I’ve been accustomed to the standard Mag-lite since I can remember going hunting with my dad. You’d pop in a two AAA’s and battle to see through the darkness under sub one hundred lumen ambiance.

Fast forward to summer when you would duct tape that same light to the handlebars of your bike and ride at night with your friends in the same near sighted glow.

Fast forward to 2013 when I invested in my first Fenix light (PD35 850 lumen). I had done an immense amount of research and this is where it lead me. I was so impressed I purchased one for my dad for hunting season and my girlfriend’s father for Christmas. I soon purchased the HL30 for myself and my father as well after hunting season that year. Everyone was talking about the bright light I had that fit in your pocket.

Fast forward to learning that Fenix had an Ambassador program and that I could apply to become part of an awesome team. I knew I had to apply so I could share my wealth of knowledge of their new products with people who don’t even know such a great company exists. I was accepted into the program and I am now more enthusiastic than ever when someone asks me about my light setup at camp, or how I can see so far on my bike riding at night (I love my BC30), or more likely “where can I get that thing? It’s so bright!” It is at this point where all the lights come out and we start talking about their needs for lighting whether it be longevity, short term brightness, or all night biking, running, hiking. Over the past few years I have found what works for me and in particular the features that work best on different lights. There is an art to the compilation of lights that make your setup work great.

Here is one of my latest setups for cleaning my bike after a long night of riding or a nighttime ride departure.

No one likes cleaning their bike, but having a work area to do so is probably the most efficient method to make work more accurate and less daunting. I actually look forward to it with my setup because it makes it that much easier. I have two portable tripods that fold up like tent poles do with bungee connected sections. They have ¼” threaded camera attachments. On top of each tripod sits a CL25R rechargeable lantern. I place these at each end of my bike. I have a shorter tripod towards the rear for lighting closer to my sprocket and driveline and I use the taller one towards the front of the bike.

I use my HL55 headlamp to make short work of the close up detailing. I prefer this over my previous method of using a twin 500 watt halogen work light. Using the work light you had to have it plugged in and run extension cords if the cleaning area was out of reach from a socket. Also, the work lights were hot, attracted more bugs, and were susceptible to water damage due to immense heat/cold shock. And let’s be honest using extension cords and ample amounts of water aren’t exactly the best anyway. I do have to say that not only are Fenix products superior to other methods, but they are rechargeable, versatile, and I highly recommend looking into the different products that they offer. Maybe you too will find a use for them that makes one of your more menial tasks more enjoyable.