NiteRider began by accident and by necessity. Tom Carroll, a fanatical athleteand outdoors man from Southern California had a problem. The best surf aroundwas better at night, after the crowds had gone home. Since there was nothing evenremotely usable to light up the waves, Tom had to design a solution from scratch.
A builder and designer by tradeand inventor by passion,Tom was obsessed with making his lights the best. His second attempt definedeverything that a light for “extreme sports” had to be – waterproof, very bright,lightweight and hands free. What he found is that it not only worked for surfing,but for the long bike trails that accessed those perfect, hidden breaks.
Tom and his wife Veronicabuilt NiteRider at their kitchen table,working hard all day and then coming home to design, assemble and ship their lights by night. To this day, they still run NiteRider – designing and building the lightswith the same meticulous attention to detail to ensure their customers havethe best product available.

What are Lumens? A measure of the total amount of visible light (to the human eye) from a lampor light source. The higher the lumen rating the “brighter” the lamp will appear. More lumens means it's a brighter light; fewer lumens means it's a dimmer light.
Early NR Systems - Halogen LightingFeatured in NR Lighting Systems from 1989 - 2003Its initial popularity was driven by how easily the halogen bulbs supplied light — and that light was superior to all pre-existing types of bulbs. While far from the longest-lasting of headlight types, halogen lights were used due to theirreasonable lifespan of 450 to 1,000 hours.
A Shift to HID LightingFeatured in NR Lighting Systems from 2003 - 2008HID stands for high-intensity discharge. Providing a brighter light, longer lifespan, greater efficiency, farther reach, broader coverage and less power consumption than halogen. Since its launch in the early 1990s, the light slowly gained favor as the superior choice when compared to halogen lights.
The LED TakeoverFeatured in current NR Lighting SystemsSmall size, energy efficient, brighter than halogen, doesn’t glare like HID,a virtually unlimited lifespan; Many users consider the LED to be the perfect option because it provides white brightness that’s both far reachingand widespread.

Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)Early NiteRider Lighting Systems were introduced using Sealed Lead Acidbatteries. This mature battery technology was very reliable when used correctly.It provided durable / dependable service and had a self-discharge rate that was among the lowest in rechargeable battery systems.
Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)The shift to NiCd as a power source was a natural progression. It featured a high number of charge cycles, good load performance, long shelf life and ruggedbattery characteristics. Economically priced, the NiCd was the lowest costbattery in terms of cost per cycle.
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH)The success of the NiMH has been driven by its use of environmentally friendly metals and high energy density. Modern NiMH offers up to 40 percent higher energy density compared to NiCd and is less prone to memory than the NiCd, requiring less periodic exercise cycles.
Lithium Ion (Li‑ion)Today, the Li‑ion is the fastest growing and most promising battery chemistry.A low maintenance battery, there is no memory and no scheduled cyclingrequired to prolong the battery’s life. In addition, the self-discharge is less than half compared to NiCd, making the Li‑ion well suited for NiteRider’s modernfuel gauge applications. In addition, Li‑ion cells cause little harm when disposed.
Lithium Ion Polymer (Li‑ion Polymer)Used in current day NiteRider tail lights because of the Li-ion Polymer’s form factor, featuring an ultra-slim geometry, keeping a very low profile. Light weight – gelled rather than liquid electrolytes enable simplified packaging,in some cases eliminating the metal shell.