At a glance A sleek looking all rounder ideal for seeing and being seen on roads and trails
Tested by
Oliver Laverack
Performance
One of the latest offerings from RSP for this winter is the Asteri 3 front light which boasts a 3 watt LED that can operate in three modes, full beam, half beam and flashing. The quick release bracket is easily attached (by pushing the bracket over the handlebars) and is clamped in place by a rounded plastic nut which can be tightened with your fingers. The light is equally easy to remove and is therefore ideal for quickly switching to different bikes which is great if you find your normal commuter bike has somehow developed an unexplainable puncture overnight and you need to dig your other bike out of the garage. However having swapped this light several times from one bike to another I did feel that the plastic the nut tightens against would benefit from being reinforced.
The light slides easily
on and off the bracket and a rubber spacer is included to ensure it
will fit all handlebar sizes. The Asteri 3 is encased in a sleek
looking alloy shell which so far has done a great job of protecting
it from the elements. Operating the on / off button whilst wearing
gloves was a bit tricky, however once switched on the light offers
an excellent 200 lumens which will not only get you seen but also
clearly illuminate the path in front of you. Having tested this
light on several high speed night rides I was impressed with the
area of illumination and the range of the beam. Although the 3 watt
LED is certainly bright enough on it's own for off road night
riding I found that a helmet light was a useful addition for seeing
round sharp corners. The rechargeable lithium ion battery produces
a claimed burn time of 5 hours in full mode and 7 hours on the
lower setting which tallied with what the light produced for me. A
full charge will take approximately 2.5 hours and once ready the
charger indicator light will turn from red to green. There are
brighter, longer lasting lights available at the
£70-£80 mark but considering you can buy this light
online for around £50 it's a good value option.
Buy from www.evanscycles.com
RSP says:
- 3 watt intense beam
- Integrated rechargeable lithium ion battery
- Waterproof alloy case
- Constant & Flashing modes
- Easy mount quick release bracket
- Ideal for urban use
Find out more www.cyclelife.com
