Remember all that talk about how LED technology was going to revolutionize bike lights? I think it's finally here:
http://www.niterider.com/rechargeable-new/minewt-600-cordless-new/
I just got of these. For reference, I've been riding at night pretty regularly for the last 15+ years, and I've used pretty much every brand and every type of high-end light, from Nightsun to the Cateye Stadium light, and most things in between. This light, and the others in this category (and soon to come) are truly the transformational products everyone has been waiting for since the advent of LED.
The light is 600 lumens. For reference as to how bright that is, my old L&M ARC HID was equivalent to 675 lumens. That's when it was working--which was infrequently.... That light also cost $500.00 retail, had an external battery back and had a host of issues associated with fitting an HID light onto a bicycle.
The big deal with this light is that it puts out this much power with no external battery pack. No wires, no battery--just a single light that clips onto your handlebars, stem or helmet. The light is crazy-bright even on the "medium" setting, and the beam pattern is awesome. There's a concentrated spot, but a good bit of flood as well, and the quality of the light seems really good. Run time is 1:30-4:30 hours depending on mode. It charges via mini-USB to USB, which is nice. Lastly, it's made in the US. Retail price is around $150.00, though it's available cheaper. Even @ $150.00 this is a ridiculously good value compared to lights just 2 or 3 years ago.
Potential downsides? The mount isn't my favorite. It uses the "ratcheting plastic clamp" method. It's plenty secure for road use, but keeping it in place offroad will probably be tough. And since the battery is contained in the unit, it's a little heavy to use as a helmet light. Still, I'd still prefer it vs. having the cord down my back. For road use though, this light is pretty much perfect. The runtime is more than enough for almost any ride, and even on medium you're at about the max light output that's not going to irritate motorists.
It has a 2 year warranty, 6 months on the battery, which is more than most. The front half is aluminum, the rear plastic--I'm guessing a concession to weight. Still, it seems to be build solidly. Overall, I'd highly recommend it--though if you're using it offroad, it would probably work better as a helmet mount given the mount.
http://www.niterider.com/rechargeable-new/minewt-600-cordless-new/
I just got of these. For reference, I've been riding at night pretty regularly for the last 15+ years, and I've used pretty much every brand and every type of high-end light, from Nightsun to the Cateye Stadium light, and most things in between. This light, and the others in this category (and soon to come) are truly the transformational products everyone has been waiting for since the advent of LED.
The light is 600 lumens. For reference as to how bright that is, my old L&M ARC HID was equivalent to 675 lumens. That's when it was working--which was infrequently.... That light also cost $500.00 retail, had an external battery back and had a host of issues associated with fitting an HID light onto a bicycle.
The big deal with this light is that it puts out this much power with no external battery pack. No wires, no battery--just a single light that clips onto your handlebars, stem or helmet. The light is crazy-bright even on the "medium" setting, and the beam pattern is awesome. There's a concentrated spot, but a good bit of flood as well, and the quality of the light seems really good. Run time is 1:30-4:30 hours depending on mode. It charges via mini-USB to USB, which is nice. Lastly, it's made in the US. Retail price is around $150.00, though it's available cheaper. Even @ $150.00 this is a ridiculously good value compared to lights just 2 or 3 years ago.
Potential downsides? The mount isn't my favorite. It uses the "ratcheting plastic clamp" method. It's plenty secure for road use, but keeping it in place offroad will probably be tough. And since the battery is contained in the unit, it's a little heavy to use as a helmet light. Still, I'd still prefer it vs. having the cord down my back. For road use though, this light is pretty much perfect. The runtime is more than enough for almost any ride, and even on medium you're at about the max light output that's not going to irritate motorists.
It has a 2 year warranty, 6 months on the battery, which is more than most. The front half is aluminum, the rear plastic--I'm guessing a concession to weight. Still, it seems to be build solidly. Overall, I'd highly recommend it--though if you're using it offroad, it would probably work better as a helmet mount given the mount.