FENIX BC21R vs BC26R | Can they be used as MTB bike lights?

FENIX BC21R vs BC26R | Can they be used as MTB bike lights?
Putting a 1200 Lumens light against a 1600 Lumens to see what differs and if they work as lights for MTBs. As a bonus I also test the FENIX BC05R V2.0 rear bike light and a couple of helmet mounts.
Sadly I won't get any kick-back if you purchase anything from the links below, but here they are anyway ;)
EU site:
► www.fenixlinternas.com/inicio...
► www.fenixlinternas.com/bc-ser...
► www.fenixlinternas.com/ciclis...
US site:
► www.fenixlighting.com/product...
► www.fenixlighting.com/product...
► www.fenixlighting.com/product...
0:00 All you need to know in 30s
1:09 Timelapse
2:03 Side-by-side in the woods
2:30 Side-by-side in a fields
3:0 Requesting a helicopter
4:50 Riding in the woods e t c
6:22 d-c-fix hack
7:00 Light temperature
8:06 Helmet mounts
9:26 Rear bike light
► Subscribe: / @mtbs
► Music in this video: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...

[@mrchiefbs]

Really well made video! I was surprised at the attention to detail !

[@IsaacS1]

This was an excellent video. Very informative and well presented, well done!

[@MTBs]

Thanks mate!

[@greatvedas]

this is such a detailed review. Thanks for making this.

[@MTBs]

Thanks! I went all in on this review. 😂

[@Hiker1987]

Excellent comparison and explanations. Just what I needed to find to gauge whether I want to use this as a helmet mounted light. Thanks.

[@MTBs]

Thanks! Appreciate your comment! 😀

[@Jankubicek78]

Very good video.

[@user-lu1ql8rd5c]

Thank you for a very good video! It's a cool!

[@zahirig]

Thanks for this review. I think it is the only such review to go into detail on this light. I had a previous fenix light which worked well for me but the lack of a user replaceable battery and battery degradation meant I have to toss the entire device after 5 years. The ability to easily replace the battery cannot be understated.

[@MTBs]

Glad to be of help! 😀

[@Johnny-Hurricane]

Гарний огляд.Дякую😊

[@macvos]

Very good video, especially with the POV footage and time-lapse. Would have loved to have seen a time-lapse with the High modes as well, although I understand that would take a lot of extra time, and most people are only interested in the maximum output mode.

[@MTBs]

Thank you! I guess some conclusions can be made from that time lapse since they switched to “high” rather quickly.

[@lonebird7534]

Thank you so much for such a detailed review! Huge contrast with those borrowing videos, where you see half an hour the flashlight and hands, rotating it from side to side and as maximum "test" of the beam on the wall ;))) Your video is comprehensive. Was also interesting to find out that you claim that this flashlight gives too wide exposure and wish to have more throw. I search vice versa for more flood light. I installed GoPro mount on my handlebar, removed threefold element from it and installed short Picatinny rail. And having 1" round flashlight adapter on this rail, it's possible to install any tactical flashlight, e.g. Eagtac T25C2 with 300-400 meters throw. I prefer to ride not so fast in the night in the woods. And couldn't find enough wide angle and well flood flashlite among tactical or EDC flashlights. So seems this Fenix BC26R is exactly what I need.

[@MTBs]

Thank you! Just to clarify, I didn't like the hotspot and the beam is only at around 10-20 degrees which is too little in my opinion. There is a bigger light from Fenix that might be the answer, but that light is probably too heavy to have on the helmet. Overall I like these lights I tested and I don't feel I need to replace them.

[@lonebird7534]

@@MTBs , it's clear about beam, thank you. Certainly, it's always a matter of balance. Too narrow light beam is not good, too wide spill as well. Balance needed. And everyone understands the balance on his own ))) There are flashlights with beam angle 45 or even 60 degr. But not all manufacturers declare this parameter in the specs. And not all that looks good at paper is good in real. That's why such a video like you did are really helpful.

[@aiman96yearsago10]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MYnextDIYbikePROJECT]

Intriguing to ride in pitch black in the woods. Looks like Something I want to try. Just need a MTB first…

[@MTBs]

Definitely a different experience!

[@limchoonteck1]

You got to try it but make sure the trail is what you are familiar with.

[@MYnextDIYbikePROJECT]

@@limchoonteck1 I have an MTB now, I have a Light… now I need some time and courage. I have a rout that I’m getting more and more acquainted with. 👌

[@jonhalda]

Which would you pick for road/mtb bc26r or bc30 v2?

[@MTBs]

For MTB I would probably go for bc30 v2 on the handle bar, assuming it's got a wider beam. The lighter bc26r sits well on the helmet. Don't have any opinion on lights for road bikes, but I guess you would want stvzo lights in traffic.

[@twosix_00]

Today, are you still using Bc26r? If so, what has your performance been? I only had it for a few days and I got rid of it because I wasn't convinced by the warm light it shed. But currently I plan to purchase it again as a spare light, being a loyal Magicshine user☺️

[@MTBs]

Yes, still using it. Works as it did when it was new. Regarding the colour, apparently there are differences between batches of these "standard" LEDs. Same thing regardless of brand really. So your example could look warmer and mine cooler. Don't know how much of a difference there is though. I prefer a neutral colour, but for me warm is better than cool.

[@jonhalda]

would you pick bc26r or lumintop b01?

[@MTBs]

Sorry, I don't know anything about the lumintop.

[@JohnnyRabbitQC]

The BC30 is the mountain bike light from Fenix

[@MTBs]

Yes, correct. The BC21 and 26R are more general purpose lights that Fenix is pushing at the moment. The BC30 is probably too heavy to mount on to the helmet though. It's 156 grams without batteries.

[@JohnnyRabbitQC]

@@MTBs Yes that thing looks bulky. I'm still looking for a bike light and can't find a light that has a single lens, a replacable 5000mah battery and a cut off beam.

[@RoyTheKing241]

What's the best flood light you've found for a helmet?

[@MTBs]

Haven’t found any decent helmet flood light yet (with internal battery). I’m guessing you need an external battery pack for the helmet light too for flood light.

[@allenignacio9790]

What you reckon compare it to Volt800 Cateye

[@MTBs]

Might be an alternative, but it's an older light. Haven't tested it but Cateye seems to make decent lights.

[@twosix_00]

I had been waiting for this comparison and now I am in a debate... I was assuming that the bc26r should be significantly brighter but it is very similar to the bc21 v3.0 And the beam of light doesn't convince me, I thought it would be wider, but it just looks like a hot spot in the middle, and that's not nice in the mountains. I don't like the handlebar mount either, so I don't know whether to buy it or not👎🏼

[@MTBs]

The reason to get the bc26r over the bc21r is primarily battery life which is much better, they still weigh the same. Other than that I would say the are very similar. I too hoped for a wider, more MTB oriented light beam and I have expressed this to Fenix as well. The spill light to the sides is just wasted energy on a MTB in my mind. I have tested a few of these small lights and they are all much the same, so if you want something different you need to go bigger as far as I know (haven't tested them all of course). The reason why Fenix lights are worth considering over other lights is the interchangable battery, the IP68 rating and a 5 year warranty. Many lights die after only a season or two so that warranty is actually worth something. The handle bar mount is ok:ish, not a deal breaker. Hope you will find what you are looking for, being it a Fenix light or something else!

[@twosix_00]

@@MTBs Now that you have the Bc26r, is the light it emits cool white? Or is it warm light? That concerns me a little...

[@MTBs]

I did a segment on that subject in this video. It's around 4700-5000 K, I have no complaints there. Same LED in both lights.

[@twosix_00]

I have a few days with it and honestly I did not like it at all, the light it emits is warm and has a hot spot in the center, the handlebar mount at least met my expectations. I like the fact that it has a removable battery and it's USB-C, I just didn't like the color of the light, in other reviews that I had seen on YT the light seemed whiter. PS. That does not take away from the fact that it continues to be an excellent product, and that it continues to be functional for a few more years.

[@MTBs]

I think we are different there about the temperature of the light. I like warmer lights, works better with my eyes. I am quite confident that the temperature is 5000K or a bit lower. Agree with the hotspot, it was my biggest complaint in the video. But it seems to be the same for all of these general purpose lights. They are not only intended for MTB riding. If you want a different light beam you need to look at something very different with multiple LEDs, but then you probably need to mess with external battery packs as well. Still, for the price these are the best small bike lights I've come across

[@twosix_00]

@@MTBs So far the light that has convinced me the most is the Magicshine RN1500 (blue) I like the beam of light it has and it is cold white. Although I would like to try a Lezyne Super Drive 1600 XXL or the Ravemen PR2400 in the future, although there are very few reviews on those models.🤔

[@MTBs]

Yeah, there are so many similar bike lights out there right now. But so far they seem to be general purpose lights and not specifically MTB lights. I wish that some company would differentiate themselves by offering a MTB specific lens/reflector that is just a little bit wider and without any hotspot. I did take a quick look at the RN1500, still a spot type of light but with a less noticable hotspot.

[@twosix_00]

@@MTBs I'm more of a road cyclist and a bit of a gravel rider, so I'm looking for a light that its type of lens reflects the most light to the ground, and doesn't go to waste, I want something with good range, so far it has only convinced the RN...

[@MTBs]

Well, one thing a spot type of light is good at it's range. Anyways, if you are nerdy about these things as I am, there is a l o n g thread at a Swedish forum with lots of opinions and example images covering several different lights. Use Google to translate to English. Very useful information to dive in to: happyride.se/forum/threads/arets-lamptrad-22-23.3694261/

[@profscarfmanhat8034]

Very sad that the BC26R has as far as I’ve researched, the only replaceable battery system. Perhaps the choice to not have it as an ultra wide beam will make folks buy 2 of them? Two on either side of the handlebars would make for a superb system for me as an urban user currently, but of course, double the cost.

[@MTBs]

I think there are others. But for commuting these are wide enough.

[@oliverhomie]

I have one of those BC 26R and it’s quite powerful and lightens wide enough. I even rode it in pitch black in the woods as single light. The only case where there would not be enough light on the sides would be really sharp turns. For that case, an additional helmet light would be a good addition. Only issue I could see with this light is, that you could blind oncoming traffic when running on high setting, because it has a round shape beam. So, I would recommend this light for off-road rude on high setting and for city use on lit roads on low setting. By the way: I just saw that Fenix launched a new light, the BC 15R. It has a cut off beam good for street use but unfortunately a built-in battery. Maybe they launch a version with replaceable battery and cut-off beam on the future.

[@oliverhomie]

Also, I think it’s a very good idea to rather run two smaller independent lights than one very strong light. In case one light fails during riding you will still be safe.

[@profscarfmanhat8034]

Hello. Thank you. I’d posit that the removable light is a huge selling point for this light. Had a Lezyne DecaDrive 1500xxl but when the battery died it’s almost useless without trying to reverse engineer the battery install…as super wide and bright as it was. Have a Fenix on the way. Hope it works out.

[@oliverhomie]

@@profscarfmanhat8034 which Fenix did you order? I found only two lights with a sort of cut-off beam and removable battery: Nitecore BR25 and Lumintop B01. But in terms of build quality the Fenix lights look quite better than those.

[@youthmanyt]

That light is greenish.

[@MTBs]

Only a little bit, not worse than other lights.

[@user-ch5iq2vp3o]

Это плохо, очень плохо что fenix bc26r сбрасывает максимальную яркость уже через 10 минут .... Плохо, очень плохо

[@MTBs]

Well, to be honest all (almost) lights do this.

[@user-ch5iq2vp3o]

@@MTBs согласен, некоторые больше, некоторые меньше по времени....но 10 минут, может при движении, когда корпус будет охлаждаться ветром, они будет работать дольше....