Magicshine RAY 2100 – Review
The nights have started to close in for us Southern Hemisphere folk as we head into the Winter season and the murmurs of night riding have begun. But the difference between an illuminating night ride and a dull one will come down to the choice of lights you equip yourself with. Fear not, because the Magicshine RAY 2100 will blast away those fears of a dull ride with a beam of pure magic.
So what’s night riding all about? It’s the magic of being out in the bush on a bone-chilling night, with only the sounds of the night, the stars above, and the steamy breath in front of your face. It’s you and the trail ahead as all other periphery distractions fade into the inky blackness around you. Your companion, an orbital glow surrounding and guiding you forward illuminating the landscape as you make your way deeper and deeper into the forest. Trails you know like the back of your hand will become oddly unfamiliar and exhilarating as if newly discovered. It can also be a little bit spooky, but that’s what makes it so much fun.
So what should you look for in a light?
It’s fair to say it needs to be bright, the battery needs to last for several hours and ideally, it should be fairly lightweight especially if you plan to mount it on your helmet. Well, if the above are metaphorical boxes, then the Magicshine RAY 2100 ticks all of those.
Magicshine RAY 2100 Features
The Magicshine RAY 2100 is a powerful and compact bike headlight, offering an optimized beam pattern with several light settings for a wide flood beam and a far-reaching spot beam. Two super bright and power-efficient LEDs produce a maximum verified output of 2,100 lumens.
The RAY 2100 has a max possible runtime of 27 hours, powered by 2x Lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 6700mAh. The smart battery indicator, as it says, is easy to read with the function button light on top of the housing. Steady green 21%-100%.Steady red 11%-20%, and flashing red 1%-10%.
It’s all too easy to ride at full power and forget about battery levels until it’s too late. Magicshine has thought about this with the “smart mode‘ feature that controls the output based on the lighting conditions. If the environment is well-lit, the output is locked at 40 lumens for “be-seen” visibility, but as soon as you enter darker-lit areas, the light switches back to normal, full light power. The light even turns off if no movement is detected after 3 minutes, switching back on if motion is detected.
Another neat feature of the Magicshine RAY 2100 is that you can use it as a portable power bank and charge your mobile devices via the USB Type-C fast charging port. When used as a power bank the input protocol of the device is matched automatically.
The RAY 2100 certainly looks the part with its seamless one-piece aluminum alloy housing. The design allows for efficient heat dissipation, allowing consistent output and full brightness. The housing is also IPX6 water-resistant for use in harsh weather conditions. Mounting is easy with a variety of mount options supplied in the box and is also compatible with all Garmin quarter lock style handlebar/helmet/out-front mounts.
In our test, we also used the micro-remote control MS-MJ-6390 (sold separately).
What’s In The Box
- RAY 2100 x 1
- Handlebar mount x 1
- Silicone strap x 4
- USB-C cable x 1
- 3mm hex x 1
- User manual x 1
Technical Specs:
- Max output: 2100 Lumens
- IPX6 waterproof rate
- Distance: 152m
- Beam intensity: 5,800 CD
- Spotlight and Floodlight combined
- Maximum runtime 27 hours
- Dimensions: 96 x 41 x 27 mm
- Weight: 190g
- Smart-mode light sensor: Output is locked at 30 lumens for be-seen visibility when the environment is well-lit. After sunset or when entering a tunnel, the output switches to full for active illumination.
- Can be used to charge mobile devices via USB Type-C port.
- Compatible with all Garmin quarter lock style mounts.
- Smart battery indicator
- Drop test: 1m
Can be used with micro-remote control MS-MJ-6390 (sold separately)
On The Trails
Out on the trails, the Magichine RAY2100 was a real surprise. The quality of the light and beam is excellent and has more than enough options in terms of brightness settings. We typically switched between the three main settings which were a low flood angle, a brighter version with a more piercing spot, and then the mix of both of these, which is pretty much what we rode with most of the time.
This setting which uses a combination of the flood and spot beam was excellent. The wide flood picks up enough peripheral to give you a good level of general awareness whilst the brighter spot clearly picks out the trail ahead. For such a compact light, the RAY2100 gave us enough light and confidence to ride at a fair pace on intermediate trails with some technical features.
Changing the light settings is super-easy with the up/down buttons that are clearly lit up for ease of finding. These allowed us to control the brightness directly instead of sequencing through all modes.
The beam distance is rated at 152 metres and we would say that that was pretty accurate in terms of actual light, but that light quality obviously deteriorates towards that higher number. But in terms of enough rideable light, at pace, the RAY2100 throws more than enough light to read the trail ahead and have time to make decisions.
Having the MS-MJ-6390 micro remote installed on the bar made changing the light settings even easier. Having that right next to your thumb for quick and easy mode changes without taking your hands off the grips, is a definitely good upgrade to consider for this light.
A perfect blend of a far-reaching spotlight and a widespread flood light, giving you optimized illumination within your field of vision.
The one-piece aluminum unit has been designed to maximise heat dissipation meaning it can get quite hot on the outside, the upside is that it became our personal hand warmer whenever we stopped.
Floodlight
Spotlight
Spotlight and Floodlight combined
Two super bright and power-efficient LEDs produce a maximum verified output of 2,100 lumens.
Conclusions
The Magicshine RAY 2100 has been a big surprise for us. With 2100 lumens, a wide range of beam settings, its smart battery features, and a high-quality and robust design, all packaged in a seamless one-piece aluminum waterproof case, the RAY 2100 punches well above its weight category.
The light quality and settings are more than enough for any light enthusiast and the smart light and vibration sensor, saving on battery life, is another feather in the RAY’s cap. Being designed for the rough and tumble of mountain biking, knowing it can withstand a knock or two is also comforting with its 1-meter shockproof and IPX6 waterproof rating.
The Magicshine RAY 2100 is a great option if you’re looking to either get into night riding for the first time or if you are looking to upgrade your bar or helmet light. With no need for external battery packs, this is an ideal light for bar or helmet mounting.
Price/Where To Buy
- Magicshine RAY 2100 Front Light: $219.95AUD
- Can be purchased at the Magicshine website, MTB Direct or ask at your local bike shop.
