NiteRider MiNewt 600 Cordless Rechargeable Headlight has everything a one piece, modular bike light should. This compact light features best in class lumens per dollar spent ratio, tool-less 'handcuff' quick release mounting and 600 lumens of light output Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout - over 50 bike lights reviewed, photographed and measured here.
Strengths: Pricepoint - bang for the buck, bright, excellent beam pattern, lightweight, USB charging - could be recharged in the field with a solar USB charger.
Weaknesses: Bar mount - poorly designed - epic fail
Bottom Line:
This light is an excellent value, with solid construction, great beam pattern, and true to advertised light output. It is lightweight, and because of it's USB charging capability, it could be charged in the field on longer over-night, multi-day trips. Charging, and helmet mount are both functional and seem well thought out, as does just about everything else about this light.
The Bar mount, however - is not... it is not a good design. It is next to impossible to close the clamp tight enough around the bars (and keep it closed) to keep the light from shifting position.
I have over-sized CF bars and with the rubber "shim" installed I can close the clasp, but not tight enough to keep the light from "sagging" during a descent due to normal chop on a relatively smooth trail. If I remove the shim from the mount, while it can be closed with more contact around the bar, it slips easier on the bar being plastic (instead of the grippy rubber shim in contact with the bar). Without the shim, the light nearly spins freely on the bar for me - even riding pavement. I've seen a couple places online that suggest a zip-tie to apply constant pressure to the clamping mechanism, but that is just hokey IMO.
The "light" portion vs. the trail weight of the MiNewt 600 is awesome, spectacular even given the price. If Niterider redesigns the bar clamp, then it will be a 5/5 flaming chilies product.
Similar Products Used: Niterider HID, and first generation Niterider Digital 12
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Submitted by
Rodney beach
a Cross Country Rider
from milpitas
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2012
Strengths: Great light! I bought Two. when turned on they both come on low! very easy to navigate. (Two thumbs up for outstanding light output) I would recommend this light to any one who rides!
Weaknesses: None!
Bottom Line:
You cannot go wrong with this light. very simple to use. would recommend this light to anyone.
Strengths: The light itself is great. Well thought out and well executed. A few highlights: I like that it has a "lock" mode (I use this as a backup light and as such often throw it in my pack, where it would likely get switched on by accident), good light modes (blink, walk, lo med hi) and good light output especially for the size and weight. The helmet mount is find.
BUT - the bar mount is a profound weakness and is downright dangerous.
Weaknesses: The bar mount is inexcusably crappy. I'm not a weakling, but I can't get this light to stay put on ANY of my bikes handlebars. NiteRider scarified security for convenience when designing this light. I run this light on my cyclocross bike - when I head out for evening rides I'll clip it to my handlebars in case I get caught out in the dark. Inevitably, I'll look down at some point and see that the light is pointing at the ground. Same result on my mtb handlebars. Sooner or later, you'll hit a bump and the light will spin, and due to the weighting most likely point straight down. Think about it - that means, if you're relying on this light as your primary light source, you stand a good chance of being left in the dark at exactly the right moment - when you hit a big bump, hit a pothole, etc. I've actually seen this happen to a guy who was using this light only - he hit a rock garden at speed and suddenly found himself in the dark. Someone is going to lose their teeth as a result of this poorly designed bar mount. Again though, the light itself and the helmet mount are great.
Bottom Line:
Good light. Good helmet mount. TERRIBLE (read, dangerously bad) bar mount
Similar Products Used: many different light setups. Avid night rider.
Bike Setup: SS, 5.Spot, CX bike.
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Submitted by
PHRANQUY
a Cross Country Rider
from South Saint Paul, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2012
Strengths: Light, reasonable battery life (enough for what I need anyhow), plenty bright.
Weaknesses: Wish I could have a spare battery instead of a whole spare unit
Bottom Line:
I first got to demo this light at one of the endurance events I did over the summer and immediately fell in love. It's just the right weight, doesn't wiggle around, plenty bright and the right price. I ended up buying one to go along with my MiNewt 700 Dual and it is the perfect combination of brightness and weight. The only downfall is if it goes out I have to swap the whole unit out, you can't just carry spare batteries which would be lighter in the long run. I'll be picking up another one before the endurance season starts up for 2012, that much you can bet on.
Submitted by
bedwards1000
a Cross Country Rider
from Raymond, ME, US
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2012
Strengths: - Price
- USB charging
- Weight
Weaknesses: - Run Time (No points off since it is a weight/brightness tradeoff.)
- Charge port cap looks like it may not last. SFSG
Bottom Line:
I've got nothing bad to say about this light. I bought one for my commute and loved it so much that I bought a second one to get the extra mount / have a backup. I run one on the bars and one on my helmet. The writeup is incorrect about the helmet mount. It has a ratchet that allow it to be adjusted from full ahead to down (to read the spedo / check the gears). I'll be one of the few to claim that I have had NO problems with the mount but I haven't used it off-road, bumpy, over curbs, yes. I've swapped it between my road bike and my mountain bike several times. If you are having trouble getting that last click try a set of channel locks. I run it in 400 lumen mode for most of my on-road riding unless visibility is reduced.
I love the USB charging feature. I typically run the light about 1 hour on med for the night commute and 1 hour on low for the AM commute for visibility. I charge it at work during the day and it takes about 4 hours to charge back up to full. I checked the runtime on high and it was about as advertised. I also run the light in the single digits with no problems except the red low battery light comes on early.
Submitted by
zinco
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2011
Strengths: very bright, nice spread on the light, and the battery last a very long time. Smart charging.
Weaknesses: Light's a little off balance on the bar mount. Tends to slowly fall forward and point to the ground. Not a big deal commuting but mtb and dirt roads it's better to just mount it on the helmet.
Bottom Line:
I commute alot and wanted a happy medium for both mtb and commuting. A nice feature on this light that I didn't see on others (besides the awesome dollar to lumes price) is the walking setting. By holding the button down while it's in flash mode it will change to the walking setting which is a lower setting then the "low". In this setting the light is plenty bright enough for the city commute I do and at two hours a day (winter time, dark when I leave and when I return) the battery will last two weeks easy.
Strengths: Bright, high quality, well-designed, lightweight, minimalist design
Weaknesses: Turns on to the middle setting, power button is hard to find and activate while riding, only 1.5 hr runtime on high, very slow charging
Bottom Line:
I believe this light is simply the best and brightest light out there for the price and size/cordless right now. I only use the helmet mount with this light and have more than enough light in any situation.
This light provides 600 cordless lumens which is almost 50% brighter than Niterider HID lights from 5 or 6 years ago (~420 lumens). In fact, after getting this light, I sold my higher-power corded Niterider lights and haven't looked back. I can ride the road or trail with this light for training or commuting. I can drop it in my jersey pocket and forget it's there. The beam pattern is a good general pattern, a mix between spot and flood with even coverage. This is an awesome light.
I paired it with the Light & Motion Vis 180 rear light for an impressive and cost-effective complete light package. I actually look forward to night riding now!
Weaknesses: Minor issue activating switch with heavy gloves on.
Bottom Line:
For commuting, the light is perfect for me. I use the flash mode when it is light out and the low or high setting in the dark. I have mine mounted on the handlebars. I think it floods better than the L&M ARC light I wear on my helmet. The L&M ARC seems to reach out a bit further and is brighter, but more of a spot. I like the way the MiNewt.600 Cordless floods the area 2 to 30 feet or so in front of the bike. Haven't used it for technical trails yet, but so far I'm very happy with the light. I'm thinking of buying a 2nd one to run on my helmet as the L&M ARC light is a bit of a hassle with the heavy battery. I don't think I'd even notice the weight of the MiNewt.600 Cordless on my helmet.
Bike Setup: The bike is an old Specialized Rock Hopper hard tail currently running armadillo street tires for commuting and easy single track trail rides.
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Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2011
Bottom Line:
This fall I started doing night rides on the trails for the first time....I use the 400 lumens setting to make sure there is enough battery life for the complete ride...have used it only as a helmet mount (with my visor removed for better vision).....Am very happy with the light it throws and I don't seem to notice the extra weight on the helmet.
Submitted by
Jeff Zacarias
a Weekend Warrior
from Greenwood, Indiana USA
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2011
Strengths: The light is very brigh and can reack out to great distances. The housing is durable and appears to be able to take a beating.
Weaknesses: The handle bar mount does not close tightly. When you close it, it is oblong shaped, not circulare. There are not enough teeth to fully secure it so it slides often. The light beam is very narrow close to the bike. You can not see the trail in tight turns because the light is to far out.
Bottom Line:
This light is bright but with a narrow beam, the handle bar mount is just plain terrible. I would have expected the mount to be a lot better given the price. I have a $30 Blackburn that mounts more secure. Would have given it a 5 if the beam was wider and the handlebar mount actually worked. Good light for the casual weekend rider like me. If I were to pick up my night riding pace, I would get another one for my helmet so I can see into turns.
Similar Products Used: Cateye and Blackburn inexpensive lights.
Bike Setup: Old Raleigh mountain bike, front suspension only.
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Submitted by
Dino Sore
a Cross Country Rider
from Connecticut USA
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2011
Strengths: Price, size, weight
Weaknesses: Slow to charge
Bottom Line:
This is a lot of light for the price. I picked it up to replace my NiteRider Flight helmet light. The unit mounts easily to the helmet, is very light, and does away with the cord and separate battery.
I use this in conjunction with a MiNewt 200 on the bars, and the combination is more than adequate for my off-road night riding. This is mostly cyclocross and XC mountain bike riding. While the high setting (600 lumens) is good for only 1:30, I find the low setting (275 lumens) adequate. I am getting burn times slightly less than what NiteRider advertises, but still adequate for my use.
Considering what we were paying for lights a few years ago, this thing is a great value. You can buy two of these (helmet and bar) and have a great setup for about US$250. My only (minor) complaints are that it does take a while to charge, and my burn times are a little less than advertised.
Similar Products Used: Niterider Flight, Storm, MiNewt 200, MiNewt (original)
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Submitted by
marzocchiz2
a Cross Country Rider
from San Fran, CA USA
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2011
Strengths: Bright
light (weight)
easy to take off the bar (great for commuting)
USB charging (can charge it pretty much everywhere)
Weaknesses: A bit too focused beam
USB charging (takes a long time for a full charge)
Light modes and lock out (maybe)
Bottom Line:
I use this light for commuting, way more convenient than the Trinewt I was using before. I lock my bike outside so there is no way I'm leaving any lights easy for the taking (I even have my bike seat chained to the frame!). The Trinewt was such a pain to take off and put back on, whereas the Minewt 600 slides in and out of the handle bar clamp super easy.
The light is very bright for commuting, I have gotten a few high beam flashes from drivers when I have the light on the brightest setting. However the light is bright because it is more of a spot beam than a flood. I don't know the angle of spread but just to give an idea, using the Trinewt I had a shadow of my front tire on the ground, with the Minewt 600 the light doesn't hit the ground for a good 1 1/2 - 2 feet in front of the bike, I have the center of both beams in about the same location.
The light modes confused me when I first started using the light. When I turned it on for the first time, I though, "isn't this light supposed to be a bit brighter than the Trinewt?" It turns out the light turns on in the middle beam, pressing the button again will go to the low beam and once more to the high beam. There is also a flash and walk mode (or extra low beam) but they are a pain to get to and switching back to the regular mode is even worse. (take the following with a grain of salt, I maybe doing something wrong, I've only had the light for a few weeks) The light has a lock mode for storage and transportation, it is enabled by holding down the power button for a few seconds, this is also how you turn the light off. To get from the standard modes to the flash and walk or the other way around you have to hold down the power button for a few seconds. Every time I have tried to switch from flash or walk back to regular the light turns off and goes into lock mode, not good when you're on the road and cars have now lost sight of you. To unlock the light you have to hold the power button for a few seconds, this seems like an eternally long time when you need the light.
Overall this is a good light, I highly recommend it but make sure you've got a second light (as you should with any light). The dollars per lumen is crazy low on this light, It's the brightest and least expensive "real" bike light I've purchased.
