Cateye Volt 200 XC

The Cateye Volt 200 XC pumps out a decent amount of light, is easy to use and has a relatively good battery life. It sits nicely on the bar but could be easier to remove and attach.

• Pros: Price, decent output, simple three-mode operation
• Cons: Only three modes, slightly fiddly to attach/remove

As you can see from the photo, it's a plastic tube-shaped unit with a single rubber button on the top as the means of operation. Not the prettiest light perhaps, given how it sits on the bar, but operation is simple because of its design.

> Find your nearest dealer here

To attach the light it has a laddered rubber strap and plastic clip that sits underneath the handlebar. This connects to the base of the light, which is rubberised with a curved design to help it sit more comfortably. The base also lets the light rotate if wanted and, unlike the Volt 80 XC that I have previously tested, doesn't spin too easily, so doesn't twist into strange positions.

Removal is relatively simple, but can be a bit fiddly because you do not attach the light to a solid base, instead the clip is at the bottom between two rubber straps. This isn't too time-consuming, but isn't as quick and easy as other lights I have used.

There are three settings: High (200 lumens), Low (30 lumens), and Flash. They perform well enough, though it might be nice to have a slightly larger selection. The brightness is adequate for being seen, but it certainly isn't designed to be a trail light, so don't expect it to light up dark paths effectively.

When you look at the beam comparison engine above, the Volt 200 XC doesn't have a huge amount of spread but it is fairly bright, even when you compare it to lights that are meant to have a higher lumen output. It's not the best light for dark, unlit roads, but for urban areas it works just fine.

> Buyer's Guide: The best 2017/2018 front lights for cycling

Battery life is a claimed 1.5 hours on high, 4 hours on low, and 20 hours on flash, which seems about right. I did the trusty 'leave the light in a shoebox and check whether it's dead' trick for both the high and low options and these numbers seem to be accurate; having generally used the light on flash mode, I charged it once every two weeks or so, so seems correct.

Charging is through a mini USB port and requires a cable, which is fine but not as useful as the integrated USB you get on several other lights this year, because you need to have a cable with you whenever/wherever you need to charge it. Charging itself take around three hours, which isn't overly long. I could just plug it into my laptop at work in the morning and it was charged by lunch.

One big improvement over last year's light is the RRP: £26.99 rather than £36.99. At this new price it's a much better proposition all-round. Overall it's a decent light, and does what's needed with little fuss.

Verdict

A decent, robust light that's good value at its new lower price