Magicshine Allty 800

The Magicshine Allty 800 front light shows how useful a quarter-turn mount can be for front lights. The Allty 800 is bright enough for unlit roads, very easy to operate and boasts decent battery life too.

When looking for a front light for my road bike, I generally want something that is quite compact so it won't take up too much space on the bar, is bright enough to light unlit roads for those times when I stay out for too long after work, attaches easily so I can put it on when I'm in a hurry, and doesn't weigh too much. That's pretty much the Magicshine Allty 800 in a nutshell.

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The quarter-turn mount system is the same as that used by Garmin for its GPS computers, so you can pop this onto an out-front mount if you're not using a computer. Even with the supplied bar mount, attaching the light to your bike is the simplest system I've used, and it is very secure too.

As the name suggests, the light boasts a maximum output of 800 lumens and that, for me, is enough to light the way on a decently surfaced road with no street lighting. For country lanes or unfamiliar roads where potholes could surprise me, I'd prefer something stronger, but for my usual post-work training roads, the Allty 800 has been perfect.

Magicshine claims that the 800-lumen constant mode will run for an hour and 40 minutes. One post-work ride ran over a bit and I got home with an hour and a half on the clock. The light had been running at full power for the entire ride, so Magicshine's claim is pretty accurate.

When it comes to recharging, many of you will be pleased to find that Magicshine has opted for USB-C fast charging. Personally, I always recharge overnight, but it is nice to be able to add juice quickly if you're on the go. The 4000mAh battery can also can be used as a power bank if needed.

Magicshine says that it has used an anti-glare lens to help prevent the light from dazzling oncoming road users. In reality, the thing that is going to help most with this is the way you angle the light, but what I did find was that the concentration of light that hits the road is very good.

One thing I have missed is a feature like Lezyne's Race Mode which gives you just two options: full beam and a dipped beam. One press of the function button flicks between the two and makes switching between the two brightness settings as you go from lit to unlit roads much easier.

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Magicshine has three brightness settings to cycle through, making it just a bit more of a faff to change when riding through a town. Why does this even matter? Well, the more you can switch down to a lower brightness setting, the longer the battery is going to last. I just found that I was less likely to bother switching down a brightness level for a short time because getting back to full took more time.

When it comes to using the light on daytime rides to add visibility, I'm surprised to see the flash modes only using half of the available brightness. On dull or foggy days, especially through recent months when I have been riding alone, I want all the brightness I can get, so a brighter flash mode would have been nice.

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In terms of price, $59.99 (currently converting to £43) is quite good for the power of the light, especially when you throw in the excellent mount system. Compared to the Lezyne Classic Drive 700XL that I also had on test this winter, it seems like a good deal. The big drawback with this Magicshine light – for UK riders – is that it's no longer available through official Magicshine dealers, so users outside of the States are going to find additional costs associated with a purchase.

Verdict

Strong, well-focused beam is enough for unlit roads, and the mount is great too