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Lucas KOTR F500 Sport Front LED Bike Light

7
£70.00

VERDICT:

7
10
A little overpriced, but if you can find it cheaper it would make a decent option for commuting
Weight: 
102g

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Aluminium barrel lights are on a lot of people's wish lists. With comparatively svelte looks and easy fitting systems, as well as ever-improving outputs and battery life, they're becoming the go-to style of light for nearly every road cyclist. One such unit, the Lucas KOTR F500 Sport, is a top quality front light for all-winter riding – Lucas has a product that can mix it with the big boys.

The 'King of the Road' F500 houses a 500-lumen output on its most powerful setting, with two other static settings ('medium' at 250 lumens, 'low' at 100 lumens), as well as a flash setting which operates using that full 500 output. The 500-lumen headline setting impressed me, providing a decent level of light that I found bright enough to light my path, and gave me confidence to ride at speed in the dark.

> Buy this online here

More is generally considered better, and with light output (and battery life – covered later in this review) I'd agree, but I do honestly think 500 lumens is enough to use as an effective light source for most cyclists.

I was less impressed with the flash. It flashes fairly steadily – which to my mind isn't the best for immediate visibility. I've always found other cyclists more visible if they have a strobe flash setting on their lights, and suspect the F500 would benefit from having this, even if it was only backed up by the 100-lumen low setting.

Lucas KOTR F500 - beam shot.jpg

The beam range is usefully wide ranging, and manages to provide reflection on road signs a good 50 or 60m down the road, even when the light is pointed predominantly down at the road 10m ahead. It's not quite as effective as Cateye's Volt 800 (review to come), but considering you get 300 fewer lumens from the F500, it isn't half bad.

Battery life is adequately strong for most uses, too. I got a solid two hours out of the most powerful setting without seeing a drop in light output – not bad from a 2400mah battery in my experience, and a full eight when I left it on low continuously. A small LED in the button on top of the unit gives prominent warnings when battery levels begin to fall – a bright blue light signifies good battery level, and a bright red light replaces it when recharging is recommended. I own a number of Lezyne Macro and Hecto Drives with a similar system, and none of them have as clear and bright an indicator as this one – it's excellent.

Recharging time was also impressive, with a full charge being completed in just over four hours. You access the USB port from the back of the device – a simple screw-on cap protects the innards, which are exposed while recharging takes place.

The cap is made of the same aluminium as the barrel, and this gives an air of quality and seals the circuitry away from the elements. Lucas claims the light is 'water resistant', but I got away with a particularly heavy 15-minute downpour without any problems and would trust it on longer rides in the rain.

Fitting is via a clip-in bracket, fastened to the bar by a rubber strap. It's a simple-to-use setup, offering easy adjustment of the beam, and removing the whole bracket is quite easy. Unfortunately it's not so easy when the light is clipped in, if you wanted to remove the whole thing; you have to unclip the light first. When it is clipped in, the light feels very secure, taking a good bit of forcing to slide it forward if needed.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights – and our beam comparison engine

This leads me to the cost – and at an rrp of £70 it's a bit on the expensive side compared with others out there. This is a shame, because I reckon for around £50 (keep your eyes peeled for deals!) we'd be looking at a great value light. Lucas has a long background in light manufacturing, and you'll undoubtedly benefit from its expertise, including a good build quality and some decent features. If you can get one at a reduced price, it's definitely worth a punt as a decent commuter light.

Verdict

A little overpriced, but if you can find it cheaper it would make a decent option for commuting

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Lucas KOTR F500 Sport Front LED Bike Light

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Lucas says: "With its stealth-like, aircraft grade aluminum body and intense 500 lumen output, the KOTR F500 Sport bike light looks as great as it performs! Built to meet the demands of sporting cyclists, the subtle, unobtrusive styling perfectly compliments modern road bikes. The F500 bike light mounts effortlessly and securely on the bike and becomes a powerful hand held torch when required! With run times from 2.5 to 8 hours from a simple USB charge the KOTR F500 Sport will help you to see and be seen every journey."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Technical specifications;

- LED Type - 1 high Lumen LED giving 500 Lumens output

- Power Source - 3.7v 2.4mAh Battery

- Light Modes - 4 functions (high, medium, low and flash)

- Run Time - 2.5hrs in High mode and up to 8 hours in Flash mode

- Charge Time - 6hrs

- Weight - 102g

- Extra Features - USB Re-charge

- Mounting - Strong grip mounting bracket with silicone straps

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Sturdily built, all of aluminium. No complaints.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Although 500 lumens is adequate, there are others with more power for a similar price and battery life.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

See construction.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

At 102g, it isn't bad at all for a light made fully of aluminium.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It is a good light, and reliable, but £70 is a bit steep considering the performance level.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Good enough - 500 lumens is plenty for commuter use, or as an (admittedly) expensive backup to a more powerful option. The battery won't last all night at its top two settings, but it's good enough for an hour each way before recharging.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The minimalist design and good battery warning light.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Cost is the thorn in its side, and the flash setting isn't the best.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, at a lower price to make it competitive against others out there.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? I'd certainly mention my positive experience with it.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 25  Height: 188cm  Weight: 83kg

I usually ride: Specialized Allez Sport  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
Cheesyclimber | 8 years ago
0 likes

These are currently going for £35 on Sport Pursuit. Just ordered one!

Avatar
Must be Mad | 8 years ago
0 likes
Quote:

500 Lumens and a round beam make this totally unsuitable for the road. You'll be dazzling oncoming road users (of all types) which it unsafe and gives anti-cyclists another stick with which to beat us.

500 is still less than standard car headlights, and if they are OK.... You just need to make sure that you focus the beam on the road in front of you, and not up into the distance.

Regarding the Verdict ("A little overpriced") - really? Compared to what? The only missing feature really is the ability to swap out the battery.

 

Avatar
schlepcycling replied to Must be Mad | 8 years ago
0 likes
Must be Mad wrote:
Quote:

500 Lumens and a round beam make this totally unsuitable for the road. You'll be dazzling oncoming road users (of all types) which it unsafe and gives anti-cyclists another stick with which to beat us.

500 is still less than standard car headlights, and if they are OK.... You just need to make sure that you focus the beam on the road in front of you, and not up into the distance.

Regarding the Verdict ("A little overpriced") - really? Compared to what? The only missing feature really is the ability to swap out the battery.

 

This http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xeccon-CS01-500-Lumen-USB-Road-Commuter-MTB-fr... would seem to be the same light for less than 1/2 the price

Avatar
Morat | 8 years ago
0 likes

500 Lumens and a round beam make this totally unsuitable for the road. You'll be dazzling oncoming road users (of all types) which it unsafe and gives anti-cyclists another stick with which to beat us.

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