Looking at Niterider bike light 500 lumens 79.99 from Nashbar.Any experience with this light ? I would use this on a road bike, doubt I would exceed 15mph. Thanks

I can't address the 500 since I have the 650 and feel it is fantastic. Low at 200 lumens is great for street riding at 17mph and the 650 lumens is awesome.

NiteRiderLumina 650 - NiteRider

click on comparison chart for the lumen output. 500 medium would be 250 lumens that I think would be OK for 15mph

+1

I also have the Lumina 650. Low works for me on unlit residential streets (though I also have a helmet-mounted light running on low so I can "see around corners"). Nice to have the higher settings when I get into busy traffic. Also, NR customer service has been very good; when I had a problem with it last year they told me to just send it in, no receipt or proof of purchase date, etc.

Just saw that Nashbar now has an extra 20% off with the free shipping.

I have cygolites.... "METRO 550"...real nice USB rechargeable unit with 50 more lumens for the same money.

I've had some quality issues with NiteRider through the past few years. I had a pair of Lumina 700s where the USB charging ports broke, and a larger Pro 1200 Race with connection issues to the separate battery. On the Luminas the USB connection to the actual light simply broke off after less than a year of use, and on the Pro you had to "wiggle" the connection between the light and the battery to get it to work or charge. It just seemed a little shoddy, I guess lol - I have since switched to CygoLite (a Trion 1300) and the quality seems substantially higher. Addidionally, the Trion has a more street-friendly beam pattern.

I had a couple of NiteRider MiNewt 600 Cordless lights in the past (which is the predecessor to the Luminas) where I didn't have any quality issues, so this may just be a recent downturn.

CyGoLite - YouTube

Very well made solid unit.

I have that light. 500 Lumens Bright enough for me. Looks weak on my videos, but that is not the case in person.

I have two 700 and one 650. If street riding I seldom ever the light on anything by the lowest setting (200/250); occasionally on the second setting (500). $80 is a good price but if you shop around you might be able to get one of the stronger lights for the same price (if it matters).

Tractorlegs - I also had a problem with the 700 charger port breaking (it pulled out of the device). I called and got a repair number, sent it to NiteRider free of charge and had it repaired within the week. I commend the company for standing behind its product (and has its a local So Cal company and has stayed in CA - I give it big kudos!). I have had no problem with my other two lights however.

Note: I do alot of mountain biking at night and use all three lights for that (two on the bars and one on my helmet). Because its so dark out on the trail and I am coming down a mountainside and need to see far ahead, I use the lights at maximum brightness... they work great!

Found Niterider (SanDiego Cal) service after sale good .. I lost a small part, of a discontinued bar mount for my old 6v halogen light

they shipped me a whole new Mount, gratis.

For the last year I've used an UltraFire bike headlamp. One piece machined aluminum housing, five modes, Cree U2, maybe 800 lumens on high. $11~$13 off Ebay. You'll need your own 18650 battery and charger. I use a Panasonic 3400mah, just like the ones in a Tesla Motors Model S; three and a quarter hours+ on high.

I have the 500 and use it for urban night riding. Plenty bright enough on the low setting.

Do you realize the 500 is an older out of production model ? The new model is the 550.

I have the older MiNewt Cordless 600 and 150 lights. Both have worked really well. I seldom use the 600 setting so I'd think that the 500 should be adequate. I really like putting the MiNewt 150 on my helmet. It helps seeing around sharp turns; spotting deer and other critters in the woods; and pointing at drivers so that they can see me.

NiteRider customer service is excellent even beyond the warranty period. However, for my next purchase, I'll be looking for something that uses non-proprietary and easily replaceable batteries. This is pretty rare in bicycle head lights so I might have to compromise. If so, here's what I'd probably get today:

Fenix BC30 LED Bike Light - Fenix-Store

Matt

I got their halogen sport , it uses a battery pack with 5 rechargeable C cell sized Batteries . Same light , used in their set for scuba divers .

my compact Headlight uses AA cells Busch & Müller: IXON IQ

cubicle jockeys seem to prefer USB recharge stuff,

I've been running a Niterider Lumina 550 for the past year. Awesome light, I generally run it on the 250, or medium, setting. This is fine
for my night rides around the 'burbs, where there is usually (Not always) adequate street lighting. Not only does NR make a fine headlight,
but they have also designed brackets that...just...work.

Niterider puts out some fine stuff. Even their lower end lights work well.

I cannot explain it, but battery bags, "the battery goes somewhere else" drive me nuts.

Me too. Fortunately there are a lot of lights, especially from CygoLite and NiteRider, that are self-contained. I like CygoLite quality a little better tho.

Also good experience w/ #500 for 1 1/2 yrs.

Long run time, good bracket, no problems.

Recommended.

I would try the Cygolite Expilion with the higher lumen rating. I recently visited Performance and the older versions of Expilion are on sale. By older I means the lense is different than the new ones of 2014. The older lense is just the round beam and the new lense has a wider beam.

I've used NRider lights for near twenty years now...first one had the battery in the bottle, whew one heavy battery...and would not use another brand.