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Submitted by
Mark
a
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Good beam, reliable, simple, well-made. | | Weaknesses: | Not many. It's hard to mount headlight on recumbent handlebars, but that's true for almost everything on a 'bent. | | Similar Products Used: | Nightsun. | | Bike Setup: | Road bike & recumbent. | | Bottom Line: | Had it for 5 years with no problems. (Well, one problem: although it still worked fine, battery came loose inside water bottle. Mailed it in and they returned it fixed, no charge, although warranty period was up.) I use it for commuting 10 to 20 times a year. (Got the REI dividend, so actual was around $135). | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alexander
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$145.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | * Bright light
* Great handlebar mount
* Appears durable so far | | Weaknesses: | * Battery is heavy
* Very expensive (for my budget)
* Standard 15w bulb has a rather narrow beam
* Power switch broke after 1st ride
* $hitty customer service from NiteRider | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Giant XTC-SE1 | | Bottom Line: | I use this light once a week on my weekly night rides in combination with Headtrip II. Overall this seems to be a very good light, however, the beam is too narrow for a handlebar light. It also does not look any brighter than my 10w Headtrip light. The power switch broke after the first ride. I've contacted NiteRider and after about 40min of wasted time got nowhere... First I got to talk to someone who didn't seem to know zip $hit about the lights at all (the guy kept putting me on hold just to find out what kind of battery comes with my Pro6! gimme a break, this stuff is not that complicated!). Then I was told that it would take about 3-4 weeks to have my product fixed (yeah, and what do I do meanwhile?) NiteRider doesn’t pay for your shipping either. I ended up calling PricePoint.Com and they shipped me a new light within 2 days - no questions asked! (great store for bike stuff). Anyway, the combination of Pro 6 and Headtrip II is a good setup for basic single trail riding. However because both lights have a narrow (spot) beam on the standard bulbs I'm ordering a 2nd Pro 6 with a wide (flood) bulb in addition to my current setup. My suggestion to anyone getting ther new light system is to get a Headtrip II and Classic Plus. I've made a mistake of getting a Pro 6 instead of Classic Plus trying to save money, and now will actually have to spend more on the 2nd Pro 6 and additional weight to get the desired amount of light. I recommend NiteRider, however this light gets 3 chilis overall rating for poor customer service. After spending over $450 on bike lights I would expect a fast hustle-free support on this product. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russell Seaton
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas City
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | paved roads | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Similar Products Used: | Niterider HeadTrip and Niterider Digital HeadTrip and Niterider Cyclops. | | Bottom Line: | Update of earlier post.
I complained the bulb on my Pro 6 was narrow and sort of dim yellow. I compared this to my 15 watt Digital HeadTrip and 15 watt Cyclops. The Cyclops was nice bright white light. The Digital and Pro 6 were dim yellow in comparison.
I contacted NiteRider about this and they seent me a new bulb for the Pro 6. I chose a wide angle 15 watt bulb. Its as bright and white as the Cyclops but a broader beam thant the spot beam in the Cyclops. The Digital HeadTrip is still yellow in comparison but the NiteRider person said this was due to the resistance circuitry in the Digital products. The Digital has good light at 15 watts, just not as bright as a dedicated 15 watt bulb.
NiteRider has provided excellent customer service for me. They fixed my Digital HeadTrip's problems, documented in the MTBR reviews. They fixed the bulb in my Pro 6 unit.
I recommend NiteRider products. The non-digital ones. Get a HeadTrip with 10 watts for your helmet. Get a Pro 6 15 watt for your handlebars. You will have very reliable 25 watts of light for 2.5 hours. About $270 for both of these sets at regular retail. A fair amount of money, but night riding is fun and its worth it.
My Cyclops fell off my handlebars once at about 25 mph on the pavement. It bounced and skidded around. Several scratches and gouges in it. Plugged it back in and it works just fine. Tough units. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russell Seaton
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas City
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | paved roads | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Durable, reliable, simple. | | Weaknesses: | Narrow beam. | | Similar Products Used: | NiteRider HeadTrip and Digital HeadTrip | | Bike Setup: | road bikes and mountain bikes | | Bottom Line: | I have the new mounting clip. Quick release cam. Unfortunately, its backwards. The opening is towards the front of the bike so all of the cables are in the way when I try to close it. However, on the Digital NiteOwl of a friend the same mount is opposite and the opening is towards the back where cables can't interfere with the opening and closing. Weird. I wish I had the one that opened to the back of the bike. I think I will try contacting NiteRider to see if I can switch.
The light is a simple good on off type. Don't get Digital stuff. This simple Pro 6 will stay on when the buton is pushed and go off when the button is pushed. Digital may reduce the light to a barely inadequate 6 watts due to resistance inside the unit. The NiCad battery gives 2 plus hours of use. Very good.
The beam is narrow. Not good. I have run this 15 watt light with my Digital HeadTrip and the helmet mounted HeadTrip is a much much better beam. Being helmet mounted its also movable to where you want to see. Unlike bar mounted lights. With both together the lighting is wonderful. If you are buying lights, get the HeadTrip first then get this if you want a second light.
I'll give an overall of 4 due to the narrow beam and the backwards quick release mounting. But a good light and I do not regret purchasing it. It is reliable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pescador
a Weekend Warrior
from LA, CA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
the strand | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
light (the) | | Weaknesses: |
mount | | Similar Products Used: |
moonlight (solar powered, no heavy battery) | | Bottom Line: | just talked to our friends at the niterider service hotline. they had this to say about the abominable mount: the mushy connection and cheap feeling is all about taking an impact when you biff. if that plastic clip and the groove it fit into were something like spring steel, breakage would happen. since it gives, the light just slides out on impact. so it lasts longer. this sounds like a rationalization to me, but hey. his suggestion is to bend the clip out as far as you can without breaking it, and then slide it into the most positive locking position. adjust the handlebar mount so there's just enough play that you can rotate the mount (not the light) to where you want when you want. he said those three positions suck anyway and you shouldn't use them.if you should break the clip in a fit of rage, or if it just gives out, call 619/268/9316 and they'll mail you a free replacement.that said, i still think the mount sucks. it's about the furthest thing from elegant. (you could probably make a better mount out of a tuna can and some paper clips) it's just plain offensive. it's ugly and it doesn't work efficiently. that's minus 1-1/2 chillies.outside of that i've been most pleased with the light. i have no complaints per se, though more light is always a good thing. i can imagine more light on the bars would be too much of a disturbance. i'll end up adding a low light to the helmet. i got this light pretty cheap from supergo, who carries most of the niterider line. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John H
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Bright beam, good battery life, rugged and well made (except for that mounting clip) | | Weaknesses: |
Pathetic mounting clip, beam rather narrow (but see comments below) | | Bottom Line: | I used this twice a week last winter and was very pleased with the purchase. A single beam light is inevitably a compromise, and for winding fireroads I replaced the lamp with the wide-angle version, which then slightly lacks the range for fast downhill straights.But the mounting clip - unbelievable (in the worst possible sense). A klunky lump of black plastic that barely functions. The three-position adjustment is far from positive and much to coarse. I set it up on the middle position so I can push the light down to avoid blinding oncoming riders. I have to admit it has not broken so far, but it does not inspire confidence.Overall a great product. 5+ rating if it wasn't for that mount. Unless you need the reduced light levels (which I am told are pretty useless), don't consider the digital version - the battery monitor is a fake (just a timer) and the battery is still NiCad (unlike the dual beam). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron B.
a cross-country rider
from Oklahoma
Date Reviewed: November 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've owned my Pro-6 for around 2 months so far and have been very happy with the results. For a single beam light the Pro-6 puts out plenty of light for a bar mounted system. The light is bright white and is focused into a fairly tight beam. My run times for this system have been in the 2 hour and 10 minute range. This is a little below the stated 2.5 hour run time by Niterider but for me it is still adaquate since I really don't have the legs to do 2+ hour rides on a regular basis.I have this light in conjuction with a Niterider Headtrip (see reviews under the Headtrip). This combination provides me with enough light to do some very fast, very technical riding. If I'm keeping my speed down a little I'll just run my Headtrip. But if the speed picks up I turn both lights on and fill the trail with light. Most of the people that I do night rides with are very impressed with the light that my system puts out. Generally at the end of the ride they are more impressed that my lights are still going very strong while their lights are really starting to fade out. Seeing this and the power of my system puts out I have had several people in my group go out and buy Niterider products.The only thing that I don't like with either of my Niterider products is the mounting system. On both the Pro-6 and the Headtrip the mounting systems feels kind of cheap. They both work really well and I have yet to have a problem with either though. I just think they could do a little better.Overall comparing this system with others in it's class I give the system 5 chillies. But when you take into consideration the mounting system and the fact that no product is perfect I'm only giving it 4 chillies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Markus
a weekend warrior
from Boulder CO
Date Reviewed: May 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have owned this light for 3 years and it still works fine. I sent it in for warranty repairs of the wiring once and was happy with the customer service. It works best for riding roads at high speeds because of its focused beam, although I have used it offroad a few times. 5 chillis for construction and city use. 3 chillis for offroad riding because of its narrow beam. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a weekend warrior
from Orem, Utah
Date Reviewed: April 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well made, good quality, tough as nails light. Can handle any situation. Have had no problems to speak of. Good light for all purposes (rain, snow, sun & mud. Doesen't have mutiple swithes and controls which clutter your handle bars and give you too many options when you should be looking at the road. 15 watts of power is a great all around light source. The only improvement I would like to see is a system for checking the battery for full and low charge. Otherwise a good investment. | | Overall Rating: |
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