If you are brave enough to head out into the darkness for a night MTB ride, you will know that you can never have too much light. More light means it's easier to pick out trail details as you speed through the dark forest. The result is a bit of an arms race as the best mountain bike lights continue to get brighter and brighter.
While most brands are easily achieving 4000 lumens plus, with some even managing to reach 8000 lumens, Silva claims to have them all beat. The Swedish brand's new Spectra A light uses a bank of eight LEDs and claims to have a massive 10,000-lumen output.
While lumens are an imperfect measurement of a light's brightness, there is no denying the Spectra A should have some incredible illumination capability. Silva has specced Cree XLamp XHP50.2 LEDs and LEDil TINA2-RS lenses, with both long-reach spotlights and close flood lights.
Big output requires two things; great thermoregulation and big batteries. There's a built-in temperature sensor to detect and regulate the heat while the battery casing is made of cold-forged aluminum with wave-shaped walls to maximize the surface area and improve cooling.
The battery itself is a 96Wh unit which is claimed to give three hours of burn time in the highest setting. A battery indicator lets you keep track of charge and when the light hits 10 percent it will automatically default to 250 lumens which will last for one hour. If you need longer than that, two batteries can be connected to run together so you don't need to switch them out mid-activity. The battery is said to only take four hours to recharge.
Silva includes several accessories, you get a Helmet mount and a Bar mount (including a battery mount for the frame) to attach it to your bike. Silva also includes a remote control for the handlebars and an Extension Cable so you can keep the battery in a backpack or pocket. Silva also has a bunch of additional accessories such as a Battery Harness, Head mount, and the Spectra GoPro light mount.
The Spectra A is available now and retails for €800, available from Silvasweden.com.
