Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - What kind of lights do you have on your bike...?

In the November mileage thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/778949-100-to-300-Mile-Club-November-Edition-Get-your-leg-warmers-on-amp-arm-warmers..brrr!), I notice that darkness - the nights are getting longer - is keeping a lot of people off their bikes. So I thought this would be a good and useful thread. These come up all the time in commuting, occasionally in road, and there's even a forum for lights, electronics, and other goodies ... but I don't remember seeing a thread about lights in here. And I think it would be useful, not just for safety, but as a reminder that this doesn't have to be the end of cycling for the year.

I'll go first. :D

I can't remember the name of my headlight. It's cheap and light weight, and mind is attached to the spacers under my stem. This keeps the bars clean and empty, so I can grip wherever I like, but is bright enough for me to be seen.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313%2B15vpQnL._SL160_.jpg

For a tail light, I have a Serfas light on my left chain stay. Tail lights are a problem for me, because one of my bikes has a dorsal fin an aero seatpost.

http://www.serfas.com/images/products/small/TL-ST.jpg

Both of these get moved from bike to bike. Because it's only a matter of pulling some rubber over a hook, taking them off one bike and onto the other takes less time than airing up the tires.

I use Black Diamond's Storm light, which comes attached to a headband. I've got another light mounted to my bike, which makes it pretty hard to forget, but that one's just so I can be seen. This light puts out 100 lumens (and takes AAA batteries - no external pack), and it means I can see potholes, or debris in the road, and not hit it.

http://mountainrescuegear.com/headlampsite/files/2011/02/Black-Diamond-Storm1.jpg

I've also got a Cygolite Milion, but haven't been able to use it cycling yet. It cost $9, because it came without the mounting hardware, and that's been surprisingly difficult to chase down. This guy is USB rechargeable, and seems like a great light. I use mine as a flashlight. I'd like to use this as a bike light, though, if I can do it cleanly (without tape, for example).

http://www.cygolite.com/products/new/Milion/images/milion-200-mural.jpg

Here's stuff I've given up on. :o

I've used Spokelights, and felt that they were a good thing when drivers approach from cross streets or driveways, but I was disappointed with the battery life.

http://www.techyzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/spokelight.jpg

I tried a BikeGlow Safety Light, but wasn't impressed by battery life or durability. Also, blue wasn't the best choice for night riding, even if it's a nice color.

http://bikeglow.com/sites/default/files/red_300x432.png

This is what my old utility/commuter/do-it-all bike looked like at night:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=225454&d=1320256448

I have one of these on the rear:http://www.blackburndesign.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/610x405/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/a/mars3-0rear_1.jpg

And some Topeak WhiteLight HP 3w something or other for the front. They aren't great, but there is a lot of ambient light from buildings and street lights so they are more for picking out glass and obstacles that the yellowish-orange tinged light hides well.

magicshine front and rear on my commuter and a planet bike super flash on the rest of my bikes.

I have:

1) PlanetBike Beamer 5

225467

My first light, purchased back in July as a "let's try it out and see" light. $30. Results? Not very good. Basically it's only good for "being seen". This will not illuminate anything in front of you, so I basically just set it on flash and hope people see me coming. I recently removed this from my bike to make room for a front basket.

2) Planet Bike Blinky 3
225469

My first tail light. $10. It works. People saw me and moved out of my lane much earlier than before. Battery life is decent.

3) Planet Bike Superflash

225472

Needed to toss something into my Amazon.com cart to push the order total above $25. Decided to try this out. Much brighter than the blinky 3, the flash pattern is very noticeable. I now use this as my primary rear light on flash mode, and use the blinky 3 to supplement it in steady mode. I seem to be much more visible this way.

4) Cygolite Expilion 400 USB

225473

It started getting darker and darker out, to a point where I was now coming home from work just as dusk set in. The first few days I biked in the twilight it became obvious that the Beamer 5 was useless for illuminating anything, so I bought this. It was a choice between this and the NiteRider MiniNewt. A few comments on the forum convinced me to get this instead. I'm very happy with it, I cycle home in the dark regularly now. Very bright, long life. USB recharging so I charge it at work on my computer. Mounted on my helmet. It is now pitch black for the last 10-15 minutes of my commute home, and the light performs admirably.

5) Cygolite TridenX 750

225474

However, since I have the Expilion 400 mounted on my helmet, it does not provide a steady beam of light forward if I turn my head. I've accidentally run over debris by looking over my shoulder momentarily to check for cars, thereby de-luminating the road ahead, and making it hard to notice upcoming debris. Due to this, I've decided to purchase a TridenX 750 for when it's pitch black out. I will mount this on my handlebars and point it down to completely illuminate the road ahead of me. I haven't received it yet, it's still in the mail. I can't wait to try it out.




I'll keep the Expilion 400 on my head as well, so I can aim it when I need to. It's also especially useful in letting drivers know you exist, because you can flash it into their window if they haven't looked your direction to acknowledge your existence. Hopefully these two headlights will be more than I'll ever need.

I got a MiNewt 350 by NiteRider. I picked up the 150 kit with the tail light for my son. I currently have the Zephal rear blinky. It works well enough for now, but am actively looking for a brighter replacement. The light I have is strong enough for riding after dark, but I would suggest it for lower speeds and roads you are familiar with. The addition of another light, or even a lower strength helmet headlight would be perfect for most any condition riding. It is USB rechargable as well.

Those little rubber tail light thingys are just this side of worthless. Better than nothing, but only barely. The one I had "broke" the first ride, as the little on/off button floated around under the rubber cover. I took it apart and taped the button over the place it needs to be and it works, that is about it. The little rubber ties also break easily. As a supplemental, place anywhere on anything kind of light it is functional.

However, since I have the Expilion 400 mounted on my helmet, it does not provide a steady beam of light forward if I turn my head.

I've found that having one headlight on the bike - somewhere near the bars - and another one on your head, that turns to follow your gaze, is a hugely useful combination.

My single-speed is outfitted with a SON dynohub, B&M IQ Cyo headlight and "flat tail light" don't remember what it's called. :)

I also have a Dinotte 600L headlight, 140L taillight, PB Superflahs, and PDW Dangerzone that I move around on the bikes.

I use two. One Cateye, A Planet Bike, and then a a Cteye tail light.

http://www.rei.com/product/807257/cateye-hl-el520-front-bike-light

http://www.rei.com/product/756359/planet-bike-beamer-5-front-bike-light

http://www.rei.com/product/756359/planet-bike-beamer-5-front-bike-light

Fine for being seen but I do plan to get a better light sometime soon. I need to see more on night rides through the mountains (GMR)

Though I think my best defense weapon is the tri color ankle bands. The pedal movement is the attention getter IMO.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5191411462_20f43eff5a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40913998@N06/5191411462/)
IMG_4399 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40913998@N06/5191411462/) by gulpxtreme (http://www.flickr.com/people/40913998@N06/), on Flickr

SON28 hub powering an IQ Cyo headlamp and Seculite 4D taillamp. In addition, 2 PBSF blinkies in back and a Princeton Tec Quad mounted on my helmet.

I have:

1) PlanetBike Beamer 5

225467

My first light, purchased back in July as a "let's try it out and see" light. $30. Results? Not very good. Basically it's only good for "being seen". This will not illuminate anything in front of you, so I basically just set it on flash and hope people see me coming. I recently removed this from my bike to make room for a front basket.

3) Planet Bike Superflash

225472

Needed to toss something into my Amazon.com cart to push the order total above $25. Decided to try this out. Much brighter than the blinky 3, the flash pattern is very noticeable. I now use this as my primary rear light on flash mode, and use the blinky 3 to supplement it in steady mode. I seem to be much more visible this way.



I got the same things but i have two superflash. I set the one on my bag to blink and the one on my frame for solid.

the beamer is set to blink but if i get caught in real darkness i my need to point it down a bit and set it to solid so i can see what i am about to ride over.

i will at all possible not ride if it get dark. So far when i commute home its been light out. and i am thinking of driving to work for january and february.

On my commuter, I've been running a PB Blaze 2W to ight my path, PB Blaze 1W in flash mode as a be seen front light. I have 2 PB Superflash Turbos in back. On in steady and one in flash.

Purchased one of these:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ssc-p7-3-mode-900-lumen-led-headlamp-bike-light-set-4-18650-50947
and when I received it, decided to purchase a second one. I'll run one flash and one steady.

Pics will be extremely useful in this thread.

I get the impression that C&A has more new cyclists than a lot of other forums here. By its nature, it's going to attract a lot of heavyset folks, and bikes are good exercise. A lot of "new member" and "which bike?" threads introduce a new cyclist, or someone who hasn't been on a bike since they were a kid. And ... there are a lot of bike lights out there. I'm hoping this is a helpful thread for our Clyde brothers and Athena sisters, but I think lots and lots of pictures will make it one.

Front: Serfas TSL 500 http://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=899

Back: DesignShine Lighting DS-500 Taillight https://sites.google.com/site/designshinelighting/

3) Planet Bike Superflash

225472

Needed to toss something into my Amazon.com cart to push the order total above $25. Decided to try this out. Much brighter than the blinky 3, the flash pattern is very noticeable. I now use this as my primary rear light on flash mode, and use the blinky 3 to supplement it in steady mode. I seem to be much more visible this way.


Follow-up note on this one. A neighbor pulled into my apartment driveway (it's long) after me, and when he reached me in the parking lot, he said to me "Jesus Christ, I thought you were the cops!". Heh. This made me chuckle, I had heard a reviewer claim it looked like a police flasher from a distance, but I assumed that was an exaggeration. Apparently it was not. Superflash is super!

the beamer is set to blink but if i get caught in real darkness i my need to point it down a bit and set it to solid so i can see what i am about to ride over.

i will at all possible not ride if it get dark. So far when i commute home its been light out. and i am thinking of driving to work for january and february.

You would not believe how much of a difference the 400-lumen light is compared to the Beamer 5. It's like night and day... no pun intended. Ok maybe it was a little intended. But yeah, the 400 lumen light has given me a gigantic boost in confidence in night riding. I can only imagine the 750 light I've got coming soon will help even more.

These for front:
250 lumens Cree q5 torch ( always 2 of these )
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/CREE-Q5-240LM-Bicycle-Bike-LED-Front-Flashlight-Torch-Head-Light-Mount-Blue-/00/$(KGrHqV,!lkE3HM1W2v3BN+IT7lOHQ~~0_35.JPG
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Red-Bike-Bicycle-Head-Front-Light-CREE-Q5-LED-Flashlight-240-Lumen-Torch-Clip-/00/s/MzExWDMxNQ==/$(KGrHqV,!jME6E(VUmL5BOpPHgH2Fw~~60_35.JPG
Around 1000 lumens Magicshine copy Cree xml t6 http://i.ebayimg.com/t/XML-CREE-T6-LED-Bike-Bicycle-Light-HeadLight-headLamp-/00/s/MjY2WDI5MQ==/$(KGrHqZ,!l!E6B9DTN!lBOr1jC29qg~~60_35.JPG
For the rear:

1 watt Blackburn mars 4 for day and night - VERY bright
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEpjJgz-9YCnL2grJS1spy7ouwTMGS9iZusiZ5TSOBnvU0VXlxOA
Blackburn mars 3 for night rides
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQCUGknhxk24rqhcuK65DYJqsQwnWxHa6i_BmiRwW1KBZgHQ2PG

Around 1000 lumens Magicshine copy Cree xml t6 http://i.ebayimg.com/t/XML-CREE-T6-LED-Bike-Bicycle-Light-HeadLight-headLamp-/00/s/MjY2WDI5MQ==/$(KGrHqZ,!l!E6B9DTN!lBOr1jC29qg~~60_35.JPG

How well does it work? I'm thinking about buying one.
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Current commuter setup:

1000 lumen SpokeGrenade Headlight:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41lRn-2M06L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Princeton Tec EOS (mounted as helmet light)
http://www.moontrail.com/details/princeton-tec/eos/eos-inhand.jpg

2 PlanetBike Superflashes
http://ecom1.planetbike.com/planetbike/media/3034.jpg

Busch & Muller 4D Toplight
http://www.velofred.com/images/busch__muller/4dtoplt.jpg

The helmet light is nearly always with me year round (basically on the helmet or in a saddlebag, unless I forgot it in the garage... doh!)

The SpokeGrenade 1000 lumen headlight is a recent upgrade, throws a lot of light, haven't really had a need to run it at full power on the road yet, on medium its plenty of "to see by" light".

I've also always liked running a helmet light, not only as a backup, but as a "visual horn" to point at cars coming out of side streets.

The Superflashes are nice, but not excessively waterproof. I think they may have fixed that in the more current models. I wrap a bit of electrical tape around the seam to keep out water during the wet months around here.

The 4D toplight is bolted to my rack, so its always on the bike, no flashing, just a steady light, surrounded by a big reflector.

Main light (B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo R):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1160/5155786232_471fc4ae87.jpg

Auxiliary light (Planet Bike 2W Blaze):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5304327882_bc6473a906.jpg

Tail lights are PDW Radbot 1000 and PDW Fenderbot.

On my Trek Hybrid, since April, Ive been running the Planet Bike Blaze 2w. Seems like a good light with a strong strobe pattern:
http://i44.tinypic.com/zjjm95.jpg

On the rear Ive been running this "cheapo" Deal Extreme light. Its actually an awesome deal at $3 and is extremely bright and fantastic battery life. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
http://i39.tinypic.com/zko285.jpg

As I ride thru the winter, I think a headlight upgrade will be in my future. Im thinking a $100 "MagicShine" as where I ride at night there is very little street-lighting and I literally wont be able to see.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mj-808-ha-iii-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-bike-light-set-44459

Great idea for a thread for us "year rounders" ;)

Magicshine MJ-808E in the front and Owleye HighLux 5R in the rear. I used to have a Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB but it won't charge now. I'm sending it back for a replacement or something. So I went ahead and bought the Owleye from a local bike shop for 35 EUR (ouch):

http://www.owleye.ch/produkte/ruecklicht/highlux-5r/highlux-5r-schwarz/@@images/2d5e13fb-fbc8-45c6-af91-d2de700f537d.jpeg
To my suprise, it's brighter than the Flea 2.0. The Owleye uses 5 Nichia LEDs and claims brightness of 60 lumen. It IS brighter then the Flea and it has a way better viewing angle. I thought I would use it as a temporary light until I get a replacement, but given the quality, I might keep it as a primary as well. It charges in 2h from a USB port. It has a 570 mAh Li-Ion battery and is supposed to have a longer burn time than the flea.

http://www.owleye.com.tw/product_detail.asp?product_id=12
http://www.owleye.ch/produkte/ruecklicht/highlux-5r

I really like the white version, but the product I tried at the store was defective - only 4 of the 5 LEDs were lighting up. So, I got the black version. More pictures below:

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3764/03112011505.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4822/03112011506.jpg
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/5769/03112011507.jpg
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3001/03112011509.jpg
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4526/03112011513.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3946/03112011514.jpg

Schmidt, Dyno hub, E6 halogen headlights, and a B&M 4D toplights,
one with a Tubus rear rack has a wired in one,
the one without a rack, I use the battery one,

It's on my Bike Friday.. I kludged a method to bolt it on
behind the seat post waterbottle cage.
with some old Zefal mudguard struts.. .

You would not believe how much of a difference the 400-lumen light is compared to the Beamer 5. It's like night and day... no pun intended. Ok maybe it was a little intended. But yeah, the 400 lumen light has given me a gigantic boost in confidence in night riding. I can only imagine the 750 light I've got coming soon will help even more.

i avoid the darkness at all possible, but even then i live in an urban area that is well lit. but i may look into the 400 if i end up enjoying winter riding.

For those of you who have more than one bike: how many of your lights do you move from ride to ride, and do you leave any of your lights always on one bike? It can be a pain to move them around, depending on how they mount, but they aren't cheap, either. So I'm curious what other people do.

I refer to a new bike as a "bike kit," because every time I get one I spend a couple hundred dollars getting standard stuff for each bicycle:

Blinkies
Headlight (if it's one I'll ride at night!)
Saddle (B-17)
Saddle bag
Pump
Patch kit

I like more light than what used to come in an all-in-one headlight, and it was too much trouble to move battery and light. I might reconsider if I went with something like the Expilion >300. Blinkies are too cheap and too hard to move, so I'll duplicate those.

For those of you who have more than one bike: how many of your lights do you move from ride to ride, and do you leave any of your lights always on one bike? It can be a pain to move them around, depending on how they mount, but they aren't cheap, either. So I'm curious what other people do.

I have an L&M Solo that I can swap around if needed, but for the most part I only have my hard-mounted lights. I do have a couple different dynohubbed wheels so I don't need to swap them back and forth, but during the summer when it's light out for 18 hours I don't use anything.

I guess I'm one of the small group who still likes the old tire driven dynamos. (http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com/2011/04/light-choices.html) They are lighter than the dynohubs,less expensive,create no resistance unless they are in use and are a lot more reliable than batteries.

Marc

For those of you who have more than one bike: how many of your lights do you move from ride to ride, and do you leave any of your lights always on one bike? It can be a pain to move them around, depending on how they mount, but they aren't cheap, either. So I'm curious what other people do.

Currently have just one bike, and another on order. My current bike is my commuter, which I leave locked up outside of work. As such, I've made certain that all of my lights have quick-release mounts so that I can remove them when I leave the bike, and quickly reattach when I get back. I'll be purchasing additional mounts for the new bike so I can swap them over whenever I need to.

For those of you who have more than one bike: how many of your lights do you move from ride to ride, and do you leave any of your lights always on one bike? It can be a pain to move them around, depending on how they mount, but they aren't cheap, either. So I'm curious what other people do.
My commuter has dedicated head and tail lights (2 each). All other bikes have PBSF Turbos that run in flash mode whenever the bike is on the street. Also have a few Two Fish knockoffs and LED flashlights that can be strapped on to any of my bikes if needed.

I guess I'm one of the small group who still likes the old tire driven dynamos. (http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com/2011/04/light-choices.html) They are lighter than the dynohubs,less expensive,create no resistance unless they are in use and are a lot more reliable than batteries.

Marc
Good ones are OK for resistance when in operation, but like hub dynos, a cheap bottle dyno will create really high drag. That's not my main issue with them, though: If you don't have a tire with a dyno track on the sidewall there's a high potential for roller wheel slippage in wet/slushy conditions (of which the PNW has an abundance.) There are different roller wheel attachments I've seen for avoiding this, utilizing a small wire brush instead of a rubber coated wheel, but then you run into issues with potential for sidewall damage if you are using a tire without a dyno track.

To their benefit, the only 12V system I've seen for dyno systems happens to be a bottle dyno.

On my all arround commuter utility I have 2 of these red blinkies on the wald racks in the back (and One on my road bike)

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1075344_-1_1588500_20000_400903

on the utiliyt I have one white blinkie on the front

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1030710_-1_1588500_20000_400158

and a 18650 battery light on the front (similar to this...same vendor)

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-221/MG-P-dsh-rocket/Detail

run front and back blinkies allmost all the time

For those of you who have more than one bike: how many of your lights do you move from ride to ride, and do you leave any of your lights always on one bike? It can be a pain to move them around, depending on how they mount, but they aren't cheap, either. So I'm curious what other people do.

I move them from bike to bike. My main front light mounts with an o-ring and the battery pack velcos to the frame, so it takes the longest to move (mostly due to tucking the excess wiring out of the way under the battery pack. The unit comes with some long wires). Extra mounts for the superflash rear lights are easy to order from planetbike, or you can clip them onto the back of saddlebag.

NiteRider MiNewt 600 cordless, Cygolite Hotshot.

magicshine front and rear on my commuter and a planet bike super flash on the rest of my bikes.

+1

GREAT light package!

Looking for something with the best lumens. I believe you want something bright right for the front??? I hear people having a front light and then a light connected to helmet.

How well does it work? I'm thinking about buying one.
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Better than car headlights! Looks like motorcycle coming...
That's what people are saying... ;-)

...So I went ahead and bought the Owleye from a local bike shop for 35 EUR (ouch):

http://www.owleye.ch/produkte/ruecklicht/highlux-5r/highlux-5r-schwarz/@@images/2d5e13fb-fbc8-45c6-af91-d2de700f537d.jpeg
To my suprise, it's brighter than the Flea 2.0. The Owleye uses 5 Nichia LEDs and claims brightness of 60 lumen. It IS brighter then the Flea and it has a way better viewing angle...

I also use the Owleye lights... I only use them for work commutes, as on twelve hour workdays I often end up riding in the dark. Most of my ride is through San Francisco and Oakland, so there are plenty of streetlights for me to be able to see. I'm not sure how well I'd like their illumination of the road on a dark spot. For my purposes though, they're great 'cause I'm concerned about being seen and they're fantastic for that... especially on the flash setting. When I set the front/white one to flash, it reflects off all the street signs and car reflectors and makes it look like there's a cop on the street somewhere, which is great because drivers will sooner slow down and pay attention for a cop vs. a lone cyclist chugging his way to work!

Oh, and I love that they're easy to remove and small enough to store in a jacket pocket... plus they recharge by USB cable.

Rear: Planet Bike Superflash. I currently swap this back and forth between bikes (Christmas is just a bit away, and I need to leave something for my wife to get me).

Some silly cheap rear blinkie I picked up from Performance Bike. Bought two for less than 10 bucks total. The mounting brackets suck; the first took a dive going through an intersection. Picked it up - clip was a loss, but the light still worked. The second took a dive riding down the road; that time, the light AND the clip died.

Now, the remaining clipless light is zip-tied to the rear of my helmet.


Commuter: Two LED flashlights mounted via Twofish lockblocks. I run one in blink mode, the other in steady.

LD Bike: One LED flashlight mounted via lockblock. Run it in steady mode.
LD Bike: Generator hub-driven Shimano light. Has two lights - one low-power LED, one incandescent. Run it all the time. It doesn't have a standlight, which is why I have the LED light on this bike.


I don't like the generator light. I picked up a wheelset for the generator hub; the light came free. I'll replace it with a Supernova E3; maybe I'll build a generator wheel for my commuter and move the cheap light there.

Ideally, I like to run two rear lights - one solid, one blinking, and one good front light and a helmet mounted front light. New helmet's vents don't cater to a helmet-mounted light (with the current mounting options I have). Looking for a helmet solution right now.

DIY front headlight made from a Stanley 24 led work light. Rechargeable been using it regularly for a couple years, good for about 6 hours on a charge. In addition a rear mounted flasher on bike and one on helmet. Helmet also has a front facing led light. The combination of fixed bike lights and lights that move with your head I find work best for both seeing and being seen.

Oh and lots of reflective tape.
http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/45815/2003105260037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2003105260037547136SlzyxI)

I did a setup with a few mini maglites attached to some pvc pipes clamped to my front fork. I think it costed under $25 and was a good supplement to the PB Blaze I already had and the PB Superflash on the back.

did my first commute home in the dark!!

i will say the planet bike beamer5 is darn powerful. that said i think i am going to 86 the commuting to work thing till this darkness thing goes away. i just didnt feel comfortable and i wasnt worried about cars not seeing me i was worried about me not seeing road hazards.

Nexus dynamo powering a B&M Topal Senso and a Toplight XS Plus.

Hub-generator headlight on skewer mount, couple of superflashes and couple of other rear tailights on back.

i will say the planet bike beamer5 is darn powerful........i was worried about me not seeing road hazards.
These statements are conflicting. If you have adequate lighting, you will be able to see the road hazards.

These statements are conflicting. If you have adequate lighting, you will be able to see the road hazards.

maybe because i had it set to blink? also it was out of my comfort zone too, so that could be it?

but even then keeping my eye on all the traffic i loose the peripheral vision of the road. i had to slow to 15mph in some spots as i was unsure even on the same route i took all year home.

maybe because i had it set to blink? also it was out of my comfort zone too, so that could be it?

but even then keeping my eye on all the traffic i loose the peripheral vision of the road. i had to slow to 15mph in some spots as i was unsure even on the same route i took all year home.

Blinking headlights will do a number on your night vision and spatial awareness. My rule of thumb is that I only run my lights in blinking mode during non-darkness hours.

As far as not being able to see road hazards, you may want to adjust your light so that it highlights potholes, etc, or even add another light so that you're more comfortable.

Better than car headlights! Looks like motorcycle coming...
That's what people are saying... ;-)

Awesome! I might have to pick one up if I finally get tired of my Ultrashine flashlight dying and having to figure out some shady way to fix it.
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Blinking headlights will do a number on your night vision and spatial awareness. My rule of thumb is that I only run my lights in blinking mode during non-darkness hours.

As far as not being able to see road hazards, you may want to adjust your light so that it highlights potholes, etc, or even add another light so that you're more comfortable.

Good point i will try it with the light solid and pointed a bit down. I really think i am going to switch back to the beach cruiser for the commute. its slower and has huge balloon tires to run over pot holes.

it was nice sprint home and getting great cardio in, but at that speed and at night i just dont think i would feel comfortable with any light on bike.

Question to everybody. How much did you guys spend on all your lights?

for me the two PB superflashes and the beamer set me back only $40. local LBS was selling the blinkies buy one get one half off and i used the $20 commuter check that my company pays me for ridding my bike to work ;)

I spent $180 I think on my front light (cant really remember).