Headlights and Taillights

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Forget any halogen light under 5 Watt -- they are just not bright enough too see anything (unless you ride in total darkness). If you need the light to be seen, then go with an LED light. A good choice is a combination of a 5 Watt halogen light to see plus an LED light to be seen. LED lights that put out enough light to light up the road sufficiently are probably out of your price range. Consider the cost of batteries versus rechargeables (common size versus dedicated).

The taillight should be an LED light anyway.
 
Do you ride street only or off road trail riding also?

I used to have a light like the one you listed above. Its like a flashlight, you can see a small spot on the ground. Can't really see, its more for to be seen. I prefer led lights for longer run time and don't get dim as fast as the battery runs down. If you get a light set (front and rear) its less expensive than to get them separately. If you need to just be seen anything should work fine.

If you ride off road you should get a rechargeable 10-15w halogen or a high power led equivalent, these will actually let you see. Niterider and Cygolite make those.

I have a Planet Bike 1 watt led headlight (Super Spot) which uses 4AA batteries and its fairly bright. My tail light is also Planet Bike, Super Flash, I only use the constant on mode. The tail light is simple, 2 functions, flash and constant on. I don't think its necessary to have 5 function flash mode as you have to cycle through to turn it off. I prefer lights that use even number of batteries (can use rechargeables) and no tools needed for battery change.
 
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Just street riding only. I don't do much night riding, the lighting is for the occasional quick night ride.

Thanks!
 
Among other lights, I also use a CygoLite Hi-Flux 100 LED light. CygoLite claims brightness equivalent to a 10 Watt halogen bulb, but that statement is overblown. The actual output equals about what a 5 Watt halogen bulb delivers. If color perception is important, an LED light is not ideal, because it is not a full spectrum light source. In terms of brightness the Hi-Flux is alright and at least I can see fine with it at speeds up to a little over 20 mph. Faster than that, and the light's range is too short. The light uses 4 C cells (batteries or rechargeables). Cost is about $50 to $60. This model has been discontinued, but is still available.
 
For street riding to be seen, then get Cateye, Planet Bike or other brand. Planet Bike Blaze 1/2 watt uses 2AA. Its about $30 for the light itself or you can get it in a set with the tail light for $45 or so. For Cateye, the HL-EL320 is a good choice as well uses 4AA, its about $30.

Check out Planet Bike website, they even have a headlight comparison to give you can idea how bright their each of the lights are.
http://planetbike.com/page/

LED lights display light more in the white/blue region of the spectrum. Riding off road, sometimes its hard to tell the difference between dirt clumps and horse droppings. I've ridden fast downhill with my 1 watt led headlight and its barely enough to see. Other than longer run time with LED, the beam pattern is more focused, incandescent are more scattered.

If you plan to get a rechargeable headlight, try to get one that has a smart charger to prevent overcharging.
 
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The incomplete spectrum of LED light output is indeed the biggest problem. Differentiating between mud, grass, roadkill and those horse apples becomes difficult.

Halogen lights can have a very smooth and even beam pattern, depending on the quality of the design. Again, the price of the light becomes part of the equation.
 
I'm planning on biking home after my night class instead of waiting for the shuttle. The ride is pretty short and for the most part the campus is well lit, but I have to go through a couple parking lots. I bought a Blackburn Voyager 3.0 and it seems bright but I haven't used it yet. Anybody have one and would care to share your opinion? There was also a similar Serfas one at the bike shop but it felt a bit cheaper. I like the compactness. I also have a cheapo Bell one but it's flimsy.
 
Got a Light/Motion HID from chainlove.com a few months ago for way cheaper than I've seen elsewhere. It's like daytime compared to most other lights I've seen. Rechargable and pretty decent run time, too, esp considering the output.
 
More than a year after reading this thread I finally got a light. Too many times I've had to cut my trips short so I broke down and got one or actually two.

They're the Nite Rider MiNewt 400 Dual. Very light, rechargable li-ion batery and with the duals I can change the pattern. Haven't tried them on downhill but for normal riding they're almost overkill. Anyone have any opinions, good or bad on these?
 
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