Originally Posted by
urbanknight
Many of the cheap suggestions in this thread won't allow you to see anything. They are simply meant to make sure other people see you.
This.
Most lights are worthless for actually lighting the way. If you need to actually see anything, there are a couple cheap alternatives (i.e. around $100) that can work. For $200+, you can get a smaller package that might be more convenient.
Even when your lights are efficient, you can't generate light without enough power. There are no super cheapo options that generate reasonable light. A couple AA's simply cannot cut it.
I use a 13W HID system, but I bought at a time when diode technology wasn't as good as it is now.