Originally Posted by tuolumne
RECOMENDATIONS PLEASE I'm not sure I can afford any of these options, but I would like an HID bike light. Here are the best prices I saw with a quick scan of the net (not counting ebay bids). I've read reviews and looked at beam comparisons until extreme dizziness set in. What do you folks (having experience with these lights) think of the following options (all NiMH and HID):
JetLite HID Blast - $375
Light & Motion ARC HID - $329
Lume Lighting Strada (slow charger) - $280
Nightpro Extreme - $299
Niterider Rage (LED/HID) - $420
Edison anything - forget about it
I need 3 hours (maybe more) of light for a snowy commute (32 miles R.T.) . I do not think Lion is worth the cost or potential problems with cold weather. I like the LED combo of the niterider, but $400+ ...yikes. Charging time is not important...I've got all night. Does Cygolite make any HIDs? HID is important to ride 25 mph+ if possible as much of my commute is in the country with some long hills. I'm not sure a LED would be enough to avoid the deer in time. All of this may prove academic with no budget. This will be my first winter commuting...right now I start my mornings with a hiking headlamp and handheld LED flashlight. This mostly makes me visible to other cars as the mornings are not fully dark. I've only got a few weeks tops before it's too dark for this setup. Thanks...
I bought the JetLites HID Blast this summer and I am very pleased with it. You can probably find cheaper lights, but Jet Lites makes a very well designed and durable light. The Blast is bright enough that cars can see it at a good distance and I feel comfortable riding at 20-25 mph or so. Also, when you call customer service, the guy who owns the company will respond and give you insight into the pros and cons of every feature and he will give you an explanation as to why various design choices were made. It looks like these on sale right now as well. FYI - one weird side effect of HID lights: they can disrupt a wireless bike computer.