Commuting - Anyone know about LED headlamps?

On the subject of headlamps, since HIDs have been getting so much press and discussion, does anyone know if there are kits with LED headlamps?

The advantages of LEDs include lower operating temperatures and lower energy useage (longer battery life). I've seen flashlights and automotive headlight systems that use LED technology. Does anyone make headlamps for us cyclist commuters?

They're becoming more popular. I know Cateye make at least a couple of models. My brother has one and they seem ideal for commuting.

I made my own a couple of years ago with 10 LEDs before any really came on the market.

So, I give LED lights a big thumbs up.

I run a pair of Cateye EL500's. They are good for the money, and more than adequate for a person who occasionally gets caught riding home late.

I use a "headband" unit from Energizer as a backup - I've had to use it twice when my main lights died. It was adequate (on technical single track)...but not something I'd want to rely heavily upon. More LEDs and a little more juice might just do the trick though...

http://www.lupine.de/en/bike/bike/index.html has LED helmet & handlebar lights. Expensive, but light weight, large enough clusters to be bright and should give long burn times.

LED lights are great "to be seen" but not bright enough to rely on to light the way. I've got the Cateye "Opticube" LED, and a Petzle head mount LED. They're nice light for traveling through semi-light streets at night. They are NOT bright enough to be my only light in complete darkness.

Thanks for the link. I was actually thinking about an LED system that's as bright as any high intensity halogen or HID product. I know there are LED products out there that are dry-cell battery powered, but those are too dim IMO. Are those Lupine systems as bright as I'm thinking they are?

The brightest I've seen is the Cateye EL300 which compares reasonably well with similar drycell halogen lights in terms of how well you can be seen and is almost as good for seeing with, but I don't know of any really bright units, yet ...

Hi,
I goofed yesterday, I run a pair of EL300 headlights. That is a total of 10 LEDS. They are tightly focused, but running a pair gives a larger lit area.
They are fine for occasional use.

I have a couple of the Cateye light systems. They're really more a light to be seen with. I use them when I am commuting at night in the urban areas, they won't do me any good on a dark bike path out in the suburbs. i do like the intensity of the light, and the compactness, I do hope one of the major manufacturers of the rechargable might switch to this, as a way of extending battery life, not that the system I have now, a 3-6 hours is bad, but when contmeplating doing some distance or some randorleing(?) it would be nice to know the light system would make the trip.

The Lupine's sound interesting, but after reading their site I could not really deterimine how bright they were or how much they cost! Are they cost effective?

I used the Cateye EL300 for about 45 days last year. The light has some good and some bad points. The good points are: it will burn constantly for 30 hours on just 4AA bats (then reduce to a glow for 70 more hours); it is the brightest self contained battery light I have ever seen or used; adequate for commuting on well lit city streets. But the bad points are: the bluish beam has way too small of a pattern (about a foot in diameter); not bright enough for fast riding on unlit pitch dark country roads or bike paths.

I traded the light in for a Cygo Metro that was only $12 more and it is a great deal brighter than the EL300, plus I can choose from flood, spot or both! The flood is about 5 feet in diameter and the spot is about 2 feet in diameter and is aimed 5 degrees ahead of the flood. The Metro flood is more than enough light for commuting on city streets, and the with both on riding on pitch dark roads you have no problems seeing-you will not outride the light. But the batteries only last 2.5 to 5 hours depending if your running one or both beams, but this battery life is better than most rechargeable units.

Someday LED's will be the best choice due to their longer battery life, but for now I would not consider them-UNLESS the Lupine's are that "someday" light and they don't cost an arm and a leg.

I really don't commute at night except for the early morning hours from autumn to spring. Since I need to be seen rather than see I use a Cygo-Lite 5 LED clear blinkie that gives off a greenish-yellow light. I just turn it on and forget about it until I get to work. Recharging batteries (and forgetting to recharge them!) got to be too much of a hassle and was no longer worth it.