Submitted by
T Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from SF,CA Date Reviewed: January 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
performance, pacific& avenue cyclery
Strengths:
The light is small, light weight, easy to use, and bright for a 5 watt light. I like the slim batteries.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness is that the some of the batteries died on me and cannot hold a charge anymore.
Similar Products Used:
Just purchased a light and motion arc hid.
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar X
Bottom Line:
I love this light except for the battery issue. I just went to my local bike shop and ordered a couple of NimH batteries and charger and hope this takes care of the problem. I haven't had any of the problems that the other reviewers have had.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Glendale, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: December 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
McDowell Mtn loops
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Cost; comes with both handlebar and helmet mount, plus a battery mount; slim battery fits easily in Camelbak.
Weaknesses:
None, really, for the price. You can't compare this to a more expensive, higher quality system. The light was actually better than I was expecting.
Similar Products Used:
I use a Cygolite NiCad Explorer (dual bulb system, 10- and 15-watts) on my handlebar, and this light on my helmet.
Bike Setup:
Specialized hardtail.
Bottom Line:
I'm a cross-country rider/racer, and compete and train for the 24-hour races. Those of you who ride trails at night should know that a helmet light, in addition to a bar-mounted light, makes a WORLD of difference. Having a light on your helmet means you can look wherever you want, as opposed to the bar-mounted light that looks in the direction your bars are pointed. Anyways, I bought the light as a simple, cheap addition to my bar-mounted system, and I've been very happy with it. It's bright for a 5w bulb. The beam is a little narrower than I would have liked, but it serves it's purpose just fine. I wouldn't suggest this light as your only light for night riding, but it's great as a second, helmet-mounted light. I haven't had any of the quality problems I saw in the other posts--I was pretty impressed with the quality, actually, especially for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mark
a Cross Country Rider
from hugo, mn, usa Date Reviewed: October 7, 2003
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
inexpensive
Weaknesses:
Poorly designed bulb connector, cheap plastic mounting clamp
Bike Setup:
hardtail commuter
Bottom Line:
I've used this light on my commuter for almost 3 years now. This light is a fine example of the 'you get what you pay for adage'. It may be inexpensive but it's not very well made.
The mounting clamp cracked recently but Vistalight (Bell sports) is replacing that no charge; their phone # is 800-456-BELL.
The real story is the bulb, a replacement will set you back $30. If you're not careful when turning the bezel the bulb will turn also and the fragile leads on the back of the bulb will twist and break, which is exactly what happened to mine. Also, the connector inside the housing which accepts the bulb leads is not making good contact anymore. The good news is that you can buy a whole new housing w/bulb for only $10 more.
You can find spare parts and bulbs at webersports.com
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben Logan
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, Ca Date Reviewed: September 8, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
performance, i think
Strengths:
Low cost and ease of mounting
Weaknesses:
poor construction of cable and retaining ring
Similar Products Used:
cateye, vettas, speciealized, etc all cheap lights
Bike Setup:
GT ZR100 road bike
Bottom Line:
I was not satisfied with the product even with the good deal at $40. The nightstick shaped battery is easy to mount under a bottle cage or carry in a camelbak but the components are made poorly. The bulb itself had bad contacts, the plastic retaining ring easily cracked with normal abuse(this is a road bike, I mean c'mon) and the cable gave up a plume of smoke near the battery connector while I was holding it in my hands. In addition a "smart" charger was not provided, so leaving it plugged in may do damage... I dunno, mine didn't work long enough to test battery life.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven
a Cross Country Rider
from St. louis Date Reviewed: July 28, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
local store
Strengths:
Bright light for only 5 watts, easy to use
Weaknesses:
Only one so far. Has anyone had any trouble with the switch on the thing? Mine sticks, and doesent turn on sometimes.
Bottom Line:
Its a good light for the money. It works even though the switch sticks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben Logan
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, Ca USA Date Reviewed: May 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Braille
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
online somewhere
Strengths:
Convenient mounting system
Weaknesses:
non-smart charger, chincy bezel assembly, cable
Similar Products Used:
cateye, vetta lights... nothing expensive
Bike Setup:
Klein Palamino Race stock
Bottom Line:
The close-out deal made this light attractive, but now I know why they were dumping them off-- they're crap. The screw-on lens cap/bezel pops off at random, and is made out of brittle plastic. The power cord shorted out in my hand while mounting it "giving up the magic smoke" and the charger isn't smart-- that is-- charge reduction over time, or auto shutoff, resulting in battery life reduction. It was fairly bright, and decent looking while its working, but of all things to be tempermental, a lighting system should not.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Stagg
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Vic, Australia Date Reviewed: March 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
whittlesea state park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Rebel sport
Strengths:
Very bright for only 5watts. Long & broad beam. Piece of cake to use. Affordable. Small light, & Fairly lightweight battery 'stick'.
Weaknesses:
can get pretty hot when not moving.
Similar Products Used:
Led's only.
Bike Setup:
Giant Rainier '02
Bottom Line:
I was totally surprised with how awesome it was. Really impressive. Better than some dirt bike lights. Great value for money. Good for blinding oncoming motorists/riders. Suits me for riding 2-3 times a week. Good for spotlighting in the bush too.(WHY IS THERE A PICTURE OF A ZEFAL AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE?)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig Fulton
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Pete, FL Date Reviewed: February 21, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Razorback
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint.com
Strengths:
Light weight. Coiled wire. Nice handlebar mount. Comes with a helmet mount! SWEET
Weaknesses:
Dim, but it's a 5watt.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Trail Rat, Light & Motion Commuter
Bottom Line:
I have the Light and Motion commuter for my helmet. This was originally for my handlebars, but the Vistalite came with a helmet mount and I was able to put the Light and Motion on it. So I put this Vistalite 5w job on my handlebars. It's great! Having the 13W helmet light with this Vistalite is a great combo. No problems with the light at all. I would say the charge lasts about 1 hr 45 min. Durable light. No issues with it overheating. The handlebar mount is nice how it connects and tightens up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
script language="javascript">
random = Math.random(Math.random() * 10000000);
if(!pageNum) var pageNum = Math.round(Math.random() * 10000000);
document.write('');
document.write('');
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$ 69.99
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
