Submitted by
Jim Solve
a Cross Country Rider
from Foster City, CA Date Reviewed: February 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Foster City Levee
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At:
BikerBob.com
Strengths:
I'm posting this follow-up review (see below) cause I think that owner satisfaction is important both at time of purchase and after the product has been used after a period of time. I am very happy with this product. Very bright light with selectable settings. I've used the light almost daily for over two years and it is still as bright as ever. I use the 6 watt setting most of the time to better my night vision. Off-trail the 20 watt setting works best. Up at Yosemite (where it really gets dark) I go 20 or 32 watts to illuminate the road for 2 or 3 other friends on bikes who do not have lights and there is plenty of bright light to share. Great smart-charging system. Jim and the staff at Jet Lites answere the phone and are willing to give you technical advise.
Weaknesses:
I have encountered none.
Similar Products Used:
Niterider Duel Beam (it was fine while it lasted but I like the Jet Lite better)
Bike Setup:
2006 Belize Blue Trek 6500 w/ Hydraulic Disks. The black JetLites duelbeams contrast nicely with the blue bike (I get a lot of compliments)
Bottom Line:
If you ride at night get the best light you can afford. This is the best light that I know of.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lars Kjetil
a Cross Country Rider
from Søgne, Norway Date Reviewed: January 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At:
Directly from Jetlites
Strengths:
Smooth, even lighting with superb(!) brightness without washing out contours Very good battery capacity Easy-to-use secure mounting Reliable, waterproof cable connectors Smart-charger with top-off charging ability Light heads that both look and feel sturdy
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Alloy 10w Halogen VistaLite NightStick Several cheapo AA-lights
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Adventure 800 ++
Bottom Line:
After having used several lights that didn't match these dark, wet, nordic roads, I spent quite a lot of time reading reviews of different bike-lights. I finally decided on the JetLites Starfire Dual Beam and after three months I must say that I am really impressed! They are not cheap but you get a first class product for your bucks. I mainly use the 20W when riding as this gives a perfect wide, smooth light that is very bright and suitable for almost all conditions. The 12W comes in handy as an addition on rougher parts (and on the road when oncoming cars forget to dim) or by itself when I want to be seen in the traffic. I love the smart-charger that allows me to leave it plugged in without worring about "burned-out" batteries or external timers. The run-times seem to be accurate too: I have used the light down to -12 Celsius (10 Fahrenheit) and the 20W still went after nearly 2 hours (then the trip ended but the battery still had more juice...) Finally, I have to mention Jim who was very helpful on the phone when I called them with my questions! All in all: A superb light setup worth every buck!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Iain Rathie
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane, Australia Date Reviewed: May 18, 2005
Favorite Trail:
the one i'm on
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
mike chadwick
Strengths:
excellent beam spread for spot and spread beams. sturdy (my mate borrowed em - and of course stacked straight onto them - no damage so far) good battery life (as advertised)low beam setting still has useable light output
Weaknesses:
cannot horizontally adjust beams (no biggy as spread of beams make up for it)
Similar Products Used:
Home made 12 volt MR16, BLT's, Vistalights
Bike Setup:
04 Rocky Slayer 50 (top bike!)
Bottom Line:
This is a review of the 05 version without fuel gauge.
Really like having the smart fuel guage (different from stated previous light) I do combine this light set with a 15 watt medium/spot helmet light.
Provides excellent light coverage and strength for bombing down fast technical singletrack.
No issues to date - the legend remains intact.
p.s. would really like to try HID - scared of price i'll have to pay if i love em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Solve
a Cross Country Rider
from Foster City, CA , USA Date Reviewed: January 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Foster City Levee
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
BikerBob.com
Strengths:
This is a review of the 2005 model dual beam with Fuel Gauge. 6/12/20/32 Watts of brilliant white light. Additional switch on top of each light to disable it (from the switching sequence). Fuel Gauge is integrated into the battery so the current charge level is not lost when transporting the unit (unlike the NightRider where it is lost). Supports "riser bars". Each light head can be individually aimed. Easy to master switch. Great customer service at JetLite (you can actually talk to an engineer!)
Weaknesses:
More cables to deal with than the similar NightRider product (however since there are more individual components, a failure would be easier to service). A "reserve" battery mode would be a nice addition (NightRider has a 20 minute reserve mode which automatically switches it to 6 watts -- with the JetLite when the lights yellow you have a 5 minutes before you must turn it off).
Similar Products Used:
NightRider Digital 6/12/20/32 Watt (similar to the Starfire). I got 4+ years of use from this light without any issues.
Bike Setup:
Trek 850 setup for major night riding.
Bottom Line:
Whichever product you decide on, buy it from BikerBob.com (he's a righteous dude). I like the JetLite a lot and are happy with purchase.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phillip Fitzwater
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA Date Reviewed: December 29, 2003
Favorite Trail:
The Canyon and Heartbreak Hill down from Skyline Gate
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
Outdoor Sportz
Strengths:
These lights are the best. Just go buy them and get out of the dark. The folks at Jet actually understand their products and are incredibly helpful. This is the best of real people running their own quality business. Go Jet.
Weaknesses:
None. I just wish that everything in life worked this well.
Similar Products Used:
Jet Phantom helmet light. It kicks butt too.
Bike Setup:
Mt. Tam, Gary Fisher, all Shimano XT, Panaracer Fire Pro Tires.
Bottom Line:
These lights do what you want. They light up the world in rain, mud and everything else. I bought a set up for myself (handlebar lights plus helmet light too). The lights are expensive, but well worth it. So good that I bought an identical set for my son so that we can do father son bonding after work.
Thanks Jet for your good work.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry P
a
from Klamath Falls, OR. USA Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$284.00
Purchased At:
Outdoor Sportz
Strengths:
This light set-up just kicks major butt!! The different settings from 8W to 32W make riding at night in any condition a breeze. The battery lasts longer than JET advertises. (At least mine does)!
Weaknesses:
Absolutly NONE! Well....if there is a weakness, it would have to be the fuel gauge on the battery. I have had to send it back to get it fixed. It just quit working. The Jet Lite people got it back to me in a timely manner, so it was just a minor nuisance
Similar Products Used:
Cat-Eyes.......Yuuuuuuuck Cygo
Bike Setup:
Kona Kahuna
Bottom Line:
I promise you, you won't be sorry you purchased this light set-up! It is flat amazing! I work nights, and have been using my JET Lite for the last 6 months, have had 7 different cars flash their bright lights at me, asking me to dim my light....can you believe that? It's TRUE! On the trails you won't miss seeing a thing! Don't buy anything else!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don Carriere
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: February 4, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Mission Trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$249.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Design and Quality
Weaknesses:
None noted thus far.
Similar Products Used:
Marwi Elite
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS-1 with many upgrades/changes
Bottom Line:
Jet Lites is a company that you can buy from with confidence. After I received the light, I had a question about setup... I called the 800 # and spoke directly with Jim Taylor, the owner, who was extremely helpful. I've contacted him since then and received the same helpful treatment. I'm confident if I ever have trouble with these lights, that I'm in good hands.
ABOUT THE LIGHTS
The 12/20/32 watt options are awesome. The light is extremely bright and natural. The contrast on the ground is excellent... just perfect to allow me to see the contours of the terrain I'm about to face...which is crucial during fast pace night riding.
The battery times seem accurate. I've never run out during a ride, and if you don't run the full 32 watts for the entire ride, you should get plenty of time. I use the 20 watt for most of the ride and never run short on battery power. If you do "epic" night rides, you'll have to go to a longer lasting battery... but for most of us, this is plenty.
The smart charger works perfectly. It's simple and does its job. It allows you to charge and forget... I like that.
Bar setup is secure. After you figure out the way the lights are mounted... which wasn't too tough, it's a breeze to take them on and off. I must say that it wasn't entirely intuitive. The manual could be improved upon in this area.
The lights can be adjusted by rotating the bar mount. This isn't convenient...but for my purposes, I've never had to move it once I had the angle "dialed in". I just remove the lights from the mount for day rides. It takes only seconds.
I've crashed a few times, (nothing major), and the lights didn't miss a beat. They handle fast , rough terrain without blinking or doing anything else they shouldn't do. They just WORK!
Since I've purchased these lights ( I own a JetLite helmet light too), I've averaged 2 night rides a week. These lights do everything I've asked of them. They're turning out to have been a wise investment. Thanks, Jim and the rest of the guys at Jet Lites.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Auburn, CA Date Reviewed: December 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
henry coe
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$329.00
Purchased At:
direct from Jet
Strengths:
bright! cool, accurate fuel gauge. good mix of power settings. simple mount. pretty light.
Weaknesses:
is the light-to-light connect point strong enough?
Similar Products Used:
first light system
Bike Setup:
SantaCruz superlight, Chris King hubs, new Fox rear shock
Bottom Line:
My first serious light setup (beats the hell out of riding with a Petzl climbing headlamp!), so I can't compare to other brands, but... the jet light system has definitely met my expectations so far. It was recommended to me by a totally hardcore endurance racer (La Ruta, Ididasport, etc..) as the setup to get... he's tried many diferent designs. I have the dual-beam handlebar mount, and find it gives great light throw, even for technical singletrack descents. Ideally, I think I would like a head-mount as well, but for now I'm pretty dialed. Customer service is great- Jim Taylor and his gang have a lot of passion about what they do, and to talk directly to the desinger/inventor/business guy when you call in is a rarity. I wanted the new fuel gauge option, which wasn't shipping yet due to a sticker not being in production yet, and Jim set me up with a "custom" cut sticker so I wouldn't have to wait. Another plus is the various power settings... plenty of granularity to easily switch power for decents, climbing fireroad, etc.
The light-to-light rubber mounting connecter gave me a little trouble at first (didn't think it would fit together with the cables attached), but it appears to hold OK. I would recommend Jet figure out a more solid-feeling connection between the dual lights, but I have no basis to say it doesn't do its job well... hasn't failed yet.
Maybe the light can help me spell better...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CE Picone
a
from San Jose, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
henry coe
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$259.00
Purchased At:
JET Lites
Strengths:
1) True color, nice very bright white light, not yellow unless using 9 or 6 watt. 2) Superior battery life never came close to running out even on my 2nd night lap of 24 hours of Tahoe. 3) Renting a second battery didn't need it but it was nice to know it was there if I did.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Other mainstream lights.
Bike Setup:
Macalu hardtail with SID 80mm.
Bottom Line:
If you mountain ride/race at night you need a Starfire dual beam JET Lite. The setup is fantastic; the quick release is strong and releases easily. Great options with 12/20/32 watts of bright light and great battery life. The Starfire works great, I highly recommend it as your bar mounted light for all levels of riders.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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