| | |  | Cruiser/Multi-Position Handlebars | Home » » » » Cateye EL-700RC Triple Shot Rechargeable LED Bicycle Headlight | | | | | | | Description: | | 3 new higher power LEDs combined with Opticube Lens technology. Extremely durable die-cast aluminum body, LED lifetime up to 100,000 hours.12V, 2,700mAh NiMH battery in a neoprene bag for multiple mounting options. LED efficiency provides a 3.3 hour run time from compact battery. Universal intelligent smart charger with 3-hour charge time. Noise-free: compatible with CatEye wireless computers and HRMs. Light weight - only 710 grams. | | | Features: | |
• 3 LED Bicycle Headlight
• Silver Bicycle Headlight
| | | Product Details: | | | Package Length:
| 5.6 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.6 inches | | Package Height:
| 5.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 6 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 6 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 only 130 lumen, heavy, old technologyMar 30, 2009
By Dan G. Hiris
Overall technology:
This light uses old LED technology which make it shine only 130 lumen and the NiMH battery make it weigh over 800 grams (1.5 lbs) total.
Attaching to your bike:
The system it uses to attach to the frame is cumbersome and not very reliable. The size of the battery gets in the way of the water bottle.
The light mount quick release doesn't work well.
Vendor of this light and CatEye:
I didn't do enough research before purchasing it because CatEye doesn't use lumen in their advertising for obvious reasons. Their rating of 20000 candlepower is meaningless.
To return it, this vendor charges 20% restocking fee which is ridiculously high especially if you buy a high price item such as this.
How does it compare?
To compare its brightness I took it with me on a tour of specialized bike stores and REI and shined it along the lights in those stores (TriNewt, various cyglites). At REI all lights were brighter including a 90 dollars Cygolite with just one LED!
Trail Performance:
On the trail it performs OK and since your eyes are dark adapted, it shines just enough light to see the path ahead. Battery lasted 4 hours but it dimmed very noticeably after 3 hours.
Basic features missing on this light are flashing modes and low beam modes.
Battery and charging:
The battery charging system and the battery are designed poorly and the first charge is going to be very idiotic with indicator lights not showing anything appropriate. Subsequent charges seem to work OK but you have to watch it charge and unplug it when its done or the battery will be damaged as the charger is not a smart charger.
Final Thoughts:
What I really want is the Cygolite TridenX for only 60 dollars more but can't justify either taking a 30+ dollar loss on this light or buying another 230 dollar light.
UPDATE: I decided to mod this light with newer LEDs (~240 lumen max each - original about 80 at 1 Amp), a new driver (1 Amp with potentiometer so that I can change brightness), new reflector optics and now it's finally bright with a nice throw. It cost me around 65 dollars for the parts and now I have a 700 lumen light which is more than 3 times brighter than before and using about the same amount of power (slightly more if cranked up to 1 Amp).
Now that I know the inner workings of this light I have to say this:
- Engineering of the product is mediocre. Brittle bolts break when turned.
- Poor product support where upgrades should be easy and done at factory every year so that they don't advertise outdated products as new.
- Designing the product with an adjustable driver.
- Using AA NiMH battery cells is really cutting corners that don't need to be cut.
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 lights up the night!Dec 12, 2006
By John Juan
this light is expensive even when bought at a discount but is worth it for the opportunity it provides to ride (relatively) safely at night.
i also use it for working beneath my cars although it's much better suited for the bike.
i have had no problems whatsoever with the light so far. i initially
thought i had a defective battery but that was not the case. you need to carefully follow the instructions on charging as you may have to unplug the charger and plug it back in occasionally.
Intense!May 14, 2011
By R. Carpenter
This light really lets you see the bumps in the old Indianpolis city streets...even with oncoming traffic with their lights shining in your face! Expensive, but well worth the money in the long run. One BRIGHT headlight. There are bumps in Indy that would be lethal if I were to hit them going 25-30 mph. I run a Golden Eagle bike engine belt drive, and this kind of light is a must for a motorized bicycle.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Must have for night Mt bikersNov 29, 2008
By Alex Voytov
"valex"
I purchased EL-700RC about 2 months back to ride on my bicycle in AZ mountains before sunrise. It is a perfect bright and wide light to see trail and trail sides in advance of my ride. My typical DH speed is about 20-30 mph and to see my trail well is very important. I ride about 2 hrs before sunrise and 2 hrs after. Battery is perfect for that, it could be used even for much longer night rides. Certainly, my light, stars and moon are only sources of light in mountains to light my way.
The only complain - too short cable to the battery. I set my light on my helmet and battery I have to hold on my shoulder, because of too short cable. I bought an elastic band from Walgreen to hold it on my shoulder stable. Everything else is perfect. I advice to use this light for long night mountain rides.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great for riding in pitch black darknessNov 24, 2007
By Tony
This is really great product and it has a fairly wide beam on it because of the 3 super bright white LEDs. I upgraded from a 4 AA battery Cat Eye HL-EL500 single LED headlamp. The EL500 isn't bad when riding in areas where there are street lamps but I find the beam somewhat narrow on pitch black trails. I sometimes ride on unpaved trails where there isn't any external light besides my headlamp and use the EL-700RC Triple Shot instead. I carry my EL500 in my backpack as a backup and it uses the same mount as the HL-EL700RC so I can switch between them without changing the mounting bracket.
I don't know how old my triple shot was stored in inventory but the battery needed to be brought back to its standard function. Read the instructions which are attached to the charger plug that connects to the battery and follow them.
See all 6 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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