February 3rd, 2012 9:11am
With the endurance season kicking off in just a couple of weeks at the Old Pueblo in Tucson, it’s only appropriate that we found a new lighting product to review. It was brought to our attention by one of our regular readers and since finding out the entire product was made in the USA, we really wanted to give it a shot.
The product is called the Trail Torch TT1800 - by Candlepower Technology. As the name implies it puts out a claimed 1800 lumens for 2.5 hours. If you have ever ridden or raced at night, you know 1800 lumens is a lot of light.
We really didn’t get enough time with the product to put the light through a full night race scenario, so we did the next best thing and had a pump track session in the black of night. Until of course we hit the power button on the back of the dual light head unit. That’s when things got fun.
Detail, Details Details 
Mounted on our helmet with the supplied mount, the Trail Torch 1800 is bright - and when your are ripping on a pump track at full tilt, you need that light. That light is delivered through two small but very high quality (USA made) LED lights in the head unit. Weighing only 105 grams for the head unit-you never know its up there. And while the supplied helmet mount is not as clean as some others, it held the light tightly in place while we jumped, pumped and slammed turns. The mount also offers a nice amount of vertical adjustment allowing you to adjust the vertical beam direction on pretty much any shape helmet. The mount is a GOPRO style mounting system and while not marketed as such, can utilize their mounts if you have one.
Cool Things
The fins on the light were a design feature to cool the head which it did for us with no problems. But we also rode the light in 50 degree weather for a an hour or so of continuous use.
The company did its best to make the product look different from its competitors by using a three pin yellow cable for the all the light system connectors. The company selected this style so that the light would simply unplug from the battery unit should it be caught in a crash, snag or other accident that could damage the light.
Another cool feature the light has is that it flashes four times when it is getting low on power. So instead of leaving you stranded in the dark, it warns you that you are down to 30 minutes of burn time on high setting or a full hour if you switch it to medium setting. And at medium setting, you still have tons of light.
Battery
The battery on the other hand looks like an afterthought. The battery looks as though it was shrink wrapped in a thick rubber coating or protection and that didn’t cover ends of the battery completely. The battery itself is on the heavy side coming in at 400 + grams and did not come with any bike mounting hardware or attaching point on the unit. So for now, it must be worn in your jersey pocket or hydration pack.
Pro’s and Cons
It’s made in Merica dammit and that’s pretty darn sweet if you ask us, but we weren’t impressed with the battery finish or size, nor did we like the lack of mounting options for a light at this price point. Sure you can use someone else’s mounting kit and yes we could gerry rig up a mount for the handle bar and seat post, but for $395 you shouldn’t have to.
We imagine that the company will develop a variable point mounting solution in the near future. They have a great light, they have our attention, now all they need is some attention to the details.
Total Unit Weight - 547 grams
Price: $395.00
Dealer: https://candlepowertech.com
Location: News >> Candle Power Light Review
© 2025 Bicycle World TV
