Submitted by
Brad Meek
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale, AZ
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2005
Strengths: Low cost, Bright narrow beam, ease of use, can use wide beam as backup light, stellar customer support!
Weaknesses: long recharge, switch damaged by high heat
Bottom Line:
I have about 100 hours of use on urban and rural streets, tremendous value(still original bulbs), recommend helmet attachment(less vibration and light goes where you are looking) Only problem was I damaged the switch riding when ourside temp was 95. Would recommend turning it off a min or 2 before finishing ride in temps above 85. got unit back good as new under warranty 5 days after mailing it!!!! No other company has better customer suppport.
Strengths: Reliable & well made. 2 hr run time both lamps, fully charged battery 3.5Ah NiMH. Gel battery lasted 2 1/2 yrs before expiring.
Weaknesses: Gell cell heavy, & takes 12 Hrs+ to charge if run flat. Securing strap on battery case could be longer for use on my full sus frame.
Bottom Line:
OK lamp for the price. Lamp is 10W x 10W and its brite enough for communting. It'll cope with unlit side roads and tracks, but take it off road through the trees and.....well it all gets a little scary much above walking pace.
To ride proper off road at night above 4 mph look for something with more power, otherwise your be going so slow your batteries will run out before you finish.
Submitted by
Armando
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Teresa, NM
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2003
Strengths: These these lights are bright! I usually ride at the lower 10 watt setting. I can easily swap the lights onto my road bike. On the road, oncoming cars turn their highbeams on, you click it onto the dual or 20 watt beam, and they always turn theirs down.
Weaknesses: Long recharge time 15-17 hours (inconvient if you work the day after and hope to get on the trails again the following night). No battery level/time left indicator.
Bottom Line:
For the price, you can't go wrong. I ride in rocky terrain and after using these lights for a month. I'm confident that they can take a beating. If you haven't tried night riding, you're in for an awesome experience.
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntington Beach
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2002
Strengths: Price, Price, Price.... Light is pretty bright when it is working....
Weaknesses: After only 5 night rides, only the single beam wide setting will stay on.. other settings click off right when that rock drop off section arrives.. Not a good situation... Might just purchase an HID, send this in for repair, and only use it for road riding at night..
Bottom Line:
Probably great light for commuters and night riding on smooth wide fire roads.. I think the rougher riding causes problems with the switch on this light.. Bottom line, great price for a fairly decent light..
Submitted by
Toast
a Weekend Warrior
from D.C. USA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2001
Strengths: Bang for the buck, very good lighting, dual beam, helmet mountable,
Weaknesses: Battery is a little heavy, slow recharge time, where's the smart charger?
Bottom Line:
I do a lot of night time commuting back and forth from school. I originally bought a cheap Bell halogen light so cars would have a fighting chance of seeing me. But it was absolutely worthless in terms of lighting power. The Cygolite Night Explorer is a huge huge step up. I usually run the spot beam and I can see at least 100ft ahead of me clearly. The Night Explorer can light up stop signs from 500 ft away. Be sure to adjust the light or you'll have cage drivers flashing their high beams at you. Five flaming turds for this one!
Similar Products Used: Bell piece o' crap Vistalite Road Toad copy
Bike Setup: 02 Giant Rainier SE, Cane Creek Thudbuster, Richey Comp V2 pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Antelope, CA
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2001
Strengths: Dual-beam light, burn time, price!!!
Weaknesses: gel-cel battery a little heavy
Bottom Line:
I knew I wanted this light and had to search for it. Found it online. Value and quality more than makes up for the search. The wide and spot beams make for great light on the single tracks. Love it!
Submitted by
Nick Green
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2001
Strengths: bright lights weatherproof casing easy to use
Bottom Line:
This light is great for all types of riding. I usually use only one beam which is bright enough for all my riding. I use the light for commuting but it's great for trail riding. I've used it for a year and so far no problems. If you want a reliable light at a reasonable price look into this system.
Submitted by
Hugo
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, TX USA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001
Strengths: Well built light. Good run time. Bright enough to do trail riding even with just the flood bulb.
Weaknesses: Other systems out there are brighter, but not at this price.
Bottom Line:
I paid much more for my Vistalite which has given me nothing but problems, nevermind trying to get parts for. I haven't even had to change the bulb in my Cygolite system. If you need parts, you can order off the web or just call.
This ia a really good deal on a light system that should be able to handle all you biking needs. At the price, few systems compare (but see the nighthawk system). I did notice that the bulb brightness was not as good as nightrider. I simply put a nightrider spot bulb in it and it was a huge improvement. Also, my switch failed after a year or so so I had to rig it with some radio shack toggles. Works just fine.
Submitted by
Max
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2001
Strengths: Very bright dual beam, water resistant aluminum casing, easily mounted battery.
Bottom Line:
This is an awesome light. The dual beams (10 watt spot and 10 watt wide) are controlled by single switch on the headunit. I normally run the wide beam when trail riding and it gives just about 3 hours before it begins to dim. Aluminum casing has nice design and the system is compact and lightweight. This is a very bright light at a very good price!
Strengths: Brightness, twin beams, quick release, battery can be bike or helmet mounting, metal light casing, rubberized on/off switch
Weaknesses: straight cord (as opposed to wound), all your friends want to ride in front of you because your light is the brightest on the trail and it will light the way for them and you!
Bottom Line:
This is the best light for any money. I usually run the wide beam and it is so bright. It has good adjustment as far as up and down and side to side, and stays securly in place on the bar. It lasts long enough that I can ride my bike to the trails, do a few laps, and still have enough juce to get home. If you want a qualty light that does the job above and beyond, get the cygolite night explorer.
