Outbound Lighting Portal

You have to put your money where your mouth is. If you are going to scream from the top of your lungs to sway me in the direction of your beliefs, let's see your groundwork and ethics. We are living in trying times. No economic certainty, no job security, no way of really telling what is truth and what is AI. One thing for sure is that a few people in the suburbs of Chicago and northern Washington remain keen on designing and producing the some of the best mountain biking lights you can spend your hard-earned money on, and they have a new light: The Portal.

Outbound Lighting - Prequel to the Portal

The Portal is a light Outbound did not want to make. However, with the successful DH EVO and Hangover combination as blocks to build upon, the nice nerds at the company knew what they were aiming for. With a monster beam pattern and similar form factor to the EVO, the goal was to provide an even spread from your handlebars so that even sweeping turns won't cause a blindspot in your field of view. The Portal's case is not much bigger than an average human fist. The EVO's case is not much bigger than an average human fist. Contained within are 10,000mAH of juice for 3+ hours of illumination, thanks to two LG 21700 M50LT cells. 21700 cells pack a lot of amp hours into a tiny package. It's no surprise that Rivian runs a few thousand of these cells to power their higher-range models. Customers wanted the illumination power and the runtime of the EVO in their Hangover Helmet lights. So the 21700 cell needed to be used.

The size and the weight of the 21700 cells, and the run time you would get from it, explains why Outbound chose an 18650 battery for the helmet-mounted Hangover. To put that into perspective, the 18650 cell weighs about 45 grams. The entire Hangover weighs in at 105g. The single 21700 in the Portal comes in at around 72g. While not an anvil in the weight discussion, when you start adding grams, your neck will start feeling those grams.

The truth is, people wanted more. More is mostly better but Tom and Matt at Outbound were hesitant. "We already make and sell the best helmet light possible," they chanted into the internet canyon. Their voices reverberated from the walls of the deep void. But the masses had spoken, they wanted more light, more battery life and right now!

So, the Portal was conceived.

With the 21700 cell aboard, the casing had to get bigger. Generally when things get bigger, they also get heavier. This is exactly what Outbound was trying to avoid. While the 125-gram Hangover* was at the limit of what is detectable on a rough trail above your helmet, the 190-gram Portal* makes its portliness present on today's wiggly MIPS-equipped helmets. But is the compromise worth the head bob?

*with GoPro mount

The short answer is, yes.

The Portal, which is 170g vs. 105 for the Hangover,* has a more usable beam pattern in the dankness that is Vancouver's North Shore. When the ground is wet and slimy, the effective brightness of the Hangover diminishes as the black, glossy ground absorbs all light. When the ground is dry and light grey, the Hangover does a more than admirable job illuminating around corners and helping you interpret trail texture. The difference isn't explained entirely because the Portal has out more power, it's how it uses the lux output to distribute the light. On paper, the Hangover is a 1,000-Lumen light. This value is measured at a manufacturer-determined distance from the bulb. The 1650-Lumen Portal diffuses the light from its 5 LEDs with newer and bigger TIR cones.

*Both weighed without GoPro mount

TIR cones are Total Internal Reflection cones to modify the light being emitted from the LED. This means that the light pattern of the Portal is highly controlled and precise.

While the Portal's beam reaches further down the trail than the Hangover, the main difference is the peripheral spread of the beam pattern and 50% longer runtime. The Portal can stay lit for 3+ hours in warmer weather in Adaptive Power mode.

Adaptive power mode is quite interesting but it's hard to wrap your head around on the trail. For me, it is most effective when riding solo with no other lights shining into my retinas blinding me. This mode dims the light output slowly over the course of your ride as your eyes adapt to the darkness, as a battery preserving measure. It is an amazing feature for solo rides on longer, tamer singletrack routes. When things are gnarly and within a group, Full power mode is accessible with a single click to give you the most juice out of that 21700 cell.

Speaking of clicks, the tactile feel of the Portal has been improved compared to the Hangover. The bigger button is easier to feel with gloves, has a more positive click and it eases on-the-fly adjustments. The styling of the Portal is also a reflection of modernisation and very much like the newer bikes and cars with more proportionate lines. They may find these in a drawer somewhere 30 years from now, still working like day one and fitting with the styling of the times.

The output and the form factor of the Portal also makes it optimal for handlebar use for Gravel and Commuter types. Maybe your child needs a light for evening strolls, or your RC car needs some lumens for night bashing. Whatever the use, the Portal comes with an exceptionally sturdy adapter plate to mount the light to the already existing handlebar mount. Handlebar mount is not included in the box but you may already have one of these around if you own the Trail EVO light. If not, 27 CAD / 20 US dollars later will have you gravelling in confidence.

Overall, the Portal improves on most aspects of the already awesome Hangover. While the weight increase is noticeable with today's heavier helmets, if you have the neck strength to rock one of these on your head, there is no reason not to. A full face or open face helmet will also ease the strain.

Outbound knows that this is not a Hangover replacement, but one that fills the gap created by hundreds of fans screaming through emails and socials. The Portal exists because of demand. It is up to you to decide if you need it.

Luckily, there are many demo days around the country with the OL van driving around fully charged. Most bike shops also carry a demo display or will happily lend you a pair to try out for a ride. If you don't have access to either of these opportunities, just take my word for it and grab one after taping your new phone on your helmet and going for a spin around the block. if 200 grams of extra weight on your helmet feels uncomfortable, than stick to Hangover. If you can barely feel it, there is no reason to skip on the Portal for more light, more bright.

Outbound Lighting Portal