Headlight/Tail light
 

I want a HL/TL for the purpose of being seen by others, not so much to see at night.

When the sune starts going down, it goes from bad to worse, people backing out in front of me, etc. I rarely (okay, never) ride in the dark.

I'd like something easily moveable from one bike to another
If not rechargeable, AA Batteries
Under $100 for the combo. Cheaper is better :D

No Shipping.
Cheap enough to keep on all your bikes.
http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905

Anybody have any feelings about this




Planet Bike Beamer 3 LED Bicycle Light with Quick Cam Bracket Mount

Go with this one or this one.

I have the 0.5 W one as a backup to my generator and it is a good be-seen headlight. While it has some side visibility, most of the light is thrown forward, and it is also good as a flashlight or even to illuminate a path if you're stuck in the dark.

The 1W one is fairly new in the market and therefore should start to be available soon. Subject to autonomy and price considerations, it could be a better choice than the 0,5 W one.

Their design is damp-proof but not water proof, but once I added some electrical tape around the seal, it has become water proof enough to endure a 1.5 hour downpour without problem.

The Planet Bike Superflash is also a very good taillight, but installing electrical tape around the seam is also a very good idea.

You want feelings about this? YOU CAN'T HANDLE MY FEELINGS!

Ok all kidding aside. You mentioned in your first post that things go from bad to worse at night for you. Let me tell you something, a cheap light will hardly get you noticed! I don't mean that you need to go out and get a $500 light, but there are lights on the market that can be plenty bright enough for under $50 which would include the HD and TL.

If you want the least expensive set up yet still be high quality (though not really very bright but better then most and especially at this price) then look at this: http://www.amazon.com/Cateye-EL-220-...5576346&sr=1-1

You can always upgrade later when money becomes available and use the old HL for a front flasher and add a brighter HL. If you can afford upwards of $100 you can get very good lighting for that cost that people will see and you can see by. If interested in more info on that just post a reply.

I like this one: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3019.html for a rear light, mainly because it gives side visability as well as rear.
This is said to be very good, too: http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/550.
Of course, a great many people love the superflash.
For headlights the Beamer 3 isn't bad for a "be seen" light, I've had one for over two years now. That said, if I had to buy a replacement, I would upgrade with the Blaze or the Blaze 1w. Having more light to compete with city background lights is not a bad thing.
I use recharchable AAA bateries in mine, recharge them every few weeks to keep the lights nice and bright.
I have one rear blinky that handles rain very well and one that doesn't - I wil try Michels's electrical tape trick.

Maybe it is the best thing going, and maybe it's just me, but my .5 watt blaze is a pain to swap the mounts from bike to bike. The little barrel nut that turns so easily and falls out is difficult to work with. Pretty screwy design overall IMO.

I would agree that it doesn't have much in the way of off-angle visibility. Head on it is bright, but the projector lens really keeps it from being a great "be seen light" IMO. Too blue also. I just can't recommend it. Don't really even want it as my back up light...

The 1 watt is available now at REI for $40 (local store has them). Much whiter than the bluish .5 watt model, but still poor visibility to the sides.

http://www.rei.com/product/769616

How many bikes do you need to swap between? If you can, get a set for each so you don't have to swap mounts.

Blackburn Voyager 4.0 or 3.0 and Mars 2.0 meet your headlight/tail light specifications and are available retail and backed by Blackburn's warranty.

These both look like interesting suggestions. And free shipping from Amazon to boot! :thumb: I was also looking at performancebike's headlight selections (esp. Cat Eye), but they don't have the exact models that Amazon has, so one can't directly compare them.

For the headlight, I would suggest something like this:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13096
and this to mount:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.792
For about $20, it will be much brighter than anything mentioned so far(you will want rechargable batteries). Even better, spend $40 and get 2 sets. If you are so inclined, you can make your own light for the fun of it, too. These solutions fill the Grand Canyon gap between the useless but affordable Cat Eye/Blackburns, and the ridiculously expensive but useful options. The more blinkies the better for the tail light.

broke
 

Those mounts Suck. I ordered three of them. Two broke the very first time I tried to use them.

3$ lite
 

I have this $3 lite on my helmet for over a year now.
Have purchased 8 of them and gave them away.
The Helmet Mount is good for aiming at a car driver's window or around a curve if you are on a trail.
Nice part is you turn if Off and On Very quickly.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1119
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ls/TyWraps.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...etlight007.jpg

You can get a combo pack, Blackburn Quadrant and Mars for about $30-40. The Quadrant is rather large for a 4-LED light, but I like that it has a dual-mode (2 steady, 2 flashing) as I'm a firm believer in having at least some steady light for reference - it's hard to gauge distances when all they see of you is flashing light. The Mars is also quite competitive for a taillight in the <$50 category. (read as: not a Dinotte) :D

Separately, I like the PB Beamer5 a lot, as well as the Superflash and the Flashpoint from Performance. Hope that helps!

I ended up getting the Cateye EL-220 and TL-LD270 combo from Amazon. I have a Prime account and it made it a pretty good deal, as I wanted it for a trip next week and it will be here tomorrow.[/font]

I'd be interested in your review. Assuming you're talking about the link that froze posted, there are only 2 reviews on it on Amazon's site. Good luck w/ it!

I'll let you know after I try it. The build looks good. The tail light may have been a waste as I don't have a place to mount it with the pack under the seat on the Trek, and the luggage bag on the Gary Fisher.

Worse case, maybe somehow mount the TL to the back of your helmet? Looking forward to your HL review.

You got a good deal. Don't forget later you can upgrade to a brighter hl and used the old one as a flasher to attract drivers eyes to you. You can also up grade later to a brighter tl and use the old one either on the helmet or on a stay.