Review: Magicshine EVO 1700 Upside Down Light

How fortunate are bike riders these days, we really are a lucky lot. Whether it’s bike colours, wheel or tyre widths, saddle thicknesses, helmet styles and weights, apparel, shoes, gloves, socks, GPS devices and just about every other bike part or accessory, we are spoiled for choice.

The same goes for bike lights – with almost endless options available to appease even the fussiest and most choosey user.

In a sea of front light options, the EVO1700 from Magicshine features several points of difference, the most obvious being its under-bar design. Particularly useful for those wanting reduced glare and a less cluttered and cleaner cockpit, the EVO 1700 can be mounted on a GoPro-style mount.

Being mid-mounted, directly under the GPS computer (and not left or right of it as most handlebar-mounted lights are), the central 1700-lumen beam has provided brilliant illumination for recent road and gravel rides. Using COB (chip on board) technology, the beam is white, wide and strong, part of this no doubt due to the tough magnifying lens on front of the smart & sturdy light.

A smart design inclusion is a removable and switchable mount – push down on a panel above the lens to remove the light from the mount for charging.

I enjoyed the fact that the light was slightly lower, less conspicuous, and centre-mounted. It felt subtle and out of the way, during the day. But come late afternoon and early evening, the knowledge of having a bright, powerful and long-lasting light up front was very reassuring – particularly at this time of year.

Run Times & Charging

There are three main modes – high, low and flash. We tested high beam and achieved the claimed results of around 2 hrs on the full 1700 lumens, 3 hrs on 800 lumens and around 5 hrs on ‘low’ 400 lumen mode. On low beam, those estimated run times increase to 3 hrs (high) 5.5 hrs (medium) and 11 hrs (low).

Recharging is via the industry standard, the trusty USB-C, and is quick and convenient with the waterproof charge port being on the right-hand side of the unit. There’s also a small red LED inside the power button (on the left side) so you know it’s charging.

The beam as seen from behind the bars on a night gravel ride.

Like the majority of Magicshine’s lights, the 1700 is a sturdy, well-built and tough little unit crafted from aluminium and high-density plastic. It’s 150 grams in weight, features a 4000 mAh battery, and is fully weather-sealed.

Fingertip Control

Along with the EVO 1700, Magicshine offer an EVO 1700 SD model that is compatible with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting. This enables users to pair the light with their gear system and control it via the levers. It’s important to note this is not compatible with Shimano e-bike systems such as STEPS.

Summing up, the Magicshine EVO 1700 offers a clean, compact, and seriously bright solution for road and gravel riders chasing performance, a tidy cockpit and centre-mounted light. It’s not the cheapest, nor is it crammed with flashy extras, but for those who value a clean beam, solid mount, and no-fuss functions, this light delivers.