Cateye Volt 800 Review 2020 – A Must Have In Dark Nights.
It is common to be in a situation when a last-minute cycle trip at night becomes essential. Those who live in the northern areas where a few months of the year pass only in darkness simply cannot escape from making such runs. It can be a tricky ride if your cycle has no lights or the batteries drain completely in the middle of your way.
Well, a serious cyclist will always look for lasting, bright lights. This is where you can rely on the Cateye Volt 800 that comes with a stronger beam and additional hours of charge than its predecessor, Volt 700.
- AMPP 800 Front Light 800 Lumen maximum output
- Opticube lens technology for supreme light distribution
- Robust 6063 aluminium body with enhanced scratch resistance
- FlexTight bracket – suitable for bars up to 35mm diameter and selected aero bars
- 220% larger side lens for a significantly wider beam and enhanced side visibility
The Volts from Cateye are preferable by several cyclists for their enticing blend of runtime, build quality, longevity, and fitting mechanism. The brand itself has been in the field of cycle lights for a long time, with the launch of its first headlamp with LEDs for bicycles. Indeed, it has become a staple when it is a matter of bike lights and bike safety.
Volt 800 as the bicycle front light seems to be quite versatile, as it suits all riding styles as well as is robust enough to ride in darkness. Its brightness is such that you can use them on tracks having no or low light conditions. Let’s explore its features, pros, and cons so that you can decide whether it will be suitable for your dark rides or not.
Design
With an aim to strike an ideal balance between functionality and minimalistic design, Volt 800 features a compact, light, and sleek body. The single barrel is sturdy and waterproof so that you can ride with the light in the rain without any hassles.
For the light, there is a circular beam pattern with OptiCube™ technology integrated into the lens. The solid handlebar mount is the same as you see in many other Cateye’s lights. However, the light can be a bit awkward to turn ON and OFF sometimes.
FlexTight Bracket
This bracket prevents you from mounting the light right onto the handlebar. It is much easier to install and remove this bracket than the similar one found on the lights of other brands. It fits onto the handlebar. You can position it wherever you desire it to be after which the light mounts onto the bracket.
Whopping Lumens
This Volt front light gives an output of a huge 800 lumens just using a single LED. By casting itself wide and far on the riding path, the beam never fails to trigger confidence.
It is also reliable on off-road paths, which is perhaps the biggest expectation from a bike light. In short, you get light for every ride due to a high beam that is made for paths and streets having no lights. It is extremely bright.
Five Light Modes
Volt 800 comes with five different modes so that you can use the light with varying levels of brightness. Of these, three are solid beams namely, high featuring 800 lumens working for two hours, middle featuring 400 lumens working for three and a half hours, and normal featuring 200 lumens working for eight hours.
The other two are hyper constant having 200 / 800 lumens working for seven hours and flashing with 200 lumens emitting brightness for whopping 80 hours. The former mode is where the light is always on the level of 200 lumens but with consistent pulses of 800 lumens. The latter is ideal for use in a lit environment.
Your choice will depend on how much brightness you need and how annoying it can be for other approaching drivers. You can easily cycle through these five modes by using the only button even if the hands are in gloves.
Mini USB Port Charger
This is a flexible feature to have although you can change the light using a standard cable. It is convenient to charge using such a port. However, as it charges slower than a standard socket, you will not be using it where there is less time to charge.
Charging takes nearly 5 to 11 hours depending on the type of connection (standard or USB) you use. The USB charging port is preserved using rubber due to which it is adorably waterproof.
- AMPP 800 Front Light 800 Lumen maximum output
- Opticube lens technology for supreme light distribution
- Robust 6063 aluminium body with enhanced scratch resistance
- FlexTight bracket – suitable for bars up to 35mm diameter and selected aero bars
- 220% larger side lens for a significantly wider beam and enhanced side visibility
- Lightweight
- Brighter light
- Diverse modes
- Waterproof
- Mounting possible under or above the handlebar
- Low battery indicator
- Rechargeable, lasting battery
- Costlier than the Cateye 700 model but justifiable
- Pulse mode consuming a lot of battery juice
Conclusion
Volt 800 is light, bright, and versatile. You can truly rely on it if you wish to ride on a long, dark trail.
You May Also Like
Top 5 best mountain bikes under 750
Top 5 best head torches for cycling
Top 5 Best Knee Pads For Mountain Biking