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I've been skeptical about LED bicycle lights and have owned several that have been disappointing. But, The Dawn Patrol LED has outshone all the others. It actually puts out more light than my wifes halogen bike light.
Not only is it bright, but it doen't take up much handle bar space and with the 3 AAA batteries, seems to be pretty light.
It stays in the mount really well but can be quickly removed for other uses.
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This light can illuminate an oval roughly 7 feet wide by 20 feet long when aimed about 8 feet in front of a bike. I find that useful for typical bike speeds to avoid flats, but don't expect much detail beyond 50 feet (if you angle it up more). I don't think it's safe to ride with this light much faster than 12 MPH in pitch dark conditions. The flashing mode may cause headaches if left on too long, but it will get people's attention.
Comparing it to a high-tech flashlight with variable brightness, it seems to produce maybe 20 lumens (subjective). That may not seem like much, but the light is focused effectively for bicycle use. There is a dark ring and halo surrounding the center beam and enough side-scatter so you don't get tunnel-vision.
The light weight of the body gives the feel of something that won't pitch up or down on its mount. It uses a typical clamp and rubber band spacers. There is a slide-forward clip so you can remove it in seconds if you want to sweep an area. Because of the impressive battery life, I can see buying one as a good "cheap" household light, even if you lack a bike.
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Took this on my bike to Yosemite park. I mainly stayed on trail. Did not fall off, which is a common problem for some of the lights of similar design. Stayed in remote motel near Bodie and rode the bike in absolute darkness it is bright bright !! Could easily see about 75+ feet.
The light can be used as a torch if needed. Also works with rechargeable NiMH AAA battery.
The blinking function is great for in-city rides.
Will buy two more for my kids.
Only con is there is some light scatter/reflection through the top part of transparent plastic(that covers the LEDsm not the black body) that creates some annoyance. Also you need to carry a small screw driver if you plan to change battery in the field.
Honest reviews on Bell Dawn Patrol LED Headlight
*EDIT* October 29, 2011
I finally got around to updating my review and wanted to let everyone know that Amazon replaced the light quickly and easily. No hassle. First return I have ever made to Amazon in all the years I have been an Amazon customer. But I found that they stand out when it comes to returning and replacing defective products too. Is it any wonder I love Amazon.com?
OK, so I have been using this light a lot on my daily/nightly bike rides and I'm completely happy with this little wonder. The amount of light it puts out is more than adequate for me, but I do have good night vision anyway. One thing I really like is the width of the light beam which gives me more confidence riding at night. During the day I still use it because I want to be seen by car drivers. For this I use the blinking mode since I don't need a steady stream of light during the day. And the batteries last longer.
The nubbin-type plastic lever that broke on the first light I received seems to be stronger on this one, so maybe I just got a bad one at first. It happens. Still, if you ride in winter then you will want to take extra care when removing the light from the mounting bracket since very cold temperatures will make the plastic more brittle. That's not a design flaw, it's just the nature of most rigid plastics like the plastic this light is made of.
Being able to easily release the light from the mounting bracket is pretty slick so this little powerhouse can draw double duty as a torch whenever you want or need one. Nice feature.
One review I just read that is more recent than mine contained a complaint about the small screw that must be removed to install or change the batteries. The small Victorinox Swiss Army knife I carry on my keyring (purchased from Amazon, of course, a few years ago) has a small Phillips head screwdriver, and it's the perfect size, so unscrewing the plate in the housing to get to battery compartment is a complete non-issue for me.
I guess you could say I am very happy with my purchase. This light is exactly what I need and wanted, and the ability to double as a torch is a really nice value-added benefit.
Old review:
Based on other reviews for this light I went ahead and bought it. The reviews about the brightness and how lightweight it is are 100% correct. Unfortunately, I only got to use the light once before running into trouble.
When I tried to unclip the light from the mounting bracket, to slide it off and use the light as a torch to shine the light on my U-lock to lock up my bike, the plastic nub-type release lever snapped right off. This small plastic part doesn't require much pressure, and I didn't apply much either. The plastic is just brittle, thin, and cheap. It's a design flaw that needs to be corrected. Left as it is this flaw makes this headlight much less useable since I can't really use it for the primary purpose I bought it. Attaching the light permanently to the mounting bracket with super glue or something else isn't an option either because the light must be removed from the mounting bracket when you change the batteries thus compounding Bell's design flaw.
Since I have removed the headlight from the packaging, installed batteries, and used it one time, I don't think I can return it to Amazon for an exchange or refund even though it is within 30 days and definitely defective. So my only option may be to contact Bell and see if they will replace the mounting bracket. If they do, I'll revise my review and upgrade it, along with reviewing the actual light more than Bell's design flaw. If they don't, then I'll still revise my review so it reflects the level of customer service I receive so others can be warned and aware before making a choice in purchasing a bicycle headlight.
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Purchased at a local Walmart and after installing I went out to test on a short ride at night. I was fairly impressed so I ended up pedaling back to Walmart to purchase a second one. Mounted on both left & right side of the stem I can honestly say that I'm impressed. Using two allows you to adjust both to aim at the same point for an ultra bright spot.....or have one slightly pointed up while slightly pointing the other down for an elongated oval of light which I find fantastic for fast riding. They easily detach so you can use them as a flashlight and having both is also a good fail-safe just in case something happens to one or the other. I haven't rode in the rain with them so I can't comment on that nor have I ran the batteries down so no comment on battery life either. The mount is pretty solid as well..... I would give this light 4.5 stars if I could and a perfect 5 if I could get this performance out of one light instead of two but for the price I paid (ruffly 10 bucks each, total of $20 + tax for both), I'd say the value is definitely there.
