Originally Posted by GuitarWizard
Since my post regarding my Cateye Doubleshot/Tripleshot LED setup got deleted, I'll sum it up here:
With the Triple Shot on my handlebars and the Doubleshot on my helmet, on a pitch black road in the middle of the lane, I feel like I'm driving my car when pedaling along at 30 mph. It is bright. Even at 40 mph descents, I am not outrunning the Doubleshot.
I was completely hung up on buying an HID setup before, but after getting a few cycles in the batteries (takes a few rides before they hold a good charge), I no longer lust after an HID light. I'm perfectly happy with this setup, really. And, you can get both lights off eBay for around $380 if you shop around.
That's a Quintuple Shot!!!!
Sounds super effective. Very cool.
On the back I use a marine rescue strobe (think giant white camera strobe going off once per second under your seatpost) and a newly added 3 LED red blinker (you can have it blink in various patterns or have it glow solid red). I also recently got an LL Bean road side green/yellow shell with a fiber optic tube across the back - but that's only wearable for me in the very cold weather, it's warmer than my Pearl Izumi shell of the same color without the light. Suffice it so say that with this HID light I'm going to look a bit like a Close Encounters prop going up the road in the pre dawn hours. Let's hope that by 5AM (about the earliest I'll ever go out) all the drunks are off the road (bars close in NY State @ 4AM).
Actually @ that time the car factor is as close to zero as it ever gets. Up here on my Sat. AM ride I can ride for 8-10 miles and only have 1 car pass me going in the same direction @ 5-6AM. So if you're going to be out on the road in the dark, the time and places I do it are very low causality. But it only takes one jerk to kill you.
If you're going to ride in the dark, GET A GOOD LIGHT SYSTEM. They're generally $150-$500, and your arse is worth every penny. Keep it safe. Look, some of you may be insufferable, but I'd miss you if you weren't here flaming me every now and again.