CAT EYE - Volt 300 Rechargeable Headlight with Helmet Mount

This light lasted me about six years. Super easy to install, and it held a charge like a beast. The power of the beam was great as I "blinded" my friends when rolling up to them. I liked how I can just remove the light itself and keep the mount on the bike when I needed to charge it. Would recommend this light, for just how long it lasted me.

I've used this light several times and it works great. The flashing mode can be seen for quite a distance on the bike path I ride on. It is so bright that I keep it pointed down just a little to not blind other oncoming bikers. It has a few brightness modes as well to extend the battery if necessary. I tend to just keep it on the brightest mode because it lasts for several hours. It's amazing that a rechargeable light can be this bright and last so long. It had a red LED indicator that lights while it is charging, but it also lights up when you have about 20% battery remaining. I used it for a few days without charging it to see how long it would last. After using it about 3-4 hours on the brightest setting, the LED came on indicating 20% remaining battery life. When I got home about 30 minutes later, I took the light inside with me and kept it on until it finally stopped about 2 hours later. I love the light. I also have a wireless CatEye trip computer mounted nearby on the handlebars. When I put the light into the blinking mode, it interferes with the wireless trip computer signal and the trip computer stops indicating speed and distance. It must be the electronics inside the light that create the flashing light. This will not likely be a concern for most people. I'd highly recommend this light to others.

I've been using this light for at least a year now, and I have no complaints at all. The mount is solid and durable, as is the light itself; there's no wobbling between the mount and the light even when bounced around. I have ridden on smooth and rough roads, gravel, and dirt paths, and the light has not been shaken out of the position I set it at when I put the light on the first time; the direction of the light has stayed fixed in spite of the vibrations. I have not ridden in heavy rain, but the light appears to be resistant to anything up to immersion or strong water jets as far as I can tell. The battery pack screws onto the back of the light solidly and consistently, with the logo aligned with the button each time (a nice touch which demonstrates the attention to detail). I have gone without charging for months at a time, and have never found that the battery has lost a significant portion of its charge due to disuse; in fact, I don't remember when last I charged it. Most of the time, I use the low setting which flashes brighter intermittently, as it provides enough visibility for me while also ensuring that I draw the attention of other traffic which might not otherwise be aware of my presence. This setting also consumes battery slowly enough that I don't need to worry about whether I've got enough charge for a long ride.

Background:I live in Brooklyn, NY USA, and I try to bike everywhere within city limits. Most of the streets in the 4 Boroughs are well lit (sorry Staten Island, you don't really count as part of the city), and many riders can rely on cheaper lights, just to be visible to cars. However, the streets that tend to be poorly lit also have poorly maintained pavement, so it's nice to be able to see any upcoming potholes while biking. This is my second CatEye Volt 300, since I lost my first.Brightness/ModesThis light is perfect for urban commuting. It has 5 settings: High, Med, Low, Flash, and Hyper Constant.- High, I can easily spot potholes 100ft (~30m) away when there are no overhead street lights- Med, I can still spot potholes with sufficient time to dodge when there are no overhead street lights. However, to be safe, I always run High on poorly lit streets. I do want to note that Med is still brighter than some other $40 lights that my friends have purchased- Low, I only use this when I don't need to illuminate anything but just want to stay visible.- Flash mode flashes on (Low setting) approximately every 0.5s- Hyper Constant is pretty much Low mode, but it flashes High every second (seems like it would be annoying for oncoming traffic and cyclists).Battery:The battery is supposed to last 3 hours straight on High. Since I don't ride too much in the dark (maybe one 45min night ride every two weeks), I can't really confirm this. However, the battery should be sufficient for urban commuting, and it seems to discharge very little when not in use. It's definitely made 3 separate 30-45min rides without a charge. You can also buy spare batteries separately.Build:It feels light and solid. It's 120grams (0.3lbs). I believe the front light portion is stainless steel, and the rear battery is covered by a pretty strong plastic. I've dropped it on concrete from waist height, while opening my bag, and it functions fine. My old CatEye Volt had gone through several rainy rides and works fine.Mount:- Easy to install- Sturdy- Light can easily be removed from mount when you lock up your bike- Mount compatible with most other CatEye headlights