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review
Lights - front
One23 Intense Bright 1 Front LED Light One23 Intense Bright 1

One23 Intense Bright 1 Front LED Light

6
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Nov 2, 2011

0
£28.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Competent commuter lamp for sub/urban riding but it burns through batteries quicker than similar lights
Weight: 
131g
Contact: 
www.todayscyclist.co.uk
How we test

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One23 Intense bright 1 is a remarkably solid, well-conceived compact commuter lamp with excellent optics, weather seals and peripheral illumination that shames some household names. On the flip-side, Halos limit effective navigation beyond 15mph and battery consumption is pretty poor by modern standards too, although you can of course use rechargeables.

Thanks to competition and falling prices of technology, it's quite difficult to find poor lights-even at this end of the market. A single, ultra bright LED and clever collimator lens borrowed from laser guidance technology mean a crisper beam than ever before. LEDs might not be user serviceable in the sense of filament type lights but they're less prone to failures and cast a more useful pool of light.

Getting inside the casing is simply a question of rotating it anti-clockwise (towards you) revealing a neatly finished head and battery tray containing four AAA cells-very similar to RSP's Steradian with very neat soldering.

The otherwise nifty universal handlebar bracket supplied with integral shims for easy swapping between bikes is big compared with the latest generation of super slim rechargeables, something to bear in mind if handlebar space is limited and you need space for computers and other mod cons Directing the garden hose at the body and switch sections for five minutes couldn't reveal any obvious weaknesses, although as ever a quick lick of Vaseline on the contacts wouldn't be wasted.

Dusk comes with little warning these days so thankfully the top mounted switch is a doddle to use, even in winter gloves. Out in the sticks, high mode casts a crisp, piercing beam of the just about see by, you will definitely be seen-with up to around four hundred yards at 15mph; I found flashing mode particularly effective at cross roads/staggered junctions. Through town it's much the same story, although toggling down to low is perfectly feasible, conserving battery life, while the windows give plenty of warning to others when joining the flow of traffic.

Verdict

Competent commuter lamp for sub/urban riding but it burns through batteries quicker than similar lights

 

road.cc test report

Make and model: One23 Intense Bright 1 Front LED Light

Size tested: Black

Tell us what the light is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Intense bright1 is basically a budget LED light for semi-lit commutes and occasional night riding out beyond the street lights

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?

INTENSE BRIGHT 1

1 Watt Hi-Lumen White LED

3 Modes Hi Beam, Low Beam And Flashing

Latest Collimator Technology

Up to 24 Hours Run Time

Quick Release Bracket

Tool Free Fitting

4 AAA Batteries Included

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
6/10
Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
6/10
Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
6/10

Generally solid, although the plastics weren't to the same quality as some premium brands.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
7/10

Good, passed the garden hose test with flying colours.

Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
5/10
Rate the light for performance:
 
6/10
Rate the light for durability:
 
6/10

Good, although the plastics aren't quite to the same grade as say, Cateye.

Rate the light for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10
Rate the light for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the light for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The highintense bright1 is very competent for short, semi-lit commutes around town and occasional night rides. Peripheral illumination is excellent and the quality of light is relatively good for this type of light. That said, economy is poor returning 12, 17 and 22.5 hours from a set of alkaline cells, dropping to 10, 13 and 19.75hrs using nimh rechargeables.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

Excellent peripheral illumination,neat styling

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

Poor run-times.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? No but only because it doesn't meet my requirements

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes, for short haul commutes and/ or occasional night-riding.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

 

One23 Intense Bright 1 Front LED Light
LED cycle light
Commuter light
One23
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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