One of the benefits of living in Atlanta is the relatively mild climate. Sure, the summers can be brutal, and we get a handful of truly frigid days each winter, but with the right gear (and some motivation) you can ride year-round. However, with the end of daylight savings time, it’s tough to get out during the week. Unless, of course, you have a dependable light.
NiteRider has been producing lights for over 25 years and has a reputation for high-quality, dependable products. The NiteRider Lumina 700 (now the Lumina 750) certainly fits that bill.
Specs
The Lumina 700 packs a decent amount of light (700 lumens, hence the name) into a small, self-contained package. The light uses a single Cree LED bulb, is about 4.5in long, 1.5in tall, and weighs around 6oz (172g). Its small size makes it easy to throw in a pack, just in case your ride goes into overtime. Included with the light are a handlebar mount, helmet mount, and a micro USB cable for charging.
The handlebar mount is a quick release type, making it very easy to swap between bikes. Personally, I like to get the mount just tight enough so the light doesn’t move on its own, but loose enough that I can still move the whole assembly for fine-tuning the angle.
While the helmet mount is fairly quick to take on and off, it could be a bit more substantial. Even with the bracket screw tightened, small branches could cause the light to tilt up. This led to a few instances of wondering why all of a sudden it seemed much darker in the woods. It’s simple enough to grab the light and tilt it back down, but a tougher mount would be welcome here.
The micro USB cable is a nice addition, although its 12-inch length can make for tricky charging if using a wall outlet. I often had to find something to put underneath the light so it wasn’t just dangling while charging. The cable is great for plugging into a laptop or car charger, though.
There are four levels of light (high, medium, low, walk), as well as a flashing mode. The walk mode is great for conserving battery during trailside repairs. Run times range from 1:30-18:00 hours, depending on the setting, and it takes around 5hr 30min to charge the light.
Performance
While lumen ratings are typically the biggest selling points for night lights, they don’t tell the whole story. Beam pattern plays a large role in how effective a light is. Luckily, NiteRider knows what they’re doing, and the Lumina 700 strikes a good balance between flood and spot light. The light is clear and white, with no weird dark spots in the beam.
On high, the Lumina 700 is bright enough for all but the fastest or most technical sections. I ran it as a single light and also in conjunction with my personal light, a NiteRider Pro 1200 Race. With the 1200 on the bars and the 700 on my helmet, I could ride like it was daytime. Using two of the Lumina 700s could be an ideal lightweight setup for night riding or racing.
I also used the light extensively for road riding and commuting. For the road, I could use the low setting the vast majority of the time, which allowed me to get several rides in before needing to recharge. The flash mode is very bright, and will get you noticed even in bright daylight on busy streets.
Conclusion
The Lumina 700 is a great solution for someone looking for a versatile light. It’s bright, durable, and has long run times considering its small size.
While it is very capable on its own, the Lumina works even better when paired with a second light.
The current (slightly brighter) Lumina 750 is available for $140 MSRP.
Thanks to NiteRider for providing the Lumina for review.
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Mar 12, 2015