I just ordered a set of the Optronics driving fog lights that seem to be popular, and I thought I'd throw down a few comments for posterity.

I got it from JC Whitney. Item # is ZX490431P. Here's the URL: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/I...D:100000201440

The cost is 14.99 which gets you two lights, an illuminated switch, and a pretty good wiring harness. All in all it's an impressive deal. There are a couple of things wrong with the web site listing. It's listed as a 55-watt h3 bulb with a clear lens. It actually comes with a 50-watt MR-16 bulb that is tinted yellow. It's also listed as round when it is quite oval in shape. These errors don't really matter as the 50 watt bulb draws too much current for most cyclist use.

The reason I like this one is that the MR-16 seems to be rapidly developing a lot of bulb alternatives. You can now get version in halogen, xenon, LED, and fluorescent, ranging from 2.5 to 50 watts, in a variety of beam shapes. I replaced the bulb with a 20 w halogen, 30 degree beam I had lying around. It makes a pretty good bike light. One thing I like is that it is well shielded to the rear.

It's made of plastic and weighs a few ounces.

I did a side-by-side comparison with my current commuter light, which is a 25 watt 4" sealed beam PAR36 LV505 halogen bulb. The sealed beam gives more light and is more visible, which makes sense since it has more power and four times the reflector area. On the other hand it is bulky and truly geeky. So I think I'll stick with the big light for winter commuting and use Mr. Sixteen

A couple other notes: JC Whitney also has a nice housing for the sealed beam bulb, stock number ZX133635N, also $14.99. It comes with a glass bulb that is too heavy for biking. I haven't found a source for the lightweight 25w halogen bulb other than Home Depot, which doesn't always have them.

I did notice that they are used in the emergency lights in my kids' school, with a logo that says "Emergi-lite," but I can't find those either.

I have found this gadget: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename= allows me to mount almost any light almost anywhere on the bike, currently $3.49.