Bike lights
 

Hey does anyone know where I can get a bike light that is waterproff and also goes on the helmet. It must be bright and rechargeable. Sence I ride year round getting this light that has all of these features would be great so I don't have to worry about if a car sees me or not. It will be used everyday. Thanks. Ride on

Do you live near REI? Or a bike shop? Almost all bike lights are going to be extremely water resistant, because a lot of people ride in the rain. Lots of modern lights are plug-them-in-and-they-recharge chargeable, but a lot of them run on AA or AAA batteries. You can get a charger for those pretty cheap. Most lights that mount to your handlebars can also be worn on a helmet. The lights that have a strap to go around your head complement bar-mounted lights pretty well.

Personally, I would shoot for a little redundancy in my lighting. Maybe look into one of those new Planet Bike 2-watt headlights with a Superflash taillight.

Then, especially if you do a lot of night riding or commuting in winter, a brighter, more expensive light. A lot of folks say the MagicShine is pretty nice. Myself, I have an older DIY light that uses a lead-acid battery with a 20 watt halogen light.

+1 to all of this.
I run with two lights up front and two in back, one on steady and one on blinking pattern - day or night.
Is there a particular reason you prefer a helmet mount?

For reliable, year-round use, it is hard to beat a dynamo hub with bright LED's front and rear, supplemented with battery powered blinkies. Works for me.

Since we're in Summer (assuming you are in the northern hemisphere), blinkies would be a good starting point. The Light & Motion 360 has gotten some really great reviews as one of the best "be seen" setups available.
Less expensive bike-mounted options include the venerable Planet Bike Superflash (now in brighter "Turbo" flavor) or PDW Radbot 1000 in the rear and the Planet Bike Blaze 2W up front (which also serves as a decent interim headlight after dark, until you pony up the cash for a more powerful main light).

For the main rig in the darker, colder months, there are many options - battery or dynamo.
I've abandoned my battery setup and am now a dynamo user. I love it.

There are some amazing battery and dynamo lights being produced these days utilizing super-bright LED's. Expect to spend between $125 (Magicshine) to more than $300 for a good headlight system.

If you opt to go with a dynamo, a front wheel built around the excellent Shimano Alfine dynamo hub can be purchased for about $200, and high quality German or Japanese lightsrange from $60 to over $200.

Lighting is a big topic. For now I'd say start with the "be seen" lights, then take your time to see what type of high power lighting system (to "see") might work best for your needs and budget.

My Dinotte 400L fits all the criteria -
http://store.dinottelighting.com/sha...t=products.asp

". . .Is there a particular reason you prefer a helmet mount?. . ."

Yes (& I'm not the OP). A helmet light (a 180 lumen Fenix AA flashlight) augments my handlebar-mounted lights by giving me a moveable spotlight to light up road junk and inattentive drivers. It also adds a visible light above the bar lights and often drivers wait and let me pass through in places without street lights. . .they don't seem to be aware of what's heading their way. .. : bike? moto? what. . .?

What's the budget for this light?

I grabbed one of these:

http://www.cygolite.com/products/new...ycross400.html

I don't use it on my helmet as I have another light for that, but it does come with a helmet mount.

And as others have noted, you can "roll your own" for less.

Nightrider Sport & Headcase I have, uses a battery pack and a helmet mount

lets it be fitted to helmets.
sport is a 5 D cell battery that closes with a screw cap. they sell it as a dive light, so it has as much amp hours as the Scuba tanks hold air.

the Headcase uses a small rechargeable battery pack, on a long cord.
It would go in a jersey pocket, or a pocket inside your coat,
in the winter, so warm battery performs well.

Sealed in reflector /lense Halogen bulbs , 10 or 15w 6v.

I just bought a Cygolite Expillion 250 & I'm very happy with it. Comes with a helmet mount & charger (wall outlet or usb port). Very simple one piece design, no extra battery pack. http://www.cygolite.com/products/new...pilion250.html. It is listed for $104.98 with free shipping through amazon.

I used to use and love my Magicshine (battery died), replaced it with a sidewall dynamo and light from Peter White. Maybe not quite as bright as the MS, but still more than adequate, with no limit as to how long I can ride after dark.

Tried to answer all......Yeah. I hardly see helmet mounts. (Ride my bike around town at night after work.) lets me light road that I wouldn't be able to or signal cars and for the cool look people give you when your wearing someing or your helmet lol. I notice that some drivers who are interested in what your doing look at you and with the helmet mount I'd have it right there so people could see me and know what I was about. I've used a regular Fazzor Bike light bar mount before. during winter which was great and a single pack of batt. lasted all winter long for work at night. even taking it on joy rides up to 10 miles. But if you can't tell aready I ride in all seasons and really get off on the light on the helmet thing. Ride on. I wouldn't want to go over $200.00hehe

High performance better-quality LED flashlight (yes, really)
 

See the Electronics subforum. High performance better-quality (i.e., not the absolutely cheapest ones on DealExtreme) LED flashlights (yes, flashlights) are the best lumens per dollar. If you want to make the jump to 18650 Li-Ion batteries and do not need a flash/strobe mode, the ShiningBeam MG P-Rocket Cree XP-G R5 in either the OP (orange peel) or Smooth reflector is a good one. Do not forget the cost of a good 18650 charger and one or two good 18650 batteries.

Helmet mounts are DIY (search the Electronics subfourum), LockBlock or TwoFish or Zefal DooDad (depending upon the vent configuration on the top of your helmet).