I have no trouble at all seeing using a single Fenix L2D Premium flashlight mounted to my handlebar. On the brightest setting (turbo), it puts out 175 lumens. However, I generally run it on the 100 lumens setting for longer run time. Fenix flashlights are so inexpensive, that you could use two of them for about $125, and I can't imagine needing more light than that. I have a hill on my route where my speed tops 30 mph, and my Fenix provides enough light for me.

You may notice that most riders do not want to see well at night. Having almost crashed over some water on the road, I agree with you that more light is needed to maintain your speeds.

Have you considered the L&M arc? If riding in cold temps or weight is important, then go with the li-ion battery. If normal riding, a NiMH battery should work. Unfortunately the li-ion batteries are more expensive. The other thing you should know is that they have a life of 3 years from manufacture. This is separate from recharge cycles. Here we tend to have some cold weather in the winter, so I want to go with an ARC light. I don't have the light yet, so can't give actual review but the specs looks impressive.

All LED's are too low powered yet. Maybe in a couple of years they will be strong enough, but not there yet. They are ok for being seen, but not ok for seeing.

Good luck.

ALL ?

I've been riding dark country roads with potholes and no street lights at all. And lots of hills. On 23mm tires. I've been delighted with the 200L under these conditions. It replaced a Cateye EL-500 and a PB 5000x (3.5 watt halogen). The 200L blows them away, no comparison at all. I also bought a Planet Bike Blaze for a helmet light (which is much brighter than the EL-500, and cheaper too) to help see around corners since my 200L is on my handlebars.

My average times are only about 1 to 1.5 mph slower than during the day on the same course. On descents that I usually go 35 mph during the day, I top out at about 28 mph at night (the only difference being I don't brake during the day but do at night). Other than that, I feel confident with this amount of light, given that I'm nearly always under 20 mph anyway. I can't imagine how bright the 600L or Trinewt lights must be.

You guys keep talking about lumens; beam patterns play a huge roll in visibility. You should be talking about products that produce a pattern that suits the occasion.

I have been thinking about using a moped head light since it probably has a good road beam.

I have hit 47mph with my light setup. 2x200L on the bars and a 15w niterider halogen helmet light. I have since dumped the 15w halogen (anyone want to buy it? it is a little over a year old).

-D

I couldn't trust my 200L anywhere over 25kph+ on unfamiliar roads.

Keep in mind i wasn't say "a" 200L. I had 2 200L and a 12W niterider halogen.

-D

i run a Wolf Eyes on my bar, with a secondary Cree light there too, around 350 lumens, then I add a fenix on my helmet and a secondary Cree there as well, works out to be another 250 lumens

so around 600 lumens in all

Btw, i am thinking of adding up a Surefire G2L (L means LED) as a backup. It will have Lithium CR123A batteries.

http://www.dmaessentials.com/images/G2L-BK_large2.jpg

Keep in mind I didn't say 200L's. I'm not convinced another 200L will make much of a difference either.

Try going to a Graingers industrial supply store or struggle through their web site and locate any of the following GE PAR36 bulbs: 4509, 4700, 4519, and Q4509 at around $19.00. While they all claim 100 watts at 13 volts they tend to list short life-spans indicating they are already over-volted. 12 volts would be fine. They go from spot to very narrow spot beams. If you are worried about speed get the Q4509, an aircraft landing light. I have used one of these lights in a standard rubber tractor headlight mount for $8.00. $50 for a heavy SLA of adequate capacity. I have been on a lot of night rides with many others and nothing, but nothing, compared with mine for sheer power. Fill the whole road out to 2 blocks and reflective signs show up 1/4 mile away. Total cost $100 or so.

Try an overvolted MR-16. Blows the doors off an MR-11...and maybe HID. I have 4 MR11 lamps pushing out 2700 lumen (I don't have any problem with the beam pattern by the way) and I added an MR-16 this last week. It puts out almost as much as the other 4 lamps combined. I can illuminate a tree a block away and see individual leaves. Can't do that with the MR11;)

I call it the Martian heat ray:D

What wattage is your MR16... and what voltage are you running it at? I'm putting my homebrew system together and I plan to use two 20W MR16's overvolted at 14.4V on a NiMH pack. One spot and one flood on separate switches so I can run one or both to balance light needs and runtime. Runtime should not be a huge factor... my ride is about 45 minutes each way with lots of time and facilities at work to recharge if needed.

Your post makes me wonder if I'm going too far with the flame throwers! Whaddaya think?

BRIGHT! I have the 600L. No problems on 35-40 mph descents. I also have no problems seeing glass and other road debris in time to react. I also have the Dinotte tail light, and feel as safe and confident riding at night as in daylight.

No not vaporizing them, just trying to avoid the ones that scurry across my path. :)

To each his own. "I" am riding with 2 when I used to only have one and it does make a difference, at least for me.

-D

Mine is the same as you want to set up. I've used MR11 bulbs for nearly 20 years and they put out good light but this set up is the first time I've tried the MR16. The difference is outstanding!

You can never have too much light;) Okay, if you happen to burn a hole through the back of a motorist head, you're getting close but...:D

A Q4632 PAR36 4 1/2" bulb puts out 250 watts. And a battery for decent run time may weight more than the bike

I think I'm getting enough now, thanks;)

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/IMG_0975.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/IMG_0979.jpg

1/60 or 1/30 shutterspeed, by the way.

I'm with cycocommute on this one. I just upgraded my homebrew system from 12V to 14.4V and it's a big difference. While I was at it, I also tried out a number of different bulbs at the new 14.4 voltage. Some interesting findings:

• A 20W MR16 spot (est. 666 lumens @ 14.4V) completely blew away a 20W MR11 spot (lumens unknown). Granted, the MR16 was a highly efficient Philips EnergyAdvantage, but the MR11 was also a high quality Philips bulb not a cheapie. In other words, the best available in MR11. The MR16 appeared more than twice as bright to the eye.
• A 30W MR16 spot (1152 lumens) appeared somewhat brighter than the 20W MR16 spot (666 lumens). Noticeably brighter, but not night and day. That one kinda surprised me. Yes, the center of the beam was quite a lot brighter, but that tight little 8 degree beam was already so bright that increasing it by 50% didn't really seem to make as much difference as you'd think.
• A 30W MR16 24-deg narrow flood (1188 lumens) blew away the 30W MR16 spot (1152 lumens). Throwing all those lumens into such a tiny 8 degree beam ends up being kind of a waste. Spread it out and you've got a LOT of light on the road. Enough to illuminate the roadway even in driving rain, something I have to deal with often enough here that it's pretty important. By the way, this is only incrementally brighter than the 1080 lumens I was getting out of my previous 35 watt bulb at 12 volts ... but overvolting allowed me to get more light from a smaller bulb and step down from bulky 5000mAh battery pack to a much smaller 4200mAh pack.

Back to the OP's question: given a typical beam pattern I would find 390 lumens to be just barely enough to illuminate the roadway for a high speed downhill in total darkness. But only if it's dry out with minimal oncoming car headlights or other glare that impairs my night vision. If it's raining I would want a minimum of twice that, or else I'm going to have to be on the brakes and keep my speed under 25mph or even slower if there are a lot of intersections and conflict points. For reference, I should add that I'm over 40 and don't have the night vision that I did at 20, but probably a lot better than I will at 60.

I'm Good :)

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1005/blazevk1.jpg

Ok, its not a moped but here is the low beam from my Vespa lx150. Its goes a little faster than my bicycle. :) Its "enough" light.

All photos F3.5 2s shutter.
http://idisk.mac.com/timonz/Public/lxlo.jpg


And here is my quad cree MTB light on wide beam (500mA).
http://idisk.mac.com/timonz/Public/mtblow.jpg

And here is my road light dual cree Q5 at 1A
http://idisk.mac.com/timonz/Public/road.jpg

The vespa is a 45w halogen. Its sharply defined.
The MTB light has more spill and a similar width.
The road bike has much better throw.
I would not want to go for a ride through the dark woods on the Vespa. I don't ride it in lycra either.

Everybody, thanks for sharing your photos. I love it.

Actually I think I could use a bit more :)

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2682/light8pv6.jpg