Rear lights I use regularly: (1) Cateye Viz 450 and (2) Cygolite Hypershot 350.



BLUF: I will probably – at this time – buy both again in the future and my favorite of the two is the Cygolite Hypershot.



Why:

(1) Cateye Viz 450: Very eye catchy flash pattern. Seems fairly bright. With an adaptor, fits great on my rear rack. Has a nice form factor.

(2) Cygolite Hypershot 350: Has a nice alternating flash mode that – I think – is vaguely close to a police light in pattern. Very bright. Has a permanently built in clip that makes it super easy to zip tie to my bicycle helmet. The clip mounts to the adaptors – included in purchase - to attach to the bicycle frame. However, the adaptor to attach to a bicycle rack is an additional purchase.

What I don’t like:

(1) Cateye Viz 450: I think – but do not have a way to measure – that you don’t get the full 450 lumens. Think it is five 90 lumen lights.

(2) Cygolite Hypershot 350: I think – but do not have a way to measure – that it is one 250 lumen light and one 100 lumen light so, again, you do not get the full 350 lumen brightness. Also, it has seven or eight modes and each of them is adjustable in term so brightness and speed (flashing modes) so super complex – IMHO – to find your favorite mode the first time.

Honorable Mention: CatEye Reflex Bicycle Rear Safety Light. I use this with a rear basket from time to time. Automatically turns on based on light and motion sensors, great for set up once and forget. Meets the requirement for rear reflector in those jurisdictions that require and enforce such a thing.

Front lights I use regularly: (1) Bontrager Ion Pro RT Front Bike Light and (2) Niterider Micro 900.

BLUF: I will probably – at this time – buy both again in the future. However, I could be convinced to upgrade either to something else for more lumens and longer runtimes if another brand makes a plausible and compelling case.

Why:

(1) Ion Pro: Bright. Decent runtime. Compatibility with BLENDR mounts. I have about a week or two every year at 15 – 25 degree Fahrenheit and the light does well enough in the cold for a trip to the grocery store and other errands.

(2) Micro 900: In the blinky mode, gives the same lumens as the in the brightest steady state mode. Talking heads on YouTube say it is a relatively lite weight. With some go pro adaptors, I can mount it on my bicycle helmet and run it in blinky mode to be more seen by motorists.

What I don’t Like:

(1) Ion Pro: Seems a bit pricey especially after buying addition BLENDR mounts.

(2) Micro 900: Light weight and low cost means this light does not do well in cold weather compared to the Ion Pro. On 25 F and below days, I carry a battery bank, cable, and wall wort to charge at my destination.

Hope this helps. Would really enjoy hearing about what you finally go with and what you like and do not like about the products that you ultimately purchase.