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review
Lights - sets
Niterider Ultrafazer 3.0 LED light setNiteRider Ultrafazer 3.0 LED light set

Niterider Ultrafazer 3.0 LED light set

8
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 4, 2010

0
£27.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Well made, well priced, and surprisingly bright light set
Weight: 
203g
Contact: 
www.2pure.co.uk
How we test

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These Niterider Ultrafazer LEDs are remarkably well made with excellent output and design we’ve come to expect from NR. What I wasn’t expecting was the low asking price. £28 buys you a front and rear light set providing ample light to been seen by while just about good enough to see with. Weather seals are reassuringly efficient- the front is even guaranteed waterproof to 50 metres should you fancy a bit of deep sea diving or your offspring lose a Lego man in the lake. Remarkable burn times mean they’re a great choice for summer evening training runs and cost conscious commuters alike.

They fit most bars-including oversized, the tool free mount is extremely secure, although on really beefy bars you might need to make an ultra thin inner tube shim or even go without as in practice those supplied are only suitable fro 25.4 and 26.0. The Ultrafazer clicks securely into place and despite regular detours sans asphalt, hasn’t vibrated loose or given cause for concern. The TL5 screw fixing feels comparatively low rent but is certainly up to the task should you prefer seat stay or post mounting, although I persuaded it aboard my rack courtesy of a special adaptor.

Both lights are very bright (even under water, that's a Cateye LD600 getting the bucket test too), the front a triangular formation sharing the same LED as used in the brand’s original Minewt. This gives a reasonable spread of light while side windows offer additional visibility when negotiating roundabouts or emerging from side roads-especially in flashing mode. Talking of modes, the flick switch is one of the easiest to operate on the fly with gloved hands.

However, it has a tendency to self engage if caught on clothing or in a bag. Burn times are broadly accurate, although our Ultrafazer managed 57.5 hours steady and 127 flashing on the original batteries The TL5 can’t compete with the retina-burning prowess or build quality of its Cherry Bomb sibling but it’s still highly visible from half a mile and the rounded profile offers greater side on visibility compared with most budget types.

Verdict

Well made, well priced, and surprisingly bright light set.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Niterider Ultrafazer 3.0 LED light set

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Ultrafazer 3.0 and TL5 set are very bright commuter light that are just good enough to see by-even on unlit roads.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Ultrafazer 3.0 three watt run from 2AA batteries, waterproof to 50 metres, two modes flashing and static. TL5 5 led, seat post mounting bracket, 5 leds.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Generally good but casings could be a weak spot if you're prone to spills.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

203g complete set 120g/83g respectively.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Very easy and pleasant to use.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Keenly priced

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

As a budget commuter package, these tick all the boxes- great illumination, good run-times and excellent design. Sure, the TL5's seatpost mount bracket is a little agricultural and switches can engage in the bottom of a bag but they're easily operable in gloved hands and weather seals are markedly better than I have come to expect.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great output, run times and neat styling too.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing, aside from the TL5's crude seatpost bracket.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Niterider Ultrafazer 3.0 LED light set
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Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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