Review of Planet Bike Alias HID Bicycle Light Set with Integrated Battery

Planet Bike Alias HID Bicycle Light Set with Integrated Battery
By: Planet Bike Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 2
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If you need to light your own way, I recomend getting this one.

On: 2008-09-06

Planet Bike Alias HID Bicycle Light Set with Integrated Battery

Let me start with, this is the first review I have every done after purchasing a product on line. This should tell you how strongly I feel about this product. Another reason is the above review was one of the reasons I purchased the Alias HID.

I am a casual cyclist trying to make the jump to a work commuter. Before purchasing this light I bought a cats eye light around 50 dollars (after some research a good light for the money) that I will now use for camping. The light is good for dusk and having cars see you, but not if you need to light your own way you will need a brighter light. After taking some advise from some avid commuters at a local bike shop, they recommended getting a light with a Li-Ion (lithium-ion) over Nicad and Ni-mh because of the "no memory" factor. This means that you can charge the battery no matter how much power is left in it and it will not affect the next charge. (http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=8514)

Another huge reason I chose this light over all the others I saw online is the - "light finder" on the Plant Bike website. http://planetbike.com/page/learn/lightfinder/ The other light I was using is very comparable to the Beamer 3 model. If you compare it to the Alias HID you will understand why it cost a lot more. I think this photo is worth the 1000 words so you might want to go check it out and stop reading this review.

If you need to light your own way like I do, you need a light with this type of output. My 17 mile morning commute starts around 5 a.m. on some roads with light traffic and little or no streetlights. I will hit speeds of 30+ on two down hills and have no problem seeing any obstructions in time to react (I did just miss hitting a skunk last week). I also have noticed that cars will now wait for me to go by if they are at a stop sign. During the second half of my commute I ride on a rail trail with a lot of trees and heavy brush surrounding it, so even with a full moon little or no light gets through. I get up around 16-17 miles per hour and can see plenty of trail in front of me.

The only negative I could find with this light is the red warning light that comes to warn you that you have 20-30 minutes of light. I had it come on 45 minutes into a ride after the first full charge. Since the manufacture booklet said it should last around 2.5 hours at full power, I left the light on once I got to work to see how long it would last. It automatically shut off after being on for 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Overall the light is exactly the quality I would expect at the cost. You can take the battery out without taking it off the mount or just unclip the light from the mount with a quick release button. I have not had to adjust the position since the first time I put it on the handlebars. I think the only thing I regret is not getting a spare battery the same time I bought the light to save on shipping cost.

Elegant Design

On: 2007-10-30

This headlight fit my requirements perfectly. Since everything is contained in one relatively small sleek package, removing and installing is quick and easy. I at first worried that the mount would not be robust enough to keep the light from moving when going over bumps. No more worries - it has held its position going 30+ MPH over fairly rough asphalt. I ride a road bike so cannot comment on how well it would do off road.
Light output is excellent. It is probably about 30% brighter than my 15W halogen and has a wide coverage. I have to ride down an unlit road in pitch darkness on my morninig commute dodging potholes and the edge of the road. I reach speeds of just over 30 MPH and this light provides the luminence necessary to avoid those obstacles.
The 2.5 to 3 hours of burn time for this light is somewhat limited compared to others, but for me is perfect. I would rather have this capacity and the resulting compact size than to have a large capacity with the probable external battery. The unit uses a Li-Ion battery which is much better than either NiCad or NiMh in terms of capacity per unit size and weight, charge time, and any memory effects.
Workmanship is impeccable. This thing could be put in a museum. It looks and feels like a high quality instrument. The soft case that it comes in is very handy too.
My only complaint about this light would probably be with the mount. Although it is pretty easy to use and holds the light very well, once you get it adjusted to your handlebar it is easy to lose the adjustment once you take it off. Also, the adjustment resolution is a little coarse with one turn of the adjustment screw the minimum you can adjust. Not a big problem but I had to find something to complain about. You could avoid this by leaving the mount on the bike and just unclipping the light from the mount.