Submitted by
toddo
a Cross Country Rider
from las vegas Date Reviewed: October 14, 2009
Favorite Trail:
anything
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
strong bar mount
awesome wide beam pattern with a long throw
great price
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
20 dollar commuter lights (cateye and bell)
Bike Setup:
2009 trek fuel ex8
Bottom Line:
great bang for the buck!
stop thinking about it and just buy one.
I works perfect for riding the Cottonwood system in Las Vegas. I'm amazed at how much light this thing puts out.
I've riden for over 3 hours with plenty of power left in the battery. I started off by switching the brightness settings to help conserve battery power. I don't even bother anymore because the battery seems to last forever. The charger works great! It's about the size of a cell phone charger and It's so simple to plug it in for a recharge.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
turkeyman
a Weekend Warrior
from Clemmons, NC USA Date Reviewed: September 5, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Sherman Branch
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Bike Warehouse
Strengths:
Good Distance but nice flood beam covers all the trail and allows you to see everythign you need to see.
Weaknesses:
None Found yet. Is a great product.
Similar Products Used:
First light but my buddy has the Mighty and it is just narrower than the Triden in beam.
Bike Setup:
TREK Fuel EX9
Bottom Line:
I would buy this light again in a heartbeat. I intend to use for recreational riding and possibly some search and rescue. I am not afraid to ride full speed in the wood with this kind of brightness and beam width. I got lucky and found it on clearance and got a great price.
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Submitted by
tgreathead
a Downhiller
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: August 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:
dirt
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
BikeBling.com
Strengths:
Light, bright, super quick QR clamp, very good life to weight ratio
Weaknesses:
I wish the standard battery cord was a few inches longer, same for the velcro strap. I've since fixed both issues with a new strap.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider Minewt X.2
Bike Setup:
Enduro
Bottom Line:
Awesome light, especially for the money and weight. Tons of different light settings. I pair it with an Exposure Maxx Joystick on my helmet and have no problems seeing anything ahead of me on singletrack.
My only complaint is the battery cord could be a tad longer, 2 inches would be perfect for me. I have the extension cable but that's a ton of extra length that's not needed. Not a big deal though, just took some clever placement. Same with the velcro strap, I had to add a longer one. I use a short (50mm) stem so the battery is a little to big to mount on top. I not mount it to my headtube and wrap a longer piece of velcro between the top and down tubes.
Overall love this light, would highly recommend.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: May 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Bennetts
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Very bright with a good flood of light, easy bar mounting, controls are easily used while riding
Weaknesses:
none found yet (haven't tried helmet mounting)
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
freeride beast based on merida dominator pro frame
Bottom Line:
Note I only have the cygolite on the bars and no head light (yet!). The throw of light is wide enough so you get some coverage on tight turns but as many have mentioned a good helmet light would be the way to go. I've done 52km/hr on downhill fire trails with the light easily throwing far enough ahead (30-40meters) and also some fast single tracks with the flood covering a good width for taking turns/corners with ease.
Turning light down for x-country and up hill sections still gives plenty of light but conserves battery and increases ride time of well over 4hrs when hitting the high beam on the downhills.
Overall - this light is a great combo of distance and flood, is very small at 290gms, mounts to the bike securely and neatly. This light is more than ample for those speeding down firetrails and singletracks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
hoadley
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine Date Reviewed: May 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
J pack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
This is the best LED light in the market right now. It's bright!! LED lasts longer than HID and is similar in intensity.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Niterider Trinewt, Niterider Firestorm
Bike Setup:
Titus Switchblade
Bottom Line:
I have used several models of Niterider lights from Halogen to HID to Trinewt. Cygolite TridenX beats them all. It allows me to see better at night and ride faster down technical singletracks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TomekS
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: April 7, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Surrey Bike Trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
MEC
Strengths:
Very bright, nice beam pattern, reliable battery connector.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Planet Bike high power LED's
Bike Setup:
San Marin, Anselmo. city commuting.
Bottom Line:
I use it on every day commuting including riding through park with no street lights. The brightnes and light pattern is just perfect for such a trail. Easy and fast to adjust when riding along on city streets. Charger is fast and equipped with robust connector.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
atvkilla
a Cross Country Rider
from CT Date Reviewed: December 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Nass
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$240.00
Purchased At:
ModernBike.com
Strengths:
Brightness, size of unit and battery, simplicity, both mounting options included.
Weaknesses:
None that I've noticed
Similar Products Used:
Cheap Cateye "commuter" lights
Bike Setup:
2 wheeler MTB
Bottom Line:
I use this for fast singletrack mtb'g. I've been looking at lights for several years now and couldn't justify spending 300-500 for bicycle lights. I would not pay the suggested retail for this, but I finally found one for 239 at modern bike and purchased it. For the lumen output, $239 is a great price. I have not compared it against others that are in this lumen range, but what I can tell you is that there is ample light. I rode with someone who has a Dinotte 200L and the Dinnotte was definately not as bright, but was also more of a spot.
The size of the light and battery is tiny; smaller than the pictures suggest. Build quality is lightweight aluminum and feels solid. The battery meter on the top as well as the up/down light switch is a nice option to have to turn the light down when resting or climbing. Run time is 2.5 hours on high, less when it's very cold out. Typically, my day rides are only an hour or 2, so this light is plenty. Cables are high quality and mounting to the stem is quick, simple, and very secure.
This is my only light, and on the trail, this light really fills a good stretch of trail in front of you as well as to the sides. As noted before, this is more of a flood light, but flood it does; there's plenty of good light that spills in front to travel even twisty downhills at 15-20mph. On very tight singletrack, sometimes the beam gets a little lost, but I think that is the nature of riding with 1 light mounted to the bar. With any other light mounted on your head, this would remedy that. Tridenx comes with a helmet mount, but haven't tried it there yet.
The battery charges in less than 4 hours, and is a snap to mount. I don't have any idea as to the durability, as I only have about 4 rides on it, but so far so good. Value is 4/5 because I think the retail is a little steep, but at around $250, it's a fair deal.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skyhook
a Cross Country Rider
from Grass Valley, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 13, 2008
Favorite Trail:
American and Yuba River Canyons
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
Very bright (close to 600 lumens). Very high lumen-to-weight ration. Nice, wide beam pattern. Very clean design with nice, short cable runs. Battery can mount to helmet or under bar stem. 4 brightness settings. Nice construction... a big improvement over older designs by Cygolite.
Weaknesses:
Beam pattern not optimized as some other brands (like Light and Motion), but still better than most. Although, I hear through some discussions that there may be some optional reflectors/optics available. The light spectrum could be improved, but is still very acceptable.
There are other lights out there, such as the L&M Seca 700R, that are definitely better products (better beam pattern, better light spectrum). You get what you pay for (generally). However, for me, two less expensive lights (one mounted to helmet, the other to the bars) is far more effective than a single light, even with the best on the market.
What works for one person may be different for another. For me, this gives me all the light I need for the duration that I need, is more effective, still weighs less, and is redundant, on top of it all. Having the differentiation of light from two sources separated by more than a couple of feet also helps eliminate some of the annoying shadows that would otherwise appear behind rocks, roots, etc.
This light functions well enough and is certainly bright enough that it should satisfy a lot of people. For me, with two of these, it permits night riding with very little compromise.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JoeFi
a Cross Country Rider
from joefi44@gmail.com Date Reviewed: September 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Hartwood Acres & Frick Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Bright and nice commuter flashing options
Weaknesses:
Limited burn time.
Similar Products Used:
L&M HID, cateye
Bike Setup:
Litespeed hardtail, 3 sets of wheels (CK x-country, XTR commuting, XT studded snow tires), Manitou Skareb Super, Thompson stem and post, CK headset, XT crank, Sram cassettes and chains, BB7 front brake and black ops rear.
Bottom Line:
Great light that covers me when I commute to work (flashing modes) and on the trails (nice wide coverage when mounted to the bar). Just wish I had purchased the battery with the longer burn time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sherpa DRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine, Ca USA Date Reviewed: August 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Demonstration Park Trail at Aptos
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Even light distribution
Super light
Weaknesses:
Poor helmet mount
Similar Products Used:
Jet HID
Bike Setup:
2007 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro
Bottom Line:
I did a comparison with my friend's Jet HID light and the TridenX light distribution is incredible. The light evenly floods the entire area where the Jet has a definite hot spot at the center and the side light levels diminish.
The weight alone is incredible. I would have definitely gotten the larger battery if I knew the entire system was so light.
The helmet mount does lack adjustability and the velco strap stretches after some good head sweat. I'll probably replace it with a stronger and thicker strap.
The reach on the light throw isn't as far as the HID light systems. When going down fast downhill sections, the light didn't illuminate far enough to see way ahead. This is where another bar mounted light would probably help.
Overall, happy with the purchase and would be it again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
teddybearmonster
a Cross Country Rider
from HK Date Reviewed: July 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
TMS
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
Light weigh...very bright...long runtime(as promised by the company)...fairly wide flood...toll free mounting operation...
Weaknesses:
Does it have an overheat shut off system...it got mighty hot when I forgot to switch to low power during a long hot summer night climb...the beam is a bit too much on the white side when compared to the Enduro, therefor losing a bit of depth perception. No side angle adjustment on the mount....
Similar Products Used:
Cheap but bright led flash light
Bike Setup:
hardtail
Bottom Line:
Maybe there is a better product for the same price. But then again maybe not. On the trail, I am cruising at daylight speed cause I can see fairly wide. But I do wish it has a lower color temperature so the trail would like nicer. Everything looks grey and washed out. It does have a heating problem and I am not sure if it has a heat protection cut off thingy. So be careful not to leave iot on during the turtle climb stuff. It got so hot I thought the lamp would die on me. But I don't regret getting it at all as now I am worry free when I am doing trails night. I would have gave it a 5 overall rating if the beam can reflect more true colors of the trees and things, and if I am certain about the heat thingy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, Ca. USA Date Reviewed: May 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
Poorformance Bikes
Strengths:
Small, Light, Bright, adjustability,
Weaknesses:
None Yet
Similar Products Used:
Turbocat(vintage 90's stuff)
Bike Setup:
Hardtail
Bottom Line:
Very Bright, the battery is tiny and weighs almost nothing, very nice handlebar clamp.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia Date Reviewed: May 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Manly Dam
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
price, light output, weight, number of light settings, on-off switch
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
Cheap handlebar mounted 56 LED lights
Bike Setup:
07 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro
Bottom Line:
If you are after a great set of lights without breaking the bank these are for you. They throw out a large amount of light with a great beam pattern so that you get width and depth of the beam. I mount both the light and battery on my helmet which is fine due to the low weight at 290 grams.
Battery burn time is not the longest at 2.5 hours but extra 2.5 or 5.0 hour batteries are available at extra cost. Even though I have only used these for one off road night ride and all other ride have been on the road they are perfect for both types of riding and on cost / weight / light output perspective they should suit a wide variety of users from commuters, racers and casual off road night riders
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Wisconsin Date Reviewed: April 12, 2008
Helmet mount hard to adjust. Once you bend it into shape, it never moves.
Similar Products Used:
Cygo Lite Nitro 200
Bike Setup:
Ibex Corida set up for commuting.
Bottom Line:
Great Light. I rely on this light to protect my life commuting in and out of work. People know I am there. No one has pulled out or turned in front of me. That is a huge change over the 15W Halogen light I used before it. Lithium Ion battery is tiny and has long life. Buy it on eBay, best price around.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
steve
a
from Melbourne Australia Date Reviewed: April 1, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
bright! lightweight! simple to install/remove
Weaknesses:
not much thought put into the helmet mount
Similar Products Used:
L&M HID. Planet Bike Alias (useless). Cateye Daylights
Bike Setup:
cannondale badboy - bog standard
Bottom Line:
What a lightset! Impressive output, appears to be tough as nails and truly lightweight. It was worth waiting for LEDs to reach an output level that competes with HID. I reckon that HID will never keep up to this technology for output, cost and toughness.
I use this daily for my commute. It weighs a fraction of my L&M HID (which itself is a great light). It will be interesting to see what life the battery gives over winter. I'll let you know. Don't like the helmet mount too much but am more than happy to use the light on the bars anyway. Still hurts to pay $300 for lights but this is the best value I've seen for weight and output.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roland
a Cross Country Rider
from Stafford Springs, CT USA Date Reviewed: December 31, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
MADE IN USA! Excellent brightness Excellent light pattern Compact and bulletproof light enclosure Amazingly small and light battery. "Normal" battery connectors!
Weaknesses:
Lame helmet mount. (Come on, guys!!!) No battery reserve mode (?)
Similar Products Used:
Various Night Sun Halogen Nite Rider Cyclops, Evolution Halogens Blackburn X3 LED
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur XC, Stock XT
Bottom Line:
Finally the LED system I've been waiting for. I've been patiently waiting for LED lights to come up to speed - refusing to pay $300 - $600 for HID systems with their delicate $100 bulbs.
Admittedly, I'm so excited that I'm giving the preliminary review straight out of the box.
What I like:
Light output is excellent and an excellent light distribution. I'll be running this on the helmet with the Blackburn X3 on the handlebars. The light enclosure is very compact and bullet proof - maybe a tad heavy but a "nice" weight given that it appears to be made solidly with a good gauge aluminum. The battery is insanely small and light which made me ask why, if this battery is rated for 2.5 hrs didnt they make it bigger with a longer burn time? The answer is that they do make the Li-Ion Xtra version with the bigger battery which I didn't know about and didn't buy. At the battery's weight and price, I'm fine buying a second. I LOVE that they use a normal connector so that down the line I can just replace them as opposed to those proprietary funky connectors. Also, if I want to build up my own battery pack (after doing proper research) that might be a possibility.
My main complaint so far is that after doing everything right AND making the light IN THE USA, why drop the ball with such a lame helmet mount?!! The cheap stamped steel non vertically adjustable mount (aside from bending the flimsy metal to where you need it) is lame and I expect that this will be the weak link requiring repair or replacement in the future. The manual says to adjust the strap forward/aft for vertical adjustment but the light is heavy enough that you need to get the weight balance on your helmet correct and then securely fasten. Overall, a detail that I can work around but a small disappointment with so far a great product. I would deduct like a half chili for this but still is closer to 5 overall.
Also, I haven't seen anything about a battery reserve mode where it shuts down to low power to give you 20 or so minutes to get out of the woods. I like to have this feature although I always run 2 systems so I'm not too concerned.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Charles
a Weekend Warrior
from Gardena, CA, Date Reviewed: December 17, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
extremely bright for its size and has lots of functions
Weaknesses:
none
Bottom Line:
I’ve never seen a light this small put out so much light. The headlight casts a smooth and even pattern over a wide area which is helpful on rough terrain, tight switchbacks, etc. The headlight and battery are so small, I’m going to try riding with them both mounted on my helmet.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Oxford, MI Date Reviewed: December 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Highland
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Strengths:
Amazingly light and bright. Seems bulletproof. Multiple light settings allow you to adjust to the conditions and increase the run time.
Weaknesses:
Helmet mount isn't easily adjustable. I actually had to bend the metal to get the light where I wanted it. Shorter run time compared to other LEDS but I just you can't ask for to much because the battery is so damn light you could just carry two of them.
Similar Products Used:
Had a Niterider Trinewt but returned it to REI. The Trinewt has a nice beam spread but it is way heavier than the Tridenx. Plus the on/off switch is on the battery which is a PITA if you where it on your helmet and have to take your backpack off to access the battery. The run time on the Trinewt is 1 hour longer than the TridenX but the batteries for the TridenX are half as expensive as the Trinewt so you can just buy an extra one.
Bottom Line:
If you want a bulletproof light that is bright enough for most riding then get this light. If you are an endurance racer and need longer runtimes you could easily buy a couple extra batteries and be done with it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria, B.C. Date Reviewed: November 22, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
- bright, bright, bright - very light - solidly built
This light is very impressive considering its diminutive size. Very bright, light weight, handlebar and helmet mounts included. Four modes and good run times. The spread of the beam is also excellent, with a good side spill and no distinct spot in the beam. Just good consistent light. I am stoked.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Englewood, CO, USA Date Reviewed: November 17, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Very small battery and headlight. Lots of functions and easy to use.
Weaknesses:
none found yet
Similar Products Used:
HID
Bike Setup:
Specialized Rockhopper
Bottom Line:
After my 6 month old replacement HID bulb broke in a crash, I decided to switch to an LED light so I could stop dealing with +$100 bulbs. I narrowed it to the Trinewt and Tridenx and after comparing the two, it was an easy buy. Although the brightness was about the same for both, the Tridenx battery is 3 times smaller and the whole system (battery and headlight) was lighter than the Trinewt (headlight only). The headlight is tiny for the amount of light it puts out, and it gives a wide and even beam pattern, which I like better than my old HID’s spottier beam pattern. Overall one of the best buys I made this fall.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Silver Spring, MD USA Date Reviewed: November 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Rock-solid handlebar mount, no rattling or moving. Easy to operate. 2 modes and 4 levels - easy to go from level to level. Probably best as a handlebar light rather than helmet, even though they provide a helmet mount. I use with a Dinotte 200L helmet light and find it a great match. Nice combination of flood and throw.
Weaknesses:
Nothing really. The trade-off in having a line of 3 LEDs rather than a triangle is width of flood vs "look more like a motorcycle headlight". I like the former for trails and the latter for the road so drivers might mistake me for a motorcycle.
Similar Products Used:
Dinotte 200L, MX Power 3 X Cree, Cateye 530L, Princeton Tec Yukon
Bike Setup:
Fixed gear
Bottom Line:
Great light, no complains. Bought new way cheaper on eBay. Seems to be the cheapest dedicated bike light with this much output. Can only get cheaper by DIY or mounting a flashlight. Dinotte 600L would be great too, but I got this for just over 1/2 the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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