The Ay Up Ultra Lite twin lightset has been popular with epic racers for years, but 40 percent more power now pushes it into the trail use limelight. The independently angle-adjustable twin LED lamp unit is tiny (each ‘bullet’ is 45x25mm) but new LEDs and uprated ampage mean the spot beams are far better than most full-size bar lamps in terms of clarity and detail at long range.
Despite the vast power there’s no excess heat and it’s bright enough to be used solo for two-hour rides even at full bore. The sharp fall-off from the focused beam can tire eyes and remove area awareness on tighter technical trails, so the intermediate or wider beam option might be better for solo snaking singletrack use.
Tiny weight and universal clip-in ‘Gecko’ helmet mount mean the Ay Ups are barely noticeable on your nut. The 70x40x20mm battery is small enough to strap on your lid without causing neck ache. The lights are sold direct from Australia which adds a slight delay but they’re brilliant value and the small size makes them comically bombproof. Reliability and customer service reports from users have always been fantastic.