As a flasholic and DIY light builder I really have this forum and everyone on it to thank for my knowledge.
So when Oli Munnik Technical Editor from Bicycling Magazine SA chose Extreme Lights’ XP3 Performance Cycle Light to be part of their Cycling Light Review in the July/August Issue I was over the moon.
Disclaimer: I don’t sell internationally only in South Africa so please do not see this as an advert. Receiving payment is to much trouble getting it in to my country
Extreme Lights is my hobby that got a bit out of hand and is now employing about 6 people with a few temps to help out. I started custom building cycle lights about 10 years ago because as a student I could not afford a good cycle light. I build a few for mates and sold a few too others. But it was way too much effort and I started importing cheap china lights. It progressed to where I started rebanding the lights and last year I send 3 designs to a manufacture who agreed to build them under licence. And the XP-Range Cycle light was born.
You can imagen how proud I was when the XP3 Performance Cycle Light was chosen as the Editors Choice. Beating the likes of Lezyne, Led Lenser, Cateye and Specialized.
Overall Extreme Lights have done a great in updating their bike light offerings. Both lights get a big thumbs up from me but if I had to pick one light it would be the XP3. It produces great quality light with an impressive battery life.
I don’t think I am that talented, just blessed to find a decent manufacturer that is good where I am not. And most of all having self motivated people in Extreme Lights. I am a Mechanical Engineer of profession and did the mech design myself. The factory took the designs and made it better. But due to a miss spent youth I had dreams of being an electrical engineer. So at school and college I was trained as an electronic/electrical technician. Only on the first day of university I changed to mechanical. Something I don’t regret one bit.
I specified the driver’s performance and operation but left the final PCB and component layout to the factories designers. The LEDs and lense I specified and elements such as copper base for the led’s and I spend a lot of time on the thermal path and waterproofing.
The irony is that I don’t work for my own company. I work full time as a Senior Engineer at large science institute. The big key was getting the right people to work in Extreme Lights and giving them freedom to do what they’re good at. They are the bigger part of the success so far but it helps having a good product.
