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Average Rating
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3.67/5
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# of Reviews
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21
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MSRP
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$ 110.00
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Weight
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More Products from NiteRider
Submit a Review
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Description:The NiteRider TrailRat has become synonymous with ruggedness and durability. The TrailRat light system comes equipped with a powerful lightweight 6 volt NiMH battery pack and headlamp, housing a NiteRider custom tuned 10 watt halogen bulb for superior output. The TrailRat uses NiteRider surlock power cables to provide a strong, waterproof connection, sealing the system from the elements. Whether commuting the city streets, or trail riding, the TrailRat light system guarantees to provide years of dependability and service at an affordable price.
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Submitted by
Collin
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Strengths: | Very bright, not too heavy | | Weaknesses: | A bit long charge time | | Similar Products Used: | several cheap generic lights | | Bottom Line: | One of the best lights I have seen. It works very well. I have not had any problems with it so far. Contrary to what some people have said, you do not have to fully discharge it before charging it but you should be careful how long you charge it. NiMH batteries do not have a memory like NiCd batteries. I would recommend setting up a ratio of charge time to run time.
I would recommend this product for someone who would use the light occasionally but not daily. The charge times are a bit long for daily use. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakland, NJ
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | Campmor | | Strengths: | Bright. Durable. Excellent product for the money. | | Weaknesses: | Have to wait for the battery to drain before re-charging. 9 hour charge time. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | '04 Kona Kikapu | | Bottom Line: | If you are looking to do one or two moderate night rides per week than this is the light for you. If you're a hardcore racer or downhill rider it's probably not for you. I ride XC trails at night about once a week and for me it's a perfect fit. To all you weekend warrior types out there, if you're looking for something solid to at least get you on the trail at night this is your light. Enjoy! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pink Robe
a
from Calgary, AB
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Singletrack Cycle | | Strengths: | Very lightweight, compact battery | | Weaknesses: | Poor mount design for the light, short circuit at the battery | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye, BLT, Trailtech HID | | Bike Setup: | Many and varied | | Bottom Line: | I picked this up on sale thinking "Awesome! Nightrider kicks ass!" Yeah, not so much. I had trouble getting the light to stay put on my helmet, and it weighed enough that it caused my helmet to shift a lot when trail riding. The upside was that the battery pack was small and very light compared to the waterbottle systems. Eventually, I moved the light to the handlebar where it stayed put properly.
Later, I picked up the Trailtech HID from Batteryspace, and the NR went onto my wife's bike so she could use it to commute to work. I fabbed a holder for the battery and it worked well - for a while. One day my wife tells me that she almost burned her hand on the battery. I'm like, WTF? I picked up the battery carefully, and can smell burning plastic. It had developed a short circuit inside the cover. Nice. It was starting to smoke, so I cut open the cover and disconnected the offending wires. Problem solved.
4 chilis for producing decent light for a while and being lightweight. -1 chilis for melting. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Clovis, Cali, US
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | trisport fresno | | Strengths: | It"s a lot brighter then the LED set up I got at sports authority. | | Weaknesses: | No battery level indicator, really long time to charge. | | Similar Products Used: | Blackburn light with 4 LEDS | | Bottom Line: | It does what it said it would do on the box. I just didn't think that the lack of the indicator would frustrate me so much. You can't overcharge the battery because it will damage it so in the booklet it has a little table that explains that if you use the light for X minutes then you must charge for Y amount of time. I would just shell out the few more bucks for the model with the indicator. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
George Hernandez
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodacre, CA USA
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tamarancho | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Purchased At: | Sunshine Bicycles | | Strengths: | Easy to mount battery. | | Weaknesses: | 1970's charging technology, low light output, short burn times, poorly designed light mount, weak manual. | | Similar Products Used: | Niterider Classic, cheapy LED lights. | | Bike Setup: | Hybrid commuter. | | Bottom Line: | I bought this light for commuting on country roads where it would be the only lightsource. Even when new, the output was too weak and it would start to dim at the end of my 45 minute ride. What made it worse was the silly charging system where you have to time how long you charge it. They had better set ups for drills back in 1984. I really don't see the advantage of this light over a $15 LED. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale
a Downhiller
from mesa AZ US
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | yard sale | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | It turns on | | Weaknesses: | where do I start, The first light I bought the connector broke the first time I used it, then the second try wasnt much better. The worst thing about this light is the lenght of the cord, in a perfect world this would fit your frame. The cord is so short it wont fit most frames, such as the big hit you have to put the battery on the fork!!! stinky delux it barley reaches the frame and causes problems on long rides. What were they thinking?!! the new plug design doesnt stay together, the connection gets looser over time (short time) It really isnt very bright. Dont buy this light. The night riders they made in 1999 were way better, what happened?!! | | Similar Products Used: | older night rider design, night stick, vista light, night pro extreme, etc... | | Bottom Line: | Dont waste your money, You might as well take a lighter to a hundred doller bill!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cesar Agustin
a Weekend Warrior
from Menlo Park, CA
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Cyclocross race | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Simple and bright. Depth, angle, and brightness are great, compared to the cheap lites I've used before. | | Weaknesses: | Long recharge time and 2.5 hour usage time. Fortunately, my nite commute is only about an hour so it's not a huge problem. | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye HL-500, simple triple LED lights. | | Bottom Line: | Great light, simple and effective. Great for nite commutes of 2 hours or less. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Otis
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta ,GA, United States
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tsali North Carolina | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$110.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | This light stsyem is bright a very light to carry or strap onto your bike | | Weaknesses: | It takes the light 9 hours to charge and burns for 2.5 hours | | Bike Setup: | cannondale jekyll 800 | | Bottom Line: | If you plan on riding at night all the time this is probably not the light system for you because it takes 9 hours to charge, burns for 2.5 hours and there is not batter strenth indicator not a smart charge system, plus you have to wait for the battery to fully discharge before you can hit it with anothor charge. If you are a weekend warrior or just riding at night ever one in a while this is what you want be cause it is a great light system for the money. I used mine in 2 24hour races and it worked fine , i just dislike the long charge time needed | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joseph Schlau
a Cross Country Rider
from Schaumburg IL
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | RAGBRAI | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Spin Doctor Bartlett IL | | Strengths: | Simplicity. It is just a basic 10Watt light with a simple on off switch. A smart charger was added to avoid overcharging the battery. | | Weaknesses: | The older plug style connectors were changed to a different configuration that is more likely to come apart during a ride. I can live with this by insuring there is sufficient stress relief for the cables | | Similar Products Used: | Digital Pro 12 LCD, a candle. The candle was more reliable. | | Bike Setup: | Mountain bike set up for all season commuting. | | Bottom Line: | The Trail Rat was purchased to temporarily replace a Digital Pro 12 LCD that had to be sent in for service. The Trail Rat has outlasted the Pro 12, which now sets on the wall of shame. The Trail Rat keeps going and going and going. The only things I added was a smart charger, a tail light and another battery. It has gone through 2 bulbs in almost 3 years.
Before you guys at Niterider pat yourself on the back for a good review, understand the only reason I bought a Trail Rat was the need to send my Digital Pro 12 LCD in for a 6 week vacation to San Diego and the desire to keep riding with some light. The DP12LCD never worked well since.
It is too bad that your bottom of the line light like the Trail Rat has a higher rating and reliability than your Digital Pro 12 LCD. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Big Laguna to Noble Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Compact size, relatively light on helmet, EXCELLENT attachment for helmets, easy to cinch, easy to aim, small battery with runtime as advertised. | | Weaknesses: | tight beam to accomodate low wattage. | | Similar Products Used: | NightSun Team, NiteRider Trail Rat, NiteRider dual beam, Performance dual beam, Light and Motion single beam halogen, Light & Motion ARC HID, NiteRider HID, Lume Strada HID | | Bike Setup: | XC Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | This is a good "secondary light", to supplement a dual beam or HID on the handlebars, but not enough light for serious offroad riding at night. The beam is too narrow and too dim for fast or technical riding. Otherwise, it performs as advertised, has great Customer Service support and seems reliable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray
a Cross Country Rider
from State College, PA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Gettis Ridge Road | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | won for doing trail work | | Strengths: | nice low price (even if I had paid for it)
great light pattern
does not use a water bottle
runs longer than claimed time
fades out predictable when near end of the charge | | Weaknesses: | did not come with helmet mount
did not come with cord long enough for helmet mounting
switch tought to use when gloved and/or numb from the cold | | Similar Products Used: | Performance Viewpoint Pro | | Bike Setup: | NA | | Bottom Line: | I won this light for doing trail work, it had been donated by The Bicycle Shop in State college, PA. The light rocks and I am buying myself a second one to replace my Peformance Dual Pro that is dying. This light throws a more useful pattern at 10w than both the 10 and 15 of the Viewpoint did back when it worked. Not brighter or bigger, but more useful.
i wish it had come with a helmet mount and longer cable, but for the suggest retail that may be asking too much. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
IbisBreezer
a Cross Country Rider
from The jewel of North Texas, DALLAS
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Old Ore Road, BBNP | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$99.00 | | Purchased At: | Richardson Bike Mart | | Strengths: | Rugged design, tight dispersion pattern and bright white light. | | Weaknesses: | No lateral adjustability. Battery not the "smart" style so won't activate the fuel gauge on my NiteRider Digital Evolution headlight. | | Similar Products Used: | NightRider Digital (diabolical, see my review) Evolution. | | Bike Setup: | Beater singlespeed for nighttime laps at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. | | Bottom Line: | Nice light, the tight beam complements the wider beam of my Digital Evolution (mounted on bars) when used with helmet mount. The battery will power my DE but does not allow the fuel gauge to work so you have no idea where you are on a charge, which is really too bad. I wish NR had used the same batteries so they are interchangeable. Lasts about 30-45 minutes longer than the DE (on 15 watts) so you have a safety buffer if the main light dies. I also wish NR included the "smart" charger like they have with the DE, there is just no reason to still supply the crappy old-style chargers for the price this thing goes for.
If I get the 6-7 years from this thing I got from my old one it will have more than paid for itself. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Pensacola,Fl,USA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$89.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | This little sucker puts out a lot of light! Great for the trail and road. I use just the helmet mount and find it works well. | | Weaknesses: | Cord is too short, need charger with indicator to tell when it is finished. | | Similar Products Used: | none first light set | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Sugar 2+
Trek 1000 full ultegra | | Bottom Line: | This is a great quality product. The helmet mount is just the right amount of light for all your needs. I would recommend this light to anyone. I give it 5 flamming turds! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FolderPete
a Cross Country Rider
from SF CA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | commute | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Low cost, small battery (NiMH); rugged; can double as replacement battery and repl. bulb, for the cost. Have had good service for repair (YMMV). NR tail-light accessory is grrreat! | | Weaknesses: | Difuse light-beam (10W) - no more illuminative on the road than my 2.4W hub gen! New for '03 most units have a pigtail connector from the lamp; earlier lamps had a plug-in connector, which makes it easier to swap out/ disconnect quickly; this may not be such a short-coming, but is an annoying change. short cord for helmut use, requires expensive connectors. non-smart charger. | | Similar Products Used: | NR NiteOwl. Another NR product (can't recall). NiteSun 10W NiCad system. 2 hub-gens. other generator systems. various alkaline setups. | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi Ibus, with Schmidt dynohub & standlich lamps front & rear, Rohloff speedhub. Bike Friday with Lightspin gen. | | Bottom Line: | ??? Smart-charge is where it's at; may have to spend more to get a worthwhile system. Looking at other makers to incorporate desired features. NR-TR2.0 is a basic commute system, but sale prices may make other products desireable. But any other use falls flat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drew
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$109.00 | | Purchased At: | Eddy's / Cleveland | | Strengths: | Very bright, heavy duty wire, easily installed,
| | Weaknesses: | Cord too short, needs light on charger or battery to show it is charging and when it is complete. | | Similar Products Used: | Battery lights | | Bike Setup: | Bridgestone RB-2 Early 90's model, Just can't part with it! | | Bottom Line: | Great light for the $. Don't waste your money on cheap lights that take standard batteries. They will cost you more in batteries!! Product highly recommended.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a
from Winston-Salem
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | This is a good first light as a step up from replacable batteries. I have used off and on for two years and it puts out plenty of light for my commuting. Cars see me and I can see the road. | | Weaknesses: | The product has died after sparatic use. Recently, I started using 2 to 3 mornings a week and getting about 2 hours of life out of the life. Then last week it died. | | Similar Products Used: | AA variety | | Bike Setup: | Trek Y-Foil | | Bottom Line: | Ok first light for commuting. My friends weren't always sure if it was me or a car behind them. Don't expect the battery to last forever. I am upgrading to a 13V system to get more life and brightness - but will have to sacrafice weight and also some more money. I would rate higher overall if my unit was working. It is a good value at $100. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kyle Kiaunis
a Weekend Warrior
from Clinton, Connecticut, USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Ne1 with rocks, jumps and steep decents | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$110.00 | | Purchased At: | Rock n' Road cycles | | Strengths: | Good battery life, small battery, Nice design, light weight, stable mounts quite bright | | Weaknesses: | cable is short stock but with extenders it works well | | Similar Products Used: | none, this is my first light system | | Bike Setup: | 02' Kona Stuff, Mammoth rims complete XT drivechain, Xt hydrolic discs, marzocci exr, michellin hot s wildgrippers, kona bars and steam | | Bottom Line: | this light system is a good buy for the price. Its bright enough to light up the trail, strong enough to take some hits, and its water resistant. Good light for the money and very economic design. 5 flamin' chillis for this light for both value and overall rating. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brucef
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$110.00 | | Purchased At: | B.I.Cycle Bainbridge Island | | Strengths: | Very well made, good design, small light battery, long burn time | | Weaknesses: | Bulbs do seem to like harshness of a roadbike...I only get about 50 hours out of bulbs on my roadbike...
Dumb charger... | | Similar Products Used: | I have two of these..for both road bike and MTB | | Bike Setup: | Fuji roadbike, Giant Rainier | | Bottom Line: | Still the best value out there...I've used these for two years commuting and trail riding in Rainy Seattle..I don't get the bulb life I'd expect on my roadbike but I have a very rough urban commute and I run 120 psi tires
Provides excellent lighting, long burn time, excellent quality..I love the small battery pack...
About the "dumb" charger...I have forgotten mine and left it charging for over 30 hrs and it doesn't seem to have hurt it..still for $110 you should get a "smart" charger
I'd still buy another... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex
a Cross Country Rider
from yonkers, ny
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$89.00 | | Purchased At: | performancebike.com | | Strengths: | Durability, construction and bright. The connectors are great, never had problems with this light so far. | | Weaknesses: | No full charge indicator, short cable and the handle bar mount takes alot of time to attach, i dont like anything on my handle bar that i dont need when im riding, and this piece is a sore thumb to me during day rides. Since i have 2 of these lights, i purchased a quick release mount for the handlebar for 19 bucks, a helmet mount, 2 extension cords for easier battery placement........yes, i know, i should have bought the evolution and saved on shipping. | | Similar Products Used: | my first rechargeable light. | | Bike Setup: | 02 trek fuel 80, xtr drivetrain, xt hydro disc, singletrack with xt hubs. | | Bottom Line: | I have 2 of these lights, one i use for the handlebar using a wide angle 15w and one helmet mount using the regular 10 spot, works great, sufficient even in technical trails, what i like about this set up is that my 15 will burn out before my 10 which will give me a decent 30 min to find my way back to the parking lot.
This is a great light, a bit pricey but i think the construction is worth it, just make sure to get the evolution if you plan to use a helmet mount because you will also need a longer cable, get the longer cable extension for this purpose, i have the short extension cord and the battery cant reach the rear pocket of my camelback.
In my opinion, this set up beats alot of dual lights for the price and advantage of having a helmet mount to go with handlebar light. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grant
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff,AZ,USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Rock Rabbit and Soldiers Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | Good light for the price. Light and is easy to mount.Plenty of light for commuting on pavement. | | Weaknesses: | Short wires.On off switch is a little stiff. | | Bottom Line: | A great light for the price.dont buy it if you plan on heavy single track at night. I bought this light to commute to work.Later when I can afford a better light you can get a cool helmit mount kit 4 it. Nothing fancy just a good commuter light.4 flamin chillies. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Choppin
a Cross Country Rider
from Bethesda, MD
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Capital Crescent | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$99.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Light weight, durability, reasonable cost, handlebar mount that is well designed and does not come loose. | | Weaknesses: | I dislike systems that strap the battery to the top tube, as this tends to bump or rub against your thigh while riding. Also, taking the light off the mount is difficult. | | Similar Products Used: | Performance single (lead acid), Performance Lazer (NIMH) | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi Osprey unsuspended MTB modified as an Urban Assault Bike | | Bottom Line: | I was looking for a light that was more durable than the Performance-branded lighting systems I had, as these failed beyond repair every six months on average (although Performance always gave me a replacement credit). I also wanted to shed some weight on the bike, so a nickel-metal halide system was preferable and prices had finally dropped enough to make it feasible. Prices for this product versus its competitors are roughly comparable, averaging perhaps 5-10% more, which is acceptable for a higher-quality product. The goal is, after all, to minimize the problems in night riding, an inherently risky activity.
So far the Nite Rider 2.0 has performed well with no failure or other problems while riding. The handlebar mount is sturdy and does not shake or fall out of adjustment. Light output is quite adequate for urban commuting purposes. Trail riders should probably have an additional light or a double-light system.
My only criticisms are that there is no easy way to make up/down adjustments and no way at all to make side-to-side adjustments. It is also a little difficult to remove the light from its mount without disturbing your up/down adjustment. Finally, the mount itself takes up a significant amount of room on the handlebar, so bar clutter is more of a problem. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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