Cygolite MityCross LED 400: Ultra-Compact Rechargeable LED Bicycle lighting System for avid road and mountain bikers. New for 2011, the MityCross 400 is the top of the line in the the MityCross series that features dual beam brightness
Submitted by
ForrestJones
a Weekend Warrior
from CNY
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2012
Strengths: Light weight, waterproof, bright, dependable, made in USA (not the batteries)
Weaknesses: hmmm....nope
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Mitycross 350. The included helmet mount is solid. It came with an extension cord so you can keep the battery in a pack. But the battery is so light I just run it on the back of my helmet, no extension cord needed. The handlebar mount is excellent too.
I ride familiar trails using this light only, that's how bright it is. The newer ones that replace it promise to be brighter still. A good value light that I've already got my money's worth from. Buy it.
Bike Setup: Trek 4300 Disc hardtail. Giro havoc helmet.
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Submitted by
Yamabiker
a Cross Country Rider
from State of Moab
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2011
Strengths: Light weight, helmet mount is secure, switch, battery run time, beam spread, cable connections are tight, dim setting(plenty of light for climbs), has never failed me in rain or snow storms, works well for blinding chasing dogs,
Weaknesses: Nothing I would call a weakness. Would be nice items: a bit more throw on the beam, beam me up Scotty button...
Bottom Line:
Great light. I have been using it over 2 years. I would recommend it for my mom. When the morning light fails,I ride 1-hour rides 4-5 five times per week in the morning with this light (Sept.-April). Yes even in the winter, so I have a lot of rides with this light. It has been great and the battery is still holding a long charge.
Weaknesses: Beam pattern. The left side to right side width of the bean pattern is fine. As is the depth. But the height of the beam pattern is too narrow. On tight rocky turns found in local New Hampshire single track the area closest to me was in total darkness. Of course I could adjust the light angle to aim more downward but then I'd have to tilt my head far back to see down the trails. Old school halogens never had this issue. I'm sure the light would work better in conjunction with a bar mounted unit but it does not produce enough light to be run on a helmet mount solo.
Bottom Line:
Nice rugged, low cost light. Narrow beam pattern height doesn't make it a great choice to be run helmet mounted without using a bar mounted light set too.
Submitted by
polkm5s2
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2009
Strengths: Light weight, Well made, Very bright, and long lasting battery life. Good helmet mount and handler bar mount.
Weaknesses: None that I have found
Bottom Line:
Purchase as a helmet mounted light to go with the handlebar mounted DualCross (upgraded LEDs). Used it for a wet and rainy 24hr race and it worked like a champ. Can be used alone or with a second light. I used two lights because I like the added depth perception. Small size and light weight make it a very good helmet mounted light. Would recommend to anyone looking for a small, light, well made LED light.
Submitted by
swembas
a Weekend Warrior
from Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2009
Strengths: Well made, Very bright for something this tiny an light, 5 hours on med output(thats like 300 lumen), better than any other lights I have use on 12 years of MTB ... Helmet mount handler bar mount small but strong battery pack..
Weaknesses: Not a real Weakness but if used alone do not use it as a handler bar light, it will work(alone) fine if use on helmet mount..
Bottom Line:
Buy the Cygolite Triden X for the bars and the Cygolite Mity-Cross for the helmet and you will have a race ready setup. with over 800 lumen combined, (actual reading) and very light...
Similar Products Used: Niterider MINEWT.X2
Niterider Minewt 200
Bike Setup: Giant AnthemX3, Fox fork and shock, XT shifters,XT front and rear Derailleur, Race Face NEXT handler bar and seat post, RF Deus crank and Avid Elixir CR Disc Brake.
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Submitted by
khskenny
a Weekend Warrior
from Memphis, TN
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2009
Strengths: Small
Lightweight
Bottom Line:
My first 350 was DOA. I was pretty upset at first, but once I contacted cygolite, they were very helpful and sent out another unit 2 day rush. I was really crunched for time since I had a 12 hr race that weekend and cygolite came through. A+ on customer service. They were even willing to let me keep the extra battery and mounting hardware.
My replacement has been working great so far and I've been through probably 10 charge cycles. I'm very happy with the performance, size, and weight. The beam is wider than my USB minewt - as it should be. I'm running the 350 on the bars and the minewt on the helmet. I've been considering a 2nd 350 to run helmet duty.
Submitted by
416to212
a Weekend Warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2009
Strengths: 350 Lumens, compact aluminum casing, Helmet Mount included, Li Ion battery, 3.5 hour high run time, and looks great.
Bottom Line:
The battery came fully charged and ready to ride. I decided to mount the battery and the light to my helmet though the battery can also be stored in a a camelback or jersey pocket with the extension cord that comes with the Mitycross 350. Even with the battery and the light both on my helmet the weight was not a big nussance. Of course I could feel the helmet shift slightly when ripping through rock gardens but for root and small rock laden single track the weight was not noticable. I've been night riding for over 10 years and I no longer think I need anymore light than the Mitycross 350 offers. I love the smooth beam pattern with no hot spots and I think both the depth and width of the projection is perfect for single track. At the $189 I bought this light for, I think it's a superb value compared to it's competitors (Light & Motion, Dinotte, and NightRider). I highly recommend this light because of it's value, brightness and quality of light, various mounting options, lightweight, easy to use button and battery life indicator, and compact set up. I love this thing.
Similar Products Used: Halogen XC Nightsuns and Black Diamond Spot headlamp.
Bike Setup: 2002 Kona Bear
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Submitted by
jbayers
a Cross Country Rider
from barrie, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2009
Strengths: solid construction, small, light, long lasting, water resistant, light pattern, you get two mounting options and a longer cord (for pack putting the battery in your pack).
Weaknesses: i haven't found any yet.
Bottom Line:
excellent in all ways, it does what it says it does. provides a well spread bright white (slightly blue) beam with no hot spot. the battery quickly charges and is very light. the connection for the battery on the light is very well made and water resistant, the button is well made from silicon rubber and is easy to use. any one who enjoys getting their money's worth and more should buy this light. i have recommended this light to my friends.
I bought these like most to extend the riding season. I currently have them mounted on my handlebars and the mount is great. It doesn't move when secured and is easy to adjust. The battery and the light are ridiculously small which is awesome. The three brightness modes help to keep the life of the battery going up to 17hours.
Submitted by
AdamFranco
a Cross Country Rider
from Middlebury, Vermont, USA
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2009
Strengths: Tiny, light-weight, good mounting system, sufficient light to road or mountain-bike at night.
Weaknesses: It would always be nice if things were cheaper, but otherwise none so far.
Bottom Line:
In preparation for the 24 Hours of Great Glen mountain bike race next weekend I purchased a CygoLight MityCross 350-Lumen LED headlight (on sale for $170). It arrived on the FEDEX truck yesterday and I took it out for this evening (9-10:30pm) for my first-ever night mountain-ride. Having only ridden by day, night riding was quite a change, and definitely a blast. We received heavy rains yesterday, so the rolling limestone-ledge single-track of Battel Woods in Middlebury was moderately muddy with very slick rocks and roots. While I had a little (low-powered) flashlight as backup, the MityCross was the only light I used during the ride.
I mostly rode with the light on my helmet and battery in my CamelBack which worked great on all of the trails from super-twisty handle-bar-wide singletrack to wider double-track. I certainly had plenty of light to see and I was pleasently reminded of mogul-skiing advise: Stop looking at your feet, observe strategically. Lifting my head a bit and looking 15-20 feet down the trail (on single-track) rather than at my feet helped my speed pick up measurably. There were a couple of time while I was exploring some new single-track that I came around a large tree in a hairpin-turn to be surprised by a drop or climb that I wasn’t expecting, but I don’t think more light would have helped shine through an obstacle.
I tried one short stretch of double-track with the light on my bars and found that while the the depth-perceptions is much better (as everyone says), it was really distracting to have the light twitching back and forth as I dodged rocks. With the light on the bars I was able to cleanly bunny-hop a series of 3, 6, and 8-inch logs, whereas with the light on my head I miss-judged the big one and clipped it in the air with my tires — praise-be to 6? of suspension travel.
Overall the MityCross 350 is plenty of light to get out into the woods and ride after dark. More light would always be nice, but I had a great hour and a half ride with just this light. My plan is to get a high-powered LED flashlight to complement this light and provide depth-perception on the handlebars, but the MityCross was more than enough to get started.
On my ride home after leaving the woods I tested the “throw” of the light by riding down my dark road as fast as I could. I found that the beam of the MittyCross allowed me to resolve details about 100ft (30yards/meters) ahead which made me comfortable riding up to ~20-25mph. Beyond that, the road seemed kind of dim and fuzzy and I had to really strain to see further. While adequate for a leisurely road ride (or as fast as I can get the mountain bike), I wouldn’t want to bomb down a hill at 50mph with only this light.
One last thought: The MityCross seems to be a 2/3 replica of the TridenX, 2/3 the size, 2/3 the LEDs, 2/3 the output, 2/3 the price. If you don't need (or can't afford) the TridenX, this might be a good option.
Bike Setup: Does it really matter for a light review? Lets just say that I have enough suspension travel and tread to save my butt if I miss my line.
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Submitted by
coloradoflyer
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2009
Strengths: Good construction, small light, compact and efficient battery pack, wide beam with multiple light settings, two mounting options included with purchase of light.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Since there are many times I am unable to ride during the daylight hours I am forced to ride early morning or late at night. I wanted a light that lights up the road and provides good peripheral vision. Previously, I had used various AA LEDs but these typically provide a more spotlight beam than what I desired...and certainly didn't provide a very wide beam. I originally went with the NiteRider Mi-Newt X2 Dual but was disappointed and ended up returning it after the first use. After researching/testing several lights I decided to buy the Mity-Cross. I was amazed at the size of the light, how compact the battery pack is, and the power of the beam. This light is definitely bright enough to use for your mountain bikes on trails. I have used it on my road bike in areas where there are no street lights...pitch black conditions and it does great. While some may consider it pricey I would say...spend the extra bucks and get a quality light that rival many of the more expensive lights I tested. You won't be disappointed...
Similar Products Used: Various AA LEDs, Mi-Newt X2 Dual
Bike Setup: Trek 2 Series
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Submitted by
fatboyp
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakville, ON
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2009
Strengths: Small, light, well constructed, excellent battery, excellent light output, wide beam dispersion, two mounting options included.
Weaknesses: still looking
Bottom Line:
I've been mountain biking for a number of years and have always wanted to try riding at night on the trails but was always put off by the high cost of HID lighting systems and somewhat disappointed with the lackluster output of LED alternatives when they first came out. When I recently saw the MityCross at Mountain Equipment Coop I checked out the reviews on MTBR.com and was very encouraged by the positive comments. Could this be the light that finally got me riding after dark? Only one way to find out. I decided to buy one and give it a whirl.
I've used the light a few times now riding some pretty technical trails and all I can say is WOW! The MityCross is surprisingly small and light, solidly constructed and has great output with a nice wide beam dispersion. It comes with both handlebar and helmet mounts which are super easy to install, the 3.8volt Li-Ion battery charges quickly, is small enough to easily mount on your helmet or stem and gives you 3.5 hours of run time at full power. As I only have the single light I've been using it with the helmet mount but I'll definitely be picking up another MityCross to mount on the handlebars. One light provides more than enough light to ride but from a safety perspective its always wise to run two lights in case one craps out. With two of these fired up I'll really be lighting up the trails plus I'll have some spare mounting hardware as well in case I break something.
If you're looking for a reasonably priced bike light with excellent dispersion and powerful light output, a nice small powerful battery and two well designed mounting options give the MityCross a look. Highly recommended.
Submitted by
Richmond commuter
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, Virginia
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2009
Strengths: Tiny, great battery life, good light pattern.
Weaknesses: None to speak of. I would like a slightly longer throw as my middle-aged eyes are not as good as they used to be. But the light IS more than adequate to illuminate road hazards at speed. I'd just prefer stadium level illumination which I guess I could have for an additional $500.
Bottom Line:
I was leary of putting down big $$ for a light - a $190 light on a $30 yard sale bike seemed excessive. But the AA powered alternatives are a joke if you want to maximize your survival chances while commuting in a decided bike unfriendly environment. This light lets me see road hazards during the early morning commute and cars clearly see me when it is in flashing mode during the afternoon return trip. It does the job for which it was purchased.
