Originally Posted by cyccommute

Not to pick on just you, SeizeTech, but you make the same mistake that many, many cyclists make when it comes to lighting. You rely too much on passive lighting, i.e. reflectors, and too much on lighting yourself to the rear. There is nothing wrong with having lots of light on the rear. I have 5 to 8 rear light sources myself. However, even at night, the probability of being hit from behind is pretty small. You are much more likely to be hit from a left turning vehicle who can't see your small front lights or from someone pulling out of a side street. Low level white lights get lost in the background light clutter that we humans spray all over.

You need powerful front lights too. Your lights should scream "Hey, Butthead! I'm here don't run over me!" You can do that with LED, HID or halogen but make sure you know the limitations of each and how you have to deal with them. Additionally, think of how much more fun you can have with lights that allow you to operate at daylight speeds