As the days get shorter and daylight savings comes to an end we’ve been finding ourselves doing more and more night riding. Not that we ever took a break – nighttime is our favorite time to mountain bike here in the south during the hot summer months. We recently got a chance to test out the new Push bike light from Princeton Tec and it’s quickly becoming our go-to light as a backup and secondary fill light.
The Push features a single LED capable of shining 100 lumens on the trail and comes in a svelte quarter-pound package including the mount (115 grams to be exact). The light uses 3 AAA batteries and sports pulsing red lights on the sides to improve visibility to other vehicles (you can turn this feature off on the trail if you find it distracting). With three light modes (high, low, and flash) you’ll get about 4 hours of run time on high from a fresh set of AAA’s.
Ok, so at first glance these specs may not seem all that impressive for mountain biking and admittedly we didn’t get it at first either. Then we realized the Push would be a good light to throw in the hydration pack for emergencies because it’s lightweight and will stay juiced for years unlike a rechargeable system – perfect for those epic rides that accidentally spill over into darkness.
We could also see ourselves using this as a bikepacking light since it can be infinitely powered via a stream of AAA batteries (no charger necessary). Bikepacking is all about minimizing weight, where again, the Push really shines (no pun intended).
Admittedly 100 lumens isn’t a ton of light (see element22’s recent review of the Seca 1400 which pumps out 14-times as much brightness!) but we found the circular beam pattern provides just enough illumination to fill in the gaps left dark by our helmet-mounted lights. In fact we recently replaced our 2-pound bar-mounted light system with the Push on regular night rides and shaved 1.75 pounds off our load!
Beyond mountain biking applications the Push works great for bike commuting. The bar mount is simple to attach and held the light solidly in all our tests – both on and off road. There’s even a quick release on the light so you can pop it off when you lock your bike outside the office.
For an inexpensive secondary or emergency trail light that’s always ready to go, check out the new Push from Princeton Tec. At just $50 MSRP this versatile light is a great value!
Thanks to the folks at Princeton Tec for providing the Push bike light for review. Check out princetontec.com to see additional color options available on the Push.
2 Comments
Oct 29, 2010
This has the exact same mounting bracket as a cygolite model I recently used. (I always wonder who manufactures whom these days) The point is that the mount is very secure, yet can be detached or adjusted in seconds via the big thumb screw, even with gloves on.
I currently use a 70 lumens Princeton Tec EOS headlamp for bike commuting and late mountain bike rides that end in darkness. It is pretty weak and although I can get by with it, it's really not up to the job. I'm assuming that this unit, in addition to the 30 more lumens, also has some magic in the reflector design to make it better suited for biking. I'd love to see one of Element22's back yard shots with it for comparison!
Oct 29, 2010