Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I would suggest a second (and/or third) light...front and rear. Stuff happens. Cords get damaged, mounts fail, batteries drain, lights get broken in crashes, etc. Having multiple lights reduces the chances of a single failure leaving you riding in the dark. And battery headlights are so cheap now that you won't break the bank with multiple lamps and batteries.
I also find a helmet mounted light to be indispensable. You can direct the light where you need it, like corners. The motion of the helmet light is also eye catching to drivers without the annoying flashing. Be careful with a helmet light, however. You don't want to look people in the eyes since the light goes where your head is pointed. You can use it to get the attention of drivers how may pull out from stopsigns on you but use it that way sparingly.
I would also investigate alternative routes. 45 to 50 mph traffic isn't fun during the day and is much less fun during the night. I bet you can find something that parallels the route on a quieter street.
A million years ago I used a NightSun rig. Bottle battery, a 10 and a 15 watt halogen front light, and a (for the time) high intensity rear light bar all controlled from single switch. I had a neighbor once comment to me that he saw me from well over a mile... I was climbing a hill (slowly as always) and he saw from the other side... Too bad that company is irrationally attached to halogen, with current LEDs it would be a marvel!
I tried a planet bike blinkie that was helmet mounted as an experiment. It used old cheap LEDs, but a novel auto leveling system. It is great bang for the buck!
Sold me, higher is better... multiple lights apart from each other better still.
So picked up vis 360+... It is incredible. Got to see it from others perspective when I loaned it to my daughter. Extremely effective.
Brighter is better, but I'm also sold on wide angle.
So rear lights are so far, are a tl-ld1100 bolted to the rack, a PBSF turbo on chain stay. The tail light from the 360+... But after a bonus from my boss who is very concerned (she knows 3 people who were hit on bikes) I was trying to decide between a dinote quad and a light and motion 180 vis... Went with the 180 vis... so PBSF will be demoted to rt chain stay...
Using 5000lm mj-880 cheap clones for bar mounted, with erratic luck. They're nowhere near what they say they put out, but when they work they're glorious!
But without it I came across a 2 stealth campers... They said I looked like a UFO! So since my inspiration is Close Encounters of the Third Kinds, I'm on my way!
Now for the sound system!