About 10 last night as I was riding home I heard the garbled sounds of someone yelling at me as I crossed one of the major side streets on my route. I was on an unlit MUP, and decent lights are necessary to see where the bumps are and find the turns the asphalt takes in the dark. I had the MS on medium and L2D on strobe on the handlebar, a Terralux on high on my helmet and the PBSF on the back then - not retinal blasters territory but enough to let me see where I was going and be visible to oncoming traffic. There was only one car way down the road as I was crossing, but I did notice the front reflector on a bike headed towards the path when looking to see where the noise was coming from. I figured whoever was yelling was in the apartment complex to the side of the path there and kept going. I later realized that part of what was being said sounded like "hey, wait for me", and something about lights - I wonder if the Ninja was going my way and wanted to see where he was going?

I'd seen a pair of guys on bikes at that crossing last week, and one of them had a dim blinker on the front and each one had a decent blinkie on the back. I don't see many other people out riding then, and was glad to see that they had lights. I forgot about them and went on my way again, and was surprised to see them go zipping by while I was waiting for a light to change about 2 miles later. They'd been behind me all along, but I hadn't noticed their one dim light when I looked in my mirror until they were right behind me. Who knows who else is out there then?

I had a guy who wanted to follow me a few years ago in the middle of the winter at night. He had no lights, I had an HID.

I went pretty slow, and looped back to pick him up twice. On the 3rd time I stopped and looped back quite a ways and waited for him but never saw him again. I mean, I was slowed down to about 10 MPH and he still wasn't keeping up.

Over here in San Jose we have the SJ Bike Party and the next one coming up is this friday... I have El-wire outlining my frame, but I plan on blinding folks (This months theme is Hot August LIGHTS) with dual MS900's and twin 200 lumen flashlights on mounts.
I actually have a NiteFlux Photon Max Extreme that can bring another 1350 lumens to the table, but the battery is on the fritz and... I don't like shelling out 200 dollars for a battery when I could buy 2 more MagicShines

I'll see how many ninjas I get to follow me that night!

My Gf and I rode to a hockey game this spring, and she has an old Road Toad for a headlight. I rode behind her with the MS on high, and we could both see where we were going.

$130 will buy the Magicshine 1400...

The newer MS looks fugly in my opinion. Plus 2 MSes will run 160, but get you 1800... either way though. If I could have only one light thats was way over-powered it would be the newer 1400 lumen one!

The real issue with the battery for the Photon Extreme is that the light just looks so damn cool....shamed to never run it again.

I think the new MS is absolutely ridiculous looking as well, but for light output and controlability (near flood and far spot selection) it's good I guess. I won't be getting one since I have no need to evaporate the rain as it falls in front of the light; the original MS at 450 or so lumens (what it actually puts out) is more than enough for me.

that's a cool story

Its also pretty poor form to tail you without asking (and then to pass you while you were waiting at a light and without thanking you, at least you didn't mention thanking)

They weren't close enough to see using my light, the path twists and turns in too many places to do that and I never saw their one headlight in my mirror when I looked behind me. I was waiting at the light for long enough for them to not be able to use the light anyway, it's funny now even if it did kind of annoy me when it happened.