Night ... err ... lights?
 

For those of you riding at night, what lights do you use/recommend? Almost all of my riding is urban and somewhat lit but it never hurts to be more visible. Also, the light needs to be easily removed and stowed.

i use one of these in the front:
http://199.236.105.7/images/frog-led1.jpg

and one of these in the back:
http://bicyclemagic.com/smsimg/18/166lam405r.jpg

The rear blinkie is clutch. It MUST be mounted on the bike, not just clipped on your bag. Your bag shifts, and the light will wind up pointing up at the sky or at the ground half the time. Front light is more to let other folks see you than to see, unless you ride on unlit streets. If that is the case, drop mad coin on an HID system.

Knog Frogs front + rear.

These can be useful:

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...rand=65&type=T

I use one in front on my stem and one on the back of my helmet (in addition to another rear light i use).

I use a knog too. It isn't very much light, but it is enough to not be riding completely blind. If you are planning lots of night riding it would be worth investing in something brighter. Check out knog's new lights, they just came out with one that has 5 leds in the front called the toad or something. I think it was 30-35 bucks.

+1

I have one on the rear. Cool stuff. You don't have to screw on mounts. As the ad reads:
- Straps just about anywhere! (fits around things from 12.7mm to 160mm in diameter)
- Will fit on all handlebars, seatposts, most frames, saddle wedges, helmet vents, beer cans, cyclist arms, some calves (not the baby cow type), the possibilities are endless

http://aebike.com/images/library/cat...50m/LT4105.jpg

(I love how they stole the image from QBP and don't care about the watermark)

I use a cat-eye opticube. It's huge and ugly but it gives really good light. I can *almost* ride in total darkness with it and still sorta see.

I wouldn't recomend the Knog Toad, unfortunately. One of our reps brought one in the other day to try but it looks like the retention system isn't very well thought out. Instead of the hook and loop system of the Frog, it attaches with a soft rubber cap wrapping under the bars and clipping onto a hard plastic base. It's not very secure and could come off w/ hard hit (ie. pothole, curb).

Light comparison with beam patterns, etc. I use a Light & Motion Arc HID light with the Knog Bullfrog in the rear...
http://eddys.com/page.cfm?PageID=493

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1161351587418
http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Pr...9830542944.jpg


http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1161351507582
http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Pr...9830473673.jpg

Sounds like what you need is more of a "see-me" light, rather than something like the frame-mounted-battery beast that I use for my daily commute. Check out the selection of "safety headlights" at REI, and there's a few there that come in under $20. The Sigma Sport Tri LED is $17, and has a tool-less click mounting setup to install/remove quickly. A flasher setting will grab attention better than a solid light will, so look for that feature.
If you're really looking to be more visible, make sure to get a red blinkie to attach to your seatpost (or rack, or seatstay.) Again, you can find 'em for pretty cheap. I got mine for about $15.

i just bought a flashing pumpkin light on a string at CVS for 97cents. yep, its halloween

EDITED:

I use One of these in the front... (great becuase I can easily move it from bike to bike or into my pocket)
http://www.performancebike.com/produ...00/40_2171.jpg

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...gory_ID=4320##

And Two of these(not this exact one, but one similar but with 5 leds not 3): one on the back, one on my bag shoulder strap...

http://www.performancebike.com/produ...50/40_2128.jpg

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4322

+1 to Morgie's front light.
The picture doesn't show how nice and small it is.
Yet it's still brighter than a couple bigger headlights I have.

That cateye rear light is pretty good, but I use it as a secondary since it only has three LEDs.

This one with 5 LEDs is awesome and bright, and still really cheap.
http://www.cateye.com/sites/cateye/u...cts/267-og.jpg
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/267

+ another one for morgies light. It's incredibly small and convenient to strap it to any handlebar. so I can keep it in my bag and easily stick it on any bike I happen to be on after dark. It doesn't cast that much light under streetlights it doesn't do much for seeing, but in blinking mode it's great for being seen. Yesterday morning I took a ride at 5:30 am It was pitch black and foggy. once I got to sections of highway with no streetlights I switched it from blinky to solid and was pleasantly surprised it actually cast some very useful light. I could see the shoulder and road surface. I couldn't read my computer in the dark, but I was probably traveling 15-22. Just a touch slower than I would have been in broad daylight.

For the back I use a clip-on jogging light. I usually clip it to a zip tie which I have between the seat rails on all my bikes for that purpose.

I'm considering one of these. Check out the insane light signature on the left.

Been using a Cygo Lite Explorer for my mtb and commuting for about 6 years now. On average I got about 2 hours on one beam. About 1.5 hours on both. Since it is handlebar mount only, it worked great in straight aways, sucked in turns. So I got a Princeton Eos for the helmet. On the trails, I'll have it on high beam. On the streets, I have it in blinky mode. These little lights have a 60 hour run time on one set of batteries. Friend say its my "Mercedes" light,since it has a blue tint. I'm constantly getting asked if the Eos is a camera.

Just pickedup a NiteRider Evolution so my wife can ride with me on the upcoming Houston Moonlight Ramble. It came with both helmet and handlebar mounts. It has a 2 hour run time. I'll be using it more for the commuting, battery is small enough to fit in the inside wall pocket of my Timbuk2.

I really like the SL-Ld 100 strap on lites( as shown in response #7.). I strap on as many as possible. They can make a cylist look like a Christmas tree. I like them on my arms/legs so motorists get a good side profile that is well lite.

The types of lights and opinions is literally endless.

Most agree that the new Cateye TL-LD 1000 is one of the best tailights around. It's easy to remove and only about $25-$30. There are many photos of it running at night in the forums. Take a look at the new Planet Bike "superflash" too. There are plenty of photos of it in the forums too. I paid $19 on line, for mine.


What do you want to spend for a headlight? I say spend as much as you can comfortably for safety.

How long do you need the headlight to run for?

Do you want to see the ground riding in the city lights? To see the ground in the rain, with car coming at you, and many other lights around you need a powerful light.

I run 2 cateye LD-1000's on my bike, one at the back of my rack and one clamped to the seatpost. The seatpost light is angled to point at people who might be passing me. These are awesome lights and seem pretty bombproof. I got recently a 15w Planet Bike halogen for the front and it's great for the occasional trip on the MUP at night.

I have Ascent headlight and tail light as well. The tail light is fine, but the headlight sucks and is an absolutely horrible design. DO NOT get Ascent brand head/tail light set. The cover pops off over big bumps and it's not quiclkly releasable. it is somewhat bright, and the flash goes very quickly, so it's very much a high-speed strobe.

after getting hit i dont **** around with those tiny single LEDs anymore

i gotta cateye front with a strap instead of clamp and a whatever rear red blinker like half the other people in this thread

2manybikes knows what he's talking about.

I used two Cateye HL-EL410s for a couple months. They are great little lights, but they should only be used as supplements to a primary lighting system. I didn't find them very good for commuting either because they would always turn on in my bag.

Recently I purchased the Dinotte Dual, and it has been wonderful. I immediately noticed a difference in the way cars reacted to me at night. I have the dual 5w version, and I would guess you need to be going about 30 MPH to outrun it. It takes about 15 seconds to put the lights and battery on my bike, and less than half that time to take it off. It is well made and weather-proof (so far).

I think Cateye makes some wonderful tail lights and some good LED headlights too (I've heard only good things about the Double Shot), but if you want a light to be seen by and be seen I would go with a higher-end LED head light. There are also some excellent Halogen lighting systems. They are generally cheaper than comparable LED systems.

Check out this guide that forum member slvoid maintains.

i have a 3-led light strapped to my helmet...that way i can see the ground right in front of me on dark streets, and if i think a driver might not see me i can shine it in their face. plus when i get off my bike it automatically comes with me, and i get to use it as a headlamp.

That headlight looks really cool even though it doesnt look like a headlight. Where can I get it at? :)