I would agree that replacing the lights every year is excessive. But technology is changing so rapidly that investing a lot of money into a light now and expecting it to be "the best" forever doesn't make a lot of sense. That's why I willing to take a chance on the "cheap" lights. When the technology changes and improves, I don't feel too bad about making the switch.

I would agree. At some point in the cycle you'll see that a leap has been made in the lumens per watt and you'll want to take advantage of it. But just as with computers you don't want to wait for the next upgrade, because you'll never stop waiting. It may mean that you can get a light that's even smaller, although they aren't all that big now. Maybe the next thing will be the stem bolt will contain a 1000 lumen light powered by a headset dynamo. Or maybe not...

Here's the review that I wrote recently:
http://www.gravelbike.com/?p=1449

This shows the light's "throw":
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8059/8...430fd93518.jpg

Hold on a minute, don't jump to conclusions...

My Bikes Lighting system uses the new LED equivalent of the good old MR16 , 12 volt "halogen" bulb.

There are Philips LED MR16 bulbs available at the Local Electrical Supply House. Though I am using Bulbs made by Toshiba (account there is a priced-in instant rebate on the Toshiba Bulbs, which somehow wasn't calculated into the cost of the Phillips Bulbs). There are Phillips Bulbs available, at 12 volts, which would make nice Bike Headlights, albeit a DIY setup.

Probably Plug'nPlay if you have an older M16 setup already. The store is currently in the process of an LED 'makeover' involving replacing all track lighting and florescent bulbs with LED equivalents. The 12V MR16 equivalents just pop right in. The florescent bulbs require some electrical rewiring -but you probably wouldn't want a 4foot tube out front on a bike anyway :lol:

Yes! Exactly! If you have an older MR16 setup, the LED MR16 bulbs are "Plug'nPlay". You get the same amount of light, but the run time will triple.