NiteRider MiNewt.X2 LED Li-Ion Bicycle Head Light - 6521 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had tried various battery operated headlamps for my recumbent but none of them provided enough light to ride at night on rural roads where there are no street lights. The NiteRider MiNewt.X2 headlamp provides adequate light, is very lightweight, easy to install on the bike and easy to adjust even with winter gloves on. The rechargable battery holds a good charge and is easy to affix to the handlebars. The beam is penetrating and adequately lights up the road and close surroundings. I have not yet outrun the beam. I passed a friend one morning on my way back home and he commented that the light was "piercing." Maybe I should have switched to low beam!

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Product Description:
The MiNewt is the light that began the high powered LED revolution. The MiNewt.X2???s measured real world output rates at 150 lumens on high and over 90 lumens on low! Look for regulated run times of 3:30 HRS on high and 7:00 HRS on low. The X2 also incorporates a low battery indicator in both the headlamp and power module, keeping you aware of the battery level. Optics are very important to the performance of any lighting system, that???s why a Borofloat lens and custom reflector are used in the MiNewt.X2. This delivers maximum light transmission and guarantees the light gets where it???s needed most???down the trail. The X2???s headlamp weighs a scant 82g, making it a perfect helmet mounted light. Tabbed mounting rings make for easy, hassle free handlebar mounting. FEATURES: Borofloat Lens. 3 Light Settings: High / Low / Flash. Low Battery Indicator. 3:30-7:00 HR Regulated Run Times. SYSTEM INCLUDES: LED Headlamp. Li-Ion Battery. Handlebar Mount - Fits up to 31.8mm. 4.5 HR Smart Charger.

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Blackburn System X8 Rechargeable Luxeon Bike Light System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After a week of using the Blackburn X8 for commuting 11.5 miles each way to/from work, I can honestly say that it is the brightest light system that I have used.Previously I was using a Light and Motion single lamp system which was great, but on darkened paths and roads, it was too focused and wouldn't project far enough ahead for the speed I wanted to ride.The Blackburn X8 dual system's spot lamp throws a nice bright light quite a bit farther up the road, and the flood lamp is great for illuminating the sides of the path/lane.I also like having the flashing feature on each lamp, because once I get into traffic I switch the flood to blinking to alert drivers.The system charges quickly and I can keep it plugged in without fear of overcharging. The switches are easy to use, and have a nice tactile click when pressed.

The design of the system leaves much to be desired, however. My first gripe is that I initially was intending to mount one lamp on my bars and one on my helmet, but that is not possible because of the cord design.And because only one helmet mount is supplied, the only way to use the two lamps at the same time is to mount them both close together on the bars. Not bad, but information available from retailers made me expect more flexibility when deciding where to mount the lamps.My second gripe is that if you mount the battery to the bike frame, you need to remove it in order to charge it.The charging receptacle inaccessible when it is frame mounted, and removing it and remounting it quickly became a pain in the butt.I finally resorted to putting the battery in a cut down water bottle and keeping it in the cage, but it would have been simple to make the charging receptacle accessible while still mounted to the frame. Thirdly, the design of the bar mounts cause inteference with the cable housing.I needed to remove the bar tape and reposition the housing so I could get the mounts positioned right.Finally, the overall cosmetics seems to be aimed at the younger, "armored gear" crowd with its fins, hoods and facets.I much prefer the simple elegant design of the L&M system.

Now that I have worked through the issues and am used to the quirks of the X8 system, I like it, and I am glad I made the switch.Performance is top shelf.However, I hope Blackburn considers a minor re-design of the battery pack and handlebar mounts to cure the issues that I described.Then perhaps the design would match the performance.

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Product Description:
Lighter, smaller, and just as powerful-our System X lights have evolved. They still pack state-of-the-art Luxeon emitters for incredible light output and long runtimes, which when combined with our Constant Current Technology and unique-to-Blackburn heat management, allows for more light output and less dimming than the competition. The evolution lies in new Li-lon battery designs that are 45% smaller and 30% lighter than the previous design. Even the lamp heads have been tweaked for a 30% savings.

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Cateye EL-700RC Triple Shot Rechargeable LED Bicycle Headlight Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Overall technology:

This light uses old LED technology which make it shine only 130 lumen and the NiMH battery make it weigh over 800 grams (1.5 lbs) total.

Attaching to your bike:

The system it uses to attach to the frame is cumbersome and not very reliable. The size of the battery gets in the way of the water bottle.

The light mount quick release doesn't work well.

Vendor of this light and CatEye:

I didn't do enough research before purchasing it because CatEye doesn't use lumen in their advertising for obvious reasons. Their rating of 20000 candlepower is meaningless.

To return it, this vendor charges 20% restocking fee which is ridiculously high especially if you buy a high price item such as this.

How does it compare?

To compare its brightness I took it with me on a tour of specialized bike stores and REI and shined it along the lights in those stores (TriNewt, various cyglites). At REI all lights were brighter including a 90 dollars Cygolite with just one LED!

Trail Performance:

On the trail it performs OK and since your eyes are dark adapted, it shines just enough light to see the path ahead. Battery lasted 4 hours but it dimmed very noticeably after 3 hours.

Basic features missing on this light are flashing modes and low beam modes.

Battery and charging:

The battery charging system and the battery are designed poorly and the first charge is going to be very idiotic with indicator lights not showing anything appropriate. Subsequent charges seem to work OK but you have to watch it charge and unplug it when its done or the battery will be damaged as the charger is not a smart charger.

Final Thoughts:

What I really want is the Cygolite TridenX for only 60 dollars more but can't justify either taking a 30+ dollar loss on this light or buying another 230 dollar light.

UPDATE: I decided to mod this light with newer LEDs (~240 lumen max each - original about 80 at 1 Amp), a new driver (1 Amp with potentiometer so that I can change brightness), new reflector optics and now it's finally bright with a nice throw. It cost me around 65 dollars for the parts and now I have a 700 lumen light which is more than 3 times brighter than before and using about the same amount of power (slightly more if cranked up to 1 Amp).

Now that I know the inner workings of this light I have to say this:
- Engineering of the product is mediocre. Brittle bolts break when turned.
- Poor product support where upgrades should be easy and done at factory every year so that they don't advertise outdated products as new.
- Designing the product with an adjustable driver.
- Using AA NiMH battery cells is really cutting corners that don't need to be cut.

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Product Description:
3 new higher power LEDs combined with Opticube Lens technology. Extremely durable die-cast aluminum body, LED lifetime up to 100,000 hours.12V, 2,700mAh NiMH battery in a neoprene bag for multiple mounting options. LED efficiency provides a 3.3 hour run time from compact battery. Universal intelligent smart charger with 3-hour charge time. Noise-free: compatible with CatEye wireless computers and HRMs. Light weight - only 710 grams.

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Blackburn Flea Rear Flasher Bicycle Taillight Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Great light to chuck on the back of my helmet strap for a higher lightpoint to supplement the mars 3.0 on my seatpost. I do a lot of night riding and even after a 1 1/2 months the battery is still not dead (chase mode, at least 15 hours). It's super bright but i only use it as supplementary to a more comprehensive light system (Cygolite 350 mitycross on front, mars 3.0 on seatpost, cateye on the rear rack point on my road bike. This is typically combined with reflective gear when I'm doing serious riding. I'd much rather not get hit by a car again and a lack of visibility will be no excuse if I do.) I'm also going to add the front flea soon to the front of my helmet and possibly one for the handlebars of my commuter bike).

However, I would invest your money in the usb charging version. I haven't had to use the battery charging system yet but it seems like a hassle.

- Took +4 months for the battery to finally wear down. And I was wrong about the battery charging system, its wicked simple and easy; is excellent in case I go on any ultra-long bike journeys.

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Product Description:
This light is AMAZING. It's super small, unbelievably bright and SLICK looking. The lightest, brightest rechargeable cycling light in the world. Flea lights are smaller than cookies, and with a versatile hook/loop strap mounting system (and belt clip for the rear) they'll mount almost anywhere. Blackburn Flea lights include a proprietary charging system that saps juice from any standard 1.5v battery, AA's, C-cells, whatever you have. Just plug the magnetic leads to a battery and leave it---the auto-shutoff will prevent overcharging. - Micro size rechargeable Li-Ion headlight - Uses four super-bright White NichiaT LED's - 40 lumen output - Patented innovative charging system uses any standard 1.5V battery - Flexible and compact mounting design - Normal, Overdrive, and Flash modes - Superlight at 17 grams - 3 hour runtime steady, 6 hours runtime flash LED's: 4 Ultrabright Nichia White Run Time (Steady/Flash): 3-6hrs Batteries: Internal Lithium Ion Rechargeable

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NiteRider TriNewt LED Handlebar/Helmet, Mount wih Li-Ion Battery Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been using this light for over a month. I use it for a road bike mostly on country roads to help me see and be seend mostly early morning rides (dark fading to dawn). It is nothing short of incredible! The NiteRider TriNewt LED headlight blew my mind! It is so bright! 20 mph at night? No problem! It is strong enough you can actually see the road and obstacles at quite some distance. It also has a setting for strobe flashing which I use for visibility during the day. It actually gets the attention of drivers who normally can't see me in spite of being 6'3", all dressed in red or bright yellow. They see me now! Small, compact, easily installed, and a battery life at least what they claim! How can you not love it?! I would recommend it to both serious poor light road cyclists, and a cheap life insurance for commmuters.Fingers crossed for long-term durability.

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Product Description:
NiteRider TriNewt includes LED headlamp, helmet and handlebar mount, Lithium-Ion battery with low fuel indicator, 12" and 36" cords, and 4 hour smart charger. Uses SurLock connectors,

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Niterider NiteRider 13.2v Waterbottle Battery- BlowTorch/Flame Review

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(More customer reviews)Product is OEM from NiteRider. Had to send light, charger, old battery, and this new battery back to NiteRider to have them check system. Problem was my light, and old battery. NiteRider confirmed hold charge and validity of this battery! No problems and is working as advertised.NiteRider 13.2v Waterbottle Battery- BlowTorch/Flame

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Product Description:
NiteRider Batteries.

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