When you look through our list of the best bike lights there are two distinct styles. Many people need lighting for getting to and from work in the winter as well as something for the start, or finish, of a long ride. There’s no need, or desire, for the kind of light that packs a lot of power, and cost, into the package. A couple of hours at most is all that’s needed and it’s just very simple to make a quality option for a good price. Then there are those who want to try and ride through the night and need to figure out how to make it work.
If you fall into the second group there are options out there but they tend to cut it pretty close at best. Not wanting to leave myself unexpectedly in the dark, I’ve festooned my bars, and bags, with multiple lights in the past. I’ve also added high-end lights with proprietary battery packs but that’s an expensive option. What if a brand did away with some of the proprietary connections?
That’s exactly what Outbound Lighting has done. Outbound Lighting is well known for off-road lights but the Detour is something new not only for the company but the industry. The road-specific light offers the best of both worlds for battery power and there is a side of innovation with the mount and the beam pattern as well. Keep reading to see how this new light manages to do something no other light can.
Design and aesthetics
As soon as you set your eyes on the Outbound Detour light, you will know it’s different. It doesn’t look like any other lights out there. Instead of a round, or sometimes square, body Outbound uses a pair of LED bulbs in a horizontal housing.
There are two lights and two reflectors, each with a different shape. The left is responsible for handling the situational awareness aspect with a diffused patten that casts a wide net. The right lens is there to provide the tight centre spotlight. Both lenses benefit from a hard upper edge that’s designed to make sure pedestrians and cars are able to see without issue.
Surrounding the lenses is a plastic housing. Obviously, this is different than competing brands but it’s not because of an eye on the bottom line. It doesn’t feel cheap in hand but there is also a paragraph on the product page that specifically addresses any question about the choice. As Outbound describes it, the outer casing is a resin that conducts heat in a particular way.
With high-powered lights, heat is…
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