I don't think that $100 or $150 is unreasonable for a dependable light. Some people spend more than that on a flashlight for their home. My commuting light is an older Niterider Minewt 600. The new replacement is the Lumina 700. They're about $100. Great dependable light. Often times I'll use mine on low but when the road gets sketchy, I'll crank it up. I love having the extra power as an added measure of safety. The lights are convenient because they charge with a regular mini USB cord and the battery is self contained in the light. If I had to do it again, I may look into the L&M Urban 550 or 700. Personally, I really like L&M beam patterns. I've owned their HID ARC systems in the past and have a SECA 1500 currently. Those I only use when mtn biking. I find them too bright for regular commutes. The 1500 is just way overkill but on medium, it shoots a very nice 800 lumen beam. But when I got my Minewt 600, the Urban 550 and 700 weren't available at the time. But those I'd like to take a look at closely. L&M seems to put out more light than they rate them as.