pdlamb

The decent Shimano and the Schmidt SON hub dynamos have a step down in drag when you turn the light off. Lights off, they're in the noise range for drag measurements.

Also, the drag is pretty minimal even with the light on. I've tried to measure speed reduction down a "standard" hill, and lights on or off doesn't make any repeatable difference. Last month, I forgot the light was on, and went for a daytime ride up and over the mountain behind my house. 17 miles later, I noticed the light was on; I could not tell the difference except visually.

Mine came to about $300 parts. Wheel was delivered complete, and I bolted on the light and connected the wires. Took as long to find my extra rim tape as to install.

no motor?

Get more light than you think you're going to need for those days when it's hard to see due to the haze/rain/snow/fog/wind etc...

JPMacG

I work second shift (3 p.m. till midnight) frequently. I use two UltraFire WF606A flashlights from DealExtreme. I find that they provide a comfortable amount of light. I mount them to my handlebars using conduit clamps from Home Depot. I power them with Eneloop AA NiMH cells (each uses two). Total cost is about $70 including two sets of spare batteries.

MileHighMark

You may want to check out this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...H-3N80-Dynohub

--edit--

Just saw the OP's budget requirement. That said, it's really nice to not have to worry about batteries for your main light.

Drew Eckhardt 

The Magicshine for $89.95.

https://www.geomangear.com/index.php?...acturers_id=22

genel

I put together my own setup a few years back. Curently I'm running 3 MR16 LED's up front (about 800 lumens) and a pair of Whelen TIR III emergency vehicle flashers in back. For 20 mph you'll need to throw quite a bit of light. The problem I found is that not only do you have to light the road, but you need it bright enough so that you can still see it after an oncoming car causes your eyes to lose their dark acommodation.

Pics are here https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post13255525

I'm guessing front lights probably about 200 no counting the rack, and rears about 100. But cost was spread out over quite a few seasons, so it didn't seem too bad.

hopperja

Yep, that's probably the best deal on a bike-specific light right now. It'll put out more than enough light for the night commute, it's bright enough to use in flash (SOS) mode during the day time for visibility, and even bright enough to mount on the bars for a relatively fast, night-time cross country trail ride. It's reasonably well made at a reasonable price. And, you get Geoman's fantastic customer service to back it up.

Sixty Fiver

The drag from a hub generator is nominal... if you are looking at a 700c generator wheel I know that some were offering a great deal on these ($100.00) and mating that to a B&M Lumotec 3w LED front light would bring that cost to $150.00 for what is really a nice set up.

idc

I joined the "tactical" flashlight crowd as of a few weeks ago. Those things are bright. There are quite a few mounts available, or you can lash one on pretty easily.

RickB.

Mee too, since last spring.... Two of them, I use rechargeable CR123 batts and those twofish lock block mounts. One on the handlebar and one on the helmet. Works very well.

boatrider

+1 on twofish lockblocks, and 2 cree flashlights. Rechargeable AA,'s.

John_1961

I use the blackburn 3.3 works very well for me And a good part of my commute is in the wee hours of the early morning.

motob

Commuting in the dark is actually a ton of fun. It’s kind of cool spotting wildlife and being the only bike on the road and trail in the dark. I have tried in the past plenty of high end lights in the several hundred lumen range (nite rider mostly). My light of choice for the 2nd year now is a Chinese magicShine 808 for the helmet at 900 lumens (actual is probably 600). https://www.dealextreme.com/p/ha-iii-cree-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-headlamp-set-4-18650-included-900129489 this is a good spot light with a narrow beam

New for me this year is a magicShine 872 for the handle bar advertized at1600 lumens (more like 1200). I usually keep this light one step down from the brightest for good battery life, but when full light is needed it’s there. https://www.dealextreme.com/p/mj-872-waterproof-4-cree-xp-g-4-mode-1600-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-80953 this is a flood light with a wide beam.

I probably could have done just fine with a pair of 808 on the bar and helmet for $70 each, but the big light on the bar was too fun to turn down for just $135. Both come with a Li-Ion battery pack that does quite well, so far holding a charge for several days of commuting with good light color indicators on battery life. I have read on-line reviews that say to take them apart and reseal with silicone grease, but I haven't had a problem yet in the rain. I am much more pleased with the MagicShine so far than the nite rider lights for longevity, brightness, andbest of all--the price.

One more important suggestion to keep you seen is reflective clothing. Pick up a construction class III vest and some adhesive reflective tape to plaster all over your bike. This is as important as led lights. I get mad when I see commuters and cyclists with dismal lights and no reflective gear in the dark in traffic. Also make sure to put a good light on the helmet so you can stare down and look right in the eye of the motorist with your led light. Make it almost impossible to be missed and not seen.

ebartom

We got some of these lights recently: Bike Glow lights and they're making me feel better about night / dusk commuting. They're frame lights, so they help with visibility from the side, especially with cars pulling out of alleys/driveways etc. I leave them on the bike always, so even if I remove my head or tail light for security purposes and forget it somewhere (doh!) I still have something. They are not visible in sunlight, and they are obviously to help other people see you, not to illuminate your path.

MattFoley

I've found my $25 LL Bean trailblazer headlamp works a lot better than my $45 Serfas HL-1.1 bike light...so I use the Serfas for blinky while in the city, then switch to the headlamp to see when I get to the pitch black MUP.

And another thing, you may think a bright light will adequately light up your path, but you lose so much contrast when using a light and it's extremely difficult to see obstacles like trees, gravel, and potholes, so keep the speed down when it's dark.

Mithrandir

I got a cygolite expilion 400 for my helmet, and it's great. However I will be augmenting it with another frame mounted light so that I don't have to stare perfectly forward the entire time. I accidentally ran over some large debris when I turned my head slightly to look left. Didn't hurt my tire, but it could have.