Originally Posted by
DogBoy
If you want details on lights etc. the electronics forum is probably a better place. Otherwise, for commuting in the places you describe, I'd suggest something like the L&M Vega or similar. The 200L Dinottes are also not bad, and you can get them in AA style, so you can pick up new batteries fairly cheaply. I suggest the spot beam if you get one, since the wide-beam my be easier to over-ride.
I use older Dinotte's 5W (200 Lumens) flood fixed to handlebars, 3W (120 Lumens) spot on the helmet. The 3W seems brighter to me because of the focus. Anyway, its been a while since I shopped for lights, so I'd head over to the elctronics/lighting forum and do some reading if I were you.
Define
older. The original 5W DiNotte Ultralight put out 120 lumens. I had one of the first ones, so early that it had the old-style battery connector, which looked like it came from Radio Shack. It worked fine but the runtime was limited.
The 3W put out less than that. The newer DiNotte 200L(which is the upgraded 5W Ultralight) puts out 200 lumens, while the 140L taillight puts out 140 lumens. The 3W light isn't even in the lineup anymore. I guess it didn't make much sense, as it was exactly the same size as the 200L.
The hot setup is the 600L on the bars and a 200L on the helmet. That's what I run, along with the 140L taillight. I'm like a motorcycle out there. :-)
The 200L is a good light even by itself, and Nashbar has the AA version on sale for $159----but ordering direct from DiNotte is the way to go. Rob is excellent to deal with.