Tandem Spring 1998

Apex 730 D Editor's Selection  

UPS: FULLY adjustable on the fly! Powerful, white light, innovative design, lightweight, Ni-mh.

DOWNS: still a prototype. Expensive. New on the bicycle lighting scene, Light & Motion is a respected manufacturer of underwater film and video lights. Their lighting system takes a fresh approach to bicycle lighting with unique features and ni-mh technology. Topping off the 730D's mac-daddy spec sheet is adjust-on-the-fly at full range of motion. Go ahead, point it where you please. At last! Next comes the battery. Ni-mh cells are packed in a thin, extruded aluminum pod that mounts to a "dock" under the top tube or bolts to bottle braze-ons. Custom lamps and reflectors yield better output than other lights of comparable wattage - it's only 25 watts total and still one of the brightest. Proof again that it's output that counts, not the consumption of the bulb. Beam pattern on the low power is different than most, with a definite medium spot circle and then a consistent ring ot usable light falling away. It's exceptional, and being able to adjust the spot-beam exactly where needed out front is a huge advantage. Our test unit was a prototype, and the production models (almost ready to ship at press time) should be even better in wiring and docking - but it's good right now. And for the price, it should be. BOTTOM LINE: Power you can point! It's the techno-fiends fave! You can bet we'll try to land a production model ASAP.