H.I.D. lamp system with 4.0Ah NiMH battery
Unbelievable power in a package that takes up less space than similar existing systems. 4 Straight hours of light as bright and white as the sun, mounted on your handlebars, aimed right where you need it. Combined with a 5hr MicroBrute charger and 27oz 13.2v NiMH battery pack. 24 hour racers say this is the best light available.
Features
Ultra Bright Metal Halide Bulb
New SurLok Connectors
MicroBrute™ 5hr charger with In-Vehicle charging optional
CamLok™ QR Handlebar mount
Waterbottle style battery pack
4.0Ah NiMH battery pack
System weight: 34 oz (mount, head lamp and battery)
Submitted by
johnm123
a Racer
from Campbell, CA USA Date Reviewed: November 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Reservoir Loop, Silicon Valley, CA
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$375.00
Purchased At:
Summit Bikes, Los Ga
Strengths:
Bright and durable
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Nothing similar
Bike Setup:
Seven Alaris road bike
Bottom Line:
I have been commuting by bike twice a week for years. My ride is 13 miles (35 minutes) each way - mostly on straight fast Silicon Valley expressways. Once Standard Time arrives a light is indispensable for the night portion. This is the 5th year I have used a Niterider Blowtorch. I understand that some users have not gotten this much service from their batteries. I keep mine charged through the summer which I believe has helped. I initially thought the connector would be the weak-link so I have been careful and it has been fine.
Once I started using the Blowtorch I could not imagine riding without it. I could see better and felt more visible than during the day. I even stay later at the office to let the traffic die down. I have had some unusual incidents: One time I was about to pass a couple riders in the bike lane. They panicked, clearly thinking a car was coming up behind them. Humorous? Maybe not, but it illustrates how bright the light is.
I believe the battery may finally be fading so I am researching alternative products. Have not found anything yet that looks better. I will probably decide to just get a new battery. I love this light!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
El Matador
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal Date Reviewed: February 28, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
- Bright - Excellent Battery Life - Charges in 2 hours - Reliable
Weaknesses:
- Enduro style battery has weak cord (see review) - Surlock system still disconnects too easily - Forward mounting system on helmet makes front heavy
Similar Products Used:
L&M Arc HID (which is superior to the Niterider, IMO)
Bike Setup:
Commuter and XC bikes
Bottom Line:
This is light is very bright and effective both as a trail light and as a commuter light. The battery life is excellent and does last to the claimed 3.5 to 4 hours. Charge time is also excellent, accomplised in the fast 2 hour claim. My main complaint about this light is the weak power cord that extends from the enduro battery pack. The cord's rubber housing will crack at the point where it meets the pack and will expose the inner wires. This happened within 4 months and now at 1 year it has complete torn. I did not abuse the battery as it always sat safely with enough slack in the cord to not add any stress to the rubber housing. If you can find the Blowtorch on clearance for around $260, then it's worth it. But at full retail, it's not worth it. For my money, I would rather buy the L&M Arc HID if you're gonna spend $350ish.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alon
a Cross Country Rider
from La Verne Date Reviewed: November 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Marshall Canyon
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Incycle
Strengths:
Clear, strong white light with an excellent burn time (still getting 3 plus hours)
Weaknesses:
Been through 2 bulbs, am now on my third. Each bulb has varied from 90$ to 100$+. Even though I was very careful with the 1st replacement, somehow the inner element broke. I understand if it took a huge spill but just trail riding
Bike Setup:
Stock Enduro Pro 03'
Bottom Line:
Even though I was very careful with the 1st replacement, somehow the inner element broke. I understand if it took a huge spill but just trail riding should not cause the element to disconnect from its inner housing. Once again let me say that it's a 100$ bulb. It's a tuff call.At this moment I still am positive about nite rider products. But I will throw in the hat if one more bulb breaks and b_tch and moan to everyone about the bulbs weaknesses.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcel
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange, CA Date Reviewed: November 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Old Camp
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$399.00
Purchased At:
SwitchBack
Strengths:
Lights up the path very well
Weaknesses:
Reliability: What good is a night light if it is not reliable? You can get jacked up if the light turns off while riding alone, downhill at night. The switch went bad, sent it in for repair and was still bad after I got it back.
Similar Products Used:
Older 10W Nightrider.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight.
Bottom Line:
When you pay $ 400 for a high tech flashlight you expect it work. If it does not work you send it back for repair and expect it to get fixed. If it comes back and still does not work you go buy another light that you can depend on like a Jet Blast.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Skipshot
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA Date Reviewed: September 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
200.00
Strengths:
BRIGHT! Long run time @ about 4 hours.
Weaknesses:
Cable connector is not easy to use, just hope it doesn't disconnect if you don't have a backup light.
Similar Products Used:
Performance View Point
Bike Setup:
Bianchi lugged steel hard tail
Bottom Line:
Compared to the Performance View Point lights, this light is far superior in terms of light output and run time. I ride long, densely forested single track trails around here and this is the light for me. The light angle doesn't need to be adjusted much since the beam is so bright and wide. I used the Performance lights for about two years, but the battery didn't have a long enough run time for the amount of light I needed, and consequently there were many times when the power died and I needed to follow my HID equipped buddy to get back to the car. I found the Blow Torch on sale for $200 (50% off) and was glad to spend the money to make night riding safer and more enjoyable. Consider an HID light if you have long rides (1.5 hours+) deep in the woods.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NY Date Reviewed: July 28, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Cathedral Pines
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
Ebay (Brand New)
Bottom Line:
Follow up review to my last post below (2 or 3 posts)!
At the end of last season my light did not want to turn on. I called niterider and they gave suggestions. After that the light did come on when I held the power button down for a longer period of time. This spring I tested the light and it worked. Went to use the light for a 4th of july night ride and it was dead, so the ride was cancelled! Niterider told me to ship it to them for service. I paid $40 for a bench check. Received a call the following week saying that the ballast was no good and that would cost $48 to replace. I decided to have it fixed for a total of $88! I had mentioned to them that I used the light as a work light for doing yard work several times last year and used it for one bike ride. I had also drained my battery pack on several occasions thinking it was better for the battery. I would leave the light on to drain the battery. Now I find out that this light needs to be on a moving bike so that it gets air flow! I can't blame niterider for the ballast problem at this moment, only myself. If the light acts up again from normal trail riding, then I will be real angry about it. Also, since I bought the light new on ebay, it was not covered under warranty since it was not purchased from a bike shop. I was one month past warranty and figured something would be covered!
I did get to use the light last weekend and I had another awsome night ride! Now I am considering getting a storm 2.0 for $288 or a cheaper trail rat for $90 to use as a helmet fill light. A bar mount light is nice, but tricky when making turns in tight single track.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
G Olin
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: July 4, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Cuyamaca State Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
E-Bay
Strengths:
Incredibly bright! I use it on my commuter bike and it makes me feel safe. It's not totally dark when I ride to work, but the HID light ensures drivers will see me. I uses the tail light both day and night when riding in traffic.
Weaknesses:
Causes interference with my wireless computer.
Similar Products Used:
Performance View Point
Bike Setup:
Merlin Mountain Full XTR XTR hubs/Bontrager rims/street tires for commuting Mavic crossMax for offroad
Bottom Line:
I don't know if this is a widespread problem, but my wireless computer will not pick up the wheel sensor anytime the light is on. This problem was driving me nuts for months before I figured it out.
I'd give my wheel a spin at night when I would get my biking stuff ready and it would work fine. It always worked on the way home from work, but never in the morning.
At first, I thought my computer was going bad and that it was the cooler temp in the morning or something. I bought a completely new computer thinking I'd fix the problem, but no dice.
Just for the hell of it one afternoon on the way home, I turned the light on when the bike was moving and as soon as the light came on, the computer stopped reading speed. Simultaneously, the lights went on in my head too.
I guess I'm going to have to have to get a cheap $20 hard wired computer because I hate not getting credit for my miles. One thing is for certain, I will never get rid of this light regardless of the computer side effect.
This NiteRider HID is the best upgrade I have bought for any of my bikes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
eric
a Weekend Warrior
from ca Date Reviewed: November 17, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
very bright, easy and fast mount system
Weaknesses:
expensive.... but worth it
Similar Products Used:
performance fireballs... should be called lighters.... wait even a hnad held lighter is brighter
Bike Setup:
fisher sugar 1
Bottom Line:
the lights are the best i have owned i first had fireballs. night rider makes a great product. i have never had a lick of problem with this light. only wish i had a helmet mount to go along with the bar mount. it is expensive in a way this is good..... it will make you use your light spending that much, you have to ride at night.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lee
a Cross Country Rider
from watchung,nj,usa Date Reviewed: November 15, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
wheel world
Strengths:
light was bright when it worked
Weaknesses:
no warning when battery is low, shut off 5 miles in woods and would not work after
Bottom Line:
I bought this light from wheel world, I used it 2 times on very flat trails by my house and it worked as advertised, then on the third time out (and 5 miles in the woods) it just dimmed out like the battery suddenly died and only would start after 5min and then immediately fade out to nothing. I had a real nice walk out of the woods that night! Anyway, I thought maybe the battery needed charging but when I hooked up the charger it remained green or fully charged. Since I only had this light for 3 days I called Night Rider the next day and spoke to customer service, If you can call it that! The lady had very little technical knowledge of her product and it sounded like she was reading general rehearsed answers to my questions. She told me I would have to send it back to WheelWorld and then they would have to send it back to night rider then they would evaluate what was wrong, then fix it, send it back to wheel world who would then send it back to me most likely a month later! I said, "I only have owned this thing 3 days and it is defective, is it possible you can charge my credit card and send me a replacement until I send you this defective one? Her Reply was,"we do not deal directly with the public, and you will have to follow the procedure I told you" I then called Wheel world and they told me to just send it back to them and they would refund my card and deal with nite rider. Man talk about really bad customer service after the sale! I will never own another nightrider product, I just ordered a Cygolite hid and will comment when I get it. By the way Wheel World has very knowledgable staff and very good understanding and resonable customer service.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NY Date Reviewed: September 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Cathederal Pines
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
Ebay Dealer
Strengths:
Super bright as daylight without that yellowish halogen glow!
Weaknesses:
None that I can see! Ok, maybe a wider angle beam if any?
Similar Products Used:
2 bell xenon AA battery operated units on handlebar.
Bike Setup:
Giant 2003 NRS fully customized with top end parts!
Bottom Line:
I have used this twice on the trails so far. The first time it got dark about 2/3 of the way into our ride and the light helped light the trail on our way out of the woods. Second ride was much later at night and darker! With 3 of us riding tight single track, I led the way with this handlebar mounted HID BlowTorch light. My buddies followed behind with helmet lights (HID w/leds and halogen). I had a tough time following the trail and anticipating direction changes. I would sometimes start turning one way, only to realize I neded to go the other direction. This light was definately super bright and lit up the pitch black woods! My buddies found it easier to navigate with a helmet light. So now I am thinking of getting a cheaper helmet halogen unit to compliment my HID handlebar light? Unless I spring for a helmet HID light and make things even brighter :^ )
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: September 27, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$436.00
Purchased At:
Simon's Bike Shop
Strengths:
Quality construction. Super bright. Long runtime. Long, continuous bright light!
Weaknesses:
These lights are so bright, they piss off oncoming cyclists, pedestrians and cars. People will get upset with you as you burn their retinas. They are expensive but worth it.
Similar Products Used:
BLT, Cygolights, Nightsun
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Instinct and Cannondale Road Bike.
Bottom Line:
I had some purchaser remorse because of the price, but after trying them, absolutely loved the lights and am very happy. These lights turn night into day. They work so well, I did not want to end my ride. You can ride any time you want at night with these lights, with full confidence. Unbelievable is all I can say. They are phenomenally bright. Illumintaing!!!!I got 4.5 hours out of them the first ride. Be warned though, you will not make any friends with on coming traffic. These lights melt their eyes and to be honest, I had a lot of upset people screaming at me. They are that bright. I bet they will be made illegal they are so bright.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
charles moore
a Racer
from moreno valley ca usa Date Reviewed: September 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
none road rider/bmx'er
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
jenson
Strengths:
run time,brightness
Weaknesses:
brightness, lack of usuable light, hype does'nt equal reality
i used my cygolite with 15w spot, 20w flood nightrider bulbs. this gave me almost enough light for the coyote infested canyons i have to commute thru.(i am very afraid of the dark , of what i cannot see, yes i am a wuss)the hid light promised night into day.....nope. the light is bright for a single bulb but there is not enough ummm, definition or thickness? to the light. It lights us very far but not in a usuable way. i have some 30mph downhills and the light does not light up the cracks in the road enough. I can easily out ride the beam pattern. My other set up gave me more usuable light but at full burn , i only get around 40 minutes max. i can get 1 1/2 hrs using the 20w sparingly. My commute is one hr. with the hid, 4hrs of run time and i can burn it going home during the day. the light is very visable during the day. i think i am going to sell it and buy the nightsun dualbean hid, i hope it does the trick
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt Robertson
a Cross Country Rider
from Fresno CA USA Date Reviewed: September 3, 2004
Favorite Trail:
the one I'm on
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
wheelworld.com
Strengths:
brightness, battery life, charging time. The Blowtorch now ships with a 2.5 hr charger (formerly 3.5).
Weaknesses:
A lighter weight battery would be nice, but given its 4-hr performance its hard to gripe about that and be serious.
Similar Products Used:
Performance dual Viewpoint 32-watt Halogen, 1999 and 2003 models
Bike Setup:
'04 Specialized Stump FSR, stock
Bottom Line:
Spring the bucks for this light. Its worth it. As everyone says its *bright*. If you want illumination for safety's sake, this is absolutely the product regardless of your planned use. I've gone thru two generations of Performance dual halogens over several years and this single light is far better. Focus it right and you have both short range road illumination sufficient to see details of what you're about to roll over as well as a decent long view of the direction your road/trail is going to take.
But if you spend this much on a *light*, 'sufficient' isn't what you are after. You want daylight, which you can have if you focus the light down a bit further than I was comfortable doing as I also wanted longer range. I spoke to NiteRider customer service today and asked about hooking up two Blowtorch lights to one battery. Turns out i'm not the only nut who wants this. A 'Y' cord is in production and may be on the market in a month. Since they wanted $225 for just a light unit, I bought a second complete blowtorch system for not much more online. That will let me focus one low to blaze the first 30-40 feet of ground and one up to take in the ground further and the trail ahead. Just like a dual halogen light, but using phasers set to kill :-)
A word of advice: Don't hook this up to your helmet (you can buy a mount separately) unless you discipline yourself to look around by moving your eyes and not your head. Glance over at someone driving next to you and their eyes will melt.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Venice Date Reviewed: August 1, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Pauley Creek
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
don't recall
Strengths:
Bright. Reliable. Long burn time. Short charge time. Awesome customer service.
Weaknesses:
Not resistant to being chewed by the mutt.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Handlebar mounted...
Bottom Line:
Mainly I'm here to review NiteRider's customer service. The light is every bit as bright and reliable and so forth as everyone says. Top notch.
I owned my light for about four months before I ever even used it. Then, after perhaps a month or so of riding, sharp bumps started causing the bulb to shut off. I'd be bombing down a forested trail, slaloming tree trunks, and suddenly all goes dark... Yikes!
"Okay," I think, "so I'm going to have to deal with a warranty claim. But not tonight, tonight I'm going to go ride." his went on for anoher month or two. One night I got my stuff all set out, ready to go, went inside to see a man about a horse, and came back out to find that my girlfriend's dog HAD EATEN THE POWER CORD OFF THE LIGHT.
Fiirst I killed the dog. Then I shaved down the wires, soldered 'em and wrapped 'em in electrical tape and figured "That four bills isn't going to last very long." I broke up with the girl not long after and moved back to where people make sense.
Just kidding about the dog.
A couple months after that I finally decided I couldn't grip with this light that kept shutting off. Sooner or later I was going to get killed by a low-hanging branch. So I called NiteRider, explained the sitch, got an RA number, packed everything up, enclosed a check for $40 and sent everything off.
It came back about five days later, wires repaired, bulb replaced, CHECK RETURNED, good as new. This was a light that had been out of warranty for months.
The light has performed flawlessly ever since. That's customer service. That's value.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
a ta
a Cross Country Rider
from plano Date Reviewed: June 15, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
bright light
Weaknesses:
lack adjustment of brightness and easy adjustment of aim
Bottom Line:
These are bright light but I suppose any HID light will be bright. I wished there was a way to temporery dim the lights in situations where you do not want to blind somebody. I have considered working out a homemade piece of tainted plastic to flip over the lights to dim it a little. Overall, these lights make it possible to ride at night during the hot Texas summer
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete Kreishman
a Cross Country Rider
from Bethesda, MD Date Reviewed: June 14, 2004
Favorite Trail:
hehe... the road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$319.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Bomber construction, SHEER POWER, great bar mount, perfect beam spread
Weaknesses:
Still a really expensive light
Similar Products Used:
Performance Viewpoint, tested L&M ARC
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Saeco team frame, Ultegra Triple, Rolf wheels, Syncros Ti post, Salsa stem/ITM bars, Speedplay X3 pedals
Bottom Line:
The only thing I can really say is WOW. I just really put the light through its paces tonight with my commute home from work. More than half the ride is on Beach Drive in DC and MD, a ride that is completely unlit, densely wooded, and a truly scary experience with my old halogen light.
At first glance, you don't notice much on a really well-lit road, but as soon as the street lights run out it hits you. This is a serious friggin' light. A quick stop to make an up/down adjustment (super easy with NR's no-tools thumb wheel on the bar mount) and I was set. And yes, one car flashed its brights at me, but such is life.
As I got onto Beach Drive and had no lighting from anywhere but my handlebar, the first thing I noticed was just the sheer volume of usable light this thing throws down the road. The range of the beam was ample even for 30+mph descents, and the less potent flood part of the beam reached across both lanes of the road and took away that unnerving "tunnel of light" sensation I had with my old light. After a little extra tightening at the mount (done on the fly), the light didn't budge even on bumpy road.
In all honesty, while it still hurts that I paid this much for a bike light, I have never felt safer riding at night than I do with the blowtorch. I'll see about the durability later I guess, but this system puts a ton of bright white light out in front of you, literally from your wheel to 50+ yards ahead and well out to the sides.
I honestly have no excuse to not ride at night anymore. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this product to anyone who commutes in any condition other than broad daylight. The confidence and feeling you get from using this light make the purchase 100% worth it. So even with the heavy price tag, 5 chilis for value, too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ibis Breezer
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Republic of Texas Date Reviewed: April 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
The next one I ride
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$289.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
HID lights are so bright they will blind oncoming traffic, I consider this a plus because then the automorons will stop when they approach me instead of pulling across my path. Especially effective with fat@$$ old bluehairs whose cataracts make them night blind. I also like the water bottle style battery pack, works well on my bike since it has bosses for 4 bottle mounts.
Weaknesses:
Pricey. Especially when you add the upgrade spot bulb for $90 (available from NiteRider direct and maybe a few online places). For that reason I only gave 3 turds for value.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Digital Evo, TrailRat, etc. I started with NiteRider products, and I still use them to this day. Off-road incandescent lights are fine, but on the street I am HID all the way.
Bike Setup:
Commuter Terrorist Bike, M1A2 Main Battle Bike built just for trips to and from work. No more needs to be said except that the entire frame is wrapped with 3M DOT-2 grade reflecto tape. The bastids can't say they didn't see me coming.
Bottom Line:
This is my second BlowTorch, the first is still with me after a long dark winter of daily commutes. I have added a second unit to my handlebars with the optional spot bulb #6614 (another pricey option, but worth it's weight) to give me a little more reach when the bike is travelling fast. Probably way overkill for off-road but a nice setup for commuting because it reaches way beyond the range of the standard wide-angle bulb that comes with the BlowTorch.
This is an expensive setup but I think my life is worth it. I have had police officers stop me to examine my lighting because they are just sure my lights are illegal. They may be, technically. The problem is bicycle lighting is not regulated the way automoron lights are. This setup will bubble the paint off a car at 100 meters and instills a level of confidence that you will surely appreciate after dark when you are barrelling down a dark alley at 20mph into approaching traffic. Just watch your 6.
Death to the bluehairs, Cars-R-Coffins.
YEEEEEEEEEHAAAAWWWW!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Glenn Stuart
a Weekend Warrior
from San Antonio, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: April 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
DownTown SA
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
Bike World
Strengths:
4 hour charge time in less than 3 hours, quick cam lock stays secure even over the roughest conditions. The main thing that I love about this product is that it is the brightest light, it was well worth the investment of $389.00 plus makes me less of a chance of becoming a hood ornament while comuting downtown SA.
Weaknesses:
I have not seen any weakness with my blowtorch so far.
Similar Products Used:
Fireball Sport
Bike Setup:
F400 Cannondale with XTR shifters,Toppeak beam rack. The rest of the bike is stock to Cannodale 2003 specs.
Bottom Line:
I'd rather invest in a product such as the blow torch that makes night time into day light!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
miznax
a Cross Country Rider
from Hacienda Hts, CA Date Reviewed: March 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
I love them all
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$375.00
Purchased At:
supergo
Strengths:
Very bright, white light. Easy to setup & use. I've still never used up all the juice on 1 ride. As long as I mount it tight enough on the bar it will not fall down.
Weaknesses:
The mount has gotten loose where the light sits in the track of the mount. It falls to the bottom of the track and feels like it's going to fall out of the mount, but it never has, even over the bumpiest of bumpy trails. The cables have been known to get easily disconnected, but that rarely happens now that I'm more comfortable and aware with the system.
Similar Products Used:
None. I'm not going to compare this against a POS light I got from Wal-Mart, there's no comparison.
Bike Setup:
stumpjumper hardtail, enduro pro & KHS Flight 700.
Bottom Line:
I love this light. I've never seen a brighter light on the trails or on the road. True it costs a grip but it's well worth it. I've been using mine for over two seasons and have gotten every penny worth. This light will be my undoing.
I'm giving it 5 Chilis for value because you cannot get a better light for the money and 5 Chilis overall because even with the weaknesses I mentioned it still reigns supreme.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Russ
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: February 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Galloping Goose
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Lots of light for trail riding. Built-in ballast makes less to remove from your bike when locking up. Very fast charger and long battery life. Found light only flickered when the terrain was REALLY bumpy and was not an issue. Has worked without any problems since I bought it.
Weaknesses:
No battery charge indicator. Sometimes turns on when connecting the battery even if the previous state was off.
Similar Products Used:
Handlebar-mount halogen headlights.
Bike Setup:
'95 Nishiki Timbuktu (Nothing to brag about)
Bottom Line:
Very happy with this light set and would definitely buy again. It is expensive but I found it for less than half the price on E-bay. If you're a serious rider, I think it's well worth the extra money. I tried the helmet mount and it wasn't for me. The biggest drawback in my opinion is blasting someone's eyes out when you look at them to talk. Even though this is an expensive light, I have given it a good value rating because HID lamps are always expensive.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from San Jose, Ca. Date Reviewed: February 10, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Brighter than anything I've tried so far, burn time, customer service.
Weaknesses:
A bit expen$ive.
Similar Products Used:
Night Rider Trail Rat, Digital Evolution.
Bike Setup:
Many bikes, many setups.
Bottom Line:
THIS IS AN UPDATE TO A PREVIOUS POST (scroll down a couple of reviews): After seeing my somewhat negative review of this product, Matt from Night Rider contacted me and suggested I return the unit to them to be checked out. The brightness of the light, or lack thereof, didn't impress me much. Well, it turned out that I had a bad bulb which N.R. replaced free of charge. Got it back about 2 weeks after I shipped it to them and I can now say it works as advertised- nice and BRIGHT. Really though, the coolest thing about this story is that someone from N.R. took it upon themselves to help me with my problem- not many companies out there anymore that will do that sort of thing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James Sanders
a Cross Country Rider
from Bainbridge Island, WA Date Reviewed: January 11, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$349.00
Strengths:
Very bright. Long battery life.
Weaknesses:
Three main complaints: (1) the on/off switch is too sensitive. I've tossed it in my saddle bag on occasion, only to have the light turn on inside the bag, presumably from the motion. It generates a lot of heat so that can be a problem. (2) The light doesn't reliably ignite. Sometimes it takes 5-6 efforts to get the light (as opposed to the power indicator) to come on. This can be a problem if you accidently turn the light off while riding, as I did once while adjusting the beam. (3) The connectors are awkward and seem cheaper than earlier models.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider classic and original Niterider single beam handlemount.
Bike Setup:
Bridgestone MB5
Bottom Line:
I'd probably still buy it again because my regular commute involves some big, unlighted downhills and it rains a lot around here. But if I didn't put a premium on having the brightest light, I'd wait and see if Niterider works out some of these bugs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Sterling Heights, Mich Date Reviewed: December 22, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$348.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Everything
Weaknesses:
None found yet.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider Digital
Bike Setup:
02 Fuel 100, xtr comp, raceface crank, mavic crossmax wheels, Hayes Discs, Manitou Black Elite Air
Bottom Line:
This is for the Niterider Flamethrower the upgrade from the Blowtorch. Found a good deal from Ebay. Have had absolutely no problems what so ever. The new handlebar mount adjusts extremely easy and is very stable. Never moves during rides even on rough terrain.The brightness is unbelievable, no need for a helmet light with this, it casts enough light on the sides to illumniate around all but the sharpest corners. Night rider must have fixed all the problems with the previous hids because this light performs flawlessly. No cutting out on bumps and only used one light on the voltage meter for an hour on the highest setting in 38degree weather. Will let you know on the long term.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from San Jose, Ca. USA Date Reviewed: December 18, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Snail Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Reliable, well made.
Weaknesses:
Not bright enough for the $$
Similar Products Used:
NIte Rider Trail Rat, Digital Evolution.
Bike Setup:
Many bikes, many setups.
Bottom Line:
I wish I could say I had the same opinion of this product as most of you who have posted here, but I can't. It just hasn't lived up to the hype. It's well made and reliable, but not much brighter than my Digital Evolution. It IS more visible to oncoming traffic for sure, and the light it gives off IS whiter, but not BRIGHTER, and it doesn't light the way (of the riders view) as well as I had hoped. I use this light mostly for road bike rides in the dark. Burn time has been good, but not the 4 hours as advertised, more like 3 to 3 1/2 hours which is still good. I don't know, maybe I got a bad one! I also wish it had a coiled cord. For the money, you'd be better off with a Digital Evolution.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler, Az Date Reviewed: November 26, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$289.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
I love the brightness, but if your reading this you already know its bright. It makes a normal light look like a flickering candle. FOUR HOURS of wax (burn time), mine has lasted more like 5.5 hours. Comes with the FAST CHARGER instead of Microbrute now, which is an upgrade. Charges in less than 3.5 hours, and its a smart charger so you don't have to discharge all the way. If you have 2 hours of light left you can just plug back in! The handlebar mount is so well designed, you can mount it right on the curve of your riser bar, and adjust it so that it hold your lamp perfectly horizontial. The clamping mechanism is very secure.Very cool. Comes with a bag to carry it all in too!
Weaknesses:
I don't like the wire connectors very much. It takes an extension piece (included) to make the distance between the light and battery. The connections don't feel solid, but I haven't had them come undone. This may have been deliberate, if the wire gets caught on a branch or something it'll just disconnect. But it still feels a little weak. It takes a few velcro straps to secure the cables so they don't stick out. The "NR" logos get a little scratched up in the bottle cage. Sometimes when connecting the wires the light will turn on when I establish the connection, even if its previous state was off. . . Wierd.
Similar Products Used:
Light and Motion Commuter (I use it on my helmet now), Specialized Fireballs (don't buy no matter how cheap)
Bike Setup:
I'm a complete nerd and have all my specs in my palm pilot so i'm just going to paste it. Frame - 2002 Titus Switchblade Stnd Travel kit inverted linkage Tires - Panaracer FireXC pro /Blue Tubes - Stans NoTubes conversion kit. (32 psi) Rims - Sun Rhyno Lite XLT Hubs - Chris King IsoDisc Brakes - Shimano XT disc Fork - Fox TALAS R Headset - Chris King, Black Handlebars - Race Face Air Alloy Riser Stem - Thomson Elite Shifter Pods - Shimano Deore XT Grips - Salsa PepperJacks Bar Ends - Specialized Seatpost - Thomson Elite Saddle - WTB Laser V Rear Shock - Fox Float R Crankset - Shimano Deore XT BB - Shimano 8 Spline Pedals - Shimano 959 XTR Chain - Sram PC-99 Frnt derailer - Shimano Deore XT Rear derailer- Shimano Deore XTR Cassette - Shimano Deore XT Skewers - Salsa Suspension (Ti/Steel) Total Weight- 29.9lbs
Bottom Line:
FYI I upgraded to this light because Light & Motion didn't respond to emails, and there commuter light became undependable. The switching mechanism would fail randomly. Ten miles out on the trail you fix it like you would anything else. You keep pressing the button hoping it'll miraculously start working again. Anyway . . . I contacted Nightrider after purchasing the light and told them I went with there company because of the reviews they had recieved on MTBR regarding there great customer service. The guy who emailed me back said that there had been a lot of changes to the company to ensure good customer service, which makes me feel good about doing business with them. I think the reality is that most of us are willing to spend an extra $50 or so for a company that will stand behind there product. You'll ride with this light at night like you ride in the day, full speed and everything. One of the reasons I recommend a handlebar mount instead of helmet mount is depth perception. At night your depth perception is severely handicapped. With a light on you handlebars and you eye level angled downward above the light source you can see shadows. This effectively gives you the ability to judge the size of rocks, boulders, trenches,etc. When you use a helmet mount your light floods light completely around the objects, hiding there shadows directly behind the object where you can't see it. Thus, you have no depth perception. Its nice to have the helmet mount for fixing flats or misc other thing, but don't do anything technical with it. This blowtorch on the other hand is definetly the way to go. Its rather unfortuante that bicylcists in general always tend to underbuy, then have to replace that gear with what they REALLY wanted to begin with. I'm deducting one chili from value because of the price tag. Of course as I said earlier, we don't mind paying a company that stands behind there product. I'm dedcuting one chili form the overall rating because of the goofy end connectors. I'll end with this. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT LIGHT. DON'T BUY SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE OF THE PRICE, YOU'LL END UP BUYING THIS LIGHT ANYWAY!! SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR A MONTH, THEN BUY. IT WILL TOTALLY BE WORTH IT!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Travis
a Cross Country Rider
from Reno Date Reviewed: November 19, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
Bike Shop (don't remember)
Strengths:
Obviously the brightness is top notch. The beam is also more broadly focused so a handlebar mount still allows you to see around sharp corners on the single track. Modular components (mounting hardward) is a plus. If you crash, you can just replace the parts that broke, not the whole light.
Weaknesses:
Perhaps a soft rubber jacket could help protect the bulb a bit more if you crash.
Similar Products Used:
Misc. old school lights
Bike Setup:
Handlebar mount
Bottom Line:
The reason I posted this review was this: I had heard friends say "great light, crappy customer service." Well, on my first ride out, I wiped out on some fast single track and broke the bulb, mounting bracket (on the back of the light), and the receiver bracket. I just got off the phone with NiteRider and explained what happened. These 3 parts are on the way for free. Nice job NiteRider! If your customer service WAS lacking, I'm convinced you fixed the problem! BUY THIS LIGHT!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Fountain Hills, AZ Date Reviewed: November 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$295.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
great lights. I use a blowtorch on the bar, a storm on the helmet, and the Niterider tail light. I can see and am seen when the sun goes down. The tail light is awesome. Although I don't like cables running all over my frame, it's a small price to pay for my safety. I actually broke the seatpost clamp thats used to attach the tail light to the seat post. I emailed Niterider and they sent me a new clamp free. Great customer service.
Weaknesses:
none so far.
Similar Products Used:
older Niterider 10w head light.
Bike Setup:
too many bikes to list
Bottom Line:
Great head lights, and great tail light. The customer service I've recieved from Niterider has been outstanding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Christopher P
a Weekend Warrior
from Valley Cottage, NY Date Reviewed: November 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Hook Mountain or any trail not too Hilly.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Burn time.
Weaknesses:
Price
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Digital Evoultion
Bike Setup:
Giant XTC SE2
Bottom Line:
An excellent light with treiffic burn time as advertised. The beam of the light is great in both width and focus. The light is not quite as bright as expected but it does light up the trail/road. A good light but you pay for it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: November 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:
101/PCH
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
The HID is just flat-out bright. Its awesome. I mainly use it for roadriding and there is more than enough light there. I almost feel bad, I could easily get away with riding at night around here with a 10w halogen (there are streetlights every 80m or so), but having that extra light is REALLY nice, and just makes you feel that much more safer out there. I also feel bad because when I come up behind another cyclist, I sort of drown out their light with mine, tee hee. You will be seen with this light. People will turn their heads to see what the heck is coming up behind them. The improved mounting bracket is awesome, it must have 360° of adjustability within everyone of those degrees. It swivels this way and that, making it mountable nearly anywhere. The 4hour runtime and the light intensity was what sold me on the HID and not a halogen. If you plan on training at night just as you would during the day, this lights for you.
Weaknesses:
For those that are using a wireless computer, its possible the HIDs EM will interfere with the computers wireless sender unit. I couldn't get my computer to work with the light on, but I am still investigating this. The light tends to flutter over bumps, turning a little orange. perhaps shifting away from the blue spectrum a bit.
Similar Products Used:
Performance Viewpoint Lazer (6w halogen). This opened me up to riding at night, and only propagated my wanting to get a bigger and better light based on how much fun I was having riding at night.
Bike Setup:
853 Lemond. Wireless computers and HID DO NOT mix well. Be aware you might have problems form the HIDs EM field interfering with the wireless computer.
Bottom Line:
Awesome light. The best out there right now I believe. That is until they perfect LED :) Have fun nightriding!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a Weekend Warrior
from Port Hardy, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: October 29, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Boogie Man
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
I demo'd the Storm last year and had great luck with it. Fellow riders/cars/etc. were just blown away with how bright this light is. Makes any fully charged halogen seem browned out in comparison. The new universal bar mount is outstanding and can be rigged to fit anywhere.
Weaknesses:
Overheating (I think). Shuts itself off when it reaches some critical temp?
Similar Products Used:
BLTs. Cygolite Hilux30. Nitrider Digital Headtrip. But they are all halogens.
Bike Setup:
Who cares.
Bottom Line:
Looks like there may be some truth to the customer service kinda sucking with these guys. I have written 4 emails now to Niterider over the last 2 weeks, with only one response, asking me for the number on the bottom of the light. Nothing since. The light is dated September 11, 2003, so it isnt even 2 months old from manufacturing. There shouldnt be any problems with a light this new.
When the light is at its hottest, there are droplets of water on the inside of the power button. This may be the reason for it turning itself off after about 45 mins to an hour. If I let it cool, I can turn it back on, again for 45mins(ish). Who knows if the water is getting in from the outside, or maybe the moisture was always in it. So I get 4 hours of burn time, just not consecutively. DUMB! But it sure is bright for those 1 hour stints.
For the price, I hope Niterider backs their product. I am getting a little nervous. And all my wife can say is "I told you so!"
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie
a Cross Country Rider
from Cambridge, MA Date Reviewed: October 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$399.00
Purchased At:
Ace Wheelworks
Strengths:
Run time. Bright. Simple.
Weaknesses:
Light patern not smooth. Beam has the same look as a flashlight, complete with dark and bright spots.
Used for less than 1 year and went to ride last night and light wouldn't ignite. Freshly and fully charged battery: hit the button and the only thing that lights up is the power indicator light.
Now my worst nightmare has come true, I have to attempt to deal Nite Rider customer service. Stay away from this light. Many better alternatives out there now.
Similar Products Used:
Light and Motion Arc Cabeza--so much a better product and company than Nite Rider that it almost sickens me that I actually made the mistake of going back to the Nite Rider well.
Bike Setup:
Turner XCE
Bottom Line:
Bad light, bad company. If you value your riding and prefer not miss any rides, go with a company that produces better quality lights and that will provide customer service to get you back up and running quickly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bikerguy
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
300
Strengths:
Simple, works, great tail light.
Weaknesses:
Narrow beam, not much more light per watt than halogen.
Similar Products Used:
Night Sun (falls apaprt), Night Rider trail rat, Night Rider Digital Pro 12E, homebrew, ...
Bike Setup:
Various.
Bottom Line:
I find the beam much too narrow side-to-side. When I ride on a winding trail or road I am always looking to the left or the right of the beam. In other words, there is a bright spot in front of me, but since I am turning the light is not going where I am going.
At the same time, it lights up the trees above me. A wide, flat beam would be way better. A different reflector shape should be all that is needed.
The beam color is fairly blue. I went riding with somebody who had a Nite Rider Digital Pro 12E and found his 12W bulb put out as much useful light as my HID. The HID may have more lumens, but it's what you see that counts, and the Halogen has a better color than the HID.
The light color changes when the light is jiggled hard.
The directions say the charger switches automatically to float charge, but then also says not to leave it plugged in on float. That seems like a poor design at least for a light this expensive.
Be sure to unplug it when carrying it in a bag, as it can turn on accidentally.
The tail light is very bright, I like that. It gets confused when you plug it in after charging the battery. It takes some fiddling to either turn it off or get it back in to blinky mode.
I sent e-mail to Night Rider with some questions and comments, they never wrote back.
Good things include: keeps working reliably (my Night Sun fell apart regularly), simple to use (the 12E has a complicated and maybe dangerous user interface, since you have to turn the light *off* to switch to higher brightness), easy to mount/dismount (``remote' light switches are a hassle for taking the light off), bright enough it is good for being seen, lighter than NiCd.
Bottom line: 3 chilis -- it works good, but the light is not great, the charger is not easy to use (because you have to unplug it from float charge), the instructions are not great (they don't say how long you can leave it on float charge), customer service is not great (they don't write back).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Billy Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, WA, USA Date Reviewed: September 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Just about anything
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles, Portland OR
Strengths:
Very bright, wide beam, offers great vision to the sides as well as straight ahead. Beam color is incredible -- looks like daylight, makes halogen lights look like primitive torches carried by cavemen. Simplicity of operation: On or Off, no farting around with dimmers.
Weaknesses:
Very expensive. Crummy plastic handlebar mount doesn't work on my 1.25" fat Kona bars, and I broke it when trying to force it to fit. I ended up building my own billet aluminum mount -- it's way strong, but I shouldn't have had to do that. (To be fair, I just found out they sell an optional mount that should fit these bars and allows you to aim the light in various directions -- search for "1050" on their web site).
Similar Products Used:
My friends have various Halogen lights. These seemed weak and the light looked "dirty". They didn't offer much peripheral vision.
Bike Setup:
1 Freeride / 1 XC
Bottom Line:
Choosing a light was the hardest decision I've had to make for a bike product. It was easier to pick out a bike! I sweated over the reviews on this web site multiple times, and in the end, I chose the BlowTorch. Last night was my first ride, and I can't describe how cool it was!
First off, let me say that there is no comparison between this HID light and any halogen bike light! None! The color temperature of this light really does make it look like daylight in front of you, the beam is super bright, and plenty wide enough to make sharp corners with a handlebar mount. In fact, on the drive home from the ride, I decided that the light was superior to my truck's headlights. The single HID light was whiter and wider than my truck's high beams, and nearly as bright. (New truck, modern Halogen headlights)
When my friends and I compared lights (once it got dark) it was almost embarrasing. This thing was so much brighter and the beam was so much wider that we were laughing about it. Their halogens lighted a dim yellow area up to maybe 50 feet in front of them. This thing illuminated everything in front of it, as far as the trail stretched (maybe 300 feet?), with bright white light. Off to the sides, up and down, in a cone of about 90 or 120 degrees it also offers plenty of light to see what's going on.
The trail we rode worked like this: You ride up switchback after switchback for 2 hours as the light is fading. At the top it is finally dark. Waiting for you on the way down are nasty corners, roots, rocks, 2 foot drops, etc. I ride my 42 pound freeride bike uphill just so I can go back down fast, and I was curious how this would work in the dark, with a handlebar mounted light. Well I shouldn't have been worried! I swear I was riding just as fast as when I've done this trail during the day. Corners, rocks, jumps, whatever... It's all good. Pedalling down hill in the highest gear at night, everything pitch black except what's lit up by the light. What a trip!
The only problem I had is that a couple of switchbacks came up so fast that I just about blew through them. I think this is where the handlebar mounted lights show their only weakness, but once I knew the corner was there I had plenty of light to make the turn, probably because of how wide the beam is. Also, this is partly due to the way these switchbacks were built -- they have sort of a runout going straight and it looks from a distance like there's no turn at all.
So, here are my parting shots:
* HID rocks!
* Handlebar mount (vs helmet mount) is not a bad thing. I hardly noticed it, even on nasty switchbacks.
* Riding at night is fun!
* I hope I don't have quality / warranty problems -- time will tell
BOTTOM LINE: If you can afford it, buy it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR, USA Date Reviewed: September 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$210.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Burn time (battery life). Ballast built into head unit. Short straight cords. Lamp is user serviceable. Spot pattern lamp is available via mfgrs web site.
Weaknesses:
Flood pattern of lamp shipped with unit disperses too much light for my road riding preferences. Reach is not impressive. Light output is somewhat overrated.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider classic.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale R1000/Dura Ace triple.
Bottom Line:
Reality check time... Nobody is going to be "turning night into day" with 10 watts of HID, Halogen or anything else. The industry accepted efficiency improvement from Halogen to HID is around 300% in the visible spectrum. Given a 10 watt draw from the battery and an 80% ballast efficiency (ASSumed), you get the equivalent brightness of a 24 watt Halogen. Having done considerable riding with a 20 watt halogen, I would say this calculation is in the ballpark. What you do get with this light is much improved run time. This and more (2 batteries) will be of use to me about once/year.
Having paid $210, I didn't feel too bad about buying an HID spot lamp off Niteriders site. I am glad I did. The flood lamp that ships with the light disperses its output and gives disappointing reach for a road application. The spot lamp still spills plenty of light for illumination of signs and the ground close to the front wheel. Niterider doesn't recommend using the spot lamp as your only lighting source. For road applications I strongly disagree and do not recommend the flood lamp as shipped. The price of the HID replacement lamp ($89?) is high but not unreasonable given what it is. Low power replacement HID projector lamps typically run in the $300 range. I don’t believe Niterider is making a killing on any of their replacement lamps.
I also ordered a 3 foot extension cable with the spot lamp. I cut this cord in two and soldered one pigtail into my old bottle battery to update the connector and rid myself of the coiled cord. I prefer the short straight cord. If you loosen the battery grommet you can push the excess cable back into the battery. I prefer correct length cables over coiled excess. The other end of the extension cable makes a nice charger adapter for my NiMh/Nicad radio control hobby smart charger. This gives me an automotive compatible charging option and is likely a better charger anyway.
My bottom line is that I am pleased with my purchase at my price point. My previous best light was a Niterider Classic. That light was usually too wide for where I was trying to fit it. It still left me wishing they offered a single beam 20 watt spot. I now have that 20+ watt spot plus an added bonus of double battery life. For those less concerned with battery life that may already own a single lamp 6V system… You may want to want to consider ordering a 12V bottle battery and a 20W halogen spot lamp. You may also need an extension to cut down to a matching lamp pigtail. Performance will be closer to HID than most HID owners will admit. Battery life will be around 2 hours.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Higley Arizona Date Reviewed: September 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Plenty of light. New Surlok connectors. Quality made. Customer Service.
2001 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC. Full XTR group except RaceFace crank. Spinergy Xyclone rims with Specialized Armadillo tires. Thomson seatpost and stem. Selle Italia Pro-Link gel saddle.
Bottom Line:
Had been using the Niterider Classic Dual for about 2 years. Wanted a system that put out more light and the Blowtorch fit the bill. The $400.00 price tag was a little steep for me so I checked out eBay. Was able to get a brand new 2003 Blowtorch that was factory sealed for $290.00. The light works great. The only drawback is with the 3.5 hour Microbrute charger. After using it to charge the battery after the 4th or 5th time the charger failed. I then read reviews on this site pertaining to the charger. The same thing keeps happening. With mine I noticed after about an hour of charging the green light was blinking. I assumed it was in the trickle mode. As I got closer I could smell burning plastic. The charger was extremely hot and had started to melt. According to some of the reviews one even caught on fire. The warranty on the charger is 90 days, my system was only 60 days old. I e-mailed Niterider and told them what had happened. I received an e-mail by Niterider stating they usually don't warranty products not sold by an authorized dealer. They also said they realized my system was a newer system and that they would replace my charger. When my new charger arrived I was surprised to find that Niterider had sent me the newer upgraded charger called the Fast Charger. It is far better than the Microbrute charger. That was an $80.00 charger Niterider sent me for free. I assume that Niterider must know that there are problems with the Microbrute charger that comes with the Blowtorch system. I have the same charger with my Classic system and it works great. Niterider customer service is great, they could have easily said no because of where I bought my system. It's that type of service that keeps customers coming back.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Snasel
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, Tx Date Reviewed: August 25, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
Ebay auction
Strengths:
Nice heavyweight design on headlight, whole package looks and feels professionally designed.
Weaknesses:
Wish the cord between the headlight and battery was about 12" longer.
Bottom Line:
I did my fair share of research on bike lights and kept coming back to this light. I know some of the other NiteRider lights don't have a good reputation but this one seemed to get consistent high marks. I don't think any light will address all the concerns of any biker. I had to weigh out what was important to me and then look for lights that met those needs. First, I wanted one of the newer HID bulbs. That narrowed the field down quite a bit. Second, the company needed to have longevity. I spoke one on one with both NiteRider and other cyclists who use this light. NiteRider responded within 12 hrs to my email (that's good) and then a rep called me that afternoon to see if my questions had been answered. Every local rider who has experience with this light as well as other high quality lights gave a consistent thumbs up to this one. So then I started browsing the Internet for "deals" and found one on Ebay. The average cost on Ebay was somewhere between $270-$310 so getting mine at $280 was right in the middle which beat retail at $399 hands down. Other online stores averaged $320-$360 but some of the lower priced stores didn't have a very good reputation. I also purchased the taillight to go along with it (it's in the mail). The headlight did not impress me in my local store during daylight hours. However, after charging the system up and firing it up at night, WOW, I agree with others, this is one hell of a light. I can't say enough about the color of the light. It is bright white, not yellow at all like halogen lights can be. Because of this, the clarity is amazingly pure. I also had some question regarding the breadth of the beam. There is ample primary beam to cover most riding situations. In fact, for road use, I can't imagine needing any more unless you like cars flashing their brights at you. I thought maybe 15W wouldn't be enough but it surely is. I could see offroad users wanting to add a helmet light but that's so they can preview the next turn. It's not necessarily needed on the road. The ambient light is enough to light up turns to be made. You don't have to worry about being seen by cars or pedestrians. My experience so far is that way before I approach a pedestrian; they turn around to look so obviously they notice. The instructions said it would take 5-6 charges/discharges for the light to reach its full capacity. Well, after only 3 charges, the light was still going pretty strong even after 6 hours. I didn't care for the affect the twitching of my handlebars made on the direction of the beam so I remounted it to a more stationary part of my bike. That answered that question. So far, it's been a superb light and one that has met or exceeded all my needs. I give 4 Chilis for value because I don’t' think a bike light should cost this much even though I got mine at a saving from Ebay. The overall rating is 5 Chilis because it has met all my requirements.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler, AZ Date Reviewed: June 20, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
Local MTB shop
Strengths:
Great light coverage. Fantastic reliability.
Bottom Line:
This light has worked perfectly for me for almost two years now without one single issue. Not one. That is until I crashed last week and damaged the plug connector (on the headlamp side).
I called NiteRider customer service to inquire about getting the plug replaced. Nothing but friendly service. I explained the problem to them, and they said "No problem. We can fix that". I asked them "How much?". They said "no charge". I want to point out they did not charge me for fixing my connnector even though a) the problem was due to me crashing -- not them, and b) I'm not even close to being under warranty anymore. This is excellent customer service.
I sent them my light module, and they had it back in my hands, fixed, in five working days starting from the day I sent it. This includes shipping time. The only thing I paid for was the shipping to them. Once again, this is excellent customer service.
It's nice to see that some MTB companies (or any company for that manner) will stand by their product and support the customer 100%.
I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in buying a light system, to by from NiteRider. They produce quality products, and will support the customer's needs to their best capacity. If for any reason I need to buy another light in the future, I'm definitely buying from NiteRider.
Keep up the good work NiteRider!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kellie
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler Date Reviewed: June 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
Fantastic light output. I can't believe how much coverage you get from one bulb. Add to the 3+ hour battery burn time, and I'm in nightriding heaven!!! Fanatastic customer support.
Bottom Line:
First ride after purchase only lasted 20 min due to light inexplicably turning off. After fiddling with it for a few minutes, my husband figured out their was something wrong with the ballast (he's an electrical engr). He contacted NiteRider the following day, and NiteRider confirmed a bad lot of ballasts had been manufactured and unfortunately sold before they figured it out. They verified my light (thru the headlight's serial number ) was from that lot. NiteRider appologized, and sent a replacement light that same day! The new light module arrived two days later and included a UPS prepaid return authorization label to ship the faulty unit back. Please note they shipped the replacement BEFORE receiving the faulty one! I wish more companies had such fantastic customer support. NiteRider truly stands by their product, and are willing to fix an issue as quickly as possible to minimize the impact on the customer. Keep up the great customer support NiteRider!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from MA Date Reviewed: May 16, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
wheelworks
Strengths:
Tons of light
Weaknesses:
maybe too much light - your buddies will complain! Pricey but you get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used:
n/a
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Owl Hollow
Bottom Line:
I reviewed this product earlier - I had a lot of issues with my first set up and had problems with NR customer service. But there is definitely a new sherrif in town! Shannon answered inquiries promptly and insures follow up on any customer service issues and I am very happy with this product. This is the Niterider I remember!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Gawd's country Date Reviewed: April 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Fair Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Wooden Wheels
Strengths:
Three words: OH - MY - GOD! This light is so bright that if you were attacked by Bigfoot, you could just shine the thing in it's eyes, and it would run away whimpering! Seriously though, this light is bright as sh*t! Charge time is VERY short. Battery will go from zero to full blast in about four hours. Burn time if forever too! Don't know how long it will run yet. Box syas four hours solid. Nice. Works for the trail,and also, works for the road real well. Tried this baby out on the mtn bike, and it's like having a portable sunny day mounted on the handlebars! I bet the boogie monster will stay away from me now!
Weaknesses:
Looking directly into the bulb may cause blindness (the purple spot is going away slowly)
Similar Products Used:
other bright shiney objects
Bike Setup:
C-dale USA edition road bike, and Karpiel Disco Volante w/ Rohloff hub & too many dollars worth of tech-wiz schtuff
Bottom Line:
You need to buy this light. If you have to sell your little sister to afford it, it's worth it. (she'll forgive you someday) Riding at night will never be the same! Heck, if you are having problems seeing during the daytime, you can use this light! It's really, really bright. The reason you get a light is so you can see. Unfortunately, most of us have to work when it's sunny, so one needs a good piece of equipment to help out. The Blowtorch has got you covered there in spades!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Edzo
a
from Acton, Ma, USA Date Reviewed: April 2, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Strengths:
I just want to maybe clear the air. some people have been bashing NiteRider customer support. Well, I guess things have changed recently. NiteRider support is awesome ! I reviewed this light below....but I had a problem with it a few days ago. I called NiteRider 3 times in 3 days and each and every time I spoke to a real person after a 30 second wait on the phone, and they gave me suggestions on what to try. but my light still was acting weird (it is somehow overheating the HID bulb and the reflective material inside the bulb is vaporizing. light still works though, but beam pattern is getting smaller. weird, huh ? ANYHOW I called again the 4th day, and got right to someone instantly, and I wanted to get it fixed. NO PROBLEM ! no reciept needed, just send it in, and they will turn it around in 2 weeks. they are wicked wicked nice, and i got right through on the phone, and they did not hassle me at all. and besides all that, the light is awesome. even though mine has an issue, I will still stick with NiteRider.
Bottom Line:
I think NiteRider improved the support they give customers. either that, or everyone who ever complained about bad support was high. because I am Joe-nobody-customer and they treated me like a King. Thanks Nite-Rider.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Downhiller
from Menlo Park Date Reviewed: February 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$310.00
Strengths:
Very bright with nice beam pattern, long burn time of over 4 hours. Reliable with nice handlebar mount quick release and 3.5 hour Quick Charger
Weaknesses:
None, I love this light
Similar Products Used:
Had a Light and Motion Logic which I got rid off in favor of better designed Niterider HID
Bottom Line:
You can't find a better designed light than this. The quick release handlebar mount is nicely engineered, the connectors are high quality byrillium copper with gold plating. I am electonics engineer and know this to be best for electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. Before you buy an HID light compare this system to the Lights and Motion HID and you will see that NR HID is a piece of high art and engineering excellence compared to inferior looking and designed L & M HID. Performance wise the NR HID is brighter and has longer burn time of 4 plus hours. The 3.5 hour Quick Charger is excellent. I highly recommend the NR HIDs over any other.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: February 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$390.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
1) Trouble Free 2) Long lasting battery 3) Bright 4) One small light that packs a punch
Weaknesses:
Minor issue. I lost the velcro strap after a week. Too bad that it doesn't connect to the battery.
Similar Products Used:
SMART, Specialized
Bike Setup:
Saracen, MTB,
Bottom Line:
I bought the 2003 version last fall and have used it twice a day, at least 3 days a week (I'm a bike commuter). Consistently reliable and bright. You won't be disappointed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alan
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno,CA USA Date Reviewed: February 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$309.00
Purchased At:
TriSport Cycles
Strengths:
Amazingly intense light, very long run time.
Weaknesses:
Cost
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Classic
Bike Setup:
GT I-drive frame with components
Bottom Line:
This light is unreal...a definite must for night riders. Cars blink their brights at me, but at least I know that they see me. My Classic put out a lot of light with both beams (32W) for about an hour, but this thing puts out a different type of light (blue, and brighter) for well over three hours. So far, this light is problem free and the best light I have ever seen or used. It has to be used to be believed...very close to perfection. It even charges quicker (3.5 hours) than any other light that I have seen. Bottom line...if you want the best, or just need to see where you are riding, and can afford this light...BUY IT...it gets no better !!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
david nunez
a Cross Country Rider
from bloomfield Date Reviewed: February 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:
ringwood
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
this the best light outthere, 4 hour burn time, easy no fuss and quick to charge with micro brute charger, very bright cars respect me, and when i ride in newark nj the drug dealers get scared they think i am the police he he he...
Weaknesses:
none that i can see, a little bit of a hot spot, no fuel gauge but it runs for 4 hours don't really need it and a little expensive but worth it, but you won't regret it...
Similar Products Used:
performance dual crap, nite rider digital pro 12 e nice and bright at 32 watts but doesn't last long at that wattage, the blowtorch is just as bright but lasts 4 friggin houre of riding bliss...
Bike Setup:
cannodale jekyll, nice...
Bottom Line:
if you are looking into a bike light get this light, its awesome, 4 friggen hours of riding no other light system has that run time believe it, it lasts that long, plus its the only light system that has a rear light that runs off the same battery with hardly any drain and let me tell you its bright as hell too, everyone and there mothers will respect you on the road, i have a 2003 model and i have zero problems, i think nite rider has got something really good here... but em' you won't regret it...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Thousand Oaks Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Cheseboro
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$319.00
Strengths:
Bright!!! Simply our shines all the competitors. I ridden with.
Weaknesses:
Camlock Quick release could be a better design, but does go on and off easily
Similar Products Used:
L&M
Bottom Line:
This is a great light and worth the high price, being that you get a true high performance light with great battery life and a quick 3.5 hour charger. No one can beat that.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Simi Valley Date Reviewed: December 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Long Canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$319.00
Purchased At:
Wheel World
Strengths:
Bright Light, Length of charge
Weaknesses:
No low battery warning, No beam adjustment
Similar Products Used:
First light, But buddy just purchased a L&M ARC HID, has better features
Bike Setup:
GIANT NRS with all the goodies.
Bottom Line:
This is a great light. I have the 2003 model with the 3.5 hour microbrut charger. Charges quick and the light is bright. Missing some features but you can't go wrong with this light. I'm glad I spent the extra $$$ and bought a H.I.D. system as supposed to a dual halogen system. Money well spent.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mtdewd_98
a Cross Country Rider
from Laguna Niguel Date Reviewed: December 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$370.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Really bright usable light, long run time.
Weaknesses:
Beam may be too concentrated for a light this intense. Microbrute charger failed once.
Similar Products Used:
Night Rider Cyclops, Cateye Stadium
Bike Setup:
GT LTS
Bottom Line:
I don't think I can add more to what's already been said about the performance of the light, excpet that it might be more useful with a slightly wider spread. It burns at a lower temperature than the Cateye Stadium, so it emits a more usable spectrum of light. The Stadium's light is too purple, and it sometimes it unreliable. I've never had the reliability problems that others have described, but it was not totally trouble free (see below).
This light is similar to at least one other brand of HID light in that they all make use of a bulb/ballast set made by Welch Allyn. Night Rider provides the housing, battery pack, charger, and I think that funky power-on/off circuit. So there really isn't much differentiation in the performance of the lights from these different brands. I think Night Rider should have installed a low-battery alert mechanism in their starter switch. On a long ride, I ran my pack down enough to kill one of the cells. NiMH cells that get run down so deeply can not be resurrected like a NiCd can. I was able to replace it with another cell I had, so it's working fine now. My charger also died once, and I found that they were using a known poor design for the charging circuit. It fried a critical component while charging the original pack. Fortunately, I found a higher capacity replacement from a local parts store, and it's working fine now that I replaced it. To its credit, the microprocessor in the charger recognized the failure and prevented it from damaging the battery
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Thousand Oaks, CA Date Reviewed: November 17, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
Supergo
Strengths:
The brightest light I've seen.
Weaknesses:
People I pass on the trails think it's too bright.
Similar Products Used:
Turbo Cat
Bike Setup:
Kleim Mantra Comp w/Fox SLC fork.
Bottom Line:
I love this light, but wish someone else made it. I had a very unhappy experience with Niterider with a Digital Headtrip light I bought a couple years ago. The light was junk and the technology was junk and Niterider refused to stand behind their product. So I bought the Blow Torch with great reservation because I was tired of riding with dim lights.
The bottom line is that it is too expensive, but I'm tired of settling for second best just to save money. Hopefully, I have better luck with this product than with the headtrip.
I really wanted to buy another Turbo Cat, being that they are here in my town. I've met them and they're good people. But their best light doesn't compare in battery run time or brightness with the Blow Torch. They need to get with the program and I couldn't wait for them since my old bar lights finally died and needed to be replaced. Now I can not only see the mountain lions from farther away, but the light scares them more than ever before.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig Williams
a Racer
from Simi VAlley Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Chumash, Johnson's mtrwy
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
All Pro Bicycles
Strengths:
Burn time, quality of light output.
Weaknesses:
plugs, quick release mount
Similar Products Used:
been there done that
Bike Setup:
Trek Fuel 100, full XTR etc.
Bottom Line:
I grew up racing motorcycles in Baja and I always rode the night leg. There is nothing better than riding offroad at night. Currently I use this light for adventure racing. HID lights are the best thing to happen to night riding, ever. I bought one of the first ones with the "old style" plugs which actually work better than the plug they developed for the digital systems now being used on the HID. While training I had a plug on the battery side come apart less than a week before a night race. The light also didn't work with my other battery, leaving me to think that the light was damaged when the plug broke. In my frantic call to customer service, I was told by a gal (Venessa?)that there was nothing they could do in that short time frame and I was out of luck! I realize that if your job is to answer phones, and talk to bozos all day you would start to develop an attitude, but hey, this chick was rude and no help (was the bulb blown, was the balast blown, if I can't get it to you, what parts could you ship me to try fix it myself?). I finally managed to talk her into passing me over to someone I could talk tech with. She put me through to George who said that if I overnighted the system he would get it back in time for my race. He got the light back to me in three days! Great service once I got through the poor attitude (thanks George I owe you).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Wester
a Cross Country Rider
from Kalamazoo, MI USA Date Reviewed: November 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Bright
Weaknesses:
quirky connections. Intermittent start ups.
Similar Products Used:
digital pro 12 lcd
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz superlight, XTR
Bottom Line:
The light is bright. But the customer service Blows as in blow torch. I give this light and the company the lowest possible ratings because for $400.00 I expect service. I sent my digital pro 12 lcd in for repair. At that time I mentioned I was interested in upgrading to the Storm HID and they said that could be arranged for a reasonable fee. I was told to expect about a 1 week turn around. I FED EXed it there to expidite the process. Four weeks later and over 20 phone calls, I recieved a Blowtorch HID. I called immediately and was told by Vanessa not to use the battery and that she would overnight the flat battery and the helmet mount to me. Now over four weeks later, and another 20 unanswered phnoe calls I still do not have the proper set up. I have written this report to discourage people from supporting this business. I own my own business and would be out of business by now if I treated customers this way.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry
a Racer
from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA Date Reviewed: November 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
performancebike.com
Strengths:
The technology and light strength are simply remarkable. The system is durable, and has functioned properly when the temperature is in the mid 20s.
Weaknesses:
Its only weakness is that the light's frequency cancels the signal to my wireless flight deck. I trust that Niteride will be able to fix this problem, but it's really minor compared to the confidence the light gives me to open up in pre-dawn rides
Similar Products Used:
Niteride Digital Pro
Bike Setup:
Cannondale road bikes R2000, R800
Bottom Line:
The Blowtorch should be standard equipment for every serious biker.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RandyP
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine CA Date Reviewed: November 3, 2002
Favorite Trail:
San Juan Trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike Shop
Strengths:
Bright light! The only light you will need. Very durable head unit, though the bracket is a bit weak.
Weaknesses:
Qiuck-lok mounting bracket does not provide side-to-side adjustment, hard to aim on riser bars, mounting system a bit weak (beware of endo's)
Similar Products Used:
Digital Pro 6
Bike Setup:
Access FS01
Bottom Line:
This is a follow-up to a review I did a while ago. If any of you are experiencing any wireless computer interference with the Blowtorch, try re-routing the power cable farther away from the computer. When I noticed I had no interference problems with my Storm HID helmet mount, I figured the interfering signal couldn't be that strong so I tried moving the cable around. Moving the cable two inches further away solved my issues. BTw it seems that Nite Rider's customer service has come way up, too. And another FYI, the 2003 models come with a 3.5 hour 24-volt "Race Charger" which is not compatible with the 12V car adapter. Nite Rider now sells a 12VDC-120VAC inverter into which you plug the charger transformer. Minor inconvenience though since it does quickly top off your batteries. Great for 24 hour racing. Check them out on their website.
As for the Quick-loc bracket issue, I modified my bracket so I can now aim the lamp side to side. There are two screws that hold the mounting bracket to the Quick-loc. I saw a guy riding one night that had removed the top screw and pivoted the bracket. Down side to this method is that with just one screw, there's not much security and I could twist the lamp side-side once it was on the bike. So I took the top screw out, took my drill press and made a half-moon slot for the top screw to travel through and installed a larger washer on the screw. To do this, I had to remove some of the ribs on the back of the mount with an X-acto. Takes about 15-20 minutes to modify. I've been using it for a year like this and it works great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Bergen
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE. Date Reviewed: November 3, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$389.00
Strengths:
Weight, construction, high "gee-whiz" factor.
Weaknesses:
NOne, best light on the market, at any price.
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider Team Max.
Bike Setup:
Does it matter?
Bottom Line:
Simple deal really. This light just plain kicks ass. It's not expensive, if you think about what your getting. Compare it to your buddies light, or whatever other light your considering buying. This thing will out last it. (4 hrs). Brighter than anything you've seen before. It will probably save you from a wipeout, or car collision somewhere during it's lifetime of use (it's that much safer, because of it's brightness). Now, if all that ain't worth a litle extra, your stupid, and deserve what happens to you if you try to save a litle money on a different light. One thing people who review this light don't mention, is the fast recharge time. Since it runs for 4 hours, it will probably never be totally dead, but if it is, it takes only 4 hours to charge it. P.S. I've never experienced any problems with it, and would buy it again, at any price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a
from Los Angeles CA Date Reviewed: October 24, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
local bike shop
Strengths:
All
Weaknesses:
Bulb Replacement can be a pain at times. COST!!!
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper fxc some basic mods
Bottom Line:
OMG THIS IS BRIGHT!!!
I had a friend who was stopped by a cop because the cop thought he was a drunk driver. The cop saw him over four blocks away!!!! Cop nearly fell over when he saw it was a guy on a bike.
Save your money and get one its well worth it if you do any night time rides at all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Palaima
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose,CA Date Reviewed: October 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Niterider
Strengths:
Great burn time and quite bright.
Weaknesses:
Watch out if you route the power cable from the HID near a wireless pickup. My Vetta would read 31.4mph when standing still until I relocated the power cable away from wireless pickup. HID did not effect wireless heart rate monitor.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider NightHawk. This was a great light for it's time, but ni-cad went dead and could not get replacement battery. Contacted Niterider and got a great deal for the BlowTorch with trade in of old NightHawk.
Bike Setup:
Lemond Zurich, NiteRider BlowTorch w/rear LED
Bottom Line:
I love being able to ride 75 min to work in the morning and then return 75 min at night knowing I do not have to worry about running out of battery charge. With the NightHawk I had to charge the battery at work and still ran low on the way home. Charger works fine as does the HID. No problems! This light insures that I can see and be seen while on the road.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chad
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: October 4, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Nitrider
Strengths:
A great upgrade from my older Digital 12 E, which was a great long lasting light, that took me on some great adventures. It always got me home. This light is so bright they can see me from home.
Weaknesses:
none, no extra junk to strap on your bike like the Cateye
Similar Products Used:
Niterider Digital Pro 12E
Bike Setup:
Yeti AR-S, SID 100, Bontrager Race Light w/Chris King Hubs This bike is compliments of someone yanking my GT1.0 out of the garage.
Bottom Line:
I purchased the Digital 12E a year and half ago on the advice of my riding friends who already used this light. They have had their lights for a year of so before I got mine. I live in Phx. so riding at night is very common, I would say that in the Summer, form May-Sept we ride 3 times a week at night. My light was great, but recently my battery died, however, I got plenty of use out of it. George, at Niterider was fantastic, he gave me all my options with repair and upgrade replacements. If I left a message he called back within the hour, he never rushed me in making up my mind and in the end was extremely fair in moving me into the HID light. My friends have gone through George at Niterider for service and all of us agree that when you pay this kind of money for a light, it is nice to know that the service more than backs it up. I hope Niterider takes notice of how important service is in a competitive market. By the way of course the light is second to none. If you value service by this light!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Rappaport
a
from San Diego Date Reviewed: September 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Allright, listen: this light is a pig on the road. The Company describes it as white as the sun; but actually it would be more accurate to describe it as looking like concentrated moonlight - blue gray, cold light that is somewhat melancholy but soothing to the eyes. When you strap on a pig like this, be careful. I put my hand in front of the beam and nearly blew my eyeballs right there on the road.
Weaknesses:
Locking lever is slightly too loose. Not a secure feel.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
two bikes, fuji team road bike, motiv mountain bike, have used the light on both, with edifying results.
Bottom Line:
OK here's the deal. You gotta ask yourself, "Do I want a light that is blue-white enough to really secure the situation? Or do I want to horse around playing grab-ass with myself in the dark?" You want a quality light? Could be expensive. But less expensive than the hospital bills if some numbnuts runs you over on account of it was dark. Sure, people might try to deliberately run you over just out of pure meanness; but this light eliminates the "I didn't see you" excuse.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Edzo Hogboy
a Racer
from Acton, MA Date Reviewed: September 23, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Really bright. Run time is accurate. always 4 hours. no problems whatsoever. Lightweight system, charges fast, see everything on the trail. simple, effective, bright as hell. compared to other HID systems, this is still a nudge better on the trail. you can see more stuff.
Weaknesses:
Only one. the switch is light touch, and if you try to change the angle of the light while riding, it is easy to bump it and turn light off...then you need a 10 second wait before turning on again. just don't mess with the light or be careful. it took me no time to figure this out and now I just use CARE..... best HID system out there.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye Stadium borrowed (ballast sucks) NiteRider Digital 12 E pro
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Tellico, Surly 1x1, Trek XO1, Trek 5900
Bottom Line:
Listen up. IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS it works. if you do not follow the instructions you can have all the problems people have written here. nuff said. ------------ to re-ignite the light after it is already hot, you wait 10 seconds, then hit the switch. the ballast needs a rest. --------
OK, this light is really bright. One light level only [is all you need], runs for OVER 4 hours, ballast is built into the light head. No matter how bumpy the trail the light stays put. it may flicker on hard bumps but the light doesnt' go out or go -red- as some have described (???) it just flickers like your handlebards are bouncing.
here is the deal. this is the best HID system out there bar NONE. built like a tank, always works....NiteRider has an awesome system here...and this one runs longer and brighter than all the others.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Quasimoto
a Weekend Warrior
from Modesto, Ca USA Date Reviewed: September 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Everyone I can roll my tires down
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Great all around light. I was at the Sea Otter Classic, A friend broke out his blow torch and lit the whole campground up. we all grabbed ours and did comparisons, the blow torch blew them all away. I ordered it as soon as I got home. Small compact, water bottle battery, full burn times as claimed by night rider. I have a buddy that bought one and we ride, mostly at night. Have not had any problems with either light. I purposly waited at least 3 months before writing this review to see if I would have any similar problems that I have read on this review page. I haven't.....Chalk one up for Nightrider for a doosy of a light. I highly recommend it. The micro brute charger must cycle green to red before you plug in the charger to the light. I have not used this light for up to two weeks, then plug the charger in and have a top off charge of less than a half hour.
Weaknesses:
It flickers on occasion over hard bumps. Doesn't seem to bother me anymore. It is expensive. Haven't had to contact customer service because I haven't had any problems. HOLD THE SWITCH DOWN FOR 5-10 SECONDS YOU IDIOTS!!! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU CAP ON NIGHT RIDER.
Similar Products Used:
Cygo lights. No burn time. Dual beam classic that is still holding it's own.
Bike Setup:
'98 GT LTS, Raceface, King, Mavic 517, XTR w/XT front derail, JR.T fork with a Stratos coil over shock.
Bottom Line:
BUY IT, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS....COMPLETELY. CHARGE THE LIGHT AND ENJOY THE 4 HOURS OF BURN TIME THAT LOOKS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE LIGHT COMING AT YOU. I GOT TO GO 5 FLAMIN CHILIS FOR THE OVERALL. THEY JUST DID TOO GOOD OF A JOB ON THIS LIGHT. THE SAME WITH THE VALUE, YOU WANT A GREAT LIGHT, IT'S GONNA COST.
p.s. I have no affiliation with Night Rider, They just made a great light.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Robinson
a Cross Country Rider
from Duarte Date Reviewed: September 11, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Carbon Canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
BRIGHT!
Weaknesses:
Won't turn on all the time
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider Classic
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar LE
Bottom Line:
Holy cow this light is bright. I'm still on the first charge and it's gone three hours so far. That's just awesome for how bright it is. I purposefully rode it some really rocky and bumpy trails to see if it would flicker, but it doesn't flicker.
The problem it has is that the on/off button doesn't work so well. Sometimes it just won't turn on, so I have to press it 'just right' a bunch of times before it turns on. That's pretty crappy. I'm gonna send it into Niterider and we'll see what happens. I got it for $175, so I'm still happy with it. If I had spent $400, I'd be pissed.
Besides that, it's a good light. No issues with charging the battery. Handlebar mount holds it securely, but it would be nice to be able to adjust the light angle more easily (you can't adjust it side to side at all).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Cody Date Reviewed: August 26, 2002
Favorite Trail:
can't tell
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
I won two of them
Strengths:
I have two of these lights and they both work perfectly. The light is super bright and light enough to comfortably head mount it, which is what I recommend if you are just running one light. With a head mount you get a better angle, you can look around corners, and you get much less vibration to the light. You really need to try one on the handlebars and another on your head at the same time. Now that is lighting up the night! The run time for the amount of brightness is way ahead of any other lighting (non-HID) system. Read your owners manual and cycle the battery a couple of times before you depend on the light. When you cycle the battery, check on it and make sure you are getting full run time. You are not supposed to leave this system attached to the charger all the time as you do with some other NiteRider products.
Weaknesses:
The on/off switch is a bit funky. I finally figured out that while turning it on, if you hold it down for a few seconds, it will turn on every time. All HID systems are expensive (magically, they all seem to have the same MSRP), but you get what you pay for. Read your owners manual.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Dual Digital Pro.
Bottom Line:
If you can afford it and are serious about night riding, HID is the only way to go. I have had great success with my lights. This is the first lighting system that provides adequate light and burn time. I love it, and all my friends are quite jealous.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick M
a Cross Country Rider
from Troy, MI USA Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Holdridge Lake, MI
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$225.00
Purchased At:
Niterider
Strengths:
Very Bright. Excellent burn times. Low tech. Easy to install & remove. Can ride as fast as you want.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes too bright. Maybe add a dimmer switch for road riding so as not to blind cars, hikers & other bikers. This would also mean that the burn times could be even longer.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider - Nitehawk
Bottom Line:
My main reason for writting this review was to defend the Niterider company and their Customer Service Department. Both George and Vanessa have always been very responsive to my inquiries. I have had my calls answered by a human every time. After receiving my RA# I sent them my unit for a diagnoses. They called me promtly to tell me the battery was shot. They cut me a good deal on a trade in to upgrade to a Blow Torch even though my Nitehawk was way out of warranty. They could'nt have been more helpfull. They are very clear in the owner's manual and when you speak to them not send them anything without a RA#. The reviewers complaining about getting no response must not have followed this simple rule.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Max
a Weekend Warrior
from California Date Reviewed: July 20, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
So bright I tend to turn it on just for sh@#s and giggles. I love it.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes it takes about 50 pushes of the power button to turn on. Same flicker as others when I hit bumps.
Similar Products Used:
cygolight.. 60 dollar model. Now used for my spare loaner bike.
Bike Setup:
Specialized stumpjumper with all the tricks. Still spending way to much money on it.
Bottom Line:
I kinda wan't to return it to get the power button fixed but hell I love this light so much I can't seperate myself from it. Plan to buy the helmet storm model.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BRANDON FISH
a Cross Country Rider
from GILBERT, AZ Date Reviewed: July 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
HAWES
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
ONLINE
Strengths:
AMAZING BRILLIANCE, LIGHT WEIGHT, 4 HRS. PLUS RUN TIME, BETTER THAN ANY OTHER LIGHT OUT THERE
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, ALL THESE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE ARE A JOKE. I WAS TREATED LIKE A KING, AND VANESSA THE GIRL IN CUST. SERVICE IS EXTREMELY NICE. SHE RESPONDED TO EVERY QUESTION AND NEED ON MANY OCCASIONS, AND SHE WAS VERY FRIENDLY. THE LIGHT IS AMAZING, BY FAR THE BEST LIGHT I HAVE SEEN ON THE TRAILS. IT LOOKS SO MUCH BRIGHTER THAN THE OTHER "YELLOWISH" LIGHTS I SEE OUT ON THE TRAILS. IF YOU ARE QUESTIONING WHICH LIGHT TO BUY, THIS IS FOR YOU. ALSO, DON'T BELIEVE ALL THE OTHER GARBAGE YOU READ IN THE OTHER REVIEWS, BECAUSE IT ISN'T TRUE.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Racer
from Kalamazoo Date Reviewed: June 20, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Fort Custer/Yankee Springs (in the Spring)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$355.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Intense blueish white light, much brighter than any other light I've tried (about the same as the ARC HID). No problem seeing anything on the trail or being seen. First light to give me enough burn time! Defines rocks and drops with "more obvious shadows".
Weaknesses:
Lamp seems to flicker red when hitting hard bumps or jumps. Cost. I'll with all the comments Rick stated below with the exception of the size. It is slightly bigger than other single beam lights, but the amount of light it produces is much greater than most dual beam sets.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Digital Pro, ARC HID, NiteRider Evolution
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Hardtail, XTR, Raceface Next LP
Bottom Line:
More than enough light for any type of riding I've done at night. Haven't had any problem with the light not turning on or back off. If you have used other lights before and you ride with other people, there's a learning curve related to turning the light off and back on (a habit of mine to turn it off when talking with someone and forgeting I have to wait a few minutes to fire it back up). You also need to point the light away from everyone when stopped to keep from blinding them. If like to keep riding your normal speed at night (or evening in the fall), this type of light is ideal for you. If you're looking to just mess around or do some road riding, this might be a little too much light.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick Diaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: February 21, 2002
Favorite Trail:
The one I'm riding
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$329.00
Purchased At:
Supergo
Strengths:
Brilliant bluish light, wide beam pattern, awesome burn time, no problem seeing or being seen.
Weaknesses:
Larger housing than non-H.I.D. lights, some minor flickering on bumpy terrain, EMF interference, not designed to be turned off and back on quickly (light should be allowed to cool 2-3 minutes before relighting).
After doing a couple of nightrides with some friends from Supergo who had these lights I knew my Digital Pro's days were numbered. The light is so bright that I now ride with just the handlebar lamp and no helmet light. I have discovered a problem, though, and e-mails to customer service have not resolved the issue. Apparently, the H.I.D. circuitry emits some form of electro-magnetic interference that renders wireless computers and heart rate monitors useless so long as the light is on. The NR tech said they recently became aware of the problem and are working on it, but have no solutions as of yet. I hate not having my computer on night rides, but luckily the light doesn't interfere with my GPS so I use that instead. Hopefully, they will figure out a fix soon. The light is excellent, but still too damn expensive IMHO. If you can afford it don't waste your money on anything else, because you'll need two lights to do what this one does. And the 4+ hours of burn time that I get regularly make it great for long rides.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Assaf
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA Date Reviewed: January 13, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Santa Monica Mountains
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
SuperGo
Strengths:
Great and useful light output enables great speed and comfort going down the steepest singletracks. I had no problem with about a dozen times out, and 1 crash. Have no problems with the microbrute charger, or with their new connectors. I think the supplied mount is wonderfully engineered, easy to set up and adjust. The lamp itself is made of a sturdy rigid plastic which radiates quality. The battery housing is built okay, although it is mostly empty.
Weaknesses:
HID bikelight is new technology by Welch-Allyn (makers of the bulbs for Niterider, Light & Motion, CAT and others). As with any new technology, expect a learning curve (as demonstrated by problems experienced by previous reviewers). Carry your old lamp for backup!!! Lamp has tendency to flicker red when hitting rocks or jumping.
Similar Products Used:
Regular "cheap" lamps (CAT).
Bike Setup:
Cannondale f1000
Bottom Line:
If you ride nights, and need to 1. Negotiate rough terrain and/or 2. Need to be seen at any cost*, get this light (or any other HID headlight). It seems to me rather expensive for an occasional ride. *I have used this light on an open road, and have received attention from blinded drivers. Point the lamp towards the road if you are using a road with regular traffic. Overall, I rate this product high, as it is the best in breed. As for Value, at $400 it is a niche product until prices drop (dependent on Welch Allyn's pricing more than Niterider's pricing or anyone elses). Therefore, I give it 3 chilis.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Halter
a Cross Country Rider
from The Dalles, OR, USA Date Reviewed: December 15, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Discover of Hood River
Strengths:
Extremely bright, long burn time (while they work)
Weaknesses:
The first one I bought ran great for a handful of rides, then hitting the power switch wouldn't turn it off. Had to pull the battery cable to shut it down. Then it would only light about 1 out of 5 times when hooked back to the battery (and wouldn't shut off).
I called NR's customer service number, trying to get a warranty return number, and left messages in their mail box 5 times. I got one call back, asking me to call again (leaving the same number for the voice mail box). They never did give me the return number that the manual says is required to get warranty repair.
Discover Bicycle (wonderful shop) was kind enough to exchange it for another new one. This one literally started acting up after 1/2 of a 22 mile trail ride. Hitting the power switch will often cause just the power switch to glow and not fire the light. Sometimes the light would fire up, but only for as long as you keep your finger on the button. After several minutes of trying (on the dark trail) I got the light to come on and stay on.
I took this one back to the store, and am now trying a 3rd one.
Bottom Line:
PERHAPS the first two lights were flukes, but the odds are pretty high. For this kind of price, I expect reliability.
I am most disgusted by Nite Rider's customer service. As far as I can tell, the warranty department is a phone number where you can leave a voice mail message that no one will respond to.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nathan Bower
a Racer
from Portland Date Reviewed: December 13, 2001
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$359.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
Long Burn Time, Intensity of Light, Good Customer Service and product support (based on my own experiences)
Weaknesses:
Cost
Similar Products Used:
Storm, Headtrip, and Digital NiteOwl Storm (love it) Digital Niteowl II and Headtrip
Bike Setup:
Cannondale 900z
Bottom Line:
Based on my own experiences I have found this light to be reliable and the amount of light and burn time superb. I commute 45 miles a day and need lights that help me stand out to all the maniac drivers. I use this light along with the HID Storm and although I piss off many motorists, I know I am seen. And nightriding is a whole new sport compared to riding with the ol' Headtrip and Niteowl. I have had lights fail me in the past, but the customer service at Niterider has always been there to back their product and they're there at the 24 races. I have to admit I never received a call from them (Niterider) explaining that they sucked (?) and would go out of business soon. See below. Where do people come up with this stuff? Perhaps they should get out on their bikes more?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Beck
a Weekend Warrior
from Irvine Date Reviewed: December 12, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Low ridge trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$349.00
Purchased At:
BeyondBikes.com
Strengths:
This light is amazing!!! It is brighter than anything I have ever used. I ride with 10-20 people and I can see better that all of them! If you are a serious off road rider you need one of these! BeyondBikes.com is having a sale right now $349 is the best price I have found. Give them a call before the sale ends
Weaknesses:
None that I can find
Similar Products Used:
Night Sun Vista light
Bike Setup:
Sweet
Bottom Line:
This light will make you a better rider! You have to see to ride. Call the guys at BeyondBikes.com and get one right away! They were super cool and have great prices!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston Date Reviewed: December 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
the last one i rode
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Bright white light
Weaknesses:
poor quality control, not reliable function
1. First time it failed on me (first ride) - poof no warning! The intermediate cable between the lamp and battery was the fault. LBS gave me another cable and I was back.
2.) about two weeks later, failed again. Did continuity check on cable it is good. Battery appears to be at charge, but light goes out after five minutes.
Similar Products Used:
night sun
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Owl hollow, Z2, XTR
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to an earlier review. About a week after I placed it, I got an e-mail from someone named Brent at Nite Rider. Not a personal response but basically and admission that everything bad about Niterider is true! Customer service, quality, everything! Quite an admission and I expect them to be out of business shortly. The excuse was their personnel. Too bad... (although they have two other systems of mine that also failed).
Try calling Nite Rider customer service. No actual person and you cannot leave even a voice message.
No answer to e-mails either. I am pissed! I own the HID system and two digital Pro that are not working! Anyone reccomend an alternative?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Bergen
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE. Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:
all of 'em
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Service by Niterider
Bottom Line:
Follow up to earlier review. I had a problem with this light. I sent it in, Niterider had it back to me in two weeks, and it works great. One of the reviews posted here was by a guy who doesn't even own this light, never tried it. He just wanted to vent I guess. Meanwhile, he gives this product a bad name. Whatever. I am verry happy overall with this light. Why would I give this 5 chilis? Easy, flip the light your using right now to high (if it has that option), this light puts out twice as much light, and lasts 3 times as long, now that's value. Buy it, you'll glad you did. Jeff
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego CA Date Reviewed: November 25, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$315.00
Purchased At:
Mountain Bike Warehouse
Strengths:
Use for Commuting - very visible light, motorists almost stop and stare at brightness and blue color. Occasionaly use on mountain bikes or road bikes.
Weaknesses:
Returned - Doesn't work reliabily. Light wouldn't fire after about 20 uses - Obvious problem with the ballast design.
Similar Products Used:
The original Niterider Commuter for 6 years (no longer supported), Digital Pro 6 (returned - didn't work right out of box - totally over-engineered anyway), Niterider Classic Pro (returned 2 of these, couldn't get more than 30 min of light from charging system), Cateye "C" battery cheapie (at least it works).
Bike Setup:
One-of-a-kind commuter bike I built, plus 2 mountain bikes and one road bike.
Bottom Line:
Great idea - light just doesn't work for very long due to poor ballast design/manufacturing. Best light Niterider ever made was the now defunct Nightrider Commuter...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gregg
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: November 15, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
The potential...intensity/4 hour charge
Weaknesses:
Can't tell you cuz it didn't work.
Bottom Line:
Gave it a shot despite the recent bad reviews (product was only recently launched)...it worked great in my apartment after the charge(it lit half of the building across the street from my porch)...I then went for a ride the next night(yes, I checked the charge and tested it again before I departed) and when darkness hit, it didn't ignite...half way up the mountain too--wonderful. If I'm paying $400.00 for a product, I expect it to work AND be reliable...THE THING WORKED 45 MINUTES BEFOREHAND!!??...yes, I could have received a lemon but I have heard too many similar stories in regards to this company's products...especially for this one---and it has only been on the market for a couple of months(for this reason I am not giving it another chance). LBS didn't ask questions...full refund.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Bergen
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE. Date Reviewed: November 14, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Every one!
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
It's bright, real bright. Run time. 4 hrs, are you kidding me! Did I mention it's bright?
Weaknesses:
Have you seen the list price? But it's no more than other top 'o the line lightsets.
Similar Products Used:
Nightsun Team Max. Nice light, but 40 min. run time on high don't cut it.
Bike Setup:
Raven, with all the goodies you could want.
Bottom Line:
I had to send it in for service, if it comes back quickly, and works trouble free, I will be very happy with it. I will post again soon after they service light, as I offered to pay overnight charge to be shipped back to me. (I got addicted to it quick) I do not care at all about problems with innovative products, (I ride a Cannondale), what I do care about is service, So we'll see. Jeff
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Racer
from Princeton MA Date Reviewed: November 4, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bicycle Alley
Strengths:
Killer Bright for 4 hours.This is the best light I have ever used. I was running a 10 watt helmet light and a 12/20 dual beem handlebar mount. This is killer bright with a 4 hr burn time,40 watt output and a 5 hour charger. After you see this you will need one.
Weaknesses:
Price, but if you sell your old lights its not so bad and if you don't it's worth it.
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider Classic Dual and Nightrider Headtrip
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR Pro (two of them) Bianchi BASS (single speed)
Bottom Line:
This makes any light thats not HID obsolete.If you like to night ride them find a way to get this set up. Sell something. DO NOT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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