Cateye el530 Review

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★★☆☆☆
2.2
From 6 reviews
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METHUSALA's review of Cateye el530

“The Cateye EL530 should be considered as the base...”

★★★★☆

written by METHUSALA on 16/03/2010

The Cateye EL530 should be considered as the base level for bike front lights.



The centre spot is very bright - I angle this down at the road about six metres in front of me. A pool of weak light is cast around widely as well - it's good for giving an all round view (a fairly dim one, but sufficient to see what you need to) showing the edges of the road, hedges in country lanes, and the road and lie of the land ahead when set as I have it.



It gives a good view of the road surface ahead so I can see if I need to adjust my path in sufficient time to react, and alerts me to other hazards or deviations in plenty of time as well, even when riding quickly.



It seems easy to fit, but as the material that the fitting is made from stretches slightly over time, it needs to be adjusted over the first month every few days to ensure it remains tight, and it requires significant effort to tighten it sufficiently. the bracket is secure, and allows for good variation in the angle of the light so it can be set just right. Fitting is important - if not securely fitted it will tilt forwards over time from the vibrations of riding, and can rattle. Also, getting the angle right matters - if you point it straight ahead as some do, the centre spot is lost into the blackness ahead and the wide beam is not sufficient then to light the road properly. Tilt the light down to the road in front - it takes a little use and adjustment before you're happy with it.



I also use a tiny Topeak front light in flashing mode, as sometimes I ride on cycle route/pavement combined paths and people seem to cheerfully ignore the fact a bike is heading for them at speed despite the bright front light, but a flashing light seems to get through to them to get out of the way and move back to the side of the path intended for pedestrians - I fell off once trying to avoid someone like this, who told me they just hadn't seen me, which is why I added the flashing light.



There are better lights, lots of them, but they're expensive. The best solutions are rechargeable lights with separate power packs and twin lights, but you can expect to pay between £200 and £400 for them. I paid £50 for the Cateye EL530 from a reputable store, but it could have been bought for less online. Anything less than this is not good enough to light the road at night IMHO, and should be avoided. This light is perfectly usable and safe, but could be better if the pool of light surrounding the central beam was a little bit brighter.







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