Originally Posted by Old Gammy Leg
Cateye 2 C-cell halogen light.... so not particularly powerful. But I'm reluctant to mount any heavy lights (even that one) on my super-light race bike - that's why I'd like to stay with LED lights. But, obviously, safety is my primary concern. I think part of the reason I feel more vulnerable / less visible is the much greater speeds I'm acieving.
Yes, this is what I'm most concerned about. Most of my riding is done under streetlights so I don't need a light to help me see - just be seen.
Agreed, definitely. This is one of the most dangerous situations.
Hmmmm... so some people think LEDs are more visible to drivers, some think halogens. I'm in little doubt that bright, flashing LEDs are the best rear lighting, but still not sure about the front. Like I say, I want it to be as lightweight as possible. Might mount a small light on the front of my helmet too...
I own all these lights and many more. I ride centuries every week coming home at midnight or later. This gives me more than four hours at a time in the dark on a ride. I've been doing this for years. I take these lights out at night and put them side by side and walk away to see what really is happening as far as how I look.
The exact halogen light you are referring to is a solid light, but it is the weakest, least powerful halogen
light available right now, that I know of. When others say "Halogen" lights its a big wide range or brightness. Most of the other handlebar self contained units are much brighter. The big 10 or 20 watt separate battery rechargeable halogen lights are easier to see than all the LED blinkies, but that is a different category, and not what you are looking for I believe.
The fact that a marker (to be seen) light blinks is a huge factor. This makes it visible and makes it stand out as something different or important, especially with other lights around. In the class of light that the cat eye EL 400 is in, it is one of the best for being seen, (not to see with). I have two of them.
There is one other brighter light that is so bright it is not believable until you try it. The performance Flare white front light. (40-1792b White front) it's in the catalogue, but sold on the web sight as a pair with red rear light. Which is the brightest red taillight on the market anyway, it beats the best by a wide margin. The headlight is only$19.99. It will blind you if you look right into it. It is bright enough to see with in many conditions. It is also a small 3x aaa battery light like the cat eye. Because of a clear plastic front cap it is a little easier to see from the sides than the cat eye HL EL 400.
I did a comparison of the taillight and posted photos taken in the dark. Scroll down and look at the comparison of the red taillights the brightest is the red Performance flare. It is hard to believe. This is more noticeable (easier to notice from a distance) in the dark than your halogen, or any of the self contained handlebar halogen lights out there. Some of the other halogen handlebar lights are better for seeing the ground. With out blinking they can be hard to notice in some conditions from a car.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=Cat+eye+light
In any of these lights, including your Cateye HL EL 400 putting lithium batteries in the light gives it a good boost in brightness, (higher voltage) and better run time, and more even power until the end. The lithium batteries are about 3 times as much.