo. I've got to say they look very pimp. The whole system is packed within a neoprene "sausage pack" which is well thought out, as all the item inside are prevented from rubbing. The onlything that doesn't fit in the pack is the ac plug (which is very small, I might make it fit), which was a bit annoying, but overall I'd give 8/10 for packaging and portability (when not on the bike).
These lights reek of quality, I love quality metal work, and these are awesome. The neoprene bags for the batteries are top quality also. The battery packs look very sturdy. Apparently the batteries is water proofed to 1M (3 feet) and shock resistant equilalent to a 5m (15 foot) drop onto concrete. Guess you could take them to the skatepark,,,,,,,,,,
So quality rating, 10/10 and yes I'm a picky bugger
The mounting has been very well thought out, I had to move my wireless cateye to the side a bit, but that's ok. Actually I think the mounting is quite clever, as it is designed to absorb quite a bit of shock thanks to the rubber mount. I like being able to offset the beam slightly as it covers more area. The helmet mount is also top quality. I use a skatey style protec helmet (which I find incredably comfortable, it just looks stupid with lycra), and I hardly notice the light and battery on top.
Yes it doesn't have a switch, but having a burn time of 6hours, and two 3hr batteries on the helmet means, that I don't really have to turn it off, and I have no problem plugging in the helmet light as I riding, but as I said, I just keep it on.
So Practability 10/10 for mounting and design and probably drop it down to 8/10 as some people would like a switch.
Now, the light beam. I was a little worried after purchasing, becuase I wasn't sure if it would be enough. But it is. This lightset puts out a very even spread of light, at about 10m (30 foot) you get a nice wide beam, I had not problem doing 30km/h on uneven firetrail. I know that HID would have given me a beam on steriods, but this is fine for me. I'm sure that someone will post some beamshots soon. So, as AYUP sugests, there is plenty enough light for night racing. So a mark for the beam, I guess I'd give it a 7/10, the beam is very even and easy on the eye, with a seemless transition with the helmet light. But like most powerhungry guys, I'd love to see what it would be like with a CREE.

SO Overall, this lightset is beautifully made, sensible priced,top quality, lightweight, well designed, practical and has enough light for most people.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

*Beamshots & other pics*















OK, I couldn't help myself. I borrowed my mate's camera, here are some shots. The fence in the beamshot is around 12m (36foot) away. I know I should have put something else against the fence, but hey I only had a few min to take some photos.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

*more pics*

Some other shots


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## dewabbit (Aug 28, 2006)

*Ay Up Reply*

Firstly, Tim. 
Sorry if you take offence in the naming but no-one here had ever heard of the word used in the context you suggest. LIPPS is also just an acronym. I'll leave it at that.

The touch switching was put on hold due to the inconsistencies in output. This is still in R&D. We found that people do 2 things with their lights- turn them on and turn them off, we just do it by pulling the plug out. Need any more info on the regulation of power just contact via the website. http://www.ayup.com.au

In regards to the CREE LED's, yes they do have a fantastic output but they also do not have the optics that we found optimal for using when riding singletrack in our setup. This is the primary reason for not using CREE. When they do and reduce their size we will consider them.

We know they work and work damn well. Thanks for the great review kbryant.

Happy Trails

The AyUp! Team

the adventure begins...


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## brum (Dec 19, 2004)

dewabbit said:


> Firstly, Tim.
> Sorry if you take offence in the naming but no-one here had ever heard of the word used in the context you suggest. LIPPS is also just an acronym. I'll leave it at that.
> 
> The touch switching was put on hold due to the inconsistencies in output. This is still in R&D. We found that people do 2 things with their lights- turn them on and turn them off, we just do it by pulling the plug out. Need any more info on the regulation of power just contact via the website. http://www.ayup.com.au
> ...


Reduce size? The LuxIII isnt smaller... 
And most of the optic mfg's could make you a custom optic to suit your needs.
Regulation specs may be posted here, I'm interested also!


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## dewabbit (Aug 28, 2006)

*ayup*

Reduce the size of the optics not the LED.
Custom optics --- we try and keep the price down and keep high quality; so custom optics are out at the moment unless you and all your mates buy a set of Ay Up!'s then we can develop custom optics.

Ay Up!


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## scarch (Dec 19, 2006)

Yup, Cree implementation does require different optics. My BR Lights C2.1-H arrived with very different looking optics than what appears in early reviews and web shots. Flood duties are still done with a reflector. The spot is now an internally reflecting optic with an interesting grid pattern that is either a separate diffuser or cast into the optic face. I believe that the results are just like the Luxeon version, though I don't have one of those for personal comparison. I can say with confidence that they took the Cree plunge carefully and were successful.

And, yes, size (output) does matter...but it may not matter to all riders. More light on tight singletrack and when climbing often just means less pupil dialation and less ability to pick up objects outside of the beam. Then again, more light on high speed descents might allow you to ride safely at full daylight speeds. More light, particularly if some of it is used to flood the area, gives you an experience that is much more like riding during the day than riding through a tunnel.

Chacun a son gout!


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## brum (Dec 19, 2004)

dewabbit said:


> Reduce the size of the optics not the LED.
> Custom optics --- we try and keep the price down and keep high quality; so custom optics are out at the moment unless you and all your mates buy a set of Ay Up!'s then we can develop custom optics.
> 
> Ay Up!


 Hmm, thats quite a deadlock (got that from a dictionary). If the Ayups had one of the new gen emitters they would sell like crazy, and certainly amongst my riding buddies who arent into DIY stuff. With the current 'old' emitters they would ride in their own shadows (I'm equipped with 5 XR-E's, overkill? No.... ) 
I've got no idea what custom optics may cost, I just thought that it would be possible seeing the housing (multiple ano colors) and the custom rubber parts.

No offence though, I'll keep checking your website for updates, the nightriding season is in its last week here. By the time early darkness comes back I'm sure that Lumileds (or another company) has a suitable product you guys can implement.

The best to your company, I'd love to see more stuff from you guys!


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## -Muz R- (Oct 18, 2006)

The guys at AY UP! were my neighboring camp buddy's at the Karapoti Classic, a recent 50km race in Wellington NewZealand. The boys ran there lights for the full 4 hours of racing in daylight to simple demonstrate to surrounding riders the reliability of their lighting systems.

I can say that for those unsure to the brightness of these little gems, they certainly throw enough light for all riding conditions. Unlike many lights that are either bar or helmet mounted, AY UP! offers both and for a respectable price, allowing for light to be cast in all directions. Of course if having a light that throws the rays of the sun floats your boat, you might want to stop and think whether riding at night is for you. Night riding shouldnt be so bright that it simulates day light after all.

Does it really matter whats inside when they are tried and true? Ive have seen many fancy lights using todays cutting edge technology and Ive seen many of them fail..

Ever been in the middle of nowhere with no moon light with your buddys and someones lights go out because of a faulty switch? Its a long walk out sometimes especially when your on your own. AY Up! have tried to develope a product that doesnt let you down from what I can see, so having switches and beam settings options not available is a blessing if you want reliability.

These lights are bright enough for most trails and if they were brighter, would you really use the dim setting with burn times of 3 hours? And with batteries that weigh a tinsy 100grams, take a spare. And then you wont have to winge about not having an on off switch. Just leave them on!!


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## jawry (Jan 22, 2004)

*Have not ridden with a set....*

...but have been out on the trails and met the Ay-up boys (working long hours at night doing product tests - what a sh#t of a job!!) a few times

Got to say that i was very impressed with the light construction and output. Not as much output as my Jet 12/20 watt combo and 15watt helmet - but weighs bugger all and burns for ever.

For the price, light output, burn times, weight and quality - not much would beat it.

my discounted 2 cents worth.

jawry


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

Just completed my first night ride/race (Full Gas Dirt Crits) with the Ay-Ups. Found the Bar & Helmet set-up (4 LEDs) good and wasn't washed out by the HID's etc being behind. May not be quite good enough for fast technical downhills etc but thats not why a got them.

Compared the lights with Nightrider Minewts, (to be fair with only one LED), and with a Nightlightning (3 LEDs) and found the output similar, maybe a little brighter & tighter spot than the Nightlightning.

In general great lights, good value and very well made and tiny/light batteries if they're up for the claimed burn times. 
Good mounts for Bars and Helmet but would probably prefer a clamp of some sort for the bars rather than cable ties to swap from bike to bike or easily remove when not needed as I don't like to have anything extra on the bike if not needed


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

pistonbroke said:


> How about a review on the Ay-Up lights on the trail?
> Anyone?


*Ordering and delivery*

I ordered the lights on the launch night of the Ayup website with Paypal. Within 5 minutes i had placed my order and received a confirmation of delivery dated for the next day! The following day i receive an email apologizing for an error in ordering so the lights would be delivered the following day! I was very happy as they arrived as promised and i opened the box to find my new toys. I was not expecting such fast delivery, so a big thumbs up here! The packaging is great, but a simple box would be easier to but the items into when your fumbling around in the back of the car!

The first thing i did was read the instructions on the website (as it clearly advises) and plugged the first battery in the charge. lets just get one thing straight here... the batteries and light set weigh next to nothing. The 3 hr batteries took about 3-4 hrs and the 6 hr, close to 7.

On observation i noticed that one of the 'reflective cones' around the light was scratched (it cast small, tiny! dark spots when powered up) so i emailed Ayup.... and a new light and an extra 3hr battery as an apology is in the post! A double thumb up for customer service (did i mention i'm a loyal customer already )

*The ride*

Out on the trail i was pleasantly surprised with these babies! First concerns were that the way that the lights are held onto the bars would be a problem with slippage (a word?)... and they stayed rock solid throughout my 2.5 hr ride. Another thumbs up.

The beams are bright and white. It was quite difficult to take photos that did these lights justice, but the images below show that the trail is ok to see with the lights on. One thing to note is that with just a single light on the helmet just did not work for me as the 'light spread' is not as wide as my Cateye Tripleshot Pros (or HID's i'm assuming). Turn on the handle bar light too and you can honestly ride single track!.. these lights are 'adequate' and do the job. I was pleasantly impressed.

Both lights










Single light










Helmet + Cateye Tripleshot Pros (notice wider spread of light)- sorry about image quality










Single spot to show off my ride 










*Positives*

1. Light... oh so light!

2. Batteries addup to 12 hrs of light

3. Strong white beams

4. Price!

5. Fast delivery

6. Overall these lights will light up your rides!

7. Ayups customer service is first class.. infact mind blowing!

9. Great build quality and of course the colour choices

*9. You can night ride with these lights*

*So what are the negatives?*

1. Firstly the lack of an on and off switch. I can see the novelty wearing off very quickly when you have to fumble with gloves (esp on the helmet mount) to power these up and down. BUT after emailing Ayup with a question on a possible fix.. they assured me that a switch is on it's way in the future and will be backward compatible with ALL of their lights.. infact All addons will be. So why the current solution is not ideal, i trust that it will be solved in the future.

2. The beam 'spread' is not as wide as i'd like, but this may be because i'm used to my Tripleshot pros, which have a very nice wide beam. The beam is super strong in the centre and gets weaker as it spreads outward. Like i mentioned, single track is rideable, so as long as you keep your eyes open for scrub on the edges, you will be fine! (and for $400 a set.. well.... you know).

3. The bar mounting could be refined with a quick release of some kind rather than zip ties. This of course is a personal preference and does not affect the lights performance.... i'm just over cutting and re- zipping after each ride 

Overall i'm in love with these lights! I'll also be honest and admit i'm surprised that you could get away with these on the trails!.. all for $400.00. Will i use these exclusively?.. well no... because i wanted a strongish helmet mounted beam to accompany my Tripleshot Pros (which have a wide beam)... and these are perfect for this! What will i do with the second light?.. i'm considering running the second set on my bars with my cateyes (as they are soooo damn light!!).
*
If you want to night ride on a budget... get a set of these lights... you will not be disappointed.* These are not HID brightness (or cost!!!).. but they do the job very very well. I'm sure i'll see more of these on the trails... in all the colours of the rainbow 

A group of mates and I are riding at Lysterfield this Wednesday.. so please feel free to join us for a spin and to see the lights in action. We are meeting at 6pm.

*I'll have some better photos (from a better camera) from our ride on Wednesday.*


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

:madman: So double posted


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## jimmyK (Feb 7, 2007)

I had a coworker named Ayup once.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the update *Paul*!

Your post really seems to back up the idea that you really need to use both Ayup lights to ride seriously. That's fine though, considering the emitters and their output, not to mention that they are marketed as a complete package after all. A single light may still be the ticket for commuting though?

From what I have seen posted here and shown on the Ayup website I was thinking the mounting system would be a great setup, but somehow I missed the whole zip tie part! The Ayup brackets with an O-Ring style mounting setup would be perfection. It looks like you could easily modify the helmet mount to work like this, but the bar mount doesn't look quite so easy.

Ayup also appear to have nailed the customer service too. Nothing like a little Aussie spirit and a team dedicated to their product! :thumbsup:

*AussieRider* as you mention, I would expect the triple emitter Endurenz to have similar output to the under driven quad emitter Ayup. You mention the Ayup lights may feature a slightly brighter and tighter spot, but I assume the Endurenz still throws a much wider flood for peripheral vision?

Dave.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Low_Rider said:


> Thanks for the update *Paul*!
> 
> Your post really seems to back up the idea that you really need to use both Ayup lights to ride seriously. That's fine though, considering the emitters and their output, not to mention that they are marketed as a complete package after all. A single light may still be the ticket for commuting though?
> 
> ...


Hey, no problem.

Yes a single unit would be PERFECT for commuting for sure. :thumbsup:

Maybe on Wednesday night i'll have a few more images to share (on a better camera).

Paul.


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## slaw (Apr 6, 2004)

I've only ridden Lysterfield once at night, but when I saw your first shot I thought "That looks like Lysterfield"! Haven't spotted the drop bears out there yet.

For commuting, I think it would be nice to have options for lower light levels and strobe, but otherwise I'm sure these lights would be a lot better than most out there.

My first home made lights had no switch. Just plug it in to the battery. This was for commuting where I would plug it in at the start of the ride and unplug it at the other end.


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

Low_Rider said:


> Thanks for the update *Paul*!
> 
> Your post really seems to back up the idea that you really need to use both Ayup lights to ride seriously. That's fine though, considering the emitters and their output, not to mention that they are marketed as a complete package after all. A single light may still be the ticket for commuting though?
> 
> ...


Yes you're correct the Endurenz does have a wider flood but note I was only using one Ayup unit (2 emitters) as a comparison. It was only really a quick comparo in any case

As for customer service another :thumbsup: as I ordered the lights on Sunday night and got them early Tuesday morning enough time to charge all 3 batteries at work! 
After doing the Dirt Crits at Westgate last Thursday night I e-mailed Ayup with some positive feedback but also mentioned the small hassle of the bar mount with zip ties etc as I intend to change bikes (SS to Dually) etc and they posted another bar mount straight away for no charge. :thumbsup: No probs with the lack of a switch as with 3 hours burn time on such a small battery there's no need to turn these little puppies off!! (my legs need 're-charging' by this time anyway

:thumbsup:

The guys at Ayup also mentioned that as new emitters evolve and brighter, wider beams become available they will be offering an upgrade service for existing users

Once again great little package and fantastic customer service


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

howdy all, 

Great feedback on the lights - please keep it coming. :thumbsup: 

Love that 'drop bear' and the sense of humor of the person who put it there!! For the many of you that haven't been to Lysty, there is a big (3ft) stuffed bear sitting on the branch of a tree at the start of a singletrack section. Awesome!  

Cheers


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Righteo, a final update.

Went for an epic tonight with 3 mates using only the ayup lights (we all have a set). The batteries lasted for close to 4 hrs (not 3!) and we rode with NO PROBLEMS at all. We even carried a spare battery as they weigh nothing.. but never had to use it. Tonight was one of the best rides we have had.. period... and the ayup lights made it possible. Technical singletrack, fireroads, open grass land.. we rode it all. ****ing amazing.

*My Final view is GET THESE LIGHTS- THEY ROCK *

I'm a fan.. and i'm not alone!


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

Easy to change tires

I was 20kms out of town last night (doing some bitumen) and got a flat. Without even thinking, I flipped the bike over and proceeded to change the tire (with the help of my helmet light). Later on I realised this would not be possible with most lights, it's just that Ay-Ups are so small and low-set that my med-riser handlebars were enough to protect the light set.

Just another bonus I've found.

Also some people have discussed that mounting hardware. I love it, it is absolutely bomb-proof. I just leave always leave the small plastic mount on my handle bars, which would weigh aout 15grams, I do take of the little rubber mounting strap though. On my helmet I just whack some sticky tape over the rubber strap to keep it back, as it can't be removed easily. 
If you had some kind of stack (accident) test between different lights, Ay-Ups would clean it up. They are just so tough, and being so small and light they don't have much inertia (I think that's the word I'm after).
A lot of the single tracks I ride are overgrown and not what I call "well groomed" so it's not unusual to be whacking into branches with my helmet, I know that with most other sets I would have broken something by now.


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## waldog (Nov 4, 2005)

*Anymore Ayuppers out there?*

Hey guys, anyone got some longer term feedback on their lights? Any new users out there? Any word on future upgrades?

These lights look great, just still trying to convince myself.

Cheers,

Wal.


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## Sov (Nov 4, 2005)

waldog said:


> Any new users out there?


Yep, just got a set in the mail on Thursday. I've only done a quick street ride so can't really comment on how they are off road. Certainly seem plenty bright though!

They're a very professional bit of gear - was really impressed when I got the package and had a look at all of the bits. But the best thing about these is that they match my frame and headset!

Here's some pics, will post again once I've done a proper ride. Oh yeah, I realise the bar mounted light is upside down, but I find you get more angle adjustment that way.


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## -Muz R- (Oct 18, 2006)

Wal, 

I was lucky enough to have camped along side the guys form Ay UP at a recent race in New Zealand and they are all a bunch of good dedicated blokes. They have been testing the lights for well over a year in all conditions prior to there sales. There are a lot of magazines currently reviewing lights at the moment but none of which are testing the new Ay Ups. Mostly because they are pretty new I guess. Shame, would be good to see how they would rack up. 

We have just purchased 6 sets of the new Ay Ups and the reason for our choices are, simplicity, weight, burn time, reliabilty and cost. Some liked the multiple colour choices as well. 

Although we are really pleased, some of us didnt really look at the other competition. If you look at the mag reviews you will notice that LED technology has taken leaps and bounds ie. Lupine Wilma 6 (830) lumens for 5 hours of burn time. Thats double the brightness of the Ay Ups but 3 times the price. It would seem that with that much light from an LED source, there isnt much future for HID. But the Ay Ups are far from matching the Lupine at approx. 400-500 lumens similar burn time.

I would be honest to say that there would be times where more light would be needed but for general night riding with your mates or training sessions, the Ay Ups are pretty hard to pass up at sub $400 Aud. I had seriously considered a brighter light like the Lupine Wilma but kept on asking myself why I would I need a light worth $1100. Not to mention that it would flood my buddies lights out and I would never hear the end of it! I can ride my favourite trails at about 80% of my day speed with confidence.

Legend has it that Ay Up will release a light with brighter updated emitters as soon as they are able, but for now the Luxeon 3's they are currently using are casting a beautiful blue white and bright light source that burns for more than enough time for epic night rides.

If you have a limited budget or like me, cant justify the cost of a mildly better light, gives these babies a go. At least the switch wont brake, as they dont have one!:thumbsup:


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

-Muz R- said:


> I would be honest to say that there would be times where more light would be needed but for general night riding with your mates or training sessions, the Ay Ups are pretty hard to pass up at sub $400 Aud. ..... I can ride my favourite trails at about 80% of my day speed with confidence.


Hey Muz,

Really appreciate the input  . A few q's for you...

1. Can you please elaborate on the situations when you'd need more light? 
2. Do they give enough light for tight and twisty singletrack (speeds below 30km/h)?
3. Also at what speed do you 'outrun' the lights on more open trails?

Thanks mate,


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

PuddleDuck said:


> Hey Muz,
> 
> Really appreciate the input  . A few q's for you...
> 
> ...


1. Very rutted trails - or trails with a lot of debris on side of singletrack (the lights don't have a huge "spread' of light - more focussed)

2. Yes

3. Not sure 

Paul


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## -Muz R- (Oct 18, 2006)

PuddleDuck said:


> Hey Muz,
> 
> Really appreciate the input  . A few q's for you...
> 
> ...


Puddleduck,

My local trails at Parklands on the Sunshine Coast are littered with baby heads rocks and the trails are quite narrow and tristy with the odd bar checker thrown in! There are lots of skinny trees either side of the trails also, so having a broader, brighter light would maybe help those situations alittle. I think the extra light would just help you to ride at your normal day speeds but as I mentioned in the earlier post, I can ride at about 80% confidently. The light from the Ay Ups are certainly bright enough though, just the spread of light could be improved a tad. Not complaining at this price though.

For single track, they perform really well as you can look around the corners with the helmet light and the bar mount shines directly infront of you. You can also move the led's independently ( one up and one down a bit ) This will spread the light up and down, but not to the side .

Havent out run the light source as yet. Have stuck to mainly single track and the odd training ride on the road. Speeds reached on single track were 42km/h on this on down hill section with rocks that stick out of the ground all over the place and the light were perfectly ok.

Just had a mate ring form Koralbyn today and he is 62 years old and rides with glasses and he commented very highly on these lights after a few laps last night at the 24 hr.


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

Cheers to you both ILP and Muz. Sounds like I'll be getting myself a set. The toughest choice now is which colour combo :drumroll:


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## Redmon (Jan 12, 2004)

I would love to see some more pictures of beam patterns. Birthday is a week away and Im getting new lights one way or another. Any other high quality pics out on the trail??

Shawn


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## blackjack (Apr 20, 2005)

*Anyone else having trouble accessing their website.*

I've been trying to get into the Ay up webstore for a couple of days, but get some message telling me to install the latest flash player, which I have..?

I just wanted to pass on some positive feedback to them after a great weekend at the Kooralbyn 24hr (Queensland, Australia).

The lights were fantastic. They put out more than enough light for my pedestrian pace, I hardly noticed them there, and I was able to give the batteries a quick top up from the car charger while I was having a camp (thanks to my team manager - wife - for swapping the batts. over when the little light went green)

My only concern was the helmet mounted light unit popping off the mount when I was carrying the helmet in my hand (light unplugged). This happened twice, and luckily the light dropped onto the grass and I found it easily.
I ended up using a small zip tie to secure it to the mount for safety.
I recon a small lip or bump where the rubber strap goes over the plastic post of the mount would fix this problem.

Anyway, can't recommend the lights highly enough.
Cheers.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I’m not having any trouble accessing the website, although they do have a new page design now.

Be warned I’m an overly critical university computing student and I don’t mean to be negative, but the new website appears to be a big step in the wrong direction unfortunately. The use of flash and an inconsistent layout, combined with difficult page navigation and a user changeable colour scheme is not a good move for a company that needs to be providing an accessible website that provides a clear image for the company.

Come on guys, ditch the templates and employ someone with real web design skills. It will be well worth it in the long run. 


Thanks for the feedback guys, keep it coming! :thumbsup:

Dave.


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

kbryant said:


> Some other shots


Your pig image is on the Ayup website???? I hope that you get royalties... :thumbsup:


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Low_Rider said:


> I'm not having any trouble accessing the website, although they do have a new page design now.
> 
> Be warned I'm an overly critical university computing student and I don't mean to be negative, but the new website appears to be a big step in the wrong direction unfortunately. The use of flash and an inconsistent layout, combined with difficult page navigation and a user changeable colour scheme is not a good move for a company that needs to be providing an accessible website that provides a clear image for the company.
> 
> ...


The website is terrible.... and will turn many many buyers away. I agree- pay someone to do it properly..... you can't even find an option to buy teh lights!!!.... you get lost!!! *silly silly*

:madman: :madman:


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## Katzenjammer (Jun 12, 2007)

+1 on 'fix the website'. Any site that doesn't offer a non-flash way to get in? Fuggeddaboddit.


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## Trevor_S (Jun 25, 2007)

PuddleDuck said:


> 2. Do they give enough light for tight and twisty singletrack (speeds below 30km/h)?


If you wanted more light again, you could put another light unit on the bike i.e with another mount, you could have one over the top and one underneath, (a 3hr battery strapped to the top of the stem and the other 3 hr strapped under the stem) all you need is another light and another bar mount, assuming you bought the set originally, you can use the spare 3 hr battery that comes in the kit. I did this as a test, worked fine :thumbsup: Unless you have a looooong stem you will not be able to use the 6hr battery unfortunately, no room.. of course you can mount the 6 hr on the top bar and use the extension cord provided in the kit if that suits you better.

I find them excellent and ride single track on them all the time (my normal setup is one light on the helmet and the other on the bar) as well as getting an extra mount to use on my road bike for early morning starts  I like the idea of not having a switch, makes them more reliable, the only time I turn them off is if I stop for an extended period of time or when I finish the ride, very simple and in my opinion a positive not a negative..

One tip, if you do order a set, grab an extra bar mount ($5) if you have a road bike and/or another MTB, the lights transfer easily, the mounts do not.

and another vote of Yuck to the website  but very good lights (not perfect) at an excellent price.

I would not use them to do DH at night but coming down fast, moderately technical XC single track is fine, probably 80% - 90% of my daytime speeds.. but the recently acquired Edge 305 should be able to give me some quantitative rather then qualitative info in that regard.


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## ozlongboarder (Jan 12, 2004)

Just had a look at there website, VERY frustrating to navigate.

Any chance these guys will make a flashing red rear light? 

PS, I cant see any of ilostpasswords beam shots in his post.


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## dsut4392 (Mar 9, 2007)

Anyone else see a resemblance here?

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut734

Looks to me like half an AY-UP, though the guts must be different as this thing only has 1W.


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## waldog (Nov 4, 2005)

Has anyone compared the ayup to a cateye double shot? I've just picked up a set of niteflux vision 20's cheap on ebay, with a long term goal of running both the 15 and 5 watt lights on the bar and getting another light for my helmet. I'm thinking a single ayup or a cateye double shot would be the goods.

Any thoughts people?

Wal


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

waldog said:


> Has anyone compared the ayup to a cateye double shot? I've just picked up a set of niteflux vision 20's cheap on ebay, with a long term goal of running both the 15 and 5 watt lights on the bar and getting another light for my helmet. I'm thinking a single ayup or a cateye double shot would be the goods.
> 
> Any thoughts people?
> 
> Wal


No comparison- the double shot is weak as hell. The "pro" however is very good- and i'd say a little better with spread than the ayup.


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## Micka (Oct 30, 2006)

I just saw on the AY UP website that new lights are coming out August 20th. They are moving from Luxeon III to Cree XRE P4 leds! Compatible with existing batteries, but way more light by the looks of it. They will also be introducing a switch with high (>600 lumen) & low power (300 lumen) modes and also flashing mode. They say in low power mode, the existing 3 hour battery now becomes a 5 hour battery! (so does that mean the 'old' 6 hour will now become a 10 hour?). Looks like price has gone up a little to $110. New colours will also be in.
This might give me the excuse to splurge on these babies...


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Finally! Now we’re talking!

A decent light output at a very decent price, and they now come in pink, what else could you ask for?


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

How do they manage to get 3 hours run time out of a 1250 mA battery when they say that their lights draw 500 mAs? Do they get the run time by lowering the light output as the battery runs down?

It is great to see that they have finally stopped using the term "Lubra" (a derogatory term for a female Australian aborigine) for their batteries. Having complained about this for a while I might now have to buy one.

Tim


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I’m too lazy to do the exact maths but if you think of the power consumption in terms of watt hours, they have a very loosely claimed power consumption for the (unregulated) head, so you could probably expect that the run times they mention are reasonably accurate when you factor in a little for tolerances, and the fact that the power draw will diminish towards the end of the run time.

I only just noticed this actually, but after trawling through their website I understand that these lights are not regulated, and use a resistor to control current through the emitters. While there’s nothing really wrong with this, unregulated lights will get to a point in their burn time pretty early on where they slowly diminish in light output until the end of their burn time.

I assume that the battery protection circuit would kick in well before the limit of the emitter forward voltage is reached, not that it matters either way, after it’s dimmed for a while you’ll suddenly find yourself without any light regardless.


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## Rattus (Feb 6, 2006)

Hmmm, I have had my ayups for about 3 rides, and now they are redundant and it will cost me $120 to upgrade them both. 

I will get the new lights just in time for when daylight savings starts, and by the time I use them there will possibly be a better and cheaper product available.

Can't say I'm really happy about them doing a big promotion only to upgrade drastically so soon after 

I wonder if the new lights really are that much better ?

Hey Low_rider, what would you recommend ? 

1. Just stay with the old lights they are good enough.

2. Upgrade the handlebar light for $60 (Would narrow or medium be best here?)

3. Upgrade both for $120 you can't have too much light.

If I upgraded both, I don't suppose I could sell my old ones as people would need the special batteries to go with them. They do offer an upgrade kit to get around this, but then that's even more cost.

I suppose I will just wait awhile and see what the full details are, seems even if i upgrade the lights then my batteries will be old news as they have no switch. I think you have to buy new batteries to get the switch ? I was hoping you could add the switch to existing batteries.

They have the special upgrade offer for existing customers open until 30th Nov.


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## Huph (Feb 26, 2006)

I know a couple of people riding with Ay-Ups and they love them lots.

But I have also seen this photo.










While it looks like a serious off, I do wonder how robust that cross-brace design is.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Hi Rat, honestly I'm not really sure!

I still haven't seen a set in action, so really I only have beam shots to go off. The light nut in me says upgrade, but if you have plenty of light as it is it's a tough call. :devil:

I can see the sense in upgrading just the bar or helmet light, and I would be tempted to go for the medium on the bar, or possibly the narrow on the helmet. My reasoning is that a wider, brighter flood on the bars would be nice for a little extra light in the technical singletrack around here, but on the same token a normal but brighter, narrow light on the helmet might be the ticket too. It all comes down to personal preference. Are there any thoughts from other current Ayup owners?

As far as I understand the new heads will be compatible with the older batteries, you just won't have the switch and dimming control. I get lost in their description of the new batteries and casing with on /off or dimming control, but it comes across as though you would have to buy a whole pack to get the extra functionality?



Rat said:


> I will get the new lights just in time for when daylight savings starts, and by the time I use them there will possibly be a better and cheaper product available.


I think it must be an unwritten rule. I always seem to arrive with a set up I'm happy with just in time for summer!  



Huph said:


> I know a couple of people riding with Ay-Ups and they love them lots. But I have also seen this photo.


I don't think these lights were designed to move trees!  

I guess a one piece light would probably have survived such an impact, but then you probably wouldn't have had the degree of adjustability either. Perhaps some sort of mount that's designed to break and save the light might be an idea for future revisions?


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## Micka (Oct 30, 2006)

Low_Rider said:


> Perhaps some sort of mount that's designed to break and save the light might be an idea for future revisions?


Isn't that the purpose of those rubber straps that hold the actual lights onto the mounts?


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Huph said:


> I know a couple of people riding with Ay-Ups and they love them lots.
> 
> But I have also seen this photo.
> 
> ...


What do you expect? THINGS WILL BREAK if you hit the ground hard enough  The good news if that Ayup offer a no questions asked replacement service if you break them in a stack (well they did when i purchased mine).. so problem solved :thumbsup:


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## chris-crisis (Jul 16, 2007)

I expect upgrade is done now not to annoy people in Australia ready for daylight savings but because firstly there is a market overseas they must keep up with and secondly in October there is the 24hr scott with approx 8000riders and the 24hr mont and probably other 24hr races. Assuming there are people like me going in their first 24 hr race or many wanting to upgrade that is a lot of people wanting new lightweight helmet mounted lights before October.

I also saw that photo and the story behind it is a guy in New Zealand went in his first 24hr race with a team of 5. Was doing quite well during the day but on his first lap at night ran off a smallish cliff and was very very seriously injured. However he was very happy with the lights that still worked after the accident and was fixed by Ayup. There are links to his story on the Ayup site and maybe they fixed them for nothing it return for the sotry.

My question is would he had run off the cliff is he had a much brighter light and could see where he was going? After reading the story rather than deciding Ayup's are nice and strong I decided I wanted as bright as I can get so I don't hurt myself. 

I have ordered a 13.2V battery and 12V bulbs from batteryspace which when it arrives hopefully upgrades my Marwi light enough. If not my next option is either 12V bulbs fom another supplier or the blaast from nightlightening which can use the battery I have ordered. I have read a review by someone with a blaast and 13.2V battery from batteryspace and they were very happy.

Maybe if I had known Ayup would upgrade in time for the race I might have bought them but I want lights pretty soon to start getting more training in and while I knew there was an upgrade rumoured no dates were mentioned.


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

*Upgrade Ordered*

Just replied to the e-mail to order my upgraded Ay-ups 1 x narrow & 1 x medium beam

Hopefully will get them before the FGP 12hr in Setember

When I got my 1st set back in March this year I was aware that an upgrade would be coming about August/September although I was under the impression that the existing housing would be used with new emmitters etc
This way I get to keep the existing lights, great for commuting and for the roadie. :thumbsup:

I also ordered an extra 2 handle bar mounts & battery (6 hr) this will mean I will have a set of the old lights on my roadie and the other on the commuter each with a 3 hr battery and also have a set of the new lights for the MTB and will use either the 3 hr or 6 hrs batteries as required


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## blackjack (Apr 20, 2005)

I'm probably missing something on the website, but where is this upgrade mentioned.
(excuse me if it's somewhere earlier in this post and I missed it.)

I've had my Ay-ups for about six months I guess, and couldn't be happier, although a third emmitter would be great (especially if it's brighter) helmet mounted.

The idea about running the existing two in tandem on the bars seems like a great idea. 
I wonder if two lights could be run from one battery via some sort of double adaptor/splitter.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Yeah I can't find a reference to any upgrades either?

It's hard to know without the specifics of the battery, but you *may possibly* be able to run two light heads in _parallel_ off a single pack. It would depend on how much current the protection circuit in the packs would let you draw. Obviously two heads would halve your run time too. 

Dave.


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> Yeah I can't find a reference to any upgrades either?
> 
> It's hard to know without the specifics of the battery, but you *may possibly* be able to run two light heads in _parallel_ off a single pack. It would depend on how much current the protection circuit in the packs would let you draw. Obviously two heads would halve your run time too.
> 
> Dave.


 Dave

Hard to give directions when you are dealing with a crappy flash site, but if you click on ignore intro and then lighting system, you'll see the the giddy up the crees are here section on the bottom right. Here are the details:



taken from Ayup site said:


> We are pleased to announce that we are moving to the CREE - XRE P4 LED's. These babies produce over twice the light output of the Luxeons. We are releasing these new lamps on 20th August 07. Two beam options, narrow and medium along with twelve (12) new colours. Girls hang onto your skirts, Pinks are in !
> Sadly the light shell casings have become heavier, 2 grams ..... the new lightsets weigh 58 grams, unbelieveable weight for so much light ! The mounting bar and connector is exactly the same so all existing batteries will work just fine. Still waterproof but just prettier.
> Also, yes we have been busy ..... the switch is coming ....! New battery casings with waterproof switch attached and intrinsically safe..... Yes, we will have a bullet proof system thats a world beater! They will come in - just on / off and super smart. 3 light power modes and flashing. The new lamps have been built to be compatable with these new batteries. High power mode reaches over 600 lumen (way too much light) and low power runs at 300 lumen. A 3hr battery now becomes a 5hr. 80 grams of battery and upto 5 hours of light. We are getting there .......
> Also coming before Oct 07, 2 channel chargers, charge two batteries at once. These wil be offered in the endurance kits and as an optional extra for all other kits. Can this ever end you ask .... No we will contiune to evolve our products for ever more ......... The journey is just beginning !
> ...


Tim


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## milroy (Jan 15, 2004)

Sorry don't mean to be negative as this will undoubtedly be a massive improvement.

My question is however, why use P4's when they could use Q4's or maybe Q5's?

And 600 lumens. Would that be from 1 pair (ie 2 leds) or 2 pairs?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Tim said:


> Hard to give directions when you are dealing with a crappy flash site, but if you click on ignore intro and then lighting system, you'll see the giddy up the crees are here section on the bottom right.


Sorry Tim I was thinking of the November 30th date Rat mentioned when I asked that question, I just looked at my post and I realised that I hadn't actually asked the question I was thinking of! 



Milroy said:


> My question is however, why use P4's when they could use Q4's or maybe Q5's?


Regarding the use of P4 bins I'd take a wild guess and assume that cost would be a big factor in their use, and I understand it's currently a little difficult to secure more then a reel or two of emitters of a precise bin and tint with the higher bins. I have no idea what kind of volume of emitters that they'd be going through, but it may be possible that availability could be an issue.

Then from a business point of view, by using a lower bin the R series bins that should be available next year will still be a serious and noticeable jump from the P4's, whereas it may not be quite so noticeable from say a Q5 bin.

It's all speculation, but certainly possible. 

Dave.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

I've put in my order for the CREE upgrade for both lightsets. I thought about selling my old ones to my mates but had another idea. I've got three batteries, a 6HR and 2 3HRs so I'm thinking about buying two more bar mounts and running my old luxeon Ayup under the bar with a 3HR battery, (along with the new CREE bar light and CREE helmet light, of course), selling my other luxeon Ayup to a mate who is buying a new CREE Ayup set, and he can do the same. I know I'll only have full power for 3HRs, before I limp home with one bar light. But I don't usually ride at night for longer than that anyway, and if I do I just run the two CREEs. 
THen again, will the Luxeon really add to my light, or should I just sell my old lights? There must be others out there thinking similar things......


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

kbryant said:


> I've put in my order for the CREE upgrade for both lightsets. I thought about selling my old ones to my mates but had another idea. I've got three batteries, a 6HR and 2 3HRs so I'm thinking about buying two more bar mounts and running my old luxeon Ayup under the bar with a 3HR battery, (along with the new CREE bar light and CREE helmet light, of course), selling my other luxeon Ayup to a mate who is buying a new CREE Ayup set, and he can do the same. I know I'll only have full power for 3HRs, before I limp home with one bar light. But I don't usually ride at night for longer than that anyway, and if I do I just run the two CREEs.
> THen again, will the Luxeon really add to my light, or should I just sell my old lights? There must be others out there thinking similar things......


I'm not sure if adding the Luxeon on the Bar would add much, if any, light over the Cree, worth a try though, you can ever have to much light I guess

As per my previous post I plan to use the old Luxeons on the roadie and the commuter, although I know a couple of people that may appreciate to borrow the Luxeons


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## pagey (Sep 26, 2006)

I though you had to return theLuxeons to getthe Cree upgrade

cheers
Pagey


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

I thought that too at first. But it's not like they're going to remodel the cases. I did email them, asking them what the deal was, but I think they're out the office for a while. 

I just can't wait to get the Crees..


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

pagey said:


> I though you had to return theLuxeons to getthe Cree upgrade
> 
> cheers
> Pagey


This was my impression when enquiry with Andrew back in March before I got my set.

It appears that the housing for the Crees need to be 3mm longer to accomodate the Cree Optics hence the need for new housings. Extra bonus as you get to keep the old Luxeons etc.


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## dimitrisem (Mar 22, 2007)

*ayup upgrade*

Hello to all from Athens, Greece.

I got my Ayup light sets at April 2007 and i am very happy with them.
I will upgrade also, with 1 medium light set for the handlebar. I am thinking to buy the buddy kit+charger. 
I will then sell one Luxeon set to a roadie friend and i will keep the new cree set + the other luxeon set. ( Cree on handlebar, Luxeon on helmet).
For friends that don`t know ayup lights here are some photos with luxeon leds of mine.
photo 1
photo 2


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

Just ordered by Cree upgrade for both bar and helmet. The website is suggesting a combined output of over 1000 lumens. That'll be alright. I'm still toying with what I'll do with my old lights. I'll post some comparisons and beam shots when I get them.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I’m wondering how on earth you get 1000 lumens out of four P4 binned Cree XR-E emitters, as Ay Up claim to be using?

You’d be pretty close with four Q5 binned Cree XR-E emitters though. 

Dave.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

wireless can be a pain sometimes


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

sorry


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

Ahh, come on. When they first announced the Crees, I was thinking, ok so maybe 600 lumens. When I read 
"_Introducing our newest range ... Lightsets using Cree P4 LED's in Cool White Tint with both narrow and medium beam angles available.
Minimum 500 lumen output per lightset. One kit will produce over 1,000 lumen without exsessive heat. These babies hardly get warm !
12 exciting new colours catering for both girls and boys .... hot pinks are in. Check out the individual colours in our galleries ..._"
I've got to say, I was ecstatic. But Dave, you're probably right.
So using your extensive knowledge of lumens and LEDs, what kind of output do you think they'll put out? (4 CREE XR-E driven @ 500mA)
How many lumens would you predict the old Luxeon 3's were putting out, (4 Lux3 driven @ 500mA)? I alway thought they were producing around 240-280lumens.
Anyway, you'd have to agree that the new Cree package that AYUP is putting out is tough to beat.

Kurt.


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## kbryant (Jul 25, 2006)

sorry again


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## slidecontrol (Apr 8, 2007)

numbers aside, I got to see a few luxeon driven ayups a few months back at a 24hr race here in NZ, and they were impressive then, enough so that with boost in light output that the crees should bring, I have ordered a set as of yesterday.
best of all the ayup guys wil be at the 12hr I'm doing in sept so any teething issues wil be easy to sort


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

I’ve noticed that any claims of output in lumens have recently been removed from the website, as far as I can see. It’s frustrating that there have been so many claims and changes made regarding these lights. :skep:

From my understanding these lights are unregulated, so it’s quite possible that on a full charge the emitters may see a little more then the claimed 500mA drive current. Then taking in to account thermal management, optical losses and variance in emitter bins, I can only give an extremely rough guide. I’m really hesitant to make any claims of accuracy without knowing all of the details.

I’m also making a huge assumption here as I do not know the exact Luxeon III bin that they are using, and there is a huge difference in brightness between say an S bin or X bin emitter. These numbers have also been sourced from both official datasheets and unofficial tests by various third parties, all with different equipment. Accuracy is definitely not guaranteed! 


In general a 200 to 260 lumen figure sounds pretty reasonable for four T or U binned Luxeon III emitters driven at around 500mA.

In general a 400 to 480 lumen figure sounds pretty reasonable for four P4 binned Cree XR-E emitters driven at around 500mA.


For comparisons sake, again very roughly:

In general a 440 to 520 lumen figure sounds pretty reasonable for four U binned Seoul P4 emitters driven at around 500mA.

In general a 480 to 560 lumen figure sounds pretty reasonable for four Q4 binned Cree XR-E emitters driven at around 500mA.


Regardless of output and their interesting claims, they do still appear to be a decent lighting solution at a nice price. It will be interesting to see how the Cree XR-E based lights compare. :thumbsup:


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## soslow (Jan 22, 2006)

Error posting. Sorry.


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

AyUp have a new web - which is much better. Czech it out.


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## toydeluxe (Apr 12, 2004)

So what's the latest word on these little gadgets?

Is it time to ditch my HIDs or is there still some improvements to be made?

I could give a rat's ass about the bling factor. Nobody sees bling at night. The weight savings would be nice, but not a big deal for me. If the light output is comparable, I might consider a set. Otherwise, I don't want to be sadly disappointed getting lights that are noticeably less powerful than my HIDs.


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## eldiablo (Feb 23, 2005)

what beam options have people on here gone for?

http://www.ayup.com.au/gallery-beamshots.html

Looking at the pics on the Ayup site looks like narrow helmet and intermediate bars seems a good choice?? any thoughts?


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## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

Definitely narrow on the helmet, toss up between the medium and intermediate on the bars, but I think I would choose the medium. A bit disappointing that you need to use a bar and helmet light to get that output though. Only problem is it takes two light sets to get a decent amount of light whereas other light sets can put out that with one light head. The Dinotte 600l for example can put out that amount of light and then you still have room for another one later if you wanted. With the ayup it looks like you use both the bar and helmet mounting positions which is fine I guess if you don't think you would need more light than that.


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## slidecontrol (Apr 8, 2007)

I went for narrow for my helmet and intermediate on the bars, after testing them I was glad I passed on the mediums, as the [apparent] difference in brightness would have quite large.
the intermediate provide more than enough beam spread for most single track riding and compare very well to the topeak moonshine HID. (I got to compare with one at the Taupo 12 hr)


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## pagey (Sep 26, 2006)

Narrow Helmet and Medium Bars for me


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## Micka (Oct 30, 2006)

I just saw on the Ay Up website (in the Technical Info) that they are currently testing Q5 bin Crees as well as new battery packs with adjustable power levels & flash mode. I thought they may have been holding out for the R bin crees which are due out sometime early next year, but it's good to see they are keen to implement whatever the best currently available emitter is.


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## DG-atr (Aug 16, 2007)

I have medium on bars and intermediate on the helmet.

Works very well for me.

Laters

Dom


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Just ordered a narrow/intermediate set, narrow will be on my helmet.


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## dtheo (Sep 18, 2005)

*Beam comparison*

Can anyone with these lights compare them to a HID or some of the other manufacturer's LEDs out there? I am interested in the TriNewt, but the price is nice for the Ayup and it looks like one set on the helmet would be perfect with my halogens on the bars.

Thanks, 
DT


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## Brucie (Dec 21, 2005)

Hi All (first post so be gentle with me!)

I've just ordered a roadie kit from AyUp (with intermediate beam, btw), but prior to that I emailed them about the on/off batteries, and the Q5 bin. Their response was that the on/off batteries should be available mid November, and that the multi power mode batteries will be available by the end of the year. They've also decided not to supply the Q5 bin after testing it at a recent (Scott?) 24 hour race, as the colour was too yellow. However they expect to take stock of R bin samples in mid November.

Cheers,

Brucie


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## david 290 (May 7, 2006)

*shipping / delivery, uk, v.a.t, import duty, customs charges,*

hello,

does anyone know if i will be stung by parcel force , or royal mail, customs, :nono:

for the delivery of a £100.00 / £150.00 UK, / $203.00 / $304.00 USD, AY-UP system,

delivery to the uk,

thanks,


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## Brucie (Dec 21, 2005)

David, have at look at this thread on Singletrackworld, it may help you work out the figures. On my £117.00 order inc delivery I'm expecting to pay roughly another £25 - £30 in VAT and Royal Mail admin fees.

Hope this helps.


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## drewh (Nov 17, 2005)

Just got my set. Delivery to the US was about 4 days. The build quality is outstanding, but most impressive is the size of the battery packs... absolutely tiny (inexpensive spares too). I ordered the roadie kit to use as bar lights to supplement a helmet mounted HID. Only one ride in, but it seems like a great combo. More light that I expected from the Ay-Up's. 

David- You may want to search the forums at singletrackworld.com. It seems a small percentage of people are receiving a customs bill in the UK.


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## catnash (Jan 14, 2004)

6thElement said:


> Just ordered a narrow/intermediate set, narrow will be on my helmet.


Same here, black was sold out so went for gunmetal grey.


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## david 290 (May 7, 2006)

*thanks,*

hello,

thanks for the help and suggestions,

the rapid response replys is appreciated, :thumbsup:

darth, hope enjoy your new lights,

any chance of some night beam shots, :thumbsup: 

what combo did you go for, and whats the lumen output,

a lot of you guys on here are so lucky, to have cycling buddys, mates,

never mind,

just have to keep riding with my lights, alone for now, :skep:


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

catnash said:


> Same here, black was sold out so went for gunmetal grey.


I really wanted the black so they allowed me to cancel the order while I wait 2 weeks for the black to come back into stock, so then the price went up...doh


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Weakened and ordered the reds as I'm missing out on night rides!


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Lights turned up, fantastic looking kit. Although my set turned up with the wrong charger, it only had the single channel, not the dual channel charger. I've emailed and awaiting their response.


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

6thElement said:


> Lights turned up, fantastic looking kit. Although my set turned up with the wrong charger, it only had the single channel, not the dual channel charger. I've emailed and awaiting their response.


Any update? Ride reports etc.?


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## catnash (Jan 14, 2004)

They're great, I have had 2 HIDs' before this and for the cost they can't be beat. You get two sets of lights so if one of your group wants to try them it's easy for the both of you to still ride. I've had L&M Arcs and I didnt notice the diference, because again you have two lights and having one on your head really improves things.


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

catnash said:


> They're great, I have had 2 HIDs' before this and for the cost they can't be beat. You get two sets of lights so if one of your group wants to try them it's easy for the both of you to still ride. I've had L&M Arcs and I didnt notice the diference, because again you have two lights and having one on your head really improves things.


So you are comparing 2 AyUps to 1 Arc right? Are you saying the your 2 lights are as bright as 1 Arc, or just that the light is more usable since you have 1 on the bar and 1 on your head?


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## catnash (Jan 14, 2004)

Yeah, to be honest with the two together It seemed brighter and like you mentioned with two lights (4 really) easier to manage around tight twisty singletrack.


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Wish I Were Riding said:


> Any update? Ride reports etc.?


I had one ride with them last week, but had to split them because my friend hadn't charged his lights. He used the intermediate bars and I used the helmet spots. Very happy with them on that one ride, hopefully I'll get to use them this week with both sets proper. As for the incorrect charger, brown santa was immediately dispatched with a package, so big thumbs up from me :thumbsup:


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

6thElement said:


> I had one ride with them last week, but had to split them because my friend hadn't charged his lights. He used the intermediate bars and I used the helmet spots. Very happy with them on that one ride, hopefully I'll get to use them this week with both sets proper. As for the incorrect charger, brown santa was immediately dispatched with a package, so big thumbs up from me :thumbsup:


Please post again when you've gotten more rides in. Thanks!


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## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Wish I Were Riding said:


> Please post again when you've gotten more rides in. Thanks!


How many more reviews does one need? LOL. I think it has been concluded that they rock and what beam selection is the best. Just get out and ride!


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## Wish I Were Riding (Jan 30, 2004)

I actually read through all these pages, but there is really not very much on the trail reports. That's why I've asked. They sound good, both in quality and price, but I need to know more about how they are on the trail. I want my next light purchase to be a good one, that I can keep for a long time too.


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