I’m considering purchasing a light that I will use primarily during the daytime, though that doesn't mean I would not use it during the night, though I don't ride when it's dark too often. Most importantly, I am looking for a light that is visible off-axis. In busier traffic areas, I would probably still have a handlebar-mounted light (along with a helmet-mounted light). This is more so for suburban traffic, with effective speeds in 35-50 MPH.

I realize that using a light during daytime is not nearly as noticeable as using one at night, so I don’t need a lecture, please . I'm primarily concerned with balancing slowing down in higher traffic/higher speed areas with increasing visibility.


I’m looking for a light that has these features:

1.)Brightness: It doesn’t have to be much above 200 lumens, though there being at least some added variance of beam spread/pattern from light-to-light in the market, I’m not sure how the Dinotte 200L’s beam spread compares to others, and in turn, effects how visible it is off-axis.

2.)Helmet-mount capable OR considerably visible off-axis during daytime (the former of which I don’t think most lights have the capability of): Doesn’t have to be included with the light, but can be available for purchase. I observed how relatively less noticeable my Dinotte 200L is when it’s off-axis, hence the reason for wanting to add a little bit more safety when I’m approaching cars that are a bit off-axis of my light, so I can turn my head to a car that is most likely not able to see my light, being off-axis and may end up intersecting me when turning.

3.)Durability: Not a light (or a helmet mount, if its beam pattern were to make one use it with one or was designed to be used on the helmet) that you are aware of having durability issues, based on your own experience and/or input of others

4.)Noticeable flash pattern: I’d want a light that has some sort of flash pattern. There is no real industry standard definition for “flash” though. This video for the Dinotte 200L, shows at 0:40, its flash patterns. The first one is something I'd prefer-something rapid (and doesn't turn off), and the second is relatively noticeable too (also doesn't turn off), but the last mode is not really as effective during the day. If its flash pattern is not steady, as in it turns off very briefly, then I would rather it be a non-steady pattern that doesn’t stay off for very long (less than a second). One example appears to possibly be the Vis 360 Plus, which I am considering (but I really can't tell based on the lack of videos). Vis 360 Plus video here at about :28 shows a flash pattern (and off-axis), though it's hard to say if the video is truly telling of how bright it is. It doesn't appear to be quite that bright during daytime hours.

5.) Lower total weight (again, if used on the helmet): My Dinotte 200L + 4 AA batteries + the helmet mount, weighs about 310 grams and I would just stick with it, except that after a good 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours of riding (with no skull cap, it starts to feel painful on the top of my head and will get progressively worse during a ride.

Not necessary, but preferred, would be a light that I can replace batteries on.

It seems that many of the lights I have looked around at, it makes it rather difficult to determine just how effective it would be at accomplishing what I am hoping it would do.

Light & Motion has newer lights (Metro and Urban series) that tend to be a less noticeable flash pattern, which would be fine in darker lighting conditions, but not as much in the daytime. How bright a light is, most importantly, in its flash pattern, is also important, and something just about every company doesn't actually specify. For example, saying a light flashes between 200 and 100 lumens would be helpful, but nonetheless, it's absent from product specs.