At first glance you’ll notice the MiNewt is like nothing you have ever seen. From the stylishly designed aluminum headlamp to the matching power module case, everything about the MiNewt shouts “limited edition”. By using highly efficient reflectors, the ultra bright Luxeon LED is able to deliver a nice and even light pattern void of rings or halos, this combination also allows for up to 3 times higher peak intensity than the competition. The MiNewt incorporates a one of a kind low battery indicator into both the headlamp and battery case that you’ll have to see to believe. What about burn times? How about an amazing 6:00hrs! If one MiNewt isn’t enough for you, then you’ll want to opt for the MiNewt Dual for twice the light output. All of these features are packed into a feather light package able to fit in the palm of your hand weighing an amazing 227g/8 oz. The MiNewt will redefine the way you view lighting technology.
Submitted by
Lawrence Lee
a
from Sunnyvale, CA Date Reviewed: October 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Stevens Creek Trail, MV
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
Amazon (Performance Bike)
Strengths:
Pure white light. Incredibly bright and incredibly tiny. Light weight. Low Profile: Does not add bulk to the handlebar. Simple O ring bar mount installation. Well crafted. Ruggedly made. Niterider technical support is great.
Weaknesses:
Beam is neither a spot nor wide angle. Can be hard on the hands getting standard o-ring mount in place. Harder to remove. Pricey at retail.
There's no category for the MiNewt Dual but thats what I bought at Amazon (source Performance Bike). Got it for $149 since its discontinued, being replaced by the MiNewt X2 Dual. I don't like the new MiNewt X2's Titanium finish color or the $230 they can charge. But for $150 this was an outrageous deal. I still see the MiNewt single beam selling on the web for $150-180
First off I see many people complaining about the o-ring mount. To me this is one of the strong points of this design. Niterider please don't change it. I've owned a Vistalite setup before and I had two of the plastic quick release mount clamps break rendering the whole thing useless. If the O-ring breaks you can get them from a hardware store or for now free from Niterider. The new Niterider ones even have a molded on tab to ease o-ring installation.
My old Vistalight mounts made the light housing sit up so high on the bar that it ruined the clean look of the handlebars. By contrast the Niterider mount is low profile and the housing so attractive in the matte black aluminum finish that I never take them off my bike.
The light is pure white and the illumination pattern is uniform. Don't stare into the beam, It'll hurt your eyes. The flashing mode is great and I use it during the morning and at dusk to get the attention of drivers. During the day I even have cars defer their merging until I passed them by. Maybe the flashing made them think I was a bike cop. With the flash mode on you can see the beam reflection on traffic reflectors and signs a hundred feet ahead. Impressive.
Each of the housings has a blue\red LED to indicate battery condition. Some have complained about the brightness of the battery's blue LED but if you mount the battery to the underside of the bar or tube you won't see it.
The water resistant connectors are high quality and the cabling is durable and thick.
The battery is tiny, no bigger than my Garmin Edge305 cyclometer. The whole setup is lightweight. I wish the run time were longer (1hr30min or 3hrs). but hey my total commute is only 50 minutes so that's fine.
The new MiNewt X2 is supposed to be twice as bright but this model is in my opinion plenty bright enough and certainly brighter than my Vistalite standard.
Besides I saved almost $100 dollars and got the black housings I preferred. For less than the price of the Minewt X2 single I’ve got two LED beams that can be stacked or spread for maximum coverage/intensity.
Also you can always order the upgraded LED assemblies from the company since the battery assembly hasn't changed.
An outrageous deal for $150 for that price it earns 5 chilis for value. One wish would be to be able to switch one of the LEDs to save power, but honestly I never did that with my Vistalight system anyway.
Highly recommended at this price to anyone who wants a solid reliable, lighting system for commuting.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dredge Johnston
a Weekend Warrior
from Dublin Date Reviewed: September 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Okanawa Decline
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
Strong light, good run time (4-6 hours), great flasher mode. Stays cool even after 2 hour rides. Smart charger.
Weaknesses:
short cord...meant only for stem mount. Blue indicator glow on light and battery is too bright for dark nights-stretched section of old innertube over, now can retain night-vision. Could use a better mount (newer models have addressed this), o-ring mount a hard to install or larger one slips when hitting road bumps. $$
Similar Products Used:
misc dry-cell, cygolite night-rover
Bike Setup:
Specialized Allez Sport
Bottom Line:
Great light for pre-dawn rides. Medium focus spot perfect for riding at full speed (18-26mph) on rural roads and paved trails in pitch black. Wider general light allows side vision and to be seen. Smart charger makes it easy to take care of. Great flasher mode makes being seen in urban areas easy. (Pedestrians walking in same direction turn around to see what is coming because everything for 100+ yards is flashing). Much more focused and useful than cygolight...that prevented riding confidently over ~16 mph at night. Gave only 4 Chilis due to price. $120 for a light just seems a bit too dear...but i've kept it, so maybe i'm not too bright.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Arthur Johnson
a
from Arizona Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
performance bike
Strengths:
small and easy to use. its just a plain simple light that works wonders on the trail for basic and agressive riding. its easy to install and take off.
Weaknesses:
charging time, but if you keep on top of charging it when you need to its not a problem.
Similar Products Used:
mag-lite and 2 small hose clamps
Bike Setup:
all mountiain freeride
Bottom Line:
you get what you pay for, which is not a bad thing, this is a small but surprisingly powerful light, great for handle bar or helmet mount.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doug Greenall
a
from Melbourne, Austalia Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
You Yangs
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$190.00
Purchased At:
Gran Prix Bicycles
Strengths:
Very compact, light, strong light body, LED
Weaknesses:
Power botton a bit fidgity. took a litte time to mount light on bars. Bit $$$, but what's the price of safety??? Brighter = Better = $$$$
Similar Products Used:
nothing as bright
Bike Setup:
Trek 9.8, Pace carbon forks, Middleburn crankset, Hope Mono Mini front brake, Paul Components rear V, White Industries ENO rear singlespeed hub.
Bottom Line:
This light is by far the brightest commutter ligh I have ever used. Makes me ride real fast in traffic. Only issue i have really had is with the power button. Somtimes the button sticks, or does not register when i press it. But apart from that, it's a freakin sweet light. GO BUY ONE!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Hatley
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia Date Reviewed: June 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$190.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Very light and compact, good battery life, adequate light
Weaknesses:
Mounting is a bit fiddly, but is quite secure when done. No helmet mount, cord is a too short. Indicator light is too bright.
Similar Products Used:
Various Halogen systems
Bike Setup:
Commuter
Bottom Line:
A very good light for commuting, and would be adequate for cross country riding. Because of its size it would be ideal as a helmet mounted light, if Niterider made a helmet mount for it. It needs to have either a longer cord, or have extension included to allow more flexibility in battery mounting. The battery indicator light is bright blue, and is brighter than it needs to be, which does not help with night vision.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross Country Rider
from Mentor Oh USA Date Reviewed: March 18, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Nice light for price
Weaknesses:
Impossible to remove from handlebar quickly. Their "quick release" consists of a stupid rubber "O" ring. You need a tool to remove it. Very inconvenient.
Bottom Line:
Come up with a better handlebar mount and one more system would have been sold (to me). Needs a longer connecting cord so the battery can be mounted someplace besides on the stem. My stem is too short to mount it as securely as I would want it. Could use a helmet mount.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a
from Gainesville Date Reviewed: January 26, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
- Long battery life - White, LED light - Very secure, versatile mounting hardware - Attractive aesthetic - Very light weight
Weaknesses:
- Charge indicator too bright - Doesn't come with helmet mount - Somewhat inconvenient to put on and take off
Similar Products Used:
None. This is my first bike light.
Bike Setup:
MTB commuter with occasional off-road use
Bottom Line:
At one point, mine accumulated moisture in the lens housing after a short ride in the rain. It's not supposed to do this, and NiteRider sent me a new light housing - they were courteous in the process, with only a hint of hesitation. A few uses later, the moisture was completely gone before I even received the replacement unit. There was some variation in the pattern and brightness between the two housings in a side by side test, but the differences were pretty minor. I disassembled the new unit in order to clean the interior of the lens glass - it had a spidery film that wiped away.
Another small gripe is the choice of charge indicator color. Why must the battery unit glow blinding blue during use rather than a more subdued red? I don't know. This is why police cars have tactical red lights in the interior, so that you can see without losing your night vision.
A pretty good light overall, and a decent value. If I had to do it over, I'd get the MiNewt dual, as I don't need the extended battery life possible with the single.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roger Browne
a Racer
from Oxford Date Reviewed: November 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Anything fast or technical
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Internet
Strengths:
The first thing you notice is just how small this light and its compact battery are. They are as the name says Mi-Newt! I bought this light as a communter. If you wanting to ride trails at break neck speeds in the forests then i reckon your going to have to dig much dipper into your pockets. For getting from A-B down un-lit country roads this is a supurb setup. Good battery lenght and a no messing charge set up.
Weaknesses:
The mounting is a little fiddly. It works by the use of rubber rings which hook around your bar. This system is light weight and does attach to all bar sizes. A study quick release bracket would be nice.
Similar Products Used:
Old halogen Vistas, and lots of Cateye battery lights
Bike Setup:
Too many bikes to mention.
Bottom Line:
A fantastic compact unit, ideal for a helmet mount back up for trail riding, but not as a main. Great light for the communter as its so light weight and un bulky. Good run times and no messing charge. I'm well impressed so far!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
loren bolton
a Weekend Warrior
from great falls, montana, usa Date Reviewed: November 19, 2006
Favorite Trail:
big sky ski resort
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
kniker biker
Strengths:
very small, very light and very affordable compared to most other lights
Weaknesses:
not the brightest of all light but it is the brightest of all led lights
Similar Products Used:
trail rat 2.0
Bike Setup:
freeride and all mountain
Bottom Line:
this light is amazingly small and provides a great amount of light for a single LED. It is very lite and will last for a good 3 hours on high. It even has a low battery indicator. It also recharges fairly quick. It is the fastest and easiest mounting light of all lights. If your looking for a light and don't need to light up the whole vally then this light will be perfect. It also makes a very good headlamp because its so small and lite that you can mount the light and battery on your helmet and don't have to mess with cables running down to your water pack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterford Mich. U.S.A. Date Reviewed: November 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Cycletherapy
Strengths:
Weight,(8oz)., ease of use, setup, price, run time, (6 hr. at half power, 3 hr. at full) It is enough light for the commute at half power.
I use this light for the commute to and from the trail. By itself in the trail it is a bit weak. But for My commute it is just awesome! It is 8 oz. complete when mounted on the bike. This is almost 12 oz. lighter than the trailrat! If You have younger eyes than Mine or ride with others then I think it would be adequate. When I hit the trails by Myself I switch on the H.I.D. It can be aimed almost anywhere. If You use Mary bars (like I do) this is important! I gave it 4 chilis only because it is not bright enough by itself in the trails.This might be due to leaf coverage(fall riding), making it hard to see the trail itself?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry Harrison
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonds, WA USA Date Reviewed: November 2, 2006
Favorite Trail:
the one I am on
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Center
Strengths:
No fuss battery, plug in and forget, charges fast, red indicator light when battery reaches 15% power remaining. Easy on and off. High, low and flashing mode. Led bulb should last forever.
Weaknesses:
Not as bright as the trail rat.
Similar Products Used:
Trail Rat
Bottom Line:
Good little light, battery lasts and lasts.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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