Xeccon Spiker 1210 Review

[nomadicsoul]

Presentation
The Spiker is presented in a stylish black cardboard box, with 'Xeccon • Power • Tactical • Brightness' written on it. Interesting choice of words, however it does make sense ultimately. On the sides of the box are the contents of the kit and warning information about LED lighting.

Inside the presentation box is a black accessory bag with a Xeccon logo on it. It has a handy clip (attach to a backpack. on the handlebars or panniers) as well as a carry handle. The bag is well made and quite durable, with plenty of compartments and pockets to properly store all the accessories.

What's in the box?
Included with the kit is:

- Xeccon Spiker 1210 1600 lumen light + short fly lead
- Battery Pack (encased in a rubbery bag with a large velcro strip to secure it to your bike, body or harness)
- 240v battery charger
- 1.2m extension cable (handy if you are using the light on a helmet, or want to mount the battery under your seat)
- O ring mount + O rings (for helmet adaptor)
- 360º swivel mount (for flexible mounts)
- fixed mount (for bike handlebars)
- handlebar adaptor
- instructions

How easy is it to configure and use?
The unit comes with comprehensive instructions. Remembering this product is from China, the English in the manual is clear, concise and understandable. There are a few little mistakes here and there, however the language is much better than other Chinese products I have used in the past.

The great thing with the Xeccon Spiker is that the company have designed it to have many uses. Not only can you mount it to your bike handlebars, but also your helmet and even a cap or other device using the supplied clips. They see this light as more than just a cycling light, but a light which can be used for all kinds of sporting activities. There is also an optional headstrap mount available too which is a testament to this.

Despite these great mounting options, the way you interface the light to the object is quite cumbersome. When the unit arrived, it was configured to be used on a helmet. To change it to the right clip for the bike handlebars, I had to unscrew the helmet adaptor from the base of the light, and then screw in the handlebar adaptor. The screws are not captive so it could be quite easy to lose. For me, this isn't such a big deal as I intend to only use it on my handlebars, however if you wanted to be able to quickly detach the light from your bike and put it on a helmet, it is not going to work so well.

Apart from the handlebar mount, I also tried the 360º swivel mount on my bike. This worked ok on smooth roads, but the minute there was any vibration, the light would either swivel or tip completely forwards. I also tried it on a cap (which the manual specifies) however with any active movement such as jogging, the light would lose its position and flop down.

The battery pack is in a weather resistant casing which is easily attached to the frame or seat post of the bike. It has a large stretchy rubber tab with velcro. If pulled quite tight, this doesn't move. I did notice when doing some off road biking that the battery would slip and move, however after making sure the battery was really well secured this ceased. The connection to the light is also weather resistant. I was caught in a rain storm coming home, and the light functioned perfectly throughout the whole journey and showed no signs of detonation afterwards.

If you plan to go mountain biking, you may need to beef up the support and clip mechanism to ensure the light doesn't shift out of place, however if you go crashing through rivers or through the rain, this light will be up to the task.

Design and functionality
The light and its accessories are well made from quality materials. Ignoring the issue with the clips, all the components are well made and fit well. When I first started using the light, it was very hard to unclip it from the handlebar but after a few uses this loosened up a little bit and it is quite easy to get on and off. The light has a very interesting radial heatsink design in an attractive red colour. After a lot of use, this can become quite hot to the touch so best to leave it for a few minutes before trying to detach.

The light offers 3 brightness modes (high, medium, low) and 4 flash modes (fast, medium, slow, SOS). These are controlled from two push buttons on the rear of the unit, covered with a silicon panel. This also serves as a battery gauge as the whole rear is illuminated. Green indicates 100 - 70% capacity, Blue 70-40% and Red 40-10%. When the light drops below 10%, the rear blinks red.

In the real world
The light is bright - very bright! It certainly attracts the attention of motorists, pedestrians and other road users when in flashing mode. I have had to be careful to keep it angled down, however it has a good spread to the sides and throw in front, giving a clear view when cycling. Using solely this light as a headlamp, I feel very confident cycling at night and even in areas which are not lit.

I have found that the light (in full power) lasts for a bit over 2 hours on a freshly charged battery pack. My commute is usually 30 minutes each way, and have found I am only charging the battery pack after every 4th or 5th commute (when the indicator hits red).

Summary
The Xeccon Spiker 1210 is an extremely bright and versatile light for cycling and other outdoor activities. It has a compact design, is easy to use and is quite hardy and durable yet stylish. The major let down for me is the clip system and how cumbersome it is to change mounting methods, especially when out and about.

I would strongly recommend giving this light a go if you really only need it for a single use application (i.e. helmet mounted, handlebar mounted), as it is a brilliant price point (around $170 online) for a CREE LED headlamp in terms of brightness, batter life and build quality.

Pictures and video review to come soon.
Pictures can be found HERE

Moderator note, review moved to the correct section.

[nomadicsoul]

Hello all
In addition to the write up I did and images over on the gear review section, below is a video I put together reviewing in depth the Xeccon Spiker 1210 1600 Lumen CREE LED cycling light.



Mod Note: Also moved this to the correct section, please take note of the best location for each post.