Cygolite Hotshot *Micro*

I noticed this new Hotshot variant at a distributor's site. It claimed to have a wider beam than the classic Hotshot, so I got one to check out. The optic has a diffuser-like grating.







Beamshots show steady-burn intensities (Hotshot maxed out, Micro on HIGH). Same f-stop and exposure.




Notes:

1. unlike the Hotshot or Hotshot SL, you cannot adjust the frequency of the flashing modes on the Micro, or the intensity of the steady-burn mode.

2. unlike the Hotshot or Hotshot SL, the Micro doesn't have a clip on the light, so it's not suitable for clipping to the rear of a seat bag, hydration pack, etc. The lack of a clip also means there won't be an optional bracket for mounting the Micro on a rear rack.

3. the charging port on the Micro is MicroUSB, not MiniUSB, another difference from the Hotshot and SL.

4. The "Group Ride" mode is a low-power steady-burn mode. "SteadyPulse" runs the light at a baseline intensity with a triple-burst flash pattern on top, similar to DiNotte's well-liked quintuple-flash-over-steady pattern.

5. the Micro's single-flash mode runs at a pretty high frequency. It appears to be similar to the Hotshot at its maximum flashing frequency.

6. the button has a tactile and audible click.

7. despite the "Micro" name, it's very similar in size to the regular Hotshot or the SL.

Subjectively, I observed them both in steady-burn mode from various angles on my seatpost to estimate their relative intensities from different angles. Someone at your 1-3 o'clock approach is more likely to see the Micro (as long as it's not being obstructed by your leg) because its body protrudes more, and there's just more of it to see. From your 4 o'clock to 5 o'clock area, the Micro looks marginally brighter. From your 6 o'clock (direct rear) the Hotshot's very focused beam is the strongest.

Overall, I would generally recommend the regular Hotshot, and just make sure to hard-mount it and aim it precisely. I like the adjustable flash rate, it has the option to clip to a seat bag loop or a hydration pack, the mount is more secure, there's a rack mount available, and personally I like the stronger centerline intensity for daytime use in this age of texting-impaired motorists. Also, I've just never been a huge fan of rubber strap mounts, although this one is pretty robust for the weight of the light.

Where you might want the Micro, is if your only mounting option is on a seatstay. The classic Hotshot's mount has a release tab that often hits the stay and forces the light to be mounted aiming upwards. The Micro's mount has its pivot at the bottom and would be able to aim the light level regardless of the frame's seatstay angle. Hanging it from beneath your chainstay is another possibility.

thanks for the review!

I haven't seen the Cygolite products in the local shops, so I do appreciate the exposure to them.

The Hotshot looks like a competitor with the Planet Bike Superflash and that group. The beam is very focused and narrow, which is suitable if you expect the cars to be directly behind you. That's probably good enough for me and the straight rural roads that I spend a lot of time on, but it might not be so great in urban environments. The option of a wider beam is nice to have. You do lose some intensity, but in an urban area where the cars are usually closer, this wouldn't be an issue.

The mounting hardware is a bit of a dissapointment, as you suggest. That rubber strap might work great, or it might be like the rubber strap for some clip-on fenders that I use, and break after a couple of years. I bought a little Cateye taillight last year, and the mounting methods are very adaptable. Plus... Cateye will sell you any mounting bracket that you might want, allowing you to easily swap the light between a few bikes. I've got a Cateye headlight that I swap between about 4 bikes right now.

Do the photons emitted by the Cygolite smell like tuna?? They seem to have attracted a cat.

Steve K said:

thanks for the review!

I haven't seen the Cygolite products in the local shops, so I do appreciate the exposure to them.

The Hotshot looks like a competitor with the Planet Bike Superflash and that group. The beam is very focused and narrow, which is suitable if you expect the cars to be directly behind you. That's probably good enough for me and the straight rural roads that I spend a lot of time on, but it might not be so great in urban environments. The option of a wider beam is nice to have. You do lose some intensity, but in an urban area where the cars are usually closer, this wouldn't be an issue.

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That's a good assessment. The classic Hotshot and its SL variant have the beam pattern of the SuperFlash, just at a very high output (and USB-rechargeable, and variable frequency, etc etc). They don't show up that well when, say, clipped to a messenger bag that's aiming them upwards. The ideal light for that scenario is something omnidirectional, with the NiteFlux RedZone being the extreme example.

Do the photons emitted by the Cygolite smell like tuna?? They seem to have attracted a cat.

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Good thing it's not a real cat It's a 1/3-scale statue of a black panther, panthera pardus. But I imagine they'd like tuna as much as gazelle

All right, figured out a good application for the Micro: helmet taillight! Rubber strap, wider beam, swivel mount. Bingo

that would be good. The rubber strap is probably helpful too, in terms of safety. I've been a little leary of attaching things to helmets on the principle that helmets are supposed to be crushable, so that they absorb energy. Putting a rock-like object on the helmet means that you might cause all of the force to be concentrated at that one spot on the helmet instead of being spread out over a large area. The rubber strap would hopefully break or come loose during an impact, allowing the light to go somewhere else.

The extra lighting is helpful, I think. Adding a light up high helps motorists get a better feel for your size and how fast they are approaching you, as well as figuring out from a distance that you are a bike instead of a motorcycle or a car with some lights out.

Steve K said:

that would be good. The rubber strap is probably helpful too, in terms of safety. I've been a little leary of attaching things to helmets on the principle that helmets are supposed to be crushable, so that they absorb energy. Putting a rock-like object on the helmet means that you might cause all of the force to be concentrated at that one spot on the helmet instead of being spread out over a large area. The rubber strap would hopefully break or come loose during an impact, allowing the light to go somewhere else.

The extra lighting is helpful, I think. Adding a light up high helps motorists get a better feel for your size and how fast they are approaching you, as well as figuring out from a distance that you are a bike instead of a motorcycle or a car with some lights out.

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Also, helmet lights (front or rear) are high enough to show over the tops of passenger cars, or possibly through the interiors of minivans and such, if I'm in dense downtown traffic.

mechBgon said:

Also, helmet lights (front or rear) are high enough to show over the tops of passenger cars, or possibly through the interiors of minivans and such, if I'm in dense downtown traffic.

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I agree with the three vertical lights approach, and this video suggests that flashing off cuts visibility for too long so that three flash on a dimmer background would be very good for the helmet light. The setup shown is a PB Turbo on a DIY pivoting helmet mount, a HotShot on the seat post in pulse mode, and a pair of 100 lumen DIY 180+ degree lights on the rack. It is a short edited from another video.



BrianMc

Steve K said:

...Do the photons emitted by the Cygolite smell like tuna?? They seem to have attracted a cat.

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Ya don't say........( salmon flavored popcorn in bag > ; )

Cat-Man-Do said:

Ya don't say........( salmon flavored popcorn in bag > ; )

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Panther statue now upgraded with retroreflective pupils, courtesy of some black 3M reflective tape. Because reasons! :tinfoil:

I got this light a while back. Best light for the price you can get right now IMHO. I mount it on the side of my rack.

Hi there, just a quick question about the Cygolite Micro. Does someone have successfully installed the micro on a rack? I have a Topeak Explorer Tubular Rack w/disc Mounts (w/o Spring) installed and was wondering if this Rack Mount Bracket works well with the micro http://www.shop.cygolite.com/product.sc?productId=99&categoryId=74
Thanks,

luca.321 said:

Hi there, just a quick question about the Cygolite Micro. Does someone have successfully installed the micro on a rack? I have a Topeak Explorer Tubular Rack w/disc Mounts (w/o Spring) installed and was wondering if this Rack Mount Bracket works well with the micro http://www.shop.cygolite.com/product.sc?productId=99&categoryId=74
Thanks,

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It isn't plug & play by the looks of the micro: http://www.cygolite.com/product/hotshot-micro-2w-usb/
It is not listed as an option: another strong clue. If you had an old SuperFlash, you could use use its clip and a PB rack mount.

The same lens and light pattern with more power is available in the Pro 80: http://www.cygolite.com/product/hotshot-pro-80-usb/

Another $15, but a lot more power, too.

This article: Survival guide for running and biking in the dark

Suggests lighting our ankles, knees and wrists. I tried ankles with the LiteFlux RedZones. Not enough light in the day. I suspect that the flash mode will not show well as a rotation and say "cyclist" clearly enough. A pair of the pro 80's might be enough and if they flashed fast enough might still show enough motion to say cyclist. The knees won't do much. The wrists might help signaling, but otherwise pretty useless. Strip style lights on fork and seat stays say bike pretty well, too.

This is my current rear light. I've had it for about a year. I moved away from the SuperFlash which two before the current one cause I was losing my light. I use my light hanging from the saddlebag. The SuperFlash would eventually pop off the bag. Not good cause once it happened when I wasn't aware of this. I went to the Cygolite Hotshot after this cause it has these little hooks on the bigger belt hook that keeps it from popping off unexpectedly.

The Cygolite Hotshot was working great till I went out riding in the rain. There was basically NO waterproofness at all on this model! I contacted Cygolite and they asked if I wanted to try the lastest model. I told them sure and go ahead and send it. This was the Micro which has been working great and seems to be waterproof. We do the dishes by hand here and I once put this light in the sink with all the dirty dishes. It managed to survive the whole ordeal. One thing that was really cool with Cygolite was that they also sent me the mount for hanging the light too. I guess normally it comes with the mount to have on the seatpost or on the seatstay.

Pro

• Great for using this light in the day time. With a 2-watt bulb you are seen in the daytime. ( I like the fast flash mode for this.)
• Two great modes for riding at night in a group. First is a dim solid mode. Second is a very slow flashing mode. It takes about 3 seconds for this mode to cycle through.
• The light has great visibility on the sides.
• Nice variable flash for when I'm riding solo at night.
• The factory reps were really on top of things and responsive.
• Great battery that I have yet to drain all the way. Could go two days, I'm sure.

Con

• The rubber plug for plugging into the charging port needs to be longer. Too easy to brush this and become unplugged, which means it loses it's waterproofing.
• No adjustments on the modes.

It's a keeper so far. Nothing I'm really bugged about.

luca.321 said:

Hi there, just a quick question about the Cygolite Micro. Does someone have successfully installed the micro on a rack? I have a Topeak Explorer Tubular Rack w/disc Mounts (w/o Spring) installed and was wondering if this Rack Mount Bracket works well with the micro http://www.shop.cygolite.com/product.sc?productId=99&categoryId=74
Thanks,

Click to expand...

I'd give Cygolite a shot and see if they have the bracket for mounting the Micro to your rack. I'm betting they do and you might even get that sent to you free. They've been pretty responsive when I've called them.