Originally posted by velocipedio
...I'm looking at the Night Hawk lighting systems at Mountain Equipment Co-op [hhtp://www.mec.ca/]. The prices are good and the couple of guys I know who use this brand have good things to say about it. Opinions?
I am using a modified version of the Night Hawk. I was too cheap to spring for the $80+ models so I bought the $25 version. It is a pared-down version equipped with a 5w, 6v bulb and a nylon bag containing a battery holder which is designed to be used with 4 'D' batteries. I changed the bulb (standard MR-11 halogen) to a 10W, 12v. I already owned a 12v 7.0 A-h rechargeable battery ($10 at local surplus store) so I just rigged this up and carry it in a front triangle bike bag. I don't think that you will be disappointed with the brand or design but of course I am not sure about the longevity of the supplied batteries. I know that there is a chart showing all the vital stats posted in the King St. location in downtown T.O. so they should be able to tell you over the phone.
Is 10w enough for most road riding? I don't expect to be riding much past 7:00 pm on any night, and I don't expect to be out for mre than 2 hours in the dark.
10 watts is definitely a big improvement over a 1.25 w Cateye. In areas that are well lit you will not see the effects as much (save for illuminating the reflective tailights of cars) but in darker areas it will be surprisingly bright. The biggest advantage IMO is that vehicles will be able to see you from much further away and also in their mirrors. I have noticed a difference in the past few weeks since I have been using this light in terms of driver behaviour; ie. not turning left in front of me, not pulling out of side streets in front of me.
Best of all, since the battery is rechargeable, you will not be going through expensive batteries like crazy.