The best part of this light is the beam pattern. The vertical diffusers in the lens, do a good job of spreading the beam horizontally for an evenly illuminated viewing area this really helps when picking the best riding lines on the trails. The second best feature of this light is the barclamp, which will grip your bar well and the light will be pointed where you want it. This solid aluminum barclamp is much better than Niterider's rubber barclamp offered on other models - buy this one unless you are planning on using a helmut mount. Even though this is an older design, the product stands up well against(usually better than) current models and it is more affordably priced. For a 2 hour ride, expect to use the medium or low setting, which is enough, but 2 lights would be better still. I use the 1000 Lumina boost on my helmut and the 1800 lumina on my bars and this provides excellent lighting - good enough for all but the most discerning. New riders to the night scene would be advised to start with one for the helmut and one for the bars (buy the helmut mount) and add a brighter unit if you feel it is justified over time.