I purchased this light about three months ago and wanted to spend some time using it before writing my review. Since then, I have ridden close to 900 miles, with most of my training sessions taking place before sunrise. I was searching for a light bright enough to clearly illuminate the road ahead, yet not so intense that it would blind oncoming traffic. I believe the cutoff beam does a great job of this. Most of my rides are on small roads with minimal street lighting.
The light has exceeded my expectations, even during bouts of light rain. On most rides, I use the adaptive mode, which works wonderfully—I hardly notice any dimming as the ride progresses. In adaptive mode, I consistently achieve more than three hours and twenty minutes of runtime, which is impressive, though I’m unsure if this is typical performance.
The light easily brightens one lane of the road, and compared to other cyclist lights I’ve used, the Detour light offers much better coverage and light distribution. I took a picture of a dark road to show the difference between the light being on and off, but, honestly, the photo doesn’t do it justice due to the iPhone’s image processing.
I don’t need to remove the light from its base frequently, but when I do, I don’t find it difficult to remove or install, contrary to what some other reviews mention. Additionally, I haven’t experienced the light getting hot—even after three hours of runtime, the body remains cool enough to touch.
The only negative I’ve encountered occurred last week, when the mount loosened slightly mid-ride and the light began to rotate downward. I didn’t have the correct Allen key to tighten the bolt. Since the mount is plastic, I wonder if its flexibility could cause it to loosen over time, but so far, this has been a minor issue.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the performance of this light and would recommend it to others seeking a reliable cycling light for low-light conditions.
Dropped the SOB in the mud my first time using it, doing a night race but… they work awesome and lit up that trail, in the rain, like it was a sunny afternoon.
From customer service . To design. These lights are to me top Rated pro level. Love how the fit . How they look. And mostly how they perform. Amazing!
I’m primarily using the Hangover for commuting by bike and e-scooter. It’s bright and nicely illuminates the roads and ways of my semi-rural small city and the hazards that accompany them. The flash setting is attention getting by day (unsolicited positive comments from observersI). I love how it is compact and has great battery life compared to my old light engines and brick batteries (which still work but weigh a ton by comparison). Shout out to Hush Money Bikes for the tip about this light.
Great beam pattern and very bright lights. Work perfect for my early morning runs.
I’ve had this light for a year now, and have used it around the house on the bike. When I first got it I took it out close to dusk on a trail, but there was still daylight. It’s been mounted to my bike for after the initial charge, and last night was the first night I needed it. All of my riding is in daytime hours, so I ended up riding 3 hours and an a little over an hour of that was in complete darkness. This thing was great!! I kept it on the low setting, was all I needed for the trails around here. I did stop to take a picture a little after 9pm.
Got this light to go through the pitch-black Snoqualmie. WA rail-to-trial tunnel- a 5 mi round trip- on a day when 400 other attendees were doing the same trip. Got safely though and missed all pedestrians! Great lights!
I ride after dark weekly living in the high desert of western Colorado and these lights are amazing!
Hey!
So, I finally used my portal light at night! I got stuck on top of a mountain thinking there was a campground at the top (big time NO) and decided to wend my way down (and somehow alot of up) the mountain to the nearest town. And since I was on top of the mountain around 7:30 pm, had to get the portal out of the tailfin and give it a whirl.
Well, first thing i’ll say is, whoever came up with the adaptive brightness is genius. The light seemed to adjust to the setting I was in, when I was bushwhacking and more in the open it was less pronounced, but when said bushwhacking led to a cooler and darker location, wowza did I see everything I needed to. I rode, bc i was desparate to get down, and the portal really shined my path for me.
Well, then it got real dark. This thing was insanely bright, with a wide spread. I felt safe when I was back on a human made road, but on the “singletrack” and gravel descents I was pissed scared, heading right for oblivion if a magical pothole or something should appear, or some massive rock. Doing the descents with just the portal was scary. I tried to adjust the angle, but could just never get a good enough view of the ground. Maybe I placed wrong on my helmet, but it became abundantly clear that I should have gotten both of the lights in the downhill package. When the money comes in next, i’m gonna buy the handlebar one and figure out how to attach it to my aerobars.
Either way, between my varia and the portal, i felt more safe than I’ve ever felt. I haven’t ridden much at night, but believe i might cycle better at night rather than in the day - and the downhill package is gonna get me there! Now if only it didnt take forever for the lights to charge!!
Broke my Hangover Light in a crash. Called in to possibly buy a lower case and lens. Was told, “don’t worry, we got you!” And did they! Handled it all under warranty! 🤯Honestly, hands down THE BEST customer service I’ve had, ever, with any product. Exceeded my expectations, Outbound will have a customer and spokesperson for life!
Thank you Outbound, you guys are great!
I no longer worry about being able to see on night rides. This light is fantastic. It makes me happy to be able to support an American company that manufactures their own stuff. If you message them, they answer. Oh, and they are dog lovers. All of my boxes are checked!!!
I bought this light for both my mountain bike and road bike. I cycle on country roads, so the other light for road wasn't needed. This light is bright and the strobe is amazing for dusk riding! I like how easy it is to change between my bikes. I haven't had a chance to use it on trail l. But it will no doubt be awesome as I have used it on dark country roads. The light also fits easily under my garmin computer with the go pro mount that outbound sells. This light is well worth the money!
Both the light quality and customer service is beyond Excellent. I purchased a Hangover helmet light and was provided a delivery date. Delivery was prompt and I got my light the day before I left for my race. First race using the light was awesome and it totally lit up the trail. Unfortunately, I was blasting down a hill and, before realizing, I was deep in a jeep rut. I rubbed the front wheel against the edge of the rut and went down hard. I smacked my head pretty hard and my helmet light was sheared off at the mounting bracket. Fortunately there were no broken bones, but I was devastated that I just broke my brand new light. I contacted Outbound, post race, and Jason replaced my broken Hangover and returned it to me within the week. There are very few companies that support riders with that kind of service. With that, I’m a fan for life and plan on upgrading my handlebar light next with a new Outbound light. Thanks again Outbound! I hope you have continued success.
I received my Trail EVO light a few days ago and it is very good. I have only been able to use it during the day with the daytime flash and it works for sure. Haven't been able to use it at night as of yet.
I’ve had the outbound setup (EVO & hangover) for several years now and they are just as bright as they were when I first got them. The battery life hasn’t had any noticeable drop in either light. I ride at least 10 times a month at night during season. About a month ago I took a fall and the lens popped out of my hangover. 2 emails and shipping time and my light is back good as new. Awesome company, awesome lights 🤙 🤙
The Best Bike Lights for your helmet and handlebar with performance so powerful you'll forget you are riding at night.
The best self-contained wireless handlebar light on the planet. No comparision. Incredible brightness and battery life.
Bringing a headlight from your car to your bike. Featuring a panoramic, perfectly even cutoff beam pattern that prevents blinding oncoming riders, pedestrians and traffic.
Slim, lightweight, designed specifically for your bike helmet. The perfect companion for your adventures.
