As a car-lite bicycle commuter, I find myself riding at night at least a few times a week. In the late fall and winter, more time is spent on the bike in the dark than not. For someone who spends such a large amount of time riding in low or no light situations, a good headlight is extremely important – but very hard to find.

There are many lighting options out there, but most of the truly functional models are very expensive. There are also single-cell LEDs available for $20 or less, but they don’t throw much light and aren’t usually functional as more than a front-mounted blinky light. Unfortunately, there just weren’t many options between the two extremes – until now.

The NiteRider MiNewt Mini USB light is a powerful, compact, weather-resistant light that has remarkable output, all for about $100.00.

The standard model comes with the LED light head, battery pack, wall charger, USB cable, and a handlebar mount for the light head. If you upgrade to the Plus model, you will also get a helmet mount and 36-inch cable extension. All of the components are well built – as expected – and have good weather-resistant seals. Even so, I wouldn’t ride in heavy rain (or under water!) with this light.

In use, the handlebar mount is easy to use and relies on a set of different-sized o-rings to secure the lamp head and a velcro strap for the battery pack. After a little practice, I am able to install and remove the light from any of my bikes in less than 30 seconds. It’s very easy to remove the light when locking a bike in public and the whole assembly – including the battery pack – will easily fit in a jersey pocket, purse, or backpack pocket when not on the bike. The battery pack can also be unplugged from the lamp, allowing you to charge the battery without removing the entire lamp.

Full charging takes about 4 hours from a completely drained state when using the wall charger. On the newest models, an LED embedded in the power button turns red when charging and green when done. One of the great features of the light is that it can also be charged through a computer USB connection with a standard USB cable. Charging through a USB connection takes a little longer – about 5.5 hours – but is extremely convenient. I charge the MiNewt through the USB cable while at work during the day and a full charge will easily last until the next day. It’s wonderful not having to pack a charger or remember to bring the light in to the house for charging at night.

In use, the MiNewt USB is easily bright enough for commuting, even in the darkest areas. Official output is 110 lumens, though I just took NiteRider’s word for it. The beam is wide enough to provide visibility around easy corners and 6 or 7 feet on each side of the bicycle’s path. My unofficial measurements show that forward visibility is good out to about 100 feet, though this would vary depending on the road surface, weather conditions, and mounting position of the light.

If you plan to use the light for mountain biking, standard lighting policy applies: it would be best to run one light on the handlebars and a second light on your helmet. The biggest drawback of a handlebar mounted light is that it only points where the front wheel is pointing. By mounting a light on your helmet, you’re able to throw light wherever you look, which is a requirement when riding on trails in the dark!

Overall run time for the MiNewt USB is about 3 hours at full intensity, with about 30 more minutes of dim light as the battery runs down. There is only one brightness setting, so you aren’t able to extend the duration by reducing output. For long nights on the town or marathon 24-hour races, you should definitely have extra batteries charged and available. Extra batteries are available for $60 directly from NiteRider’s online storefront.

Unless you avoid the dark or ride in specialized situations, the NiteRider MiNewt Mini USB light is the perfect cycling companion. In our testing and reviews, we were very impressed. The only additional features that we find ourselves wishing for are improved water-resistance for those heavy down pours and longer battery life for epic rides. Otherwise, we love the MiNewt Mini!