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The light output measurement is performed by placing a Lux light meter beside the light. Both are pointed at the ceiling (five feet above) of a dark room. This measurement uses the ambient light produced by the bike light. We found this to be the most effective and repeatable measure of each light.

Pointing the light directly at the meter produced varying readings depending on exactly where the light beam was centered. Also, it was highly dependent on how focused the beam pattern was.

RoadBikeReview LED Lights Shootout Main Page

RoadBikeReview LED Lights Shootout Main Page

Lupine Betty 12 $1,185.00

Description:

The Lupine Betty 12 features 7 leds in a relatively compact light head that weighs in at only 156 grams. It is very well built and it integrates cooling fins towards the rear of the light head. Mounting is done with a beefy rubber band.

The switch is external and is designed to be mounted close to the grips. The Betty 12 has a waterbottle style battery and the Betty 6 has a smaller battery in a soft case.

Light Head and Switch Close ups:

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NiteRider MiNewt.X2 $190.00

NiteRider MiNewt.X2 Dual $ 230.00

Description:

The MiNewt.X2 features a tiny, 82 gram light head that feels sturdy and looks well-ventilated. The mount is a rubber band hook style onto the bars with a couple innovations. First, the rubber band has a tab that makes it easy to grip. Second, the mount has a pivot ball that allows left to right aiming of the light. The small battery is in a hard case and it is ideally mounted on the stem.

The MiNewt.X2 Dual is the same system with an additional light head and a y-cable. Brightness is doubled and the battery run time is cut in half. The Dual can only be used with both lights since the y-cable is permanently attached. Read the rest of this entry »

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Jet Lites Shadow Lithium $ 500.00

Description:

The Shadow is a 13W light head that has been around for years. It is still extremely competitive with a bright spot and a wide halo. This year, it has been updated with a Lithium battery with a fuel tank. The wiring connector on this is an aligned, screw-on type. It’s a bit cumbersome for day to day use but great if you ride in wet and rugged conditions.

Light Head Close ups:

Mounting Options:

Handlebar mounting as well as helmet mounting is available for this light. It works great in both applications.

Light Meter Readings:

Our ambient light measurement came in at 30 Lux. This was equal to the output of the Exposure Enduro Maxx and just below the Niterider Trinewt at 33 Lux.

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This review covers the Jeni H and the BR Lights C2.1 H (see below for full review on both lights)

Jeni H $ 299.00

Description:

The BR Lights Jeni is a self-contained helmet mount system. Construction is excellent and the switch mechanism is best in class. It’s a bit on the heavy side at 301 grams but it is fairly flat and sits low on top of the helmet. The light is extremely bright with a spot that allows the the rider to see very far into the trail.

Light Head Close ups:

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Light and Motion Stella 180L $300.00

Light and Motion Stella 180N $200.00

Description:

Light Head Close ups:

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Light On Expedition 1000 helmet and bar lights – $800

Helmet or bar light separately – $409

Description:

Light Head and Battery Close ups:

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Dinotte 200L $ 249.00

Dinotte 200L Dual $ 349.00

Description:

The Dinotte 200L consists of a small light head cyclinder and a compact, plastic-encased battery. The connector is a non-directional plug that snaps into place and keeps water out. The rubber switch is very easy to operate as it scrolls through the three light levels available. Mounting is simplistic with a rubber hoop that goes around the handlebar. The light is bright and the beam fairly wide with no hotspot.

All Dinotte lights have three ‘flash’ modes for commuting. They are very effective and visible for greater visibility for oncoming traffic. These flash modes are extremely visible on the red tail lights as well. And the best part is the ‘flash’ modes do not interfere with regular use. The user has to press the button for six seconds to enter this mode. After using other lights where the flash mode is always in the way, this feature is very welcome.

We consider the Dinotte connectors as best in class as well. They are non-directional and pop into place and are thus the easiest to connect. Initially, they were a bit too hard to disconnect. But a little bit of Vaseline fixed that right up.

Light Head Close ups:

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Cateye Tripleshot $330.00

Description:

The Cateye Tripleshot houses three LEDs in a big housing with a big heatsink. It uses a NiMh battery covered in Neoprene. Introduced a few years ago, this system shows its age and has been updated with the Cateye Tripleshot Pro that features twice the light a Lithium battery.

Light Head Close ups:

Light Meter Readings:

On our light meter readings, it measured 11 Lux. This is close to the readings we got for both the Light and Motion Stella and the Niterider Trinewt.X2 at 12 Lux

Mounting Options:

The Knog 605 can only be mounted on the handlebar. It can be aimed left to right easily.

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Ayup bar (regular kit) $ 380.00

Ayup helmet

Description:

The Ayup ‘regular kit’ is a light system from Australia that features two light heads. Each light head has two bulbs that can be tilted up and down independently. The kit includes two small batteries and a large battery. Aside from the 110 volt charger, a 12 volt car charger is included as well. The whole system comes with a handy neoprene case to transport everything.

While some lights are full-featured, fancy sytems, the Ayup is a no-frills light system. It sticks to the very basics to deliver the most light and battery power possible for the price. Thus for $380, you get two lights, an extra battery and a charger. What you don’t get is a light switch, fancy electronics and a flexible mounting system.

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