NiteRider Lumina Max 2000 Front Bike Light with NiteLink

The NiteRider Lumina Max 2000 Front Bike Light with NiteLink is a good all-round option with settings suitable for everything from daytime road riding to night-time mountain biking, although the beam pattern and all-out power are certainly directed more towards off-road riding. You'll find more options in our guide to the best bike lights, for seeing and being seen.

Although this light is described as the Lumina Max 2000 Front Bike Light with NiteLink, there really should be an asterisk somewhere in there. The NiteLink Wireless Remote that enables you to control both the NiteRider Lumina and a compatible rear light is sold separately for £50. Of course, NiteRider would like you to buy one but it's not essential. John has a NiteLink Wireless Remote that he's using alongside another NiteRider Lumina Max, but I'm reviewing only the light here. With that admin out of the way, let's get started.

Check our beam comparison engine above and you'll see that the Lumina Max 2000 offers a circular beam shape with no cutoff. It's extremely bright in the centre so it's great for piercing a hole in the darkness if you're mountain biking or gravel riding, but there's not a whole lot of peripheral illumination here.

That said, I've been using this light on the road as well as the tracks and trails, although there are no windows for side visibility. On the plus side, you do get a diverse range of settings that are suitable for various different types of riding.

Modes

Despite the name, 'walk' mode is fine if you just want to be seen when riding under streetlights and don't need to illuminate the road in front of you. It's not bright but it'll get you noticed, and it has the advantage of conserving the battery. You can get about 18 hours in this setting, but it's no good if you stray onto unlit roads.

You get four modes that are suitable for lighting the way ahead. For road riding, the low mode is about 200 lumens and lasts around seven hours, while medium is about 750 lumens and lasts around three. I found myself switching between the two when riding in the lanes at night depending on speed, traffic, and recent carrot intake.

The top two modes are suitable for off-road riding. High gets you about 1,500 lumens and around 1.5 hours, and above that you have boost mode which belts out 2,000 lumens, but it'll drain the battery in about 45 minutes.

That super-duper boost mode really is intense, right up there with Exposure's Maxx D in terms of the illuminance it provides at the centre of the beam. Switch to this mode and you'll not only see everything ahead of you, but you'll also wake up wildlife in surrounding hedges. It's far beyond anything that's required on the road and is best saved for special occasions – maybe when you're heading down a fast gravel descent, for instance, and you don't want to be surprised by a gaping pothole, or just for a birthday treat. Use it sparingly, though, and keep your fingers away from the business end because it gets really, really hot – especially if you're daft enough to leave it in boost mode while stationary.

On top of all that, you have three different flashing modes with run-times of up to 14.5 hours. These are handy for getting you noticed on the road during daylight, the fast flash being particularly conspicuous in traffic.

Check out our guide to the best rear bike lights too, for being seen from behind.

You flick between modes via two buttons on the back of the light (or the NiteLink Wireless Remote Control if you've stumped up the 50 quid), which is easy enough. The buttons glow different colours to indicate the mode you're in.

The order (from the top) goes red, blue, green, yellow. Wouldn't it be more logical to have them in the order of the rainbow, traffic lights or something else that everyone already knows? I mean, life's hard enough. I can't even remember which bin goes out on a Thursday never mind memorising a new colour sequence. I guess it doesn't matter much – you press the front button to move up and the back button to move down.

Four LEDs tell you how much fuel is left in the tank. When the last one shines solid red you're in reserve mode and you have about 20 minutes of battery left so you'd better head home. The light automatically switches to the low setting to conserve the battery and you can no longer access the higher modes. When the red LED start flashing you need to pedal like hell because it's going to get very dark in 10 minutes.

Charging

Recharging is via USB-C and is quick, taking just under three hours from flat. A silicone rubber cover effectively plugs the port the rest of the time.

The Niterider Lumina Max 2000 comes with an IP64 rating which means that it's dust-tight and can handle splashed water without any ill effects. A lot of lights have an IP65 rating for greater protection from water, but I've been using this in all weathers throughout the winter and nothing has got inside, so I can't say I'm especially concerned about that.

Mount

The light itself is a really solid unit that can shrug off a fair amount of abuse but I wouldn't say the handlebar clamp mount is of the same calibre. You can tighten it onto any round handlebar with a diameter from 25.4mm to 35mm with the integrated thumb screw, although it's less happy with non-round bars. If it's only slightly non-round you might get away with it, but anything that's properly deep section: forget it. Niterider does make an aero handlebar mount that straps in place but you'd need to source it separately.

The light slides on the mount and clips in place. I've never had it come off accidentally (nor with any of the similar Niterider designs I've used in the past). I must say, though, that the light can bounce on the mount a bit when you're riding off-road (it can be cured by putting some tape in the slot on the bottom of the light to form a tighter interface).

Value and conclusion

Looking at others we've reviewed recently, the Cateye Volt 1700 USB Rechargeable that Iwein tested back in December is similarly priced at £179.99. The NiteRider offers more power but the Cateye provides longer battery life and has a beam shape that's better suited to the road, if that's what you're after.

Lezyne's Mega Drive 1800i front light, tested by Ashley last year, is another option. Again, the NiteRider wins in terms of all-out power but the Lezyne's beam is more spread out for better peripheral illumination, and its run-times are longer. It's also £40 less.

There's a lot to recommend the Niterider Lumina Max 2000, including a wide range of modes and a tough, compact design, but it's positioned in a crowded market where it's hard to stand out. That said, if you want a load of power at your fingertips, it's certainly worth a look.

Verdict

Solid all-round option for everything from daytime road riding to night-time mountain biking