Might be worth. Most annoying light for me was a AA battery light that didn't charge the batteries in the light...and required rubber bands to keep the batteries in the holder...something I was willing to deal with in college, but not after getting a "real job". :-)

Yeah, good shaped beam lights like the Edelux make things way easier to see. It's not simply the lumen output, it's putting an even amount of light on the road with no hotspot.

I ride at night in NYC often. Installed revolights on both wheels a couple months back and have never felt more visible from all angles. People tend to stare as well.

Cons include short-ish 4 hour battery-life, whopping $200 price tag, and a slightly complex/tedious installation.

Revolights Bike Lights

I saw someone in Manhattan with these a couple of months ago. Maybe it was you. I was extremely impressed. Innovative to a degree far, far beyond everything else.

+1 on the helmet mount light as a 2nd headlight. I pan mine across driver's mirrors/faces at intersections and I scan roadside for deer. The stacked lights help motorists understand what's approaching (motorcycle vs bicycle) and how far away you are.
Also +1 on the reflective ankle straps. The up-down motion makes it very clear you're a bicycle and is viewable from all directions.

You may want to consider extra flat protection, either tire liners or flat-avoidance tires. A helmet light will make it easier to see what you're doing if you have to deal with a flat tire in the dark, but it's still a situation you want to avoid.

You have he right gear for nigh commuting. The only other item you may want is high visibility stickers. I placed hi visibility reflective stickers on my helmet and my backpack has 3M reflective tape. As you ride more at night you will gain experience.

interesting you would say that... I forgot this in my original post, but my wife got me these reflective stickers. I didn't think much of them really but decided it couldn't hurt so I put them on my helmet, I do have to check them out at night to see how reflective they are... I also have this product called "safe-turn"... its basically a turn signal that you wear on your hands. when you signal a turn it lights up.

I asked lots of questions when I first started commuting.

Then I realized it just wasn't that complicated. Be visible, be able to see, and start pedaling. BOOM. Done.

Charging your light at work is a good idea though. My cygolite metro 360 is rated for 5 hours of use, I think. It's good for two days, but dim the 3rd. But passable. 10 mile commute for me.

I do want a dynamo lighting system however. So I'm also interested in that $100 dynamo wheel.

funny you say that I could have sworn I saw you biking around the LES a couple months ago but wasn't 100%. anyway, surprised I haven't seen more revo's at night around the city.

Hey, it might have been! I get around a bit, and I am fairly, uh, distinctive looking.

I saw the revolights on a bike coming out of Riverside Park at 97th St one evening. Might that have been you? I was going into the park at the time.

Where does the light emanate from? The hub or the rim?

Ha highly likely it was me. I go through that path at night all the time since I live on 97th and CPW. Batteries mount to hubs, light ring attaches to spokes near tire.

OK, let's watch for each other or maybe even meet up some time. I'm the guy with the ridiculous mustache, of course.

Definitely!

About 2 years ago, on either a Christmas or New Year's or Thanksgiving Day evening, I saw a lone cyclist on a bike with revolight on the the Westside Hudson Greenway around 69th street going north. Maybe that's you, too? There was hardly anyone else because it's a major holiday. That's the only time I saw such light. Very nice.

Ah, this one was likely not me. I purchased the revolights just this past year . Good to know there *are* others out there in NYC though!

As i now have a new (to me) wear item of brakes, i'm going to lean towards reflectors & non-power type stuff. I do have a battery charger & batteries to go with it, but i'm honestly over the constant checking & charging.

- Andy