NiteRider Flight Headlamp

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Product: NiteRider Flight HID/LED headlamp. Configuration: 2008 model; battery has been changed for '09 to provide a better fit against a top tube. Test Platform: Typically run as a helmet light for trail rides. Product Put in Service: November 2007. Review Date: November 2008. Reviewed by: Rich Ries. Cost: $540 MSRP; street/online price for remaining `08s is around $300 and for `09s around $350. Includes: Headlamp, battery, charger with detachable cord, helmet mount, handlebar mount, short (20 inch/51 cm) cable, long (52.5 inch/133 cm) cable, hook-and-loop strap to hold the battery to the bike, small hook-and-loop strap to help route the cable when the light is helmet-mounted, owner's manual, and zippered nylon carrying case. Weight/Mass: 430 g. claimed for the complete system; ours clocks in at 498 g. with the handlebar mount and short cord and 499 g. with the helmet mount and the long cord. The difference between their claimed weight and our actual weight isn't the change in battery. Ours is 227 g. which is what they claim for their new battery. Run Times: 2:15, 2:45, 3:30 on HID; up to 100 hours on LED. Recharge Time: 1:30. Lumens: Information not available. Recommended? Yes.

Executive Summary: Excellent package of features for 99 percent of riders with a unique feature everyone can appreciate.

Ratings

(1 is lowest, 5 is highest)

Comments

Effectiveness

Would be a 5 with a better switch.

Ease of Operation

Easy to mount; connectors are cranky and the switch is confusing.

Cost/Value

The best balance of features at this price point.

Support

Can still order batteries for lights from the `90s.

From the blinding array of lights on the market, what makes the Flight stand out? Mostly it's the balance of features. Run times are good for most riders; if you're an endurance racer you might look for something else. The lowest of the three HID settings is ample for most riding. Recharge time is amazingly quick. If I get a late afternoon e-mail from a buddy saying he wants to ride that night, I plug in the charger and I'm ready to go by dark. In fact I often charge the Flight on the way to the trail using an inverter and a 12v power outlet in the BRATmobile. Since the battery is never fully depleted, I can top it off even when driving to a nearby trail.

Light intensity and color are excellent. Features are clearly defined by the Flight's beam. Light distribution is very good, with no dark spots and with consistent rolloff to the edges. The beam is a bit narrow for bar-mounted use, so I typically mount the Flight to my helmet. It comes with both helmet- and bar-mounting hardware and will fit 31.8 mm bars. I usually augment the helmet-mounted Flight with a bar-mounted Planet Bike Alias, but I could ride singletrack or city streets with the Flight alone.

LED lights are making inroads into this performance category. But if you find an LED system with comparable light quality and the same recharge time, it'll cost just as much and the light head itself will be much bulkier than the svelte Flight.

While the balanced performance of the Flight would be enough to recommend it, the one unique feature that seals the deal is the cluster of three LEDs below the HID light. HID lights run hot and should be operated only while you're moving so that airflow cools the bulb. Otherwise overheating may lead to premature bulb failure. But there are times when you want light while you're not riding, like when you're fixing a flat, reading a map, or chatting with another rider. At those times the low-power LEDs are perfect. The NiteRider Web site says you can ride using the LEDs if you need extended run times. I doubt it. You could probably walk out of the woods, but not ride out. Still, if a mechanical leaves you a three-hour walk from your vehicle, the LEDs will get the job done. The light automatically switches from HID to the LEDs if the battery gets very low to prevent excessive discharge, which can damage the battery. In addition to steady state the LEDs will operate in flash mode or blink out SOS.

So is the Flight perfect? Not quite. To keep water out of the connections between the cable ends and the battery, the connectors fit very tightly. Getting them connected is tough; I've had a cable I thought was connected come disconnected while I was riding. That provides a totality of darkness - at speed - that gives a new meaning to sudden fear. And if you do get the connections firmly together, it's difficult to get them apart again.

But my main gripe is the switch. It's a membrane switch that's waterproof and easy to operate with gloves. It has little dancing LEDs that entertain you while the HID builds to full power. Those LEDs also serve as a battery gauge. But the activation sequence is neither logical nor consistent. Getting to the light I want can be frustrating at times. A better scheme would be two membrane switches; one for the HID and one for the LEDs. Cycle through high-medium-low-off or steady-flash-SOS-off.

The bar mount is easy to use. It accommodates a wide range of bar angles and the one clamp fits all common sizes of bars. The helmet mount is easy to use but try to get the light properly positioned on its indexed holder before you put on your helmet. Adjusting the light up or down while wearing the helmet is difficult.

There's a lot to love about the Flight, but you could say that about most lights at this price point. So why pick the Flight? Including the LEDs was a stroke of genius that made a good light best-in-class.

The NiteRider Flight kit.

The headlamp and battery, at least as the battery was configured for 2008. The translucent membrane at the back of the light is the switch. Under the membrane are LEDs that flicker when the HID is started and glow steadily when the HID bulb is at full power. The LEDs also serve as a battery gauge.

The Flight provides a lot of light from a compact unit. HID lights retain their advantage over LED lights when all factors - light quality, cost, and physical size - are considered, but that's changing quickly. LEDs generally offer longer run times for a given amp/hour battery rating.

Looks like blue-green algae, but it isn't.

The Flight throws a good pattern, although some riders may find it a little too narrow for a handlebar-mounted light. The weeds at the back of the field are about 100 feet/30 meters away.

Three LEDs provide low-level illumination.

These three little LEDs aren't really bright enough to ride by, but they're great for everything else.

Connectors are waterproof but hard to join and separate.

The friction-fit connectors do a good job of sealing the contacts, but they can be difficult to join securely at the start of the ride and to separate again at the end of the ride.