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snownrock - MemberI was tempted but for the sake of an extra £6 you'll get quick uk delivery and Amazon customer service if there are any issues. No brainer for me. Plus the unit on gearbest doesn't confirm that it comes with the Panasonic battery cells unlike the evolva, another big positive for me.
I agree but I ordered mine from GB before woody2000 posted the link to Amazon on P1.
Anyone have any idea how the Evolva compares to the Lezyne Macro Drive 600xl? Lumens on the Macro Drive are obviously lower but the form factor seems similar. Just thinking that the Macro Drive is from a "known" manufacturer so may be a better bet.
It will be used for commuting on the road bike. Currenly use an old cree xml head unit and separate battery but an all in one appeals.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lezyne-macro-drive-600xl-front-light/rp-prod138848
The Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL is smaller than the Evolva which uses 2 x 18650 LiIon cells. At equivalent output (600 lumens) the Lezyne will run for 1.5 hours whereas the Evolva will run for over 6 hours.
600 lumens is the Lezyne's max output whereas the Evolva has a claimed max of 1800 Chinese lumens which is probably nearer 1500. The Evolva gives more flexibale options if you want to use it off-road for instance but as you say the Lezyne is from a known manufacturer.
The Lezyne is also being discontinued I think looking at their website.
I've tidied my mount up a bit by cable tying it to the side of the mount rather than the top.
This makes it sit much lower and positions it over the stem. Also leaves room for a small flasher for road use.
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If it's not stable enough off-road, you could zip tie it to one of these...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222290887757
It's the last of the minoura space grips with the quick release.
Also worth looking at the last of the sgs-300 on amazon.
Picked up a lezyne 400XL also from chainrection for £19.99 including a rear
Very impressed. Its 99% as bright as the striver 900
Any more feedback on the Evolva? Thinking of getting one but note the comments about the clamp. Does grip tape keep it place? Wondering if it might work with one of the hope universal bar mounts? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/hope-universal-handlebar-mount/rp-prod23533?gs=1&gclid=CKSepJO1wdACFcW4Gwod4t4LXA&gclsrc=aw.ds
I received my Nitenumen version of the Evolva light a few days ago from GearBest. A short trial ride on the road did not yield a favourable initial impression. I've always hated the rubber-band type light mount and this one is no exception. Small bumps on the road had the light pointing down within 50 yards even though I had it done up quite tight. Grip tape would undoubtably help in this respect if you want to persevere with the standard mount.
No problem for me because I usually convert all my lights to use the Exposure QR mount and have them on all my bikes. The other alternative is that the mount is fitted by a 1/4" x 20 UNC bolt which is a standard camera mounting thread so you would be able to get a cheap GoPro adapter off eBay and use that mounting system.
My second problem with this light though is more serious. It uses plain reflectors and I have yet to come across a light fitted with any sort of reflector that I like the beam pattern. A bright central spot fans out via light and dark rings to give totally unusable spill. Your eyes will react substantially to the bright central spot and the spill is virtually useless, unless you like dazzling oncoming drivers of course. Remind me to never buy a light with reflectors ever again no matter how cheap or attractive it appears.
I've ordered some small Torx drivers to get the light apart and my one hope is that I can fit some suitable TIR optics otherwise it's going in the drawer marked "Crap spare lights".
Shame, because it is a nicely made light.
How much money have you wasted on crap lights then? Just get over to Evans and grab a Joystick in their BF sale. £105 ish & will last for years.I've ordered some small Torx drivers to get the light apart and my one hope is that I can fit some suitable TIR optics otherwise it's going in the drawer marked "Crap spare lights".
Just a figure of speech. I have plenty of lights better than an Exposure Joystick. I bought the Nitenumen just to see what it was like possibly as a self-contained commuter light for my daughter but unless I can improve the beam pattern substantially it won't be fit for that.
forzafkawi - Member
I have plenty of lights better than an Exposure Joystick
intrigued, what ones ?
Ituo, Nightfighter and various DIY designs. Not all self-contained lights but still better lights than a Joystick which is nothing more than a glorified torch.
I'm not doing Exposure down here because they make great lights. I would buy a Strada 1200 in a heartbeat if I didn't already have that requirement covered. Some of their bigger off-road lights are also brilliant designs as well and I can see why they are so well liked.
My light adaption is this
2 of these either side of the stem, a blob of sugru to stop any rattle and some zip ties
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401199728720
I've put white ones on so you can see how it works and because I'm running low on black ones.
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A little bit ugly and I need to snip a zip tie to replace the battery but bomb proof and I can angle it where I want.
New batteries and charger on its way from torchy. I'll let you know how long it lasts after I've tested it.
Bit of an update on the evolva light. The bar mount is crap, so I'm using a handlebar camera mount (its a standard camera tripod screw fitting on the light) which works well - it lifts the light up a bit so you don't get the annoying cable shadows. It may catch my knees if (when!) I go OTB, but its a cheap mount so will probably break anyway 😉
Beam pattern is good IMO, quite floody but with a reasonable centre spot too. Battery life seems excellent, I'm up to 5 hours of mixed hi/mid usage and indicator is still green.
Damascus can't you mount your light a little bit forward so that you can spin the front off?
Anyone got Good source on the Evolva or Nitenumen x8 now?
They seem to have discontinued the Evolva where I got it from originally and I'd love another one for my helmet.
Wish I'd bought a couple first time round.
Cheers. Actually just ordered one off Bang good (always seems a bit dodgy visiting a site called that) for £39.
I bought a Moon Vortex Pro from Merlin last month. I bought it for my commuter but my mate uses one as a helmet light for mtb rides (comes with a helmet mount).
Mine was £42 but they're only 33 now!
[url= https://www.merlincycles.com/moon-vortex-pro-rechargeable-front-bike-light-103430.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=New+Category+Structure&ucpo=41736&gclid=CjwKCAjwhOvPBRBxEiwAx2nhLmO4sgsXelAc29U34m2oQl48xr0Z7Y2BNKDzw5XTegS8Kn5PsEx6fBoChYgQAvD_BwE ]Moon Vortex pro @ Merlin[/url]
Another vote for the Vortex Pro. I thought it was a steal at £45!
Quick update on my Evolva "experience". Mine developed a fault at 11.5 months old (which may or may not have been caused by being dropped by my son!), I got in touch with the supplier (through Amazon) to enquire about repairs and they have sent me a new one FOC which I thought was top notch. Newer version has a much better bracket, though it couldn't have been any worse! Doesn't look a whole lot different otherwise. I've bought some collimator lenses to test in mine to have a play with the beam pattern.
Out of stock again sadly now though!
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Oooh. Be interested to know about the collimator lenses. Where from?
http://www.leddna.com/categories/reflector-collimator-lens/cree.html
Cost me about $3 (yes, dollars) including postage for 2 sets of lenses. They'll need a little modification (just need a little material removing to make them fit better).