The thing that sealed the decision a year or so ago for me was: "If I end up getting hit by a car or having an accident because I couldn't see well enough, how much would I be willing to pay to get up out of a hospital bed and be perfectly well again?"

The answer was certainly more than $100.00.

The lighting thing is one place where going cheap doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense. I have a basic Cateye be seen light, a Cygolite DualCross for errands where there is a lot of turning lights on and off, or shorter distances, and a NiMH L&M Arc which is phenomenal... comes with a helmet mount as well, but that has the potential to blind drivers. Seeing where you are going is key.

Also, a flickering LED will make you more visible, but having a whopping HID or really bright LED on the bars will make cars treat you noticeably differently. I routinely find people will stop making a turn while looking directly at me in the dark, where in the past I was almost always edging across street crossings, waiting for the left cross or the right hook. Even the risk of getting doored is much lower in the city when people see your headlight wash strongly ahead of you.

Also, remember that with a rechargeable battery light, you save yourself cash on batteries for the whole life of the light. Not an inconsequential amount of money for the power you end up using.