Originally Posted by greatscott

I didn't read all the posts, I got through the first two and started choking on the words so I stopped going any further.

Look ideally you should have two headlights, one rated for about 1,100 to 1,200 lumens that you will use in a lower mode of around 700 lumens, this light will be on steady. The reason for the more lumens comes a bigger battery which means on the middle setting it will run longer then getting a 700 lumen light and running it on high. Also 700 lumens is plenty bright for the street considering that cars only have 700 lumen headlights on dim and yet they go faster than a bike does without any problems over riding their lights, so if their not going over ride their 700 lumen light neither will you, so 700 is more than enough, then on really dark perhaps rainy nights you can turn it on high if needed; I rarely go off my mid level mode into high with my main light. Currently I think the best light for the money is the Ravemen PR1200 which puts out 1,200 lumens on high but again not usually necessary to run it that high. The PR1200 is a dual beam (one spot one diffused or wide beam) with automotive designed cut off beam so more of the lights energy is on the road and not wasting some on the trees. There are cheaper generic lights on Amazon for under $40 if money is tight, but with those the Chinese companies that make them way over rate their lumens and their battery life, also Chinese batteries don't last as long in cycles as the name brand light batteries will, so you are giving up quality but if money is tight these will work for at least a couple of years so you can save up money to buy a better light.

The second headlight needs to be smaller at around 400 lumens, this light will attach to your helmet and put on strobe mode, the strobe mode will catch the attention of a motorist pretty quickly; also since it's on your helmet you can aim the light at car windows who are setting at intersections etc to get their attention that you're there, and you can point it at street signs if needed. This light needs to be very small so it doesn't weigh your head down very much, I happen to like the Lezyne Hecto Drive 400XL, it puts out 400 lumens and its small and light weight, but Lezyne isn't offering that one any more instead they make the Hecto Drive 500XL, but I think they reclassified the Hecto 400XL as the Mini Drive 400XL, on daylight flash mode it will run about 7 hours vs 5 hours for the Hecto 500XL. These lights are very well made for the money, the Mini is only $30 vs $40 for the Hecto, I would go with the Mini, it works very good for me.