Originally Posted by
AlexanderLS
Many generic lights lie about their lumens.
If your relying on this light for your safety you should go with a reputable brand.
Optics of the light play a bigger part than lumens. A 200 lumen light with optimized optics works considerably better than a 400 lumen light with bad optics.
Cygolite is a good brand. They have a wide range of lights suitable for seeing the road at night. Their $30
Cygolite Metro 500 is the cheapest they have atm. 500 Lumens is suitable for road use, you may still become blinded by motorist high beams. 850 lumens can be had for ~$50 with the
Cygolite Metro 850. At 850 lumens your eyes should be dilated to where motorist lights shouldn't blind you. Keep in mind the metro series contain Li-Ion batteries that are not user replaceable and thus they have a finite lifespan. Visit
Cygolite's website to see all their offerings.
EDIT: Thought I should mention, Cygolite lights(That have built in battery) tend to last an hour or two so they are not suitable for long night commutes.
My wife and I use Cygolite Metro 850's. It puts out a great amount of light that fills your immediate vision. In my experience, this light can be too bright for oncoming motorists, so you have to aim it properly. Also, the Cygolite has adjustable modes so if you run it on low or medium, you can extend your ride time. We usually start riding before dark, but we've gone over an hour on the high setting without running it down