Customer Reviews

CygoLite MityCross 350 LED Dual LED Bike Light with Stem-Mount Li-Ion Battery

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After researching various lights suitable for nighttime road use, I purchased the MityCross because of its light weight, bright beam, and lithium-ion battery (for cold weather and fast charging). I have had this light mounted on my handlebars for about 3 months now, and this is a huge step up from my previous 1W LED light.

The light is well constructed, using a thick handlebar mount, and a durable metal housing around the light, and the battery has a thick Velcro strap to attach it to the front stem. The size is astounding; the light is slightly larger than a golf ball, while the battery is about the size of an iPhone folded lengthwise. The light also comes with a helmet mount, which costs extra on many other light systems. The charger can be used in 110V or 220V outlets, which is a plus if you go overseas, and is very fast compared to NiMH chargers.

There are 6 modes, which are separately grouped into (high, medium, low) and (flashing, walking, SOS). Simply pressing the power button will start the light in high mode, with repeated presses cycling through medium, low, then high again and so on. The light can be started in flashing mode by holding down the power button for a few seconds and releasing, when the light is off, and can be cycled to walking and SOS, then back to flashing by pressing the button. There is also a three-LED battery gauge which "blinks" more slowly as the battery is drained.

Rated battery life for each mode: High=3.5hrs, Medium=5hrs, Low=17hrs, Flashing=50hrs, Walking=100hrs, SOS=100hrs.

The beam pattern is rather wide (compared to cheap LED lights), which is optimal for mountain biking. I would have preferred a more narrow and brighter beam for road use, but it does light up the pavement 100-200 feet in front as well as signs from thousands of feet away!
I prefer to use the "medium" setting at night, as it is rated for 5 hours, which means I only have to charge it once a week, and it still puts out a ton of light. In the daytime, I usually go with one of the two strobe options that are available for visibility.

I have not had any issues with this light while riding in rain or snow (not waterproof see UPDATE1), or when it was -10F outside. The light and battery are well sealed.

The only weirdness with this light is that it will automatically turn on in high mode when you plug in the battery, so you have to remember to turn it off. Otherwise, the light will stay on until the battery is drained. Also, when the battery is almost dead, the light will begin to flash on and off uncontrollably, which was not documented in the instructions.

Overall, this light is a terrific value in its class, if you are doing nighttime on or off road riding often, consider this light as it is a high-quality product that should last for many years.

UPDATE1: After three months of use, I have found that water can seep into the light through the button on top, which was causing the light to function sporadically. The light is completely sealed by rubber gaskets except for along the button and at the battery plug. I pulled out the button for a day, let the headlight dry, and now it works fine again, so I have put a large piece of clear packaging tape across the button so that water cannot get in through there.

UPDATE2: After nine months, the battery would no longer charge (the LED light on the charger was orange, a mix of red and green alternating rapidly). Fortunately, Cygolite allowed me to return the light system for repair and replaced the battery free under the one-year warranty (sent it in on a Friday and got it back the next Tuesday). The new battery looks the same except for having a different logo, so maybe it's better. I was very pleased with their excellent customer support, and will buy more of their products in the future.

UPDATE3: Announced August 1st 2010, Cygolite will be offering the Mitycross 400 and 320 for the 2011 year (price TBD), which I suspect will replace the respective Mitycross 350 and 300 models very soon. They will offer the same 3.5/17 hours high/low battery life, and have the same 240g system weight.

All I can say is this thing is WAY brighter than I thought it would be. I was hoping for a light bright enough to light my path 100ft in front of me to give me time to respond, and to be bright enough for others to see me. I got it all out tonight and went out back. I have an intersection about 1500 feet away and the light from it was strongly reflected back at me off the signs.

It could also light up all the way to the back of my back yard. I live on an acreage and it's about 300 feet to the back property line. It easily lit up the grass when aimed that direction. The beam width isn't narrow, but it's not wide. Nor should it be though, it's to light up in the direction you travel. Can't wait to get this out on the road, and on the trails as well.

The mount kit is crazy easy to mount, so it's going to be easy to drag from the road to mountain and back. And the helmet kit is a nice addition. This may even get used when I run!

Bottom line, this is an amazingly bright light. I couldn't imagine needing more unless I was on a motorcycle.

I purchased the CygoLite MityCross 350 after several months of research over the summer with an eye towards both road riding in the early morning and after sunset as well as safer day time riding. This unit does an admirable job. In the dark it it bright and I don't feel that I am overriding my ability to safely see ahead. The light is not just a focused beam, but rather quite a large area around the brighter area that makes one feel a bit more secure riding in the dark. The flash is a rapid 3 flashes and a pause that seems to get the attention of drivers in brighter conditions. This is one of the main reasons I picked this one, the flash pattern seems to be very attention getting.

As far as the build quality of this unit, it is a very well built unit. The light itself is small and appears to be made of a dark silver grey painted aluminium. It feels sturdy. It has a well built but rapidly removeable handlebar mount. The battery is small and has a secure strap to attach to your stem or other convient location. There is a helmet attachment that I have not used. As for being weather proof, I cannot say as it doesn't rain much in Arizona.

The light lasts for hours and it has not run low on battery power yet. This was a major concern of mine, I wanted to have enough time so I didn't have to worry about losing my illlumination. I've been out on several rides that lasted several hours of use and haven't come close to draining the battery.

All in all this is a great light and am very pleased with it! I would recommend it to anyone!

Loved the light when I first got it. Small, bright, seemingly well built. But it was a very rainy spring and I rode every day. Looks like the rain may have caused a short. Now I plug in the battery, the light flashes and then turns off. $200 purchase, 2 months use. This expensive of a light should be sealed much better than this against the rain.

Update Nov 1, 2010... As a procrastinator I never got around to boxing the light up and returning it. Just too much of a hassle. But surprisingly, that was a good move. It seems the unit has dried out and it is once again functioning. I don't know how long that will last, but I'll take it.

I do like this light (when it's working). It provides a slightly diffused pattern that lights up an area large enough and bright enough to give you good vision of what's ahead. I have another light (Light and Motion 'Stella 150') that provides a spot beam. The combination of both lights is nearly perfect. So, I have taped the area around the rubber button on the top of the light and am crossing my fingers that no water will be able to creep into the unit's innards again. Still think that CygoLite needs to redesign the light so it isn't susceptible to being damaged by the rain, but when it works, it is a really nice light.

This is a great light set for off road night rides, even on single track trails. The powerful beam penetrates out approx 40 feet and the dual bulb system gives you a nice spread so you can see the trail immediately in front of you and the surrounding areas. It can be handle bar or helmet mounted and includes both mounting systems. It's light enough that you can mount the light and battery pack directly to your helmet without any fatigue. The box also includes an extension cable if you would rather keep the batter in a jersey pocket. The body of the light is made of aluminum instead of plastic, so it should hold up to crashes pretty well. While the price tag may seem steep, it's actually more effective than buying several $60 1 Watt LED lights and continually replacing AA batteries. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys off road night rides.

I ride with some kind of light on 90 percent of the time and I ride in the dark a lot because I commute in the early morning. Lights are really important and I use and depend on them a lot.
Cygolite is the best I've had. Because -
It is plenty bright
Battery lasts a long time on a charge
Battery is small and light and light is easy to mount and dismount.
Cygolite is the most dependable one I have used in the 8 years I've been riding in the dark.
Mhy only criticisms are
The strobe feature which I use in the day has too long a pause between bursts. I suspect this is why I've had motorists pull out in front of me when making a turn. They look my way then turn their head the other before the burst occurs.
I had a problem with the rubber grommet in the light connector and finally had to pull part of it out with needle nose pliers. I have to use a rubber band now to make sure the power stays connected.
That might sound bad, but you wouldn't believe the problems I've had with other lights since I use them 5 days a week in all kinds of weather.

I use the helmet-mounted application and recommend this light completely. It lights up the road superbly, and at intersections grabs the attention of absent-minded drivers who otherwise would have pulled out without seeing you. I've found on many occasions that just one or two well-aimed flashes of the lightbeam will convince them to yield you right of way. I combine my MityCross with a trusty but old-fashioned water bottle NiteRider on the stem-mount for double the brightness. Having the ability to aim the helmet light in a seperate direction though from the stem-mounted light gives tremendous versatilty and increased safety. The $199 price for this light is peanuts compared to the impact it will make to your safety and confidence riding at night. I can't wait to try it off-road, and agree with the other reviews that this is definitely the light to buy!

This light is awesome! Its like having a car headlight on your helmet. Combined with a good tail light this is all you need for road rides at night. I've used it for some short mtb night rides but would probably want an additional one for the handlebars for longer mtb night rides. All components are extremely well built and the mode switch is easy to operate. I will buy another soon!!!

Highly recommended.

The power this light has for the size of the package is very impressive. I don't know about the batter life - it lasts longer than I can ride. On really dark nights, I turn the power down to medium so that my eyes better adjust to the darkness and it seems to add better peripheral vision. When on the brightest setting, the light in the middle of the pattern is so bright that it seems to deaden my eyes to the other areas. Wish I had not sold my own nite ranger light. Would have kept it on the handlebars and put this Cygolite on my helmet for perfect combo.

I bought this light a year ago and have used it all but a few months of unrideable winter here in Coastal Maine. The battery is very true to power claims. If anything I feel I have used it far more hours than it claims to hold for power. The flash function is on in the daytime, since low light creates shadows where I live, this improves my visibility. And in the night, I am impressed with the berth cars give me as I ride - I apparently look much bigger than I actually am, which is exactly how I want it when riding on US Route 1.

As a tail light I use 2 lights, one is just a constant red LED and the other is the planet bike flashing red light with the white attention flash. less than $20 bucks and great rear light.Planet Bike Blinky Superflash Tail Light

It has taken me a year to right a review because I was waiting for something to be wrong with the light, but I can find nothing. Small, light, great battery, and powerful enough to see small rocks on the road well ahead of me while going 20 MPH.

Worth every cent.