As Fall approaches and our days start to get shorter, lights will become a necessity. There is no excuse to ride after dark without proper lightning. It is a danger to yourself and others. As one of the commuter contributors here at BikeRumor I find myself the recipient of a lot of lights for testing. On review right now is a good selection of products from NiteRider. For 2012 they were able to double the output of their lights. Is brighter always better? I will answer that in the full review coming in a few weeks. Past the break you will find my initial impressions of their Pro 1500 LED Race light, the MiNewt.600 and MiNewt.350, the Mako 2.0, as well as their Lightning Bug 3.0 and Stinger combo pack commuter lights.
Pro 1500 LED Race:
This this light is a MONSTER! It feels as if I have strapped a car headlight to my bike. So far my use has been limited to commuting around town, as well as riding on a few darker, unlit roads. This light on it’s highest setting is overkill for these situations. However, on its medium or even low setting it works great, and as a bonus the battery lasts longer. Where it will really shine (bad pun intended) is off road. The upcoming full review will include my impressions of its performance off road at night as well.
The light has a high, medium, low, and flash setting. The flash setting however, is not really usual at night time. This isn’t a blinky commuter light after all, it’s use is to let you see where the heck you are going in otherwise pitch black conditions. The flash mode is great during the day time however. In fact, I highly recommending using it during the day time. As Mike from Nite rider puts it, “We hope the flash mode is used more in the daylight to create higher visibility. More cars and motorcycles have daylight running headlights, why shouldn’t we cyclists do the same?” I couldn’t agree more.
The Pro 1500 LED Race version is what I have, and as such it does not come with the battery doc or the DIY software. However, you get a 1500 lumens light for $350! That amount of output, matched with the quality NiteRider is know for combines for some serious value if you are in need of a light in this category. The weight wienies in the crowd will be happy to hear that the race set up saves 170 grams over the standard version.
Specifications:
- 1500 lumens with a run time of 1:30 hours
- 900 lumens with a run time of 3:00 hours
- 450 lumens with a run time of 6:00 hours
- Flash with a run time of ???
- Charge Time takes 5 hours
- Weight (including mount, battery, and velcor straps) – 502g
- Price – $349.99
MiNewt.600 and MiNewt.350 USB Cordless Lights:
Out of the bunch that I received, I have a feeling these will be my go to lights for standard commuting. I am not alone there either, as these are NiteRider’s number one selling lights. Both are plenty bright, have a good flash pattern, and are super easy to swap from bike to bike (which is nice as I have 6 in the stable at the moment). Speaking of the mount, I love it! It is the best light mount I have used to date. It holds secure, has a rubber shim that locks into place, is completely toolless, swivels 360 degrees, and mounts or removes from the bike in about a second. The fact that these both recharge by USB is super nice. I don’t have a free outlet at my day job that I can use to charge up a light. But I have 3 free USB ports. Also, the USB port on the lights is covered with a nice rubber plug that feels very secure, and seems as if it will hold off the elements quite well.
MiNewt.600 Cordless Specs:
- 600 lumens with a run time of 1:30 hours
- 400 lumens with a run time of 3:00 hours
- 275 lumens with a run time of 4:30 hours
- Walk / Flash mode with a run time of 10:00 hours
- Charge time takes 5:30 hours
- Weight (including mount) – 195g
Price – $149.99
MiNewt.350 Cordless Specs:
- 350 lumens with a run time of 2:00 hours
- 225 lumens with a run time of 3:30 hours
- 150 lumens with a run time of 5:00 hours
- Walk / Flash mode with a run time of 10:00 hours
- Charge time takes 5:30 hours
- Weight (including mount) – 195g
- Price – $109.99
Mako 2 Watt Light:
This is the real surprise of the bunch. This 2 watt Cree LED commuter light runs off of 2 AA batteries and puts out 130 lumens at its brightest. It uses the same awesome bar mount as the MiNewt USB lights, making it super easy to pop it off and toss it into a pocket or bag when you lock up your bike. The light also features a flashing red LED light on each side in the gills section for added side visability. At $49.99, this should be a no brainer for any commuter.
Specifications:
- 2 Watt Cree LED with three modes
- High with a run time of 25 hoursg
- Low with a run time of 50 hours
- Flash with a run time of 200+ hours
- Power comes from 2 AA Batteries
- Weight (including mount) – 167g
- Price – $49.99
Lightning Bug / Stinger Combo Pack:
Last up we have the “be seen” lights. The NiteRider Lightning Bug 3.0 and Stinger taillight. The Lightning Bug 3.0 headlight has three white LED’s that illuminate in a high, low, or flashing pattern. It has a run time of up to 100 hours off the included CR2450 battery. The battery is super easy to change as well. Simply pry open the bottom of the light and pop out the old and slide in the new. I have yet to pick up a screw driver or allen wrench in dealing with any of the NIteRider lights and I like it. The Lightning Bug barely tips the scale at 37g.
The Stinger taillight features a bright 1/2 watt red LED. It has the usual dual mode function (always on or flashing). As with the rest of the lights, it mounts sans tools by simply using a silicon rubber stretchy strap to fit most any seat post. The back is angled so that the light is level when mounted on your seat post. The light is activated by pressing the actual lens in once to turn it to flashing, a second press for always on, and a third turns it off again. As with the Lightning Bug 3.0, run time is up to 100 hours using the included CR2032 battery. The Stinger weights in at 36g. The combo pack runs $29.99. At that price it should fit the budget of just about any bike commuter out there.
For the past week I have been running the Lightning Bug 3.0 on my fork blade (flash pattern), the Stinger taillight on the seat post (flash pattern), and the MiNewt.600 Cordless USB light on the bar (brightest stetting). I really like this set up. I have a few super dark patches of road on my way home and I have no problem seeing the pathway. The Stinger is bright enough to alter traffic behind me of my presences. And, there is nothing wrong with a blinking head light for added visibility.
