Get 15% off your first order with the code "HARDTAIL15" (exclusions apply). Support this channel and save some money using these links: Lumina Micro 900: bit.ly/3coRN3m Lumina OLED 1200 Boost: bit.ly/3ci5uRr Lumina Dual 1800: bit.ly/2RL1uPW Helmet Mount: bit.ly/3iPXyth K-Edge GoPro Mount Adapter: bit.ly/2FMaO3J
@@brianrand7191 Ordering the Dual 1800. Actually was going to buy it somewhere else but checked out some reviews first to decide between 1200 and 1800. The coupon DOES work. Make sure you spell it correctly "HARDTAIL15". They don't charge shipping and I'm getting $24 off the price of the Dual 1800 ~JSV
When I lived in WI many years ago I did a solo night ride to prep for a 24hr race. Bats were swarming in my lights to snack on all the attracted bugs. Getting a bat caught between your legs while peddling is an "interesting" experience.
Thanks for this review, especially the dark-forest demonstration. I know how time consuming it is to pack so much information into each frame, and it was very revealing. I had assumed that higher-powered lights would have the longest run-time, but au contraire! In any event, your coupon code saved me $36 on my purchases and I am SO happy with this setup. I have 3 bikes, so I'm getting TWO of the 900s, and one extra handlebar strap. That gives me 3 handlebar attachments. Then I got the helmet strap, which I can use with all 3 bikes. I then went ahead and did the same thing with a rechargeable tail light (the Solas) -- 1 light and 3 mounts. I really like the removeable aspect of all these lights, so you could use them as regular flashlights when searching for the porta-potty at a campground, or, like you said, lend one to a friend. Next I will get a portable USB charger to complete the set up, then curl up and hibernate until Spring arrives.
I found out too, that they also sell the 1200 boost OLED WITHOUT the "LED" display. That one has the same functions and selections with the same button as the dual 1800 boost. I got the Dual 1800 Boost, and it's nothing short of AMAZING! I was using a cheaper circular light with 14 XMLT6 chips in it. That one was very bright and served it's purpose in the woods, on the paths, and in pitch black streets around Rockport, MA. But the "Dual 1800 Boost" blows it away. The NightRider dual 1800 ON MEDIUM is brighter than my older light. Side by side comparison that's totally true. I am so glad I got that. And now I'm getting the 1200 boost for another bike because I'm so impressed with these products, I just haven't decided if I want the 1200 with or without the LED screen. ~JSV
You worked really hard on this video. The fact you could expound deep information in a casual and accesible way shows how professional you are. Thank you.
Had to share my appreciation for this product review. Was in the market for a quality light as one of my cheapo $15 lights fell apart. Thank you for sharing real experience with the products and sharing your insight. A year later, product lines have changed but your recommendations and insight still apply. I ended up buying a Micro 850 for now and will buy another of the same when my other cheapo lights dies. Thank you so much for putting out outstanding content!
I haven't done a night ride on Mtn bikes in quite some time, but remember how much fun they were. I still do night rides on my road bike on occasion, especially when there's a full moon....very cool experience if you get out late when everyone else is in bed so there's no traffic. Another cool experience is a Mtn bike ride at night when there's snow on the ground. It's amazing the amount of wildlife you see and how silent everything is.
Fantastic tips and review. You went above and beyond with the overlays, sharing battery life, camera settings, etc. I’m a road rider so I’m thinking of going with the 900 or 1200 OLED as a handlebar mounted light.
Excellent review!😎 Was reviewing my Niterider literally the night before. I have the Micro 850; was about the best mirco at the time. Now the 900 is the king; same running time as the 850 but with an extra bit of output. Went with the K-Edge Go-Pro adapter and a K-Edge handle bar mount; adds to a clean cockpit and the light does NOT move... Main use for my light is to get home if I get caught out when the sun goes down.. Niterider has some front and rear combo kits; well worth the price. If I see a micro 900 combo kit, at a good price, I will grab it!
Thanks for the great review. You helped me make my decision. I ended up purchasing the Lumina Dual 1800 for my bars and the Lumina Micro 900 for my helmet. Wow, what a perfect combination. My buddy also had a Lumina Dual 1800 and a 700 light on his helmet. We lit up the woods with these lights. With my friend in the front and me behind, I could turn down my lights to conserve battery life. Great lights.
Steve, this is a great video. I finally upgraded from old, battery and cable systems to some Niterider Lumina lights. I used this video as a starting point in my quest, and I have just a couple thoughts to add to what you say. I am NOT referencing the OLED lights here, I have no use for those. I started with two Boost 1000 lights, which I like well enough, but for me it felt a bit heavy to have one on the helmet, and I wasn't getting quite the beam spread I wanted from one on the bars. I ended up adding a Micro 900 and I now have the dual 1000 on the bars with the 900 on the helmet. For me, the difference in weight is noticeable. The Boost models seem to have a warmer, wider beam than the Micro. Your video seems to show the same, with the 1800 and the 1200 casting a warmer light (1800 especially). I have the two boost units on my bar set to the same angle of throw, but splayed out a few degrees from each other. This gives a nice, wide path from the bars that throws great shadows and still allows me to scan ahead and through corners with the Micro on my helmet. The dual boost units are a bit heavier than an 1800 would be on the bars, but it comes with the upside of USB charging ports, and the versatility you highlighted of being able to re-configure to suit any scenario, or to easily share a light with a friend. This video is an excellent resource, and I thank you for making it and sharing. The convenience and versatility of these modern lights is truly amazing.
Great stuff. As an old 90s 24-hour racer I am still in awe of current light technology! I now run a Niterider Pro Enduro 1800 on the bike and a Niterider Lumina 950 on my helmet. Plus a Lumina 750 as backup. The beauty of overpowered lights is running them on medium power and getting tons of battery life but still being able to just go full daylight on that final descent. Glad you showed so clearly how the bike light is so important as far as seeing the terrain! Keep up the great work.
I like to use a combination of a bike headlamp, and a regular headlamp. It's nice when you want to look around to read road signs, or when turning corners, getting stuff out of a bag, etc...
Best review I’ve seen! Thank you! Most reviews say the more expensive the better but appreciate the small nuances you mention. Getting the 900 lumen one
@@hardtailparty I feel your pain. Im recovering from a rear wheel washout at pretty high speeds. Knee got road rash. I recommend vasoline to keep those scabs moist.
Thank you so very much. Awesome info as I'm a newbie, and I don't want to buy a light just to have to get another one. Let's say your just riding in the Neiborhood, and you can only buy one light, do you place it on the handlebars or the helmet? How bright of a back light should you get? Thanks!
This was super super helpful commentary. I wish more humorous word he can approach more like yours, because it actually gave me real information about the experience of using the lights would be. I am a road rider, not a mountain biker, yet I sound the information that you gave to be exceptionally helpful. I really appreciate your smile and I wish you were here for a few days And many more lights on the market and find a way to get some in hand to try out, and I would be interested for road riding purposes just saying how some of the lights that are popular in the EU that make the German specifications be in a road riding experience
Thank you for this review. I have been in the market for a set of lights for my wife and I so this is just what I needed. Picked up a set for each of us. Two 900s and two 900s with the sabre rear light. The discount saved us over $50.00 thanks again Steve. They didn't stock the correct helmet strap so I got those from the Niterider site direct. Love the channel, have a great day.
Thank you for this nice, down-to-earth review! I ended up buying a first Micro 900 right after watching your video (15% discount with your code, great!) and a second one just moments ago! In the past few weeks I have tried 3 different eBay/Amazon lights, and while they are substantially cheaper, they cannot compete with the Micro 900: small, self contained, good power, and the diffused beam pattern makes every lumen count.
Very helpful review. I have a single 900. I haven’t done much night riding but plan to do more this winter. I mostly use it get home if I lose the race against the sunset.
Great timing on this video. Do you have any plans on reviewing the 2021 Giant Fathom? With the new updates it seems like a good budget hardtail option.
Been using the Lumina 900 and 750 since I started night riding about 8 years ago... Aside from totally loving these lights for all things light (not just biking)... the mount, the charging, the battery life all awesome. Also funny I lost one of these, it spent about 9 months out in the woods until a friend found it... it literally turned on when I got it back, charged up works like new... Also had my daughter mess up the button on one, NiteRider serviced it super inexpensive fix, good as new... Love these lights, love night riding fast and technical trails, need visibility, easy helmet mount ( I only use the helmet mount) some people may think this is crazy, I think it's enough light
I have an older 750 and micro 600. I picked up the 600 just because of how inexpensive it was from a buddy. I use them on the road. I find that I like the form factor of the micro more than the Lumina as far as how they sit on my bars. I run both lights at slightly different angles so I can get a wider coverage of light. The 900 looks like a super deal and if I pick one up I may give the 750 to a friend that commutes in town. Thanks for a good review.
I'm surprised you are opting for not using your big light anymore. I'm wondering if that has to do with where you are riding. I have an 1800 and a 1200 with the external batteries and have always used the 1800 up top. I'm going to switch them around for sure now. Thanks for that. However, I need new lights for when we get the early morning road rides in and I think that 900 will be perfect. Plus, then I can use that as a secondary light with my bigger system and not have the cable on my head.
The convenience factor of having everything self contained is amazing. Obviously my big $400 light casts more light and really illuminates the trail, but simplicity trumps max output for me.
NR makes AWESOME lights. I have @ 7 NR lights and swear by them. I run my 3600 pro on my bars and my 1800 pro on my helmet ONLY for long winter rides where 3+ hours is expected. For 90% of my night rides, which we do 2x weekly, I run a 1200 Lumina (non-OLED, as good and cheaper!!!) on the bars and a 750 Lumina micro on my helmet. That gives me more than enough light to go full speed on descents and is so much easier to mount and use. In addition to the great lights, NR customer service is amazing. And for anyone in SoCal, they are a local San Diego company with walk in offices in Poway. Fantastic review that covered the topic very well.
What a thorough review of the (relevant to most of us) range. I just went on a night ride with a 400 lumen light and, though I’m familiar with the trail, it was not enough to make me feel confident and comfortable in the dark.
Every winter here we do night rides and i always have a light on the helmet and one on the bars, i find climbing is interesting in that i end up with PR's not so much on the descending
I run a 200 Lumen helmet light and I have the Lumina 920 handlebars it's just a perfect combination also the 200-lumen that's on my helmet is powered by four double a batteries which gets you a lot more versatility if you cannot find a USB charger when on your route.
Great vid! I have the Lumina 1800 and love it for night riding. I have an older (5+ years) Lumina 650 also and agree that the brighter handlebar light & less bright helmet light is the best setup. As an aside, I also own an older (almost 10 years) Cateye Volt 1200 (there's a newer Volt 1700 now). My Cateye has easily gotten to 2hrs on HI (1200Lm). When it's time to replace that one, I'm definitely getting whatever is the highest output Cateye at the time. You might want to give those a look, too.
I have a Lumina 900 and a Lumina 1200. Riding all seasons up in the PNW, I leave my 900 in my pack pretty much all the time for emergency's and late in the day rides - it's so small and light, why not? I always ride with the 900 on my helmet. If I am going riding at night on purpose, I mount the 1200 on my bars. I also ride with the 1200 on my commuter Fargo.
Bro, you just confirmed all my speculations. Got 1 900 already, getting two more for the bars. Bike Closet has them for $45 each. Running Med on the helmet with this strap. Thanks! Ride safe 👍🏽
Thanks, like the idea of both head and bar mount lights. We already have the 750s and will be utilizing them in both locations. Was using only head mount and I believe something hit my front wheel, did not see or remember. Concussion. Will be mounting on bars also, as head only may not be enough. Should have watched this before I rode Saturday evening.
@@hardtailparty im good, eating again, ,couple days off, looking for my next lid, likely to use hardtail15 code. Any better than others? Have a great trip! Will look for some fantastic vids down the road. Rims and hubs came in.
I totally agree with you about the pattern on the 1800. I like how it lights up the sides as well. I kind of disagree with you though about the battery life. 700 lm versus 900 lm is very minimal and if you set the 1800 on medium that 700 lm and it last three hours versus 900 lm on the micro 900 which last two hours. If money is not a huge issue I think the 1800 is the way to go considering battery life and light coverage. I would put the 900 on the helmet however and run it on medium.
I have an older lumina 750 as well as the OLED 1200. With the 1200 I never really feel the need to run it on boost as the high mode is plenty bright for me. I myself find a lot of value in being able to look at the screen and see my projected battery life as well as flip through the modes, but I totally get where others may not care about that or find value in it.
I couldn't tell... Was your favorite light in this video the 900? I run an 1800 on my bars and an older 1000 on my helmet. It's a great setup, but I always get worried about battery life.
Great review! I have the Lumina 1000 boost and it's amazing. I have it mounted on the bar and sometimes it gets tricky in the turns without a helmet light, as you mentioned, but that is rare. However, looking at the Micro 900, that is light of all lights. Not only does it run 900 lumens for 2 hours vs my 1000 boost run times: 1000 lumens-1 hr ; 750 lumens-1.5 hrs. It's also smaller and weighs 42 grams less than the 1000 boost, which would be more manageable on the helmet or just to carry fulltime in the Camelbak for those rides that run past sunset. I agree, a couple of the Micro 900s and you are off and running.
Something I never hear mentioned, but might be worth considering: The brighter lights have bigger batteries, so buying a high-lumen light gives you longer runtime at lower lumens than a low-lumen light would at its highest setting. Plus, the brighter modes are still there if you need them. I got the Niterider OLED 1100 and almost always use it's 550 lumen mode. The OLED display - knowing just how many minutes of life you have left, in each mode - is critical for my use too (road biking solo at night in dark places). Do you, though. Lights are very much a personal preference thing. Thanks for the video! Very ILLUMINATING har har
I have the old one with a water bottle which houses a NiCad battery. It worked great but the battery is now dead and no Ionger accepts a charge. For a while I saw it being used on police bikes, but theirs included a blue light flashing feature not found on civilian ones. I wonder if batteries can still be bought? Plus a new handle bar bracket would be nice.
@@hardtailparty hope so. I really need to make a few local MTB friend's. Probably will learn of new trails that allow night riding. I can see the appeal of night riding a trail though for sure. My need so far is i just ride around my town when I don't want to drive to the trails but the pull of riding my bike is too strong and sometimes you just can't make it out till late nowadays.
I'm interested to see if I agree with you when I do more night riding. My response to light is different due to my traumatic brain injury and having your review as a reference point is going to helpful I think. Thanks Steve(:
Unfortunately, just few days after posting an enthusiastic message about the Micro 900, I have to report that both units are not getting even closer to the advertised 2-hour runtime on max power: I seem to get about 1 hour and 10 minutes, then the light dims to a very low level (lower than the Low setting, you can barely see where you're going). They seem to remain on this low-power output forever, I waited 2 hours then I manually turned them off. I have sent an email to NiteRider Support, asking for clarifications. They are local (San Diego), so hopefully if the units I got are defective, I can get this resolved quickly, without returning them to the seller. Curious to know if the channel owner (Hardtail Party) or other users have experienced the same...
Contacted NiteRider, they confirmed that the Micro 900 should go for 2 hours at max power (give or take 10%, which means 12 minutes) so they started an RMA process and I have sent them both lights. Will post an update once I get the replacements. Very weird I got 2 defective units, both with identical behavior.
Ok, first of all sorry for using this space to comment about my personal issue with the Micro 900, but I think it's good information for anyone thinking to buy one. I just spent 30min on the phone with NiteRider Support. They tested both lights, and got from 1h 30min to 1h 45min from them, before the switch turned red, which they consider to be within specs. I'm really surprised as I'm pretty sure about my numbers, in any case they are sending the lights back as they see nothing wrong with them. In speaking with the technician, the only thing we could think of was the charger: I use a RavPower smart charger with QC3 and iSmart, they use a "dumb" 500mA charger. I'll try that and see if it makes any difference.
Final comment: I was able to get the same runtimes as NiteRider Support by testing the lights with a large PC fan pointed at them. First light went red after 1h 33min and dimmed to low-output at 1h 41min, the second light reached 1h 51min and 1h 59min, respectively. Not too thrilled about the first one being 15% worse than the other, but at least now I understand how they got those numbers. Having said that, the first time we noticed the short runtime was on an actual ride (at night, with cool temperatures), so it's possible that this model has a bit of a tendency to overheat, and you need to keep temperatures under control in order to get the advertised runtime (e.g. run then on medium when climbing, run them on low when stopping for a break). I'll do a couple more rides to see how they behave, then decide whether to keep them or return them: if I have to constantly worry about the light to keep it cool, it's not the light for me.
good review ... i own several NiteRider lights; i like the output, performance, and compact form factor ... i also like the strobe patterns to use during daytime riding
6:01 if you use your bike on roads too, then incoming cars will also thank you for that. Lamps need to point towards the ground, not far ahead (a lot of cars nowadays are not properly set up here either unfortunately). How were the shadows with two 900 (helmet and bar) on the same setting? Maybe they could increase the battery life on the big one a little bit, to align it better with the 900, or offer a battery pack for that (you can probably fit them into a frame bag which could also zip up the cable).
Been riding at night for years! I keep telling people that it’s easier to navigate technical sections at night because the shadows the depth of the tech, if that makes sense😁. I use my stronger 800 lumen on bars and a 12 year old Niterider 300 lumen, that must have literally 1000s of hours on it, on my helmet.
@@hardtailparty I ordered one 1800 and 2 900s. Will run 2 900s on the bar and 1800 on helmet. That way I can light 750 lumens on the 1800 and maybe 900 each on the bars. And then get 2 hours all around easy. And also can get the wide beam all around on both bars and helmet. Great review.
The lumina duel 1800 throws way more light at 350/700/1500 at Low/Medium/High, the lumina 900 does 200/350/700. The duel has longer run time too, 3 hours at 700 which is medium, on the lumina 900 that is the high setting and only 90mins.
I answer that question in the video, along with some examples to show why. I have been running the brighter light on the bars lately to illuminate the shadows more. Check out the comparisons at night in this video.
Debating between buying one 900 (helmet) and one 1800 OR going with three 900s. If I put two 900s on the bar, can they be adjusted to get the same bright, wide beam as an 1800? Love the idea of redundancy, but don't want to sacrifice the wide beam out front. Can anyone comment on this?
Get 15% off your first order with the code "HARDTAIL15" (exclusions apply). Support this channel and save some money using these links:
Lumina Micro 900: bit.ly/3coRN3m
Lumina OLED 1200 Boost: bit.ly/3ci5uRr
Lumina Dual 1800: bit.ly/2RL1uPW
Helmet Mount: bit.ly/3iPXyth
K-Edge GoPro Mount Adapter: bit.ly/2FMaO3J
I have two 900’s on the way... thanks for review and discount.
@@brianrand7191 Ordering the Dual 1800. Actually was going to buy it somewhere else but checked out some reviews first to decide between 1200 and 1800. The coupon DOES work. Make sure you spell it correctly "HARDTAIL15". They don't charge shipping and I'm getting $24 off the price of the Dual 1800
~JSV
Thanks for the code Steve! Just placed an order. Not a big order, but an order nonetheless. Thanks for churning out great content!
When I lived in WI many years ago I did a solo night ride to prep for a 24hr race. Bats were swarming in my lights to snack on all the attracted bugs. Getting a bat caught between your legs while peddling is an "interesting" experience.
Thanks for this review, especially the dark-forest demonstration. I know how time consuming it is to pack so much information into each frame, and it was very revealing. I had assumed that higher-powered lights would have the longest run-time, but au contraire! In any event, your coupon code saved me $36 on my purchases and I am SO happy with this setup. I have 3 bikes, so I'm getting TWO of the 900s, and one extra handlebar strap. That gives me 3 handlebar attachments. Then I got the helmet strap, which I can use with all 3 bikes. I then went ahead and did the same thing with a rechargeable tail light (the Solas) -- 1 light and 3 mounts. I really like the removeable aspect of all these lights, so you could use them as regular flashlights when searching for the porta-potty at a campground, or, like you said, lend one to a friend. Next I will get a portable USB charger to complete the set up, then curl up and hibernate until Spring arrives.
I found out too, that they also sell the 1200 boost OLED WITHOUT the "LED" display. That one has the same functions and selections with the same button as the dual 1800 boost.
I got the Dual 1800 Boost, and it's nothing short of AMAZING! I was using a cheaper circular light with 14 XMLT6 chips in it. That one was very bright and served it's purpose in the woods, on the paths, and in pitch black streets around Rockport, MA. But the "Dual 1800 Boost" blows it away. The NightRider dual 1800 ON MEDIUM is brighter than my older light. Side by side comparison that's totally true. I am so glad I got that. And now I'm getting the 1200 boost for another bike because I'm so impressed with these products, I just haven't decided if I want the 1200 with or without the LED screen.
~JSV
1200 Boost on my handlebar and 850 on my helmet. Perfect combo. Love these lights.
You worked really hard on this video. The fact you could expound deep information in a casual and accesible way shows how professional you are. Thank you.
Hey Yaakov, thank you for the kind words. I did put a lot of time into this one. Glad you found it enjoyable.
Had to share my appreciation for this product review. Was in the market for a quality light as one of my cheapo $15 lights fell apart.
Thank you for sharing real experience with the products and sharing your insight. A year later, product lines have changed but your recommendations and insight still apply.
I ended up buying a Micro 850 for now and will buy another of the same when my other cheapo lights dies. Thank you so much for putting out outstanding content!
I haven't done a night ride on Mtn bikes in quite some time, but remember how much fun they were. I still do night rides on my road bike on occasion, especially when there's a full moon....very cool experience if you get out late when everyone else is in bed so there's no traffic.
Another cool experience is a Mtn bike ride at night when there's snow on the ground. It's amazing the amount of wildlife you see and how silent everything is.
Totally!
Fantastic tips and review. You went above and beyond with the overlays, sharing battery life, camera settings, etc. I’m a road rider so I’m thinking of going with the 900 or 1200 OLED as a handlebar mounted light.
Excellent review!😎
Was reviewing my Niterider literally the night before. I have the Micro 850; was about the best mirco at the time. Now the 900 is the king; same running time as the 850 but with an extra bit of output. Went with the K-Edge Go-Pro adapter and a K-Edge handle bar mount; adds to a clean cockpit and the light does NOT move...
Main use for my light is to get home if I get caught out when the sun goes down..
Niterider has some front and rear combo kits; well worth the price. If I see a micro 900 combo kit, at a good price, I will grab it!
Thanks for the great review. You helped me make my decision. I ended up purchasing the Lumina Dual 1800 for my bars and the Lumina Micro 900 for my helmet. Wow, what a perfect combination. My buddy also had a Lumina Dual 1800 and a 700 light on his helmet. We lit up the woods with these lights. With my friend in the front and me behind, I could turn down my lights to conserve battery life. Great lights.
Of all your reviews, this was the most helpful! I ended up purchasing 2 x 900's...…
ive been using a nite rider 650 for 2 years and it still works. this is just a tip for anyone. never buy cheap, you will end up buying multiple times
I run 1 Lumina 750 on my helmet and run it on medium.
Want to spend $$$, get 2 900's. You don't need more than that.
Steve, this is a great video. I finally upgraded from old, battery and cable systems to some Niterider Lumina lights. I used this video as a starting point in my quest, and I have just a couple thoughts to add to what you say. I am NOT referencing the OLED lights here, I have no use for those. I started with two Boost 1000 lights, which I like well enough, but for me it felt a bit heavy to have one on the helmet, and I wasn't getting quite the beam spread I wanted from one on the bars. I ended up adding a Micro 900 and I now have the dual 1000 on the bars with the 900 on the helmet. For me, the difference in weight is noticeable. The Boost models seem to have a warmer, wider beam than the Micro. Your video seems to show the same, with the 1800 and the 1200 casting a warmer light (1800 especially). I have the two boost units on my bar set to the same angle of throw, but splayed out a few degrees from each other. This gives a nice, wide path from the bars that throws great shadows and still allows me to scan ahead and through corners with the Micro on my helmet. The dual boost units are a bit heavier than an 1800 would be on the bars, but it comes with the upside of USB charging ports, and the versatility you highlighted of being able to re-configure to suit any scenario, or to easily share a light with a friend. This video is an excellent resource, and I thank you for making it and sharing. The convenience and versatility of these modern lights is truly amazing.
thanks, great video! as a new mountain biker, I really appreciate the insight on how to do a good light setup
Great stuff. As an old 90s 24-hour racer I am still in awe of current light technology! I now run a Niterider Pro Enduro 1800 on the bike and a Niterider Lumina 950 on my helmet. Plus a Lumina 750 as backup. The beauty of overpowered lights is running them on medium power and getting tons of battery life but still being able to just go full daylight on that final descent. Glad you showed so clearly how the bike light is so important as far as seeing the terrain! Keep up the great work.
Great tips and video Steve! Especially where to aim both bar and helmet lights as well as using a lower power light on your helmet.
I like to use a combination of a bike headlamp, and a regular headlamp. It's nice when you want to look around to read road signs, or when turning corners, getting stuff out of a bag, etc...
Best review I’ve seen! Thank you! Most reviews say the more expensive the better but appreciate the small nuances you mention. Getting the 900 lumen one
Thanks, @hardtailparty! This was super informative in helping me determine what @NiteRiderLights to get. Stoked for some night riding this winter :)
Right on time dude. I am about to start doing a few night rides and was thinking i need to look up some lights. Nice ouchy you got on the elbow.
Yeah, I took a slam on one of my night rides recently.
@@hardtailparty I feel your pain. Im recovering from a rear wheel washout at pretty high speeds. Knee got road rash. I recommend vasoline to keep those scabs moist.
Is this Steve from Dusty Betty? great video! Loved the part where you showed how a headlamp can wash out trail I never noticed that before.
Yup, that's me. Welcome toy channel.
Thank you so very much. Awesome info as I'm a newbie, and I don't want to buy a light just to have to get another one. Let's say your just riding in the Neiborhood, and you can only buy one light, do you place it on the handlebars or the helmet? How bright of a back light should you get? Thanks!
This was super super helpful commentary. I wish more humorous word he can approach more like yours, because it actually gave me real information about the experience of using the lights would be. I am a road rider, not a mountain biker, yet I sound the information that you gave to be exceptionally helpful. I really appreciate your smile and I wish you were here for a few days And many more lights on the market and find a way to get some in hand to try out, and I would be interested for road riding purposes just saying how some of the lights that are popular in the EU that make the German specifications be in a road riding experience
Thank you for the kind words
Thank you for this review. I have been in the market for a set of lights for my wife and I so this is just what I needed. Picked up a set for each of us. Two 900s and two 900s with the sabre rear light. The discount saved us over $50.00 thanks again Steve. They didn't stock the correct helmet strap so I got those from the Niterider site direct. Love the channel, have a great day.
Congrats, it's a great setup for the price!
Your thinking and experience lines up exactly with my experiences. I whole hardily agree with your conclusions. Well said! From a fellow night rider.
Which one would you use for commuting? Unlimited budget.
Thank you for this nice, down-to-earth review! I ended up buying a first Micro 900 right after watching your video (15% discount with your code, great!) and a second one just moments ago! In the past few weeks I have tried 3 different eBay/Amazon lights, and while they are substantially cheaper, they cannot compete with the Micro 900: small, self contained, good power, and the diffused beam pattern makes every lumen count.
Very helpful review. I have a single 900. I haven’t done much night riding but plan to do more this winter. I mostly use it get home if I lose the race against the sunset.
Thanks for this review! I've been using the 650's for 2 years but now looking to switch to the 900's for night time cycling!
Thanks for the informative video. What’s your thoughts on the Pro Enduro 4200?
Super bright light, but not self contained. I love note riders bigger lights too.
Great timing on this video. Do you have any plans on reviewing the 2021 Giant Fathom? With the new updates it seems like a good budget hardtail option.
I would like to, but it's almost impossible to get in touch with anyone at giant.
Been using the Lumina 900 and 750 since I started night riding about 8 years ago... Aside from totally loving these lights for all things light (not just biking)... the mount, the charging, the battery life all awesome. Also funny I lost one of these, it spent about 9 months out in the woods until a friend found it... it literally turned on when I got it back, charged up works like new... Also had my daughter mess up the button on one, NiteRider serviced it super inexpensive fix, good as new... Love these lights, love night riding fast and technical trails, need visibility, easy helmet mount ( I only use the helmet mount) some people may think this is crazy, I think it's enough light
That's awesome!
Pls make a Tier List of all hardtails you have ridden
I save this for my patrons.
Good video. I use a 1800 on the bars and 850 on my helmet and agree with everything you said on this vid thru trial and error w lights. . 👍
I have an older 750 and micro 600. I picked up the 600 just because of how inexpensive it was from a buddy. I use them on the road. I find that I like the form factor of the micro more than the Lumina as far as how they sit on my bars. I run both lights at slightly different angles so I can get a wider coverage of light. The 900 looks like a super deal and if I pick one up I may give the 750 to a friend that commutes in town. Thanks for a good review.
I'm surprised you are opting for not using your big light anymore. I'm wondering if that has to do with where you are riding. I have an 1800 and a 1200 with the external batteries and have always used the 1800 up top. I'm going to switch them around for sure now. Thanks for that. However, I need new lights for when we get the early morning road rides in and I think that 900 will be perfect. Plus, then I can use that as a secondary light with my bigger system and not have the cable on my head.
The convenience factor of having everything self contained is amazing. Obviously my big $400 light casts more light and really illuminates the trail, but simplicity trumps max output for me.
NR makes AWESOME lights. I have @ 7 NR lights and swear by them. I run my 3600 pro on my bars and my 1800 pro on my helmet ONLY for long winter rides where 3+ hours is expected. For 90% of my night rides, which we do 2x weekly, I run a 1200 Lumina (non-OLED, as good and cheaper!!!) on the bars and a 750 Lumina micro on my helmet. That gives me more than enough light to go full speed on descents and is so much easier to mount and use. In addition to the great lights, NR customer service is amazing. And for anyone in SoCal, they are a local San Diego company with walk in offices in Poway. Fantastic review that covered the topic very well.
And I also take my little 750 in my bag when I travel for work (locked) and keep an older 1000 by my bed as a flashlight.
Im a huge fan as well. Niterider has been making fantastic lights for 30+ years.
coming from ig, you answered my question! i just bought the 1200 boost (no OLED) should’ve bought 2 900s instead! awesome video
Its ok the 1200 non OLED is still a great light.
What a thorough review of the (relevant to most of us) range. I just went on a night ride with a 400 lumen light and, though I’m familiar with the trail, it was not enough to make me feel confident and comfortable in the dark.
I can imagine. The 900 lumen light for $75 is about the cheapest you want to go. It's amazing what a difference 900 lumens is over 400.
Every winter here we do night rides and i always have a light on the helmet and one on the bars, i find climbing is interesting in that i end up with PR's not so much on the descending
I run a 200 Lumen helmet light and I have the Lumina 920 handlebars it's just a perfect combination also the 200-lumen that's on my helmet is powered by four double a batteries which gets you a lot more versatility if you cannot find a USB charger when on your route.
Great vid! I have the Lumina 1800 and love it for night riding. I have an older (5+ years) Lumina 650 also and agree that the brighter handlebar light & less bright helmet light is the best setup. As an aside, I also own an older (almost 10 years) Cateye Volt 1200 (there's a newer Volt 1700 now). My Cateye has easily gotten to 2hrs on HI (1200Lm). When it's time to replace that one, I'm definitely getting whatever is the highest output Cateye at the time. You might want to give those a look, too.
Thanks. Very helpful especially since it is getting darker
Great video. You confirmed my setup. I ride with the 1800 on the stemcap, micro 850 on the helmet. Backup older 900 in the pack
The 500 fits a cannondale helmet perfectly. No extra attachments needed.. and has more than enough light. Along with the 1200 on the bars... ideal. 💪
I have a Lumina 900 and a Lumina 1200. Riding all seasons up in the PNW, I leave my 900 in my pack pretty much all the time for emergency's and late in the day rides - it's so small and light, why not? I always ride with the 900 on my helmet. If I am going riding at night on purpose, I mount the 1200 on my bars. I also ride with the 1200 on my commuter Fargo.
Bro, you just confirmed all my speculations. Got 1 900 already, getting two more for the bars. Bike Closet has them for $45 each. Running
Med on the helmet with this strap.
Thanks! Ride safe 👍🏽
The helmet mount looks a bit unstable, is it any good or would it better to use a GoPro mount on the helmet?
Thanks, like the idea of both head and bar mount lights. We already have the 750s and will be utilizing them in both locations. Was using only head mount and I believe something hit my front wheel, did not see or remember. Concussion. Will be mounting on bars also, as head only may not be enough. Should have watched this before I rode Saturday evening.
Oof, sorry to hear about the concussion, that's not good. Heal fast.
@@hardtailparty im good, eating again, ,couple days off, looking for my next lid, likely to use hardtail15 code. Any better than others? Have a great trip! Will look for some fantastic vids down the road. Rims and hubs came in.
I totally agree with you about the pattern on the 1800. I like how it lights up the sides as well. I kind of disagree with you though about the battery life. 700 lm versus 900 lm is very minimal and if you set the 1800 on medium that 700 lm and it last three hours versus 900 lm on the micro 900 which last two hours. If money is not a huge issue I think the 1800 is the way to go considering battery life and light coverage. I would put the 900 on the helmet however and run it on medium.
I have an older lumina 750 as well as the OLED 1200. With the 1200 I never really feel the need to run it on boost as the high mode is plenty bright for me. I myself find a lot of value in being able to look at the screen and see my projected battery life as well as flip through the modes, but I totally get where others may not care about that or find value in it.
This was really helpful-thanks for posting.
I bought the lumina 900 a few weeks ago based on your recommendation, so far... Its been great. I bought helmet mount .
On high how long did the lumina micro 900 lasting before diming?
Mine only lasts an 64 minutes. I'm wondering if you were having similar results?
I couldn't tell... Was your favorite light in this video the 900?
I run an 1800 on my bars and an older 1000 on my helmet. It's a great setup, but I always get worried about battery life.
Great review! I have the Lumina 1000 boost and it's amazing. I have it mounted on the bar and sometimes it gets tricky in the turns without a helmet light, as you mentioned, but that is rare. However, looking at the Micro 900, that is light of all lights. Not only does it run 900 lumens for 2 hours vs my 1000 boost run times: 1000 lumens-1 hr ; 750 lumens-1.5 hrs. It's also smaller and weighs 42 grams less than the 1000 boost, which would be more manageable on the helmet or just to carry fulltime in the Camelbak for those rides that run past sunset. I agree, a couple of the Micro 900s and you are off and running.
Any idea why lumina 1000 costs double of lumina micro 900?
Something I never hear mentioned, but might be worth considering: The brighter lights have bigger batteries, so buying a high-lumen light gives you longer runtime at lower lumens than a low-lumen light would at its highest setting. Plus, the brighter modes are still there if you need them. I got the Niterider OLED 1100 and almost always use it's 550 lumen mode. The OLED display - knowing just how many minutes of life you have left, in each mode - is critical for my use too (road biking solo at night in dark places).
Do you, though. Lights are very much a personal preference thing.
Thanks for the video! Very ILLUMINATING
har har
The oled works well on the bars, but it's a pain on the helmet. You can't feel the on/off switch at all. On the bars it's nice.
I have the old one with a water bottle which houses a NiCad battery. It worked great but the battery is now dead and no Ionger accepts a charge. For a while I saw it being used on police bikes, but theirs included a blue light flashing feature not found on civilian ones. I wonder if batteries can still be bought? Plus a new handle bar bracket would be nice.
I'd reach out to niterider and see what they say
Thanks for the video. Been thinking about a light for later ride's that might go into dark.
I have a feeling you'll get hooked, especially if you ride with friends.
@@hardtailparty hope so. I really need to make a few local MTB friend's. Probably will learn of new trails that allow night riding. I can see the appeal of night riding a trail though for sure. My need so far is i just ride around my town when I don't want to drive to the trails but the pull of riding my bike is too strong and sometimes you just can't make it out till late nowadays.
Only ever been for one proper night ride and it's awesome!
I'm interested to see if I agree with you when I do more night riding. My response to light is different due to my traumatic brain injury and having your review as a reference point is going to helpful I think. Thanks Steve(:
Unfortunately, just few days after posting an enthusiastic message about the Micro 900, I have to report that both units are not getting even closer to the advertised 2-hour runtime on max power: I seem to get about 1 hour and 10 minutes, then the light dims to a very low level (lower than the Low setting, you can barely see where you're going). They seem to remain on this low-power output forever, I waited 2 hours then I manually turned them off. I have sent an email to NiteRider Support, asking for clarifications. They are local (San Diego), so hopefully if the units I got are defective, I can get this resolved quickly, without returning them to the seller. Curious to know if the channel owner (Hardtail Party) or other users have experienced the same...
Contacted NiteRider, they confirmed that the Micro 900 should go for 2 hours at max power (give or take 10%, which means 12 minutes) so they started an RMA process and I have sent them both lights. Will post an update once I get the replacements. Very weird I got 2 defective units, both with identical behavior.
Ok, first of all sorry for using this space to comment about my personal issue with the Micro 900, but I think it's good information for anyone thinking to buy one. I just spent 30min on the phone with NiteRider Support. They tested both lights, and got from 1h 30min to 1h 45min from them, before the switch turned red, which they consider to be within specs. I'm really surprised as I'm pretty sure about my numbers, in any case they are sending the lights back as they see nothing wrong with them. In speaking with the technician, the only thing we could think of was the charger: I use a RavPower smart charger with QC3 and iSmart, they use a "dumb" 500mA charger. I'll try that and see if it makes any difference.
Final comment: I was able to get the same runtimes as NiteRider Support by testing the lights with a large PC fan pointed at them. First light went red after 1h 33min and dimmed to low-output at 1h 41min, the second light reached 1h 51min and 1h 59min, respectively. Not too thrilled about the first one being 15% worse than the other, but at least now I understand how they got those numbers. Having said that, the first time we noticed the short runtime was on an actual ride (at night, with cool temperatures), so it's possible that this model has a bit of a tendency to overheat, and you need to keep temperatures under control in order to get the advertised runtime (e.g. run then on medium when climbing, run them on low when stopping for a break). I'll do a couple more rides to see how they behave, then decide whether to keep them or return them: if I have to constantly worry about the light to keep it cool, it's not the light for me.
good review ... i own several NiteRider lights; i like the output, performance, and compact form factor ... i also like the strobe patterns to use during daytime riding
I'd throw a knog pwr 2000 in the mix. The mount is really solid and the beam sufficient for trail riding at night
Can you charge while you are using the light?
the 500 is on sale right now on amazon for 32$ and you also get a rear light with the bundle.
You ask why the beam on the 1800 is more flood like, it’s because the optics (lenses) are designed to stretch that beam out wider.
6:01 if you use your bike on roads too, then incoming cars will also thank you for that. Lamps need to point towards the ground, not far ahead (a lot of cars nowadays are not properly set up here either unfortunately). How were the shadows with two 900 (helmet and bar) on the same setting? Maybe they could increase the battery life on the big one a little bit, to align it better with the 900, or offer a battery pack for that (you can probably fit them into a frame bag which could also zip up the cable).
It's all about Cygo Lite, my nightrider feels way too blue after using my Cygo Lite which is a slightly warmer color. Plus they're made in USA.
Been riding at night for years! I keep telling people that it’s easier to navigate technical sections at night because the shadows the depth of the tech, if that makes sense😁. I use my stronger 800 lumen on bars and a 12 year old Niterider 300 lumen, that must have literally 1000s of hours on it, on my helmet.
I was thinking about the swift 500 mount to the front fork and having a helmet light as well, but even on 500lm its very dull.
Is there a good option that runs on conditional batteries?
Interested to hear you compare the Sendero and Sherpa gen 3... seem like similar bikes on paper
Thank you very much for all these explanations into details ! Michel
Are you running the 1800 on your bar and helmet at the same output for each?
1800 on the bar and 900 on head. More light on the bars.
@@hardtailparty I ordered one 1800 and 2 900s. Will run 2 900s on the bar and 1800 on helmet. That way I can light 750 lumens on the 1800 and maybe 900 each on the bars. And then get 2 hours all around easy. And also can get the wide beam all around on both bars and helmet. Great review.
good review as always... thanks Steve...!
thanks for the discount code. I just bought an xt shifter and derailleur.
Congrsts. Thanks for using the code.
I got the 1100 boost for like 90 cad on amazon. Was on deal for a few hours and snagged it asap.
The lumina duel 1800 throws way more light at 350/700/1500 at Low/Medium/High, the lumina 900 does 200/350/700. The duel has longer run time too, 3 hours at 700 which is medium, on the lumina 900 that is the high setting and only 90mins.
Good review video man, thanks!
Great video, great job 👍
Hi, can I use an external battery pack with the duel 1800 to extend the runtime ?
No, it doesn't charge via usb
Good review i just got one of the 900 lumen light 👍
Very detailed setup. Thanks!
I have two old luminas, a 250 and 450. It's time for another lumina.
I have the lumina 550 and the lumina 900 and love them. Right know I run 550 on my bars and 900 on my helmet. Is this the way you would suggest
I answer that question in the video, along with some examples to show why.
I have been running the brighter light on the bars lately to illuminate the shadows more. Check out the comparisons at night in this video.
hardtail party sorry I got caught up and didn’t finish the video.
Thanks for the review, this is a perfect video.
Just to help and make sure someone doesnt get mad but your link to the helmet strap is for the older model lights and dont work with this series
Thank you for the heads up! I'll fix that right away.
Debating between buying one 900 (helmet) and one 1800 OR going with three 900s. If I put two 900s on the bar, can they be adjusted to get the same bright, wide beam as an 1800? Love the idea of redundancy, but don't want to sacrifice the wide beam out front. Can anyone comment on this?
I use two Swift 500s, one either side of the stem.
Excellent review! Thank you
Guys I comparing the the cateye ampp 500 vs nightrider 900 I just want to know which one is brighter cause I usually ride at night or early Mornings
Excellent review, well done, thank you.
How many weeks have you been working in this video? Looks like many hours of work!
This video was about 30+ hours to make. It took a long time.
Thanks for the review good stuff
Excellent very helpful video, thank you!
Excellent review
Wow!! Super helpful! Thanks.