Nite Ize Bike Light Review

by Niels Oomkes · Published March 4, 2015 , 10:11 pm · Updated November 16, 2024 , 5:21 am

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Nite Ize is a Boulder, Colorado company with a history of making wide variety of accessories, tools, and devices. Founded in 1989. 26 years these days does seem like an eternity with our technological high speed advances in materials, engineering, and product development, but the wide array of products that Nite Ize produces is pretty amazing. I am going to focus on a few items that fall in the bicycling illumination category.

Initial Illuminating thoughts on the Nite Ize Bicycle Light

I like to ride my bike, and like most of you started as a little kid. I lived on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in the Netherlands where cycling is not merely a from of recreation, it’s a lifestyle and simply a way of life. I had Dynamo generators fastened to the front fork that with a simple push (sometimes while riding) could be put into contact with the rim. Subsequently, with the simple act of pedaling and going towards where ever you needed to go, power would be created by said Dynamo. The results was a rather bright front and rear light creating visibility, as well as allowing me to see whatever lay ahead.

Upon coming to the USA, I continued to bike, but commuting wasn’t always an option or feasible, so one tends to rely on the all-mighty car. While in college, I picked up a nice used Italian Bianchi, and it once again reaffirmed my love and excitement for being able to go places on your own power to explore or push yourself to the limit. These days, I still commute my little ones to school while pulling them in the trailer. Mostly though, I get out there to ride for fun, to get away from it all if only for an hour or two, and to stay fit and healthy. I manage to get out 3-4 times per week on a road ride, and a couple mountain bike rides. At least 2 of those road rides are early morning rides with a group called FDR (Frustrated Dad Ride), and we laugh, joke, make friends, talk gear, and put each other through a leg and lung burn that some would call torture. But as the sun rises, I cruise home with a sense of accomplishment, and a calorie burn that will allow me to wolf down a mighty stack of pancakes with all the yummy gooey toppings you can think of. This would not be possible without proper lighting. Bring on the Nite Ize line of lighting accessories.

Product Instructions

Take a moment to go through the enclosed instruction pamphlet. I always tend to want to start ‘playing’ with my new piece of gear before really diving into the product specifics. The downside is that it is a little small, and there seems to be a lot there which can make it a bit overwhelming. Once you do dive in though, the amount of very useful information will be of great help as you start to look at all the different settings.

Nite Ize Bicycle Light – Inova STS Bike Light

Technical Specifications

5 Total Modes per LED Color (White and Red):
- High Max Output: At 142 Lumens, this will give you enough light for 4 hours and 40 minutes. The Inova STS will also give you light coverage up to 84 meters. That is some serious coverage.
- Low Output: At 3 Lumens, the Inova STS can provide upwards of 255 hours of light output.
- Flash Mode: Not that I see an everyday application for this, but it’s there if you need it. On the high setting this has a seriously bright techno effect.
- Variable Dim Light: I played around with this one a bit, and I think I am going to really like this one. I do ride with others, and especially on a bike path with oncoming traffic, you don’t want to blind your fellow cyclists.
- Lockout Mode: A handy little setting to avoid accidental operation which can drain your battery. In my case, I can see my little ones playing around with my lights, and they won’t know how to turn it off.
High Powered Dual-Colored LED
Simple Touch-Activated Interface: A very cool feature, because with a simple swipe of your finger the light can be turned on or off.
Waterproof IPX7: Able to go down to 1 meter. Not that I’m planning on riding my bike into a river, but it’s good to know the Inova STS can stand up to the occasional pop-up shower.
Stretch Grip-Tight Attachment
5 Modes per LED Color
Space Saving Center Mount

Nite Ize STS Bike rubber mounting straps

Inova STS rubber mounting straps. Notice the bottom piece that easily stretches to fit into a slot. There’s 2 slots, so there’s a wide range of tubing that this would fit.

Stretch Grip-Tight Attachment – Aside from the ‘swipe to shine’ and multitude of settings this is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. This is actually really cool! I have put this on my Road, Tri, Mountain, and Dutch commuter bike, and the fit is perfect, simple, and fast. The rubber stretch allows you to easily attach it without any hardware whatsoever. There are two slots depending on the width of your handlebar, stem, or wherever you want to secure it to.

I never did find an official weight for this little unit, and we all know how important those 4 extra grams here and there can be (note my sarcasm here). My initial reaction was that this has some heft to it, as the lighting unit itself appears to be quite solid with its polycarbonate impact resistant body. The fact that it does have 3-AAA batteries would also lead me to believe it weighs more than it actually does. Once I started exploring and playing around with the Inova STS, I realized how little this bike light actually weighs for all the simple benefits you gain by having this on your bike. The ability to switch to any of the above mentioned settings is super easy, and takes no time at all.

Something you do want to take note off is the fact that even though this unit is waterproof down to 1 meter, and can withstand some rain, both the interface surface and swiping finger need to be dry in order for it work. Also, if you are wearing gloves, you will have to remove one to be able to operate the Inova STS. Not a really big deal for me as I set the light to its desired setting and pretty much leave it there for the remainder of my ride. For more information and purchase please visit: www.amazon.com/niteize.

Easy assembly and a secure fit.

Nite Ize Bicycle Light – Inova STS Helmet Light

As you can tell by the name, this piece of equipment is very similar to the Bike Light. The lighting units are exactly the same, so please reference above for all its wonderful features and directions.

The attachment and strap is obviously where the difference comes in to play. The strap attaches to most helmets. I decided to not put this light on my Road helmet as I didn’t want to blind my fellow riders on a group ride, or the occasional oncoming rider while on a bike path. On to my Mountain Bike helmet it went, and this is where all three lights came in super handy. Although the rear one was more for keeping my trailing friend close to assure he did not take a wrong turn. Having a helmet light is crucial when Mountain biking in the dark. The ability to look down the path is key as the path twists and turns and your handlebar light won’t always be pointing where you need it to. For more information and purchase please visit: www.amazon.com/niteize.

Nite Ize Bicycle Light – Twist

Nite Ize Bicycle Light – TwistLit – LED Bicycle Light

Who knew that such a simple little orb, let alone two could keep one safe from all directions. The red rear light provides a glow for ample visibility. The front white LED light is not a strong single beacon as is the case with the helmet and bike light, but does provide decent light and visibility. In many cases, the moon, the streetlights, and my fellow peleton riders provide adequate lighting, and the TwistLit supplements enough to allow me to see any potholes, debris, or other obtrusions scattered about on the roadside. Again, the simple easy of assembling and moving from one bike to the other has given this simple light tremendous value. As with many of Nite Ize’s other gear tie and clip products, this simple twist to attach mechanism proves to be quick, efficient, and sturdy to withstand vibration and significant bumps. For more information and purchase please visit: www.amazon.com/niteize.

Nite Ize Bicycle Light

Final Thoughts on the Nite Ize Bicycle light and accessories

I have 4 or 5 bikes in the rotation at all times, having to only to buy one set of lights to satisfy my visibility and safety concerns is a no-brainer. These three nite ize bicycle lights can be used in a multitude of ways to provide for a safe and secure ride in the dark early morning or evening hours. The ability to assemble and disassemble in mere seconds is what truly sets them apart from all the other lights I’ve used.

The amount of stuff that Nite Ize makes to aid in any of your outdoor adventures is quite impressive. From lighting, mobile device accessories, LED visibility & safety, to tie downs, gear clips, and performance flashlights they have you covered to make your life easier and safer. For more information please visit: www.amazon.com/niteize.