Last fall I bought a Cateye HL-EL350. All I can say is... meh. It's okay, but I wouldn't want to rely on it while going down a dark trail. I wanted a light without an external battery pack, and it fits that bill nicely. It uses 4 AA batteries, and of course I use rechargeables. I mounted it on the fork crown and it gives definition to potholes, so it's sufficient for my city commute. It only has one mode... steady.

My backup light is a PB Blaze 1W. It sure is an attention getter on its SuperFlash mode, but there's no way I'd rely on it to see by. Combined with my Cateye I think I'm sufficiently lit up to "be seen", but I often feel that things could be brighter to "see by".

I also use one of these front-facing and one of these rear-facing button battery lights on my helmet. I buy them by the dozen because I often end up giving them away to cyclists that I encounter who lack lights. Better than nothing, and makes them legal.

Ideally I would like to replace my Cateye with a dynohub and a nice light to take its place on the fork crown, and I'd still use the handlebar-mounted PB for a backup blinkie.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=205091http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=205092

I use the Cateye EL-610. I have added a dynamo hub and light in case the EL- 610 quits. The cost was not a thought. Safety was the rule. I just saved up until I could handle it. The Cateye has low, high, and strobe. Cagers see me and give me a modicum of respect. Still have to be vigilant.

I had a Cateye HL-EL350 for a while, back when it was new and improved with 1,500 candlepower several years ago. It did provide a small bright beam that made it hard to see in the areas outside the small bright beam, and served as a carrying case for batteries for the L2D that replaced it. I'd hate to go back to using the Cateye as my only light, especially since I gave it to a friend! You could get 2 or 3 AA led flashlights and some batteries for the cost of the Cateye, and be able to see better too.

Here is what the worthless Bell LED looks like!

The fence is about sixty feet.

And I have no clue how long the batteries have been in it,
several months?

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1277/lightg.jpg

The first time headlight buyer is faced with two choices. 1.) purchase an expensive but perfect lighting system. or 2.) purchase multiple cheap lighting systems (replacing them as they crap out) and getting frustrated till you break down and purchase the expensive but perfect lighting system you should have got to start with. Guess which choice ends up being more economical?

Agreed, check the thread on lights under $50 in the Electronics forum. There are some excellent LED flashlights that run on AA rechargeable batteries that you can buy for very reasonable costs. I've got a Fenix LD20 that costs a little more than that, but is very bright and has been totally reliable during 4 years of use.

You can spend anywhere from $20 to $500+ on front lights. The more expensive lights will provide more brightness and better run times, but you can get very effective lighting for minimal bucks.

More brightness (a wider light pattern that shines well in front of even the fastest rider), better run times, connectors you can count on (no sudden outages just as you are descending), better mounts (that won't break when you crash or drop the bike), better battery setups (pulling batteries out every time you need a charge will wear out the battery holder in no time), more reliable in wet conditions, just about every aspect of the system will function better and last longer.

A listing of all the poor quality lights we've purchased after making choice 2 might make a good thread topic, wouldn't it?

See my post on this thread, post # 6
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...st-Buy-for-50-.

< $50 for both head and taillight. Downside: 3 weeks delivery.

My minewt minis work really well, about $90 each. Wouldn't ride with anything less.

lol, totally... :-)

My other two favorites:

1. They seem to have taken a look at bike light prices, and decided that to "get a good deal" they're not willing to pay more than 20% less than the least expensive light they saw.

2. When people recommend cheap lights that require constantly replacing their parts and technical know-how to the new and inexperienced commuter. Posts are usually filled with lots of adjectives - "This light only cost me $50 - shipped! And all I have to do is order replacement cables every 6 months, but they're only $5 from this special link, and replace them using a screwdriver and a soldering gun, and sure they go out every time I hit a bump but it's not a big deal, I just stop 5 or 6 times on my commute to open up the light and re-seat the batteries, and getting the magic unicorn dust every 2 months to recharge the batteries isn't a big deal you just have to fight a dragon but that's easy, besides everyone has a welding shop in their basement like I do right?".

The Smart light my SO brought over from England and the NiteRider Classic I bought from Performance Bike are "better" lights. For less, lots less than half the cost my MagicShine spanks them both. Soundly. There is no guarantee that spending more money will get you a better light. It might, but it is not an automatic truism. The LED version of the NiteRider costs $562 and is not quite as bright as a MS. You guys are nutz if you think I can spend more money for a headlight than the bike it is throwing photons for! Spending $20 is one thing, spending $100 is quite another. How many lumens do you get out of a car headlight? Need I say more?

H

I have a 'P7' light from DealExtreme.com and a Planet bike 3W 'blinkie' headlight. I think most people would be happy with the P7 light, although on high the runtime is a bit low. I use it on medium because that's all I need. The blinkie is my 'be seen' headlight and I use it in strobe mode.

So, where would a Lumotec IQ Cyo T fit into all of this? It is only rated at 40 lumens on the pavement -- this is now sounding like a "bad" deal, since it doesn't throw a few hundred lumens onto the pavement. Can someone enlighten me? I was under the impression I was getting a decent commuter light with this hub dynamo powered light. Ruh roh!

It's rated at 40-60 lux, depending on your model. Lux is an entirely different measurement of light than lumens. I believe it's 200-300 lumens.

I see. So...in your opinion, the ability to see where you're going - not worth more than $20. Yes?

I mean personally, being able to see in front of my is worth more. But you know, I don't like breaking arms and collarbones, and don't like crashing into things. Some people are into that sort of stuff.

Yes, you probably should say more, as that makes no sense at all.

P.S. Well, the truth is that if you're only biking on well lits streets you don't really need a light, so a $20 light that lets others see you is fine. It's when the streets aren't very well lit, where you're trying to fill in the gaps between lights while your eyes have adjusted to oncoming car headlights or even just streetlights that it's a problem. Lighting is very strange - intermittent lighting is what's the worst. Complete lighting or no lighting at all requires a less powerful light.

I use these work great and use 4AA in the EL530 and the tail uses 2 AA
http://www.lickbike.com/productpage....=%273334-00%27

This is why I don't like street lighting in general; it tends to be a half-measure with high glare and big dark patches. When I'm riding the backroads, the Bell Radian is plenty, but in town I often have to click on the extra headlight and sometimes the helmet light to deal with the shadowed areas.

1550 Lumens for the average car headlight x 2 on low beam. . You don't need to say more, we know you're uninformed :-).

If you weren't so occupied trying to be a smartarse you would realize we are on the same side of the argument. A MagicShine does not cost $20. So by owning one, as well as the NiteRider Classic ($200). I think I have proven beyond any doubt that I put a priority on seeing at night. And asking about car headlight output was an attempt to get cyclists to get out of the "less is more" mindset and instead dream bigger than 1/2 watt Planet Bikes etc.

H

Aww, I do smartarse so well though, please don't take that away! :P

I run this light, the near-field version on a Shimano 3N80 dynohub--just got it. It's more than bright enough in the area it illuminates; it's like a mini car headlight, just narrow. The specs don't tell much of the story, since while the light is nothing super in terms of raw output, it makes very effective use of the light it has with its shaped and directed beam.

There's none of that middle bright spot with a mediocre spill of light that is barely adequate on regular flashlights. I used to use a Fenix LD20 (a regular flashlight), which... just didn't work as anything better than serviceable. In terms of raw output it's similar to the IQ CYO, but at max, the spot in the center is too bright, the sidespill too dim. The IQ CYO on the other hand has a very evenly lit inverted trapezoid of light from near to far. Not to mention it can run at it's max intensity as long as I'm going about 4-5Mph (a brisk walk holding the bike). The battery light at max only goes for a couple hours--less when it gets cold.

The only thing I don't like about my IQ CYO RT is that I wish the beam was a bit wider, even if it was a bit dimmer. It seems more than bright enough in the area it illuminates already, and I feel they could spread it out a bit more. Sometimes it feels like you're ridding on a claustrophobic path, especially if you speed up.

Been eying that Phillips LED SafeRide dynamo light as a future upgrade...
http://www.bike24.net/p219881.html

lol, I have one and agree as well - really decent beam pattern, but very very little side spill. In the cities on roads and open paths this works great as the ambient light lights up off to the sides well enough. And for the seeing the road itself it's great - totally see potholes and such, the light is very well focussed and doesn't have that annoying hotspot that I have in my other lights (including my Seca 900 unless I aim it up quite a ways). But I had a route that took a path through a forest at night and...it's creepy to not be able to see outside the beam area, lol.

A good flashlight is not less than a MiNewt. Less money, yes, but not less bright. Definitely less screwing around too.

Now thats an idea worth pursuing. Knowing what system we bought and discarded (and why) would be the best education a first time light purchaser could hope for.

I got two 5 watt cree q5 lights with zoom AND I feel its a very good and safe minimum what you need in complete darkness. If you are commuter u need stronger lights to see the road better, when u have dim street lights and lights from upcoming cars.

I have the non-T model (non-nearfield, no DRL feature). It's pretty good, especially in an unlit environment. Some people like the close-in light of the R versions. I'd rather see further out front, so I got the other type. I think my S-Mini XP-G is pretty much a match for the Cyo, though. 110 grams with mount and battery, ~300-350 lumens on high... makes a nice add-on.

Nonsense, it's perfect... for getting to the bathroom without tripping over the household pets ;)

The Cateye is not enough that's for sure, it's a to be seen light not a light to see with.

For price and brightness and compactness I like the Cygolite ExpiliOn series of lights. Their not horribly expensive but not so cheap they'll be junk in 2 or 3 years. They range in brightness from 170 lumens to 250 to 350 to 400 lumens, with prices going from $65 to $99 to $94 to $118 respectfully. These lights are rechargeable using a smart charger to do the work; but the battery is internal, in other words no external battery to run a wire to and then mount the battery somewhere.

I have the ExpiliOn 350 and I really like it, I can more then see the road at 20mph. I would buy the brightest one you can afford. I bought the 350 because the 400 wasn't out yet otherwise I would have gone with the 400. Anyway see this for the listing of the 4 lights: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...refix=cygolite

Here is a comparison web site that has quite a few head light and tail light comparisons: http://www.modernbike.com/light-comp...singleshotplus
Here's another: http://www.ivanhoecycles.com.au/ligh...t/cat_259.html

You could find a light just using the comparisons to settle on a light for your budget and needs. But note the various Cygolites and you'll see that for the money they represent the best value. I have the lowest costing Cygolite ever made, a Metro that cost me $45 about 12 or 13 years ago; it's seen rain and lots of night riding and the darn thing still works just fine, I just wanted something a bit brighter and used less battery.