desired characteristics
- good value (none of that $100+ nonsense)
- reliable
- bright enough to see in the dark going up to 40 mph
- good light dispersion
- good battery life (3+ hours on beam mode)

I have a cygolite 300, which I've been using for 2 years, and it's a pretty nice light. great for commuting, good battery life. however, as the days get dark, it's getting hard to find time to train when the sun is up. and when I'm riding at night on a quiet road without any street lights, that occasionally gets flooded by cars' headlights, I don't think my 300 lumen really cuts it. I can get a cygolite 750 or something, but those have really short battery lives. So I think I'm looking for one of those cheaper, high lumen light with external batteries, which last like 10 hours, and that's just fine. there are just a few concerns

- which one should I get?
- lumen is good, how's the light distribution?
- is it versatile and convenient to put on and take off both the light and battery pack? (definitely not going to be a permanent fixture on the race/training bike)


I am less familiar with tail lights. The one I have is guee cob-x that I bought from a bike shop I used to work at. the description claims ~200m visibility. battery life seems good. am I all set there, or should I look for something more?