Rhodium Cycling – “Sunlight for your Ride”
I have always been a collector of bike lights, especially
since daylight savings kicked in and darkness falls well before 5pm. I stumbled
across a Youtube video of a local mountain bike ride that featured bright
lights and local structures that sparked my interest. I immediately started
researching the lights and found out that local mountain biker James Voshell
was the brains behind the design and functionality.
I quickly headed over to www.rhodiumcycling.com and reached out to James. It was interesting to know that James created Ethos Components back in 2015 and has continued to perfect his invention. The new Drive 900L is his latest creation branded as Rhodium. James designs and builds these lights in California and has honed in his 3D Printing, CNC Machine, and Coding skills to create the perfect light for any situation. The Drive 900L is only 82 grams making it the perfect light to
mount to your helmet without the added weight putting strain on your neck. The
900L refers to 900 Lumens and is IP-7 Water Resistant, 2 discipline cycling
modes for Road or Mountain and an abundance of modes in between. The first mode is Mountain Biking / Trail. It has three
solid beam modes which are low, medium, and high. The runtime is 8 hours, 3
hours, and 1.5 hours respectfully. There is a 4-quarter battery gauge on the
backside of the unit which allows you to gauge how much sunlight you can ride
with.
Now here’s the cool part. Hold down the tail power switch
for 5 seconds and this will switch it to road mode. The road mode has 5
distinct settings to keep you visible and riding long after the sun goes down.
It has Day Flash, Night Flash, Light on with Flash, Low and High Beam. The “On
with Flash” was by far my favorite mode while riding at night. The steady beam
lit up my way, and the flash allowed oncoming objects to be aware I where I
was. To switch back to Trail mode, simply hold the power back down for another
5 seconds.
The micro USB charging port has a quick charge capability to
charge 0-80% in 2 hours. When charging, there will be a red led light on the
tail of the unit, and it will extinguish once fully charged. A full charge will
take 4 hours.
Now let’s get into my experience with the Rhodium 900L. I
rode with 2 units. One was mounted on my handlebars with the universal mount,
and the other was mounted on my helmet. The handlebar mount was quick to install
and stayed in place. Having both lights allowed to cover the road ahead as well
as any direction that I looked. Rhodium Cycling also offers a GoPro mount so
you can attach it basically anywhere you would mount a GoPro. I went for an
hour ride, and I kept both beams on high. When I returned back home the battery
gauge still indicated about 50% life left. This to me is amazing. The design is
very attractive with machined front and tail sections with a Carbon Fiber
skinned middle. When I returned home, I simply popped the 900L out of the
universal mount and used it to take my dog for a walk. The uses for this
lightweight ultra-bright light are endless.
Kudos to the Rhodium Cycling team on the design and
functionality of this little light. If you have been debating on getting
lights, or even upgrading, do not hesitate to check them out. Pricing will range
from $74.99 - $94.99 depending on which mounting option you go with.
