Being forced in to night riding this time of year, I needed a new handlebar mounted light. The Nightrider 1800 is still fairly compact, and the best part is, the light and battery are self contained. I am, finally rid of a strap on battery pack! My nightrider 1200 has now migrated to my helmet light. Nightrider has fantastic customer service and really stand behind their product!
I take fast and long rides on an E bike. Urban and suburban intercity riding.
I've used Lumina lights for years. They're pretty much indestructible, but lacking in some features for street use.
This one has those missing features.
1- A wide beam that lights up a whole traffic lane.
2- Side marker light feature. Reflectors don't work in the dark, lights do.
3- A fluted lens so oncoming traffic isn't looking directly into the bright LED.
4- A fast day strobe setting. A slow strobe makes traffic think you're moving slow. Faster is much better for fast riding.
5- Easily removed from the bike. if you don't take it with you, somebody else will. A little bit chunky in the pockets.
Quality ,performance, and features are all there. NR Luminas have never been cheap. Even at a discount this is a pricey light. For daytime rides I take a smaller Lumina. The really old ones have an even faster strobe. But for night rides this is hard to beat. FWIW I have Luminas over 10 years old that still work.
I own many bike lights, including *many* NR models, Fenix, and Lezyne. Shame on me for not noticing, but somehow instead of some kind of USB charging this model has a proprietary port and charger. For some this may not be a deal breaker, but regardless of the performance the hassle of having to carry a specific charger just for this light is absolutely a deal breaker for me. Just cost me the return shipping for failing to carefully review the specifications. Posting this review to hopefully save others from the same fate.
I ride a road E-bike with assistance to 28mph. I wanted to get a light that could throw a beam well ahead of my higher speeds. This light is capable of that, however I wish that the beam that it cast, could narrower in nature. I get a lot of complaints from friends that the beam is to wide and high. As a consequence I'm constantly adjusting the beam. On the other hand If I was off road this would be great for seeing the whole trail.
My other issue is that the mounting hardware that it came with was not good. I couldn't find a place on my bars that it could project a straight and level beam. It cost me a lot to get the after market mounts that the makers of NiteRider had recommend. Recently I discovered that Lezyne has upgraded mounts that can work for NiteRider at a fair price.
The light is very powerful. It comes with 4 levels of intensity. I generally use the two lowest setting unless I'm going down a steep hill. Overall it lets me ride on the darkest of road at any speed that I can muster. Just wish it offered a narrow beam setting.
I found that when this light is powered up, it "knocks out" my Cat Eye cyclometer. The cyclometer shuts down. Not sure why that happens, but it does. I put another cyclometer on in place of the Cat Eye and got the same result. Not a big deal if you don't mind losing the cyclometer data on night rides. The outstanding lighting makes up for this one drawback.
I ride with a group twice a week in the dark through secluded winding roads. The wide beam helps get through corners with less stress. I am able to light up the road for my fellow riders and we all feel much safer.
This light illuminates better than other lights in it's lumen number class. I don't know if it is underspec'd or the beam/pattern is better or who knows... It out shines others in it's class. Haven't been out on a long enough ride to evaluate charge life yet which says something, although my winter night rides are rarely longer than 2hrs. Regardless, satisfied with my purchase, would recommend to a friend. Buy it.
I only run NiteRider lights... ordered the dual 1800 and the Solas 250 for use on my gravel bike. As is always the case, NiteRider delivers quality and helps unveil the dark, opening another dimension for life riders.
Cheap? Never. But, you get what you pay for.
Great helmet mounted light for night trail riding, especially when paired with Niterider 3600 bar mounted lamp. I think I have better lighting than most cars have. However, the Lumina 1800 is just a tad heavier than most but it's a long lasting light.
I leave my house at 515 and i need strong reliable light to take me through dark, unlit roads. This NiteRider is so powerful i haven't even had to put it on the burst setting yet and i feel much more secure.
Incredibly bright light great for commuting in the dark. The brightest setting lasts for 2 hours and really makes a difference at seeing the road and hazards as well as "being seen" by cars.
This light is plenty bright but I have a 1500 lumen light that seems brighter, the lense seems to dull the beam and is quite opaque compared to other lights I've owned. For the size and weight I'm pretty happy with it though, on the middle setting there is more than enough light for most occasions.
This light is frighteningly bright. That is why I bought it and I use it every ride! My cycling buddies took notice; so does car traffic.
