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DiNotte Lighting
200L and 200L Dual
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Submitted by
luvanicejump
a Cross Country Rider
from Keene, NH, USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Ashwheelot trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$145.00 | | Purchased At: | Belmont Wheelworks, | | Strengths: | super bright
4 AA batteries are easy to replace/find.
Seems to hold up well in the driving rain. | | Weaknesses: | The old school pos/neg 9V battery connection is out dated.
Batteries pop out of carriage during rough rides. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Some other guy said it best:
Fisher blah, blah, blah.... | | Bottom Line: | This is a great light and super bright for the money.
I was skeptical at the size, but my friend Len suggested it and was spot on. I really like the fact you only need 4 AA batteries with this thing. I use 2 sets of rechargables and just swap them out.
The only thing Dinotte needs to work on with this unit, is the battery carriage and old school 9V connection.
I'm machining a custom aluminum carriage with a screw down cap that should take care of any shortcomings in this product.
I've done 8 or 9 fully soaked rain rides with this light and it always works.
5 chillis because it's so worth the money. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesse Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | none | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$130.00 | | Purchased At: | Geoman | | Strengths: | size, battery availability, mounting system, price/brightness,
reliability | | Similar Products Used: | Nightrider Blowtorch, | | Bike Setup: | Fuji Touring, Nexus Premium 8-speed hub | | Bottom Line: | This is an update from my previous review. After three years of use, including two full winters commuting in Maine's worst weather, the wire started to crack along the base of the light engine. The light never stopped working, but as a precaution, I purchased a second light, and send the original in for service. I shipped the light out on Thursday, August 6th from Tucson Arizona all the way across the country to New Hampshire, and received an email confirming it had been serviced and had been shipped back on Monday, August 10th.
Return Authorization required=0, Charge=$0. Questions=0.
If the people who run Dinotte ran America's health care system, we'd be the healthiest, happiest nation on earth.
This is a true, unexaggerated, FIVE FLAMIN' CHILIS. If Webster's Dictionary had a definition for the term
"5 Flamin' Chilis", there's be a picture of this light, the word "Dinotte", and nothing else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stumblemumble
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great light, build, service | | Weaknesses: | Mount is impossible to aim a lot
Battery mount is terrible
| | Similar Products Used: | 400L, L&M Solo Logic | | Bottom Line: | The 200AA:
Good light but the left/right aiming is not possible (neccessary on riser bar). Also the AA battery bag mounting is very insecure, flops around until the connector disconnects. If you leave a spare AA battery pack in your backpack the 9V style connector will find something to short itself on, ruining the batteries & melting the AA pack.
Save up and get a 400L. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtnbkr1
a Weekend Warrior
from OH
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$159.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte Lighting | | Strengths: | Solid build quality, smooth beam pattern, bright focused white light, and multiple blinding flash patterns. | | Weaknesses: | Mounting o-ring makes aiming light left or right difficult and battery pack must be affixed to frame. | | Similar Products Used: | Blackburn, Cygolite, Light and Motion, and Cateye | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Mountain | | Bottom Line: | If you are looking for a bright, long burning, and relatively inexpensive light, this is definitely the one. Although it's still a step below most HIDs in terms of overall brightness, the fact that the Dinotte costs hundreds of dollars less certainly makes it a worthy competitor. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steady Grind
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Most of 'em | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte.com | | Strengths: | BRIGHT, easy to mount on any bike or helmet, lightweight, EXCELLENT BATTERY LIFE! | | Weaknesses: | None....they're great! | | Similar Products Used: | NiteRider stuff | | Bike Setup: | Giant Reign | | Bottom Line: | The best bang for your buck. I bought these because I wanted to start doing some 24 hour races...I've ridden with these lights in a race in Montana and in the 24 Hrs. of Moab, and the light was plenty sufficient. The race in Montana was solo and I had AMPLE BATTERY with just one large battery and one small (running lights conservatively). The race in Moab was as a team and we ended up switching my light system onto everyone elses bike because their niterider lights were dead after one lap (it was cold!).
This light system is great as a buildable system....my plan is to start with the 200L Dual (one on handlebar/one on helmet) and eventually add a 400L (Two 200's on handlbar and 400 on the helmet).
The customer service is EXCELLENT with this company as well. I actually made my order over the phone because I had a couple questions I wanted answered before I bought the lights...I didn't really even try and the guy ended up throwing in an extra battery for me! Very knowledgable with the question answering as well.
Lastly, the lights look cool! They're so small and shiny that they definitely turn a head or two.
If you're on the fence about these lights....just buy them, you'll love 'em! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Retgold
a Cross Country Rider
from Ormond Beach, FL
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos, FL | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | dinottelighting.com | | Strengths: | Lightweight, small, superb lighting, plenty of battery options, easy to mount and remove, can't move left to right if bar mounted. | | Weaknesses: | None that I see...this is a great product. | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye. | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 6.0 | | Bottom Line: | Purchased from manufacturers website without batteries and charger as an option. This brought the price down to $100 even, which gives you helmet mount, bar mount, 2 battery holders. I love the battery option which allows you to use standard AA batteries. I recommend to buy without batteries, go to Walmart and get some rechargeable Energizers with the charger for $12 and you're all set. This set up with give you 3 or 4 hours. If the batteries die, then you go buy new ones. Much better than buying some other light with a rechargeable battery that may or may not work after a few charges. This baby is small, lightweight, and kicks out more lumens than anything in it's price range. Can't go wrong. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BikerJ
a Weekend Warrior
from Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Any place that can be ridden | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$319.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte web sight | | Strengths: | Super Bright and Easy to use | | Weaknesses: | Lots of money | | Bottom Line: | These lights light up the world and give plenty of run time on the battery. My night ride on the trail was fantistic with these I felt like a car was folowing me it was so dang bright. I commute to work and people actually see me now and I can actually see as well.
I love these lights and will buy more. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alldayrider
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Osos
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | website | | Strengths: | wide beam angle, easy mounting, lightweight, low battery indicator | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye, NiteRider 4AA, 5-pound dual 5-15W cage-mount battery | | Bike Setup: | road bike | | Bottom Line: | The single 200L handlebar mounted is all you need for road riding. The flash mode at dusk reflects off signs least a quarter mile down the road. Full power (2 hr runtime)allows you to see every pothole in the road at 30+ mph. I attached the battery pack under the barstem on a recent 200 mile 1-day ride, carrying an extra set of AAs in my jersey. I use a cheap ($10) helmet-mounted LED auxiliary light for checking instruments or route slips as necesary. Buy this light and throw away your watch! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mikhs
a Cross Country Rider
from Blackstock, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Durham Forest | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte | | Strengths: | Very compact lights with light batteries. Exceptional battery life. Easy bar mounting. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Devinci Remix 5 pretty much stock. | | Bottom Line: | Great lights. I have the dual setup and have one on the bar and one on the helmet. Provide plenty of light for twisty single track. Batteries are very compact and light. Great customer service from Rob. I recommend to call Rob and buy direct from them. I bought two sets and he gave me a good deal that you wouldn't get from an online retailer. If you haven't rode at night get a set of these and try it. I highly recommend these lights. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pggaston
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Simple, lightweight, very bright light, battery availability, excellent customer service. | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | DIY lights | | Bike Setup: | Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | I've been using my 200L 3x a week for almost 6 months. It's a great product, easy to use, delivers a very strong light, great burntime, lightweight and reliable. Dinotte has excellent customer service! I had a concern recently and Rob immediately replied and solved it. Keep in mind I'm based in the Philippines! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nowshon
a Weekend Warrior
from orange county, ca
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | santiago oaks | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$325.00 | | Purchased At: | dinotte web site | | Strengths: | light weight, easy set-up, intuitive operation, smart charger | | Weaknesses: | helmet mount isn't adjustable for tilt | | Similar Products Used: | Jet Lites (but for road bike) | | Bike Setup: | Heckler | | Bottom Line: | These are excellent lights, plenty bright, very lightweight, very easy to set-up and charge. The pricing is very competitive too. I have the 200L dual, flood on bars and spot on helmet. I chose the 2 cell batteries as I don't think I'll ever ride more than 4 hours a time in the dark, and one can always upgrade batteries later. I used these for my 24 Hours of Adrenalin team night lap and they worked flawlessly. My only wish would be for a bit more vertical tilt adjustment range on the helmet mount - I had to mount the helmet light at the very back of my helmet (Giro Zen) to get the correct vertical beam position. No biggie, unless you wanted to strap the battery pack to the top of the helmet, then you'd be S.O.L. since the battery would have to go in front of the light. So the battery pack goes in the Camelbak. Highly recommended, and I assume the 400, 600 and new 800L units would throw just ludicrous amounts of light. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
PCC
a Cross Country Rider
from Winter Springs, FL, US
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$219.00 | | Purchased At: | DiNotte | | Strengths: | Power, Size, Extra battery comes standard. All quality | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Niterider, Jet | | Bike Setup: | Huffy | | Bottom Line: | Can't go wrong with DiNotte | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
105millimetersofpleasure
a Cross Country Rider
from oakland, ca USA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Alpine, Oakridge OR | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$135.00 | | Purchased At: | dinottelighting.com | | Strengths: | lightweight, super bright focused light, versatile with AA batteries | | Weaknesses: | I had to spend some money to get it? | | Similar Products Used: | Performance Viewpoint | | Bottom Line: | HOLY CRAP this thing is bright. I just put the freshly charged batteries in and went outside for a test. The trees far off in my neighbor's backyard were lit brightly. How bright was it? It was so bright, Batman accused me of making a crank-call. Seriously though, it's awesome. Three settings will allow me to conserve batteries while climbing and burn the earth when descending.
This thing costs a little bit, but after seeing the beam and feeling how light it is, I'm convinced it's the best light for the money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vredstein
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Starr Pass | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$130.00 | | Purchased At: | Geoman | | Strengths: | size, battery availability, simplicity, cost | | Weaknesses: | lone light illuninaton, AA NiMH batteries die in extreme cold | | Similar Products Used: | NiteRider Blowtorch | | Bike Setup: | Fixed-gear commuter | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the 4AA powered version which I chose specifically for that reason. I can use AA rechargeable available anywhere and use the batteries for other uses. I only use this for commuting, not for trails. It's plenty of light for familiar roads. The simple O-ring mount is versatile. The single button is easy and straightforward. I've used it through extreme Maine winters and the unit and cord held up fine, but NiMH batteries have very poor life in very cold conditions.
This is plenty of light for commuters and a good supplimental light for trail riders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rkj__
a Racer
from Ontario
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Dinotte Lighting | | Strengths: | Small, light, great burn time. Flash modes separate. | | Similar Products Used: | NiteRider Enduro, 10 & 15W BLT halogen. | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS | | Bottom Line: | I like my 200L dual setup.
The lights shootout was very helpful when i was shopping for lights. I do two 24h races each year, which was one of my main reasons for wanting lights. I chose LEDs, because I did not want to worry about the cost of a replacement HID bulb. I chose the 4 cell batteries for worry free run time. The lithium batteries are lighter than I expected. I wanted a light weight helmet light, and the 200L is small and light. But, I still wanted more than 200 lumens of light, so i chose the dual setup. The cables and connectors are all very nice. They charge up quick. The flash modes are nice for road riding.
The 200L dual puts out enough light to be sufficient for 24h racing IMO. Not astonishing light output, but good. I got two spot lenses, but would recommend a flood for the handlebars.
The helmet mount looks a little cheesy, but works.
Overall, I am happy with my purchase. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jules Evans
a Cross Country Rider
from hobart, tas
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte | | Strengths: | Very bright and very light!
Tough as old boots. Had an OTB landed on my head, no light problems.
Get 2+ hrs on high out of 4 AA rechargables.
Great flash modes and 3 useful steady modes. | | Weaknesses: | Helmet mount is a bit fiddly, impossible to take the light off and leave the mount on. | | Similar Products Used: | Plenty of Halogens, Cygolite, HID's tested. | | Bike Setup: | HArdtail XC | | Bottom Line: | Great value for money!
I have an older version of the light and one of these and it is a fantastic setup for under $400aud. USe both on the bars for the road and a head and bar setup for the bush. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Downingtown, PA
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Fair Hill | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Direct fron Dinotte | | Strengths: | Rugged, light weight, charger, runtime, craftsmanship, customer service | | Weaknesses: | Helmet mount can be tedious, difficult to aim handlebar mount | | Similar Products Used: | Niterider trailrat (halogen 15w) | | Bike Setup: | Turner Burner, Revelation fork, Manitou Swinger shock, XT | | Bottom Line: | I have the Dual 200Ls. Great setup. I was outrunning the NiteRider on the trails, but not these puppies. Handlebar flood lights the area immediately in front of the bike, throws shadows which are good for depth perception. Spot on the helmet ensures there is light wherever I happen to be looking. Helmet mount can be a pain when frequently putting on/taking off as I do (NiteRider snaps in/out of the helmet mount, with 200L you have to either remove the entire mount or fiddle with the rubber band which is not convenient - hence 4 chilis instead of 5). Tried battery (small 2 cell) on helmet but even the lightweight of LI was too heavy in my opinion so into my backpack it goes (no dig deal). Auto-off charger is very nice (with NiteRider you had to remember to remove charger after a certain number of minutes otherwise you would cook the battery). Extension cable was faulty, Rob dropped replacement in the mail no questions asked. This is a well conceived and constructed system, has changed my night time ride experience for the better - highly recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wouter D'hoye
a Weekend Warrior
from Belgium
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | dinotte | | Strengths: | fit and finish, light output, battery life, beam spread, low weight,ease of use,...
| | Weaknesses: | none so far :-) | | Bike Setup: | Giant XTC 1,5 | | Bottom Line: | Everything is already said... This is a great product, good quality, fair price, excellent beam spread, superb light output... Or with other words... These lights turn night into day... I also own the tailight which is a great product too.. Just make sure you don't blind other road users...
4 chili's for value... it still is an expensive product... but worth it...
5 chili's overall... for great quality | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vaughn
a Cross Country Rider
from Forest VA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Candler's mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinottelighting.com | | Strengths: | Excellent light quality, light weight and easy to set up. Excellent customer service. Flexibility in mounting. | | Weaknesses: | May be hard to adjust side to side. | | Similar Products Used: | Performance Halogen light system. Homebuilt LED lights. | | Bike Setup: | Yeti 575 Enduro Race 07. | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent light for the money. I bought the Christmas special package which was a 200L without the helmet mount for 159.95. The light compares well with my 15 watt mr11 system with a much better beam pattern and a lot less weight. The switch system makes adjustment or brightness selection easy. The quality of the mount and light engine are impressive. You can look at the light and see quality. It does take a little tweaking to get the side to side adjustment just right.
I liked the light so much that I contacted Dinotte and they let me upgrade to the full 200L Dual system by paying the difference. I now have an extremely flexible system with a 4 hour capacity. And the customer service from Dinotte is excellent. Rob will answer your questions promptly and make sure you get the best light for you. I'm sold on Dinotte. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick
a Cross Country Rider
from Balad, Iraq
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Cougar Mountain, Washington | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | I've come to really enjoy this product. It's extremely bright-so bright that cars have flashed their lights. I enjoy the 3 power settings, along with the low battery feature. It came with 4 rechargeable batteries and two cases. I am always able to have a spare set ready. I mounts quickly and simply to the bars. | | Weaknesses: | Not very comfortable when worn on a helemt using the supplied mounting hardware. Not able to adjust beam left and right for better aimpoint. The 9 volt connector repeatedly disconnected from the battery case. As a result, I filled the bottom of the carrier with padding and now the problem is fixed. The terrain here is very rocky (lots of gravel has been laid down) and that would cause the light to unplug almost daily. Once I performed the above mentioned 'repair', it operates flawlessly. | | Similar Products Used: | Hawkeye 10w SLAB | | Bike Setup: | Old Cannondale made into a single speed using the Nashbar kit. | | Bottom Line: | Once I figured out that I needed to take up the extra space at the bottom of the battery case, I am completely satisfied with this lighting system. It's extremely bright, charges quickly using the supplied charger, and is environmentally friendly since I can use rechargeable batteries (which I can later recycle). REI had the light at a good price and you can never beat their customer service and return policies. It's very durable, built to last, and stay pointed accurately. I especially like the mounting design using the thing O-ring. Simple, but effective. I tried it on my helmet, but it was just too heavy. I gave it 4 for value because there are other systems out there that are good quality and a little cheaper. Lastly, I use this to commute around the airfield at night where we have limited lighting and it's very bright and wide. I can't say how it'd perform on the trail, but I recommend it to any commuter and invite a trail test. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fatiredflyer
a Racer
from Niagara Falls
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Eastern end of the Bruce Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Manufacturer | | Strengths: | Light weight.
Mounting options.
Rugged.
Foolproof.
Good run times.
| | Weaknesses: | Absolutely, unequivocally NONE. | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye Halogen
BLT 6V wet-cell | | Bike Setup: | Kona NuNu | | Bottom Line: | I purchased two light engines. One on the handlebar, with the battery pack on the underside of the stem. No problem hoisting the bike onto your shoulder like top-tube/down-tube mounting systems. The second light goes on my helmet, as does the battery pack! It's light enough not to be noticed up there, though it looks kinda geeky.
Lighting up stop signs at two blocks ain't hyperbole either!
One light engine went wonky after the second ride. I e-mailed Rob, and a new one was sent immediately, no questions.
Good service!
This is the right choice for fast riding, off or on road. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Ventura, CA
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Dinotte Lighting | | Strengths: | versatility, uniform light output, light weight | | Similar Products Used: | borrowed lights | | Bike Setup: | Marin hardtail and Specialized Roubaix | | Bottom Line: | This system is amazing: lightweight, easy to adjust, has long run time, works on both the bars and/or helmet and is an overall winner! The customer service at Dinotte is really good. It's nice to buy a product that is worth every penny from a company that cares if you're getting what you need. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jarrett Ellis
a Weekend Warrior
from Richland, MO
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Bittersweet | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte Lighting.com | | Strengths: | Fantastic lights. Look great, have intuitive bar and helmet mounting systems included, and the lights themselves are works of art. This is the perfect system for the cyclist serious about getting some light downrange for nightime trail riding or commuting. The price is right for what your getting. Get the Li-ION batteries... highly recommended. | | Weaknesses: | n/a | | Similar Products Used: | lots | | Bike Setup: | doesn't matter | | Bottom Line: | If your willing to spend the money for an outstanding set of lights, you need to buy this set. You could easily spend twice as much money and not outperform this simple, brilliant lightset. Best deal out there, bar none.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Littlejohn
a Cross Country Rider
from Fullerton, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fullerton Loop | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$349.00 | | Purchased At: | Dinotte | | Strengths: | Superb craftmanship, super bright white light, easy to install,long run time and very light weight for total system. | | Weaknesses: | NONE | | Similar Products Used: | old vista light with lead battery a long time ago and a Specialized Fireballs comp (terrible battery life). | | Bike Setup: | I have a very nice Jamis hard tail and two nice Cannondale road bikes. | | Bottom Line: | First I want to explain what product I am reviewing. Dinotte's dual system now consists of two 200 lumen light engines for a total of 400 lumens. It's bright to say the least. I light up stop signs two blocks away. You can run both lights togather on one battery at the highest level for four hours and you get two batterys not one. When I ride on the trail I have one light on my handle bars and the battery is so small that it fits right on the stem, no long cables to run. The other light goes on my helmet with the battery in my pack, the light engine is so light I can't feel it on my head. I can see well enough to ride at whatever speed I want. I can't believe how nice these lights are. Now for the best part. The customer service is like no other. I called Rob planning on spending a lot more money. Rob asked me about what kind of riding I would be doing and he felt I would be happy spending less. Let me ask you when was the last time you heard of a company talking you into spending less money? That's called caring about your customer. That's called customer service. All I can say is I am very happy with my lights and I recommend them to everyone. Oh ya the replacement batteries are half the price of The Niterider I was considering. Just call Rob he will take care of you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Loch Miwa
a Racer
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$389.00 | | Purchased At: | Factory direct | | Strengths: | Very bright - more than 20w halogen
Long run time (3hr high / 6hr low)
Light weight
Configuration flexibility (mix and match 2 heads & two batteries)
No inteference with Polar computer (problem with HID's?) | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Nightrider LCD 32w (12+20) halogen
Inexpensive LED lights | | Bike Setup: | Road bike | | Bottom Line: | I previously used the NiteRider LCD halogen system and a number of less expensive LED lights. When my NiteRider battery died and was going to cost me $185 to get replaced, I started looking for alternatives.
None of the less expensive LED lights (i.e. Cateye EL500) have enough output to safely ride on the road at speeds over 15 mph. You just can't see far enough ahead. The NiteRider system had the output but didn't last very long on high power, so I ended up using it on 20w most of the time. I considered an HID system, as the light output is great and battery life is pretty good. But replacing HID lamps is rather expensive (>$75), and from what I hear, that happens a little too frequently. I looked at the Cateye Triple LED system (3x3watt), but the size, weight, flexibility, and slightly higher power (2x5watt) of the DiNotte system won.
Now that I've used it, I definitely made the right choice. The light output easily matches the 20w halogen and the light spread is a lot more useful. Even when flying down hills at 40mph in complete darkness, I can see far enough ahead to be riding safely. And while the yellowish halogen light isn't a problem, the white LED light is a lot nicer.
Also, with two heads and two batteries, I have lots of options. I can use both heads on the bar and a single battery for training rides on the road. I can use use one head and battery on the bar and the other head and battery on my helmet for trail rides. I can even split the system and have one head and battery for each of two riders! And with the o-ring mounting system, it takes less than a minute to switch the lights from one bike to another.
Before I purchased the light I called Rob at DiNotte with a few questions. He answered my questions, suggested a few options to increase system flexibility, and shipped everything out the next day. Great service so far, and from what I've heard, the post-purchase support is just as good.
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