The Power of the MiNewt was one of the surprises of this grouptest. The cast aluminium lamp is tiny and fits securely to your handlebars with a simple rubber O-ring, while the 6 volt (V) Li-ion battery pack is the smallest seperate unit on test(70x45x35mm), sitting easily under most stems with a velcro strap. Switch it on and the 4 watt (W) LED punches well above its 238g weight. You get a strong, white central beam with excellent close-up detail and a good depth of field, so you don't find yourself cautiously braking on anything other than the fastest of downhills. Beam width isn't remarkable but it's certainly ample for most road riding. The low light setting doubles the burn time - we used it quite happily for riding around town and even on familiar unlit roads. An indicator tells you when the battery is down to 15% of capacity, giving you about an hour on low beam to get home.
Small and lightweight with a fantastic beam - bargain!
It's an indication of LED technology that we're looking at two single LED lights in the same test that are of such high quality. Like the Exposure Joystick, the MiNewt has a more powerful beam than you'd expect, with a clean tone and broad spread that's easily good enough for charging round your local trails all through winter and into racing next summer. We're always a bit of a sucker for sleek good looks too, and happily all this performance is packaged in just the most compelling shape we've ever wanted to snap onto our bars. The battery pack sits neatly against the stem with the on/off switch housed on that, rather than the light. That can be a hassle but since the pack is in such easy reach it's fine, and the low-power warning appears on both the lamp and the battery. Finally, there's a cable extension that allows use on a helmet. Great design, excellent performance - yes please!
cool good looks and well-balanced power/spread combination
We loved this gorgeous minimalist package last year, and are still hooked on its cute shape and smooth lines. But we're not swayed by good looks alone - the power has been upped and the beam is powerful and clean width good breadth, considering it's only one LED. It's good enough for race use and night rides. The light snaps on with a simple elastic attachment and the battery pack sits neatly against the stem. On/off switches on the battery can be fiddly but this one sits in easy reach so is no hassle, plus the low power warning appears on both the lamp and the battery unit. A cable extension lets you fix the light to a helmet with the battery in a back pocket. Cute looks, balanced performance and great price.
Performance and value combined in one great package
This second generation MiNewt light doubles in power to pack a very useful punch for its price. While small, it's certainly not short on detail, with the alloy head getting heat-dissipating fins and a translucent seal that changes colour as battery life reduces. A neatly tabbed O-ring mount keeps the head secure and the hardcase battery straps unobtrusively under stem or frame ube.Quality optics mean its light output is impressive compared to similarly powered lamps, with a good enough balance of reach and peripheral for fast riding. At over three hours run time, it's enough for most rides, with a half power/double life option for cruising.
Very neat lightweight lamp with a power/weight ratio that racers will really love
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