Review of Bell Night Trail Bicycle Light Set

Bell Night Trail Bicycle Light Set
By: Bell Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 37
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Great for a good price & regular use

On: 2008-05-19

The product is a great value for money. Placing the batteries is a bit tedious though the batteries do last long enough. I never have had any problems with either of them. Plenty of diff. rhythms/sequences for both the lights. The flexibility to use the Xenon Bulb or the LEDs comes in quite handy.

I wish it would have included the batteries though. The headlamp needs 4 AA batteries while the tail lamp takes 2 AAA batteries.

I would definitely recommend it since its adequate for regular use.

fix your broken base or prevent it from breaking ever.

On: 2008-01-29

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1VB1JUZ7Y9KT4

Not for kids that drop their bikes down

On: 2008-01-13

I purchased 3 of these for my 5 year old triplets.
2 are still intact. The other busted when the bike got dropped down to the ground. Its got a rubber insert thats supposed to help make it "hug" the bar when you tighten it on, but sometimes it wants to squeeze right out of there and then the light starts flipping around loose. I dont think you can get it tight enough with out this little thing. luckily we found the one tha popped out.
Other than that, its a bright lite with lots of fancy light rythms.

Adequate Inexpensive light

On: 2007-12-31

This product produces adequate light for night riding on a fairly wide trail. On narrow off-road trails I do not think the beam is strong enough.

I have not used it on regular street situations because I do all my riding off the road. I have seen the other reviews about the difficulty of placing the batteries due to the awkward method of opening the case. I was mindful of that information when I first used my light, and really had no problem. The problem with the tail light coming apart on bumpy situations was also noted in previous reviews, and I put a small sliver of duct tape around the rear light case, and after several rides its still there.

Having to scroll through all of the lighting modes to shut the light down is annoying, but not critcal.

All in all this is a very adequate light for the price, and for folks who dont do a whole lot of night or dusk off road riding it is a great value.

Works well -Great value for the money

On: 2007-12-29

Item arrived quickly. This was a gift purchase- have two other sets. Headlamp has four settings a bright and a dimmer incandescent setting, as well as two settings for the two leds, one constantly on and one blinking. The bright incandescent setting provides good lighting for night rides, but is not to be mistaken for one of the expensive headlamps which light up the raidway. Batts are 4 AA and they last approx an hour on the brightest setting with rechargables and then defaults to the LED continuously on setting. This setting stays on for over 24 hours. Provides enough light to see your way home, as well as being seen.
Tail lamp uses AAA batts and has multiple settings for constant on as well as different blink modes. Only flaw is that the tail lamp assembly can work loose in the housing, particularly if you have a seat pack. That said a piece of tape keeps it from coming out. Battery life is great, still on the original set after many night rides. Light is bright and shows up well.
Cant beat this set for the price. Alkaline batts seem to last longer, I carry a spare set.

An amazing feat of magic

On: 2007-12-29

Woe, thine gift of fire-less light! I am not one to fear the elements, but this "bi cycle light" has affected my spirit. How it works, I do not know. But it must be through mysticism and not fire, for it is not hot and nor does it flicker. Either it was formed through enchamberment of bright holy faeries or through sheer magics alone.

It came to me through Amazonia, and I expect that such people of the dark jungles would find strange new manners to produce light. I have seen flash powders for making instant fires, and glass crystals that can change the color of fire and sunlight. But never have I seen light from nothingness. Amazonia must have powerful enchanters indeed.

Moreso, this includes an enchanted reflector. It appears to be meant to be secured to some sort of pole, like a staff. I have secured it to my walking staff under the assumption that it protects me from evil lights, and reflects them as a harmless red glow. Its a fine idea to package both a light producer and a light consumer (shield), but nowhere is it written the form of light produced. I do hope that the enchantment is not soul-sucking and am currently testing it on a virgins skin.

An amazing feat of magic

On: 2007-12-28

Woe, thine gift of fire-less light! I am not one to fear the elements, but this "bi cycle light" has affected my spirit. How it works, I do not know. But it must be through mysticism and not fire, for it is not hot and nor does it flicker. Either it was formed through enchamberment of bright holy faeries or through sheer magics alone.

It came to me through Amazonia, and I expect that such people of the dark jungles would find strange new manners to produce light. I have seen flash powders for making instant fires, and glass crystals that can change the color of fire and sunlight. But never have I seen light from nothingness. Amazonia must have powerful enchanters indeed.

Moreso, this includes an enchanted reflector. It appears to be meant to be secured to some sort of pole, like a staff. I have secured it to my walking staff under the assumption that it protects me from evil lights, and reflects them as a harmless red glow. Its a fine idea to package both a light producer and a light consumer (shield), but nowhere is it written the form of light produced. I do hope that the enchantment is not soul-sucking and am currently testing it on a virgins skin.

great for a good price!

On: 2007-11-27

This product was cheap but a good product if you dont want to spend too much for your bike. I moved to Chicago and riding home in the dark lit streets is kind of unsafe for pedestrians and drivers because they cant see you. The headlight has 4 different options and lights up very well, enough so that drivers can see you! The tailight is so awesome, so many different options to change the light from. A good buy if you want to save some money in your pocket!

Not a light for people who want to take it on and off

On: 2007-11-24

I used the headlight for a few weeks before the device that allowed me to take it on and off the bicycle broke. The headlight is now stuck permanently on the bicycle- even if I have to leave my bike out in the rain or in a high-theft area.

Not enough light for back roads.

On: 2007-09-20

My husband bought this for me for my commute home from work. Although it is fine on main city streets, once I turned onto my cross street, (no street lights) I was pretty much on my own in the dark. Cars would be able to see the light in the dark, but it wasnt powerful enough to illuminate the street before me. I am returning it after one use.

No muy resistente

On: 2007-08-01

El material no esta hecho para soportar un golpe o una caida fuerte, esta bien si no entras en terrenos de montana, pero un caida no la soporta, se quiebra.

Cheap, brittle parts. poor design, bright lights

On: 2007-07-04

I went through two lights in one week during the winter. The cheap plastic breaks easily. The shells are hard to separate to change batteries. The attachments to the bicycle break. The light is bright, but not worth the price. The rear light is broken. The front is held by packing tape. However, the lights are bright and good for protection. Shame on Bell. Spend a few more dollars for better quality that will last.

Cheap, brittle parts. poor design, bright lights

On: 2007-07-03

I went through two lights in one week during the winter. The cheap plastic breaks easily. The shells are hard to separate to change batteries. The attachments to the bicycle break. The light is bright, but not worth the price. The rear light is broken. The front is held by packing tape. However, the lights are bright and good for protection. Shame on Bell. Spend a few more dollars for better quality that will last.

Great Light! but...

On: 2007-06-12

I think that the light itself works very well. I ride for 2 to 3 hours a week. The problem that Ive had is that it is VERY difficult to get at the batteries when they need to be changed. (which, thankfully, does not seem exceedingly often) When I say very difficult, I mean it. Hopefully the reader will have better luck...

cheap price, really cheap parts, poor design

On: 2007-06-05

I had to return this product on the day I received it from amazon.

When I opened up the product to insert the battery, the light set literally crumbled in my hands. And I was being careful.

In my disbelief I inspected it further and new pieces kept falling apart. The very tiny and cheap plastic piece holding the bulb fell apart next, the tiny metal and precariously soldered piece holding the circuit just gave up doing what it was made to do. And all this 10 minutes out of the package.

God forbid I actually have to mount this thing on a bike and expose it to the elements.

I returned it immediately. Poor product, poor experience and I had to eat the shipping cost.

Bell Night Trail Bicycle Light Set - great value

On: 2007-05-29

I recommend this set to anyone who bikes at night or dusk. The front light is very powerful and has even high/low beam! The rear light has 4 modes (ie fast flashing, steady etc...) very cool. The plastic case seem sturdy enough.

Good Stuff.

On: 2007-05-12

My bike broke the day this light set came in the mail. That might make you think it wasnt useful, since I havent had a bike since, but that isnt true at all. This light has a low powered LED mode for when the batteries run low, and it can last nearly a week left on when in that mode, bright enough to do autorepairs under or navigate around the woods. I use this light during blackouts, as a nightlight and as an emergency hazard light in my car since it has a strobe feature(the headlight I mean). The taillight is useful only for a rear hazard light that I keep in my back window ever since the electrical system in my car went out and I was stranded with no hazards to warn other drivers. Even the taillight is bright enough to use as an annoying red flashlight in an emergency (an I have). The only downside to this light is that there is a nicer one, also by Bell, but I was too late to get it as I already have this one.

Reinhard Seidl

On: 2007-03-23

Headlight was great - until it broke. The button pushes on a little circuit that switches between the various light modes - xenon high/low and LED solid/blinking. The little circuit died, and now the only way to stop the light is to pull the batteries out. Starting it sometimes works, sometimes doesnt.

The rear light was great - until the clip broke. Just a little too flimsy.

All in all- great light, but not very great execution. Mine lasted about 8 months, I ride about 3-4 times a week.

Hard to keep on the bike

On: 2007-03-13

This is an overall good light. The only problem with it is the clamps that are provided. If dropped, the light breaks into pieces that can be put back together again, but that takes time. Is not user friendly to other clamps. The light is good but the clamps make it not worth the purchase.

Working Great for Me

On: 2007-01-15

Even though I saw some of the less than enthusiastic reviews, I decided to go ahead and get 3 of these. My husband put them on everyones bikes, with no complaints. Nothing has broke and they are working as said to be. I would recommend.

Good for the price

On: 2007-01-10

This was my first headlight for a bike so that I can not compare it to others.

The light combination was good for both head and tail lights.
However, it would be better if the LEDs in headlight are brighter.
I placed batteries about more than a month ago and I havent change my batteries yet (I use 2300 and 800 mAH rechargeable batteries).
I think I have been using the lights about 2 net hours total.

It was little bit hard to close the cover after changing batteries of the head light. Whenever I open and close the cover, I feel like I almost break it. Other than that, the lights seem to be nice for the price.

Works, but save up for something better

On: 2006-12-19

Headlight unit: The main bulb eats the batteries quickly, and causes the unit to fall back on the dull bulbs. You might as well immediately switch to the flickering bulbs/mode and allow the vehicles to see you that way, as the main mode is not strong enough to satisfy your vision anyway. If youre going into a "rural" setting, this is NOT the unit for you. The plastic is not so strong, so one drop could be the end of the unit.

Rear light unit: has about 5 modes in which most I cant make any sense of use of them all. To turn off, you must switch through them until to you manage to get the off mode. This has taught me a lesson to buy cheaper and just get something that has one or two settings that will do the job of allowing vehicles to see you. Furthermore, the pivot/neck of the unit that allows you to adjust the unit higher or lower loses its grip quick, so you will just have to settle for the lower angle, in which the unit points down and the vehicles actually see LESS of the lights. No matter how many times I spin that knob to tighten the neck to hold still, it just loses its grip and points the unit down again. As another reviewer stated, the button is so small that you can forget about trying to hit it with gloves on.

This set does the job for city cycling, but its much better to pay a little more or the same for one headlight and then buy a cheaper rear light thats NOT so fancy.

over-engineered piece of crud

On: 2006-12-09

My main issue is with the tail light. You cant just turn it on and off. You have to cycle through all the blinking options (7) in order to turn it off. Plus, you cant do this quickly because sometimes the inconveniently placed, micro-sized on/off button gets stuck inside the casing--especially when trying to go through the stages quickly. And forget about messing with this light if you are wearing gloves.

Excellent Value

On: 2006-11-12

For the price, this light is hard to beat. Over the years, I have used approximately twenty different bicycle lights by brands such as Cateye, Cygolite and Planet Bike. While some of these were significantly better than the Bell, they were also three to ten times as expensive. If you dont mind the large mass of four AA batteries on your handlebars and have under twenty dollars to spend, the Bell Night Trail bicycle light is the way to go.

The real downside to having the batteries in the enclosure is the hazard created when the housing becomes dislodged during an impact. While this has not happened with the Bell light, it did occur with a Planet Bike light while riding through traffic in NYC. The distraction was extremely dangerous. Losing half of the batteries was not fun either.

Fortunately, the Bell light has a sturdy enclosure where the top half slides backwards to open. This makes it almost impervious to front and vertical impacts. However, the internal latches never quite give you a clear indication that it is closed. Rather, you must squeeze the top downward and push forward simultaneously until you cant move it further.

Much like the headlight, the taillight compares well to more expensive lights. Similar to competing products, it has various blinking modes as a well as an always-on setting. Due to the design of the lens, light escapes from the sides and top of the light. Such side lighting is crucial for riding in urban areas.

The build quality is good but not on par with the $100+ lighting systems. But again, the selling point of this light is overall value. Some of the nicer features include a bright Xenon bulb paired with miserly LED lights that can blink for hours. Unlike some of the MR11-based bulbs (parabolic track lighting bulbs), the lens assembly has two ports on the right and left sides. This spreads light perpendicularly to the path of travel, which is a nice feature when in traffic. These features combined with a very modest price make this light an excellent choice for the budget conscious.

Pros
Value
Brightness
Combination of LED and Xenon modes
Decent build quality
Side lighting on headlight

Cons
Questionable design of battery compartment (top half of headlight)
Bulky
LEDs could be brighter

Excellent Value

On: 2006-11-11

For the price, this light is hard to beat. Over the years, I have used approximately twenty different bicycle lights by brands such as Cateye, Cygolite and Planet Bike. While some of these were significantly better than the Bell, they were also three to ten times as expensive. If you dont mind the large mass of four AA batteries on your handlebars and have under twenty dollars to spend, the Bell Night Trail bicycle light is the way to go.

The real downside to having the batteries in the enclosure is the hazard created when the housing becomes dislodged during an impact. While this has not happened with the Bell light, it did occur with a Planet Bike light while riding through traffic in NYC. The distraction was extremely dangerous. Losing half of the batteries was not fun either.

Fortunately, the Bell light has a sturdy enclosure where the top half slides backwards to open. This makes it almost impervious to front and vertical impacts. However, the internal latches never quite give you a clear indication that it is closed. Rather, you must squeeze the top downward and push forward simultaneously until you cant move it further.

Much like the headlight, the taillight compares well to more expensive lights. Similar to competing products, it has various blinking modes as a well as an always-on setting. Due to the design of the lens, light escapes from the sides and top of the light. Such side lighting is crucial for riding in urban areas.

The build quality is good but not on par with the $100+ lighting systems. But again, the selling point of this light is overall value. Some of the nicer features include a bright Xenon bulb paired with miserly LED lights that can blink for hours. Unlike some of the MR11-based bulbs (parabolic track lighting bulbs), the lens assembly has two ports on the right and left sides. This spreads light perpendicularly to the path of travel, which is a nice feature when in traffic. These features combined with a very modest price make this light an excellent choice for the budget conscious.

Pros
Value
Brightness
Combination of LED and Xenon modes
Decent build quality
Side lighting on headlight

Cons
Questionable design of battery compartment (top half of headlight)
Bulky
LEDs could be brighter

Batteries needed

On: 2006-11-04

The white headlight requires 4 AA batteries, and the red taillight requires 2 AAA batteries. Batteries are not included in the package.
The plastic construction is somewhat feeble but satisfactory. Headlight is bright enough not just to be seen, but also to see the roadway. Headlight and taillight have various settings for brightness and blinking.
Note: When mounting, make sure to slide the headlamp or taillamp all the way in past the clicking lever on the mounting bracket, otherwise it will not be secure and will probably fall off. Mounting the rear light upside-down works well.
The cover of the headlight is difficult to remove and replace to change/charge batteries.
Overall, Im satisfied. I would revise my star rating to 4 if I knew how.

There should be a zero star ratting

On: 2006-11-03

The light itself is so-so. The mount is cheap and poorly designed. I put one on my Stepdads bike it fell and broke on the 3rd week.

Dont buy it.

There should be a zero star ratting

On: 2006-11-02

The light itself is so-so. The mount is cheap and poorly designed. I put one on my Stepdads bike it fell and broke on the 3rd week.

Dont buy it.

Lights work fine. But mounting piece is a cheap piece of plastic

On: 2006-10-16

The lights are fine. The thing you attach to your bike that you mount the light on is cheap. You cant easily take the light on and off your bike. Mine broke the second time I used it. I have no bike light to compare this to, so maybe they are all like this. But this thing is a piece of junk in my book.

good functions, poor housing

On: 2006-10-10

The functions for both lights are great. However, I have a hard time to put them on my new bike. Managed to do it but after a few rides, I end up having a useless headlight and lost tail light. This is due to:
1) head light only have 22 - 26 mm mounting clamp, which is good for my old road bike. My new Marin mountain bike comes with 31.8mm handle bar. Which makes it impossible to mount the head light on.

2) tail light has really bad housing design -- very easy to come apart. I lost my tail light during the last outdoor trip. This is why I am writing this review -- I am in the moment of buying another light and for sure I am not buying this one again.

Great Product.

On: 2006-07-13

This is a good headlight lasted me about 400 miles on three sets of batteries used mostly in the led mode however the button requires a bit much force to switch between modes the case made of plastic will break the light shattered into many pieces in a bike crash that would have killed had I not been wearing a helmet
[...]

Bell 109470 Night Trail Light Set

On: 2006-05-18

These lights work well. The brightest headlight mode will let you see well enough for night riding slowely. Not sure how long batteries will last on this mode. I use the led mode and it works fine for me at night. I see well in the dark.Some people dont. The led flashing mode is great at dusk.... Gets those drivers attention for sure. Now if theyd just watch the dam rode.....
The rear led light works great. Bright and battery life is good.
Neither is waterproof. I put a thin plastic sandwich bag over them for riding in the rain and secure that with a ponytail tie so the rain cant enter.
The headlight one is built very cheep so be carefull when changing batteries..... follow the directions to open it. DONT FORCE THIS THING!! It is CHEEP.......
I am happy with these to date, but have only had them for a few weeks.

Does not play well with rechargeable batteries.

On: 2006-05-07

We use Ni-MH rechargeables, but the headlight does not play well with them. The batteries fit in the housing, but the upper, plastic cover has two ridges to help secure the batteries down; this is engineered for disposable alkaline batteries. I had to shave down the housing to create enough space for the slightly bigger rechargeable batteries.

However, the light itself is pretty good, and seems to hold up fairly well to abuse. In my urban, well lighted area, the LEDs are enough to see by and be seen by, so I can get a lot of use out of one charge. I pop the light off when I put the bike on the bus rack so that it doesnt get lost, but the holder is pretty strong.

Bell would do well to re-engineer this for Ni-MH/Ni-CD batteries.

Excellent value

On: 2006-03-08

I found this lighting pair to be well made, so Im not sure why others had trouble with quality. I highly recommend this lighting set for the price. You can set the front light to blink its two LEDs during the day -- a good attention-getter. The back light has a constantly-on setting as well as several blinking patterns, any of which are good attention-getters, too.

Good for the price

by: Anonymous On: 2006-02-21

Light is very nice that it has the four settings, and it switches to the more efficient setting when the battery is low. This is a very handy feature to let you know the batteries need to be changed. It takes four AA batteries, and it seems to last a while on them. The light is not super bright, but it lets the cars know where you are and its good for everyday use. So far, its been through the rain and theres been no problems. I now have two to add to the brightness and to have one on the flashing mode to really give cars a heads up on where I am.
So, overall, Im very happy with it, and you cant beat the price.

Good for the price

On: 2006-02-20

Light is very nice that it has the four settings, and it switches to the more efficient setting when the battery is low. This is a very handy feature to let you know the batteries need to be changed. It takes four AA batteries, and it seems to last a while on them. The light is not super bright, but it lets the cars know where you are and its good for everyday use. So far, its been through the rain and theres been no problems. I now have two to add to the brightness and to have one on the flashing mode to really give cars a heads up on where I am.
So, overall, Im very happy with it, and you cant beat the price.

No batteries, hard-to-manage case

On: 2006-01-22

Ive only had this for a few days now, so I cant speak definitively about it, but I have been annoyed about two things:

1. It doesnt include batteries. The headlamp, for example, takes 4 AA batteries.

2. The headlamp case is annoying -- its hard to put back on after you open it up to put in the baterries.

Other than that, it seems fine - who knows how long itll last.

No batteries, hard-to-manage case

On: 2006-01-21

Ive only had this for a few days now, so I cant speak definitively about it, but I have been annoyed about two things:

1. It doesnt include batteries. The headlamp, for example, takes 4 AA batteries.

2. The headlamp case is annoying -- its hard to put back on after you open it up to put in the baterries.

Other than that, it seems fine - who knows how long itll last.

You get what you pay for -- cheap and fragile

On: 2006-01-05

Very poorly constructed switch. Press it just a little too hard and its internal glue breaks. After that it lets rainwater in to short everything out. Not a terrible unit for the price if you are very careful with it and never use it in the rain. Flashing mode is adequate for letting people see you, but not otherwise particularly bright. Its an inexpensive unit that may last a couple of months.

What a piece of crap

On: 2005-09-21

At first I thought this was a great light, very inexpensive, pretty bright, several modes and all. I bought it becuase I always ride home after dark, and I wanted to see ahead of me, and let cars see me. First of all, it isnt all that bright to see the road in front of you, but more than bright enough for cars to see me. Second of all, the day I bought it, I was riding home and as I was cornering,
it came right out of the clip that holds it and went underneath my tires and broke. I was very disapointed. The same day. What a piece of crap.
P.S. From all the use I gave it, the tail light worked great.

Ok - not great

On: 2005-09-13

The main light is supposed to have 2 settings - the bright main bulb and then the two dimmer side bulbs. On mine, only the two dim side bulbs work. The dim side bulbs dont provide much illumination - thought it probably does give oncoming drivers better notice. The back light works very well. Easy to install, but I worry how long-lasting they might be.

Batteries

On: 2005-09-13

This looks like a good set to have, but what size batteries does it use? I have not been able to find any information on that.

Ok - not great

On: 2005-09-12

The main light is supposed to have 2 settings - the bright main bulb and then the two dimmer side bulbs. On mine, only the two dim side bulbs work. The dim side bulbs dont provide much illumination - thought it probably does give oncoming drivers better notice. The back light works very well. Easy to install, but I worry how long-lasting they might be.

Good product but not without its flaws

On: 2004-12-01

I purchased this to go with my new bike because I end up riding home late after work sometimes and in the city a light is a requirement. But this package comes with two products. The headlamp and a tail light.

Headlamp - This thing is great. I love the ability to switch between the Xenon bulb and the dual LEDs. The Xenon is very bright, more than adequate for night riding. The LEDs are a nice backup because the provide you with a nearly indispensable source of light as they use very little battery power. But if you find yourself running low it will automatically switch to a "Take Me Home" mode that uses less power for those long treks home (or unexpected detours). What gets me is a friend of mine purchased a much more expensive headlamp and this thing blows his out of the water.

Tail Light - This is why I gave the review four stars. This product at first seemed just as good as the headlamp. Plenty of options (on, blink, blink faster, varied LEDs cycling, and fast cycle). After mounting it I went to angle it down a bit and the casing came right off (the way your replace the batteries). The casing is rather poorly made, the bottom clip doesnt hold so well, it could be just mine but the design seems flawed. I had to remove it because a rough bump could easily knock it off and then it would be lost forever. A little bit of tape on the bottom solved this problem for me so it wasnt a complete loss.

Overall the products are nice. The headlamp made this purchase worth it for me since I already have a backup (reserve) tail light.

Best Wishes...