Review: Hope Vision 2 Front Light

Hope made it into my list of 'Favourite Bike Brands' for a good reason; their equipment is flawlessly made, to the highest level in their UK factory. Having been so impressed by my Pro 2 hubs, the Hope Vision 2 front light was a favourable choice when I was looking for a light to use for the Chain Reaction Mountain Bike Night Marathon in Ruthin last weekend.

Straight from the box the light doesn't disappoint, it is beautifully made from robust and strong, precision CNC machined stainless. The light comes from two high power LEDs, which on full chat will push out 480 lumens of light. In my opinion, and experience of going down some bloody big Welsh mountains in the dark with this light, this candle-power is easily enough for almost all night riding.

The handlebar mount is secure and well made, with a superb quick release clamp allowing good grip on the bar, far better than the perishable rubber bands that are used on some cheaper lights to secure the lamp unit.

Charge time is around 3 hours, and run time varies between 2 hours on 'full power' to 30 on 'low power'. In fact, the 'high power' setting is easily enough for riding; and using that, rather than 'full' will increase your run time significantly to 3 hours.

Having an independent battery pack has advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that you can double your burn time by purchasing a second battery at around £40, which can then just be plugged in quickly when the first starts to give you the 'warning flash' mode, signalling that it is running low. The disadvantage is that you do have cables that can be bent and connections that may be damaged. You can overcome this with careful storage and handling of the battery and head units though, and the cables do have robust rubber grommets surrounding them, so it shouldn't be an issue with these lights.

The unit isn't the lightest out there, coming in at 275 grams, but it is light enough that you could mount it with the supplied helmet or head torch mount if you wanted to, running the extension cable attached to the battery into your back pocket or Camelbak. The slightly higher weight is also a sign of the robust nature of the light, unlike plastic units, there is no chance of cracking the metal on the head unit, and the battery is fully enclosed and waterproof.

Overall a very good light. Well made, easily bright enough and compact. You can pick one up for around £140 now, which in my opinion is a bargain for the build quality.

Hope Lights at Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)