I purchased a Light and Motion Solo Logic light set last year while it was on sale at Nashbar. I had the chance to try it and the Vega and the halogen was head and shoulders better. Looks like it's on sale again... and you can get an additional 15% off for the next two days..

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ctronic%20Sale

I must admit, that Joystick looks awfully intriguing

I bought the L&M Vega from eBay for around $120 last winter. I had previously been using a Cateye EL520. No comparison, the Vega is much brighter. However, a few caveats:

- The light has a "breakapart ring" whose function is to break and release the light (in order to minimize damage to the light) in the event of a crash. So one night I'm doing about 35 kmh down the shoulder of a busy highway and I went over a hard bump. The breakapart ring broke apart, dumping the light onto the roadway. I had to brake hard and ride back to pick up the light. No way to mount it until I got home. For some reason, it didn't come with any spare breakapart rings as advertised in the instructions (eBay vendor kept them?). So I just used a steel washer. The breakapart feature will no longer work, but who cares? At least the light is not going to fall on some cheesy bump.

- Even after tumbling down the pavement at 35 kmh, the light still worked fine. The crystal is inset slightly, so no scratches where it matters.

- I'm supposed to be getting over an hour of light at the high (4W) setting. I get maybe 50 minutes before the indicator starts flashing. At the second highest setting, I get over an hour.

- The instructions say that to remove the light from the mount, you need to press down on the front of the light. Wrong. You need to lift up on the front of the light as you pull it back.

- The light will rotate left and right in its mounting. I think it rotates too easily. I would have preferred the light to just be fixed in one position, pointing dead straight.

But having said that, it beats the hell out of the other lights I have used. Light & Motion makes lights for underwater use. Vancouver in winter is very wet. No problems with water seeping into the light. Previous lights (Cateye and Planet Bike Superspot) were not impervious to water, especially in the inverted postion (I like to mount the light underneath the handlebar so it's slightly closer to the road). (I'm running the Vega in the upright position, though.) I like having the battery and light in one package. I just carry the charger with me to work and let the light charge during the day, then recharge after I get home at night.

I'm waiting for HID lights to achieve roughly the same price and form factor...

- L.

I have the L&M Solo Logic but it's not 50+ (it's more like 3-) so I guess it doesn't qualify.

It's really not hard to build an excellent light yourself. Get one of the outdoor halogen fixtures, put a 12 degree spot bulb in it. Add a little loctite and silicone sealant to vibration-proof it. Mount it on your bars using a conduit hanger, and wire it to your choice of battery pack. Cost of materials should run under $80 if you stick to SLA batteries. More exotic batteries cost a bit more. Fore more info, check this thread.

Having recently upgraded my lighting from a 10 year old 6 watt system, I suggest that it is remarkably important to think about how, specifically, you'll be using the light, what you want it to do and under what circumstances. For example, battery run time for some people is very important. Something with a run time of 1.75 hours just isn't enough if you've got 2.5 hours of riding ahead of you. Additionally, there is a big difference between charge times for some systems. This can be an issue if you commute distances to and from work. You may need more time for a full charge than your work day provides.

The speed at which you ride, as suggested by others, is also an important factor. If you ride at 20mph, you'll need a pretty strong beam. Riding at 12 mph you can get away with less power. If you ride trails, that usually requires more light at the same speed than on residential streets that are lit. Additionally, there seems to be a difference between the shadow and three dimensional detail you can easily see with halogen vs. LED lights.

I know in my search I though I had it all figured out only to find that the "ideal" lighting system was less than imagined because the clamping system seemed flimsy and was hard to put on and take off (I needed to switch the light back and forth between different bikes.) Given the expense of high powered systems and the range of costs, I found it important to take a few weeks to really work through all of these things. I'd make one final recommendation. Consider purchasing your system from a seller who will let you return it, no questions asked, if you find it's not meeting your needs.

Oh, yes, and I ended up with the Cygolite Dualcross 200, because it met my needs pretty well.

Just found it. In My previous posting I showed a picture of my lamps and in it there is a twin halogen lamp- Twin 10w lamps. These were good enough for me to go offroad with and were very cheap. Only problem with them was the weight of the Battery and the size to fit on already crowded bars. Overcame that by fitting one of the "Extra" anciliary bars on the bike and fitting the Battery in the bottle cage. We used it for 3 years on the Tandem and it is good. They are still available and are cheaper still this year. Link to the Online shop lighting section and to the actual lamp. It is called a "Smart" lamp and the only smart thing about it is that it works superbly. £30 or $60 to you lot and it it works.


http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/category-LIGHTING-111.htm


http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-S...9.99)-1886.htm

That light forum thread is dated 2005. Tech is changing way to fast to rely on that. Is there an update I missed?

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9872/pict0072kg8.jpg

I found this track light in a thrift store for $1. I removed the base containing an 115VAC to 12VDC converter and used an EMT conduit hanger as a clamp as well. I use a 7AH SLA battery and 20 watt MR-16 bulb with it.

How about a generator hub (Renak, Schmidt, Shimano, Sturmey-Archer) and light? A good place to start:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm

The light can go on the fork or bars, or you can attach it to the hub for a completely modular alternate front wheel w/ light.

HTH,
TCS

This thread, and links off of it, has been informative. I have been thinking of getting a light that would sufficient for riding a rail trail at about 10-12 mph. The Cateye HL-EL530, which some use on roads and others say is not bright enough for road usage, sounds like it would be more than sufficient for a trail. Likewise for the Mini-Mag Lite 3W LED flashlight.

Two things you want from a lamp- To be able to see----And to be able to be seen. On the road with street lighting- It is that being seen that is more important. Over here a flashing light is not a legal lamp and I like to have 2 lamps fitted. My Use has a flashing mode- so I set it to that and the other lamp is a constant light so makes the bike legal. Roads without lighting and you want to see and be seen. Two lamps again- one as a distance lamp and one shining in front of the wheel.-Unless you have a Use or other such power in your lamp and then the second lamp is just a spare. However- On trails or Mups or Even offroad and you want to see. The lamp you get must be powerfull enough for you to see with at the speed you are going at. Pointless wanting to do 20 mph if your lamp will only let you see far enough in front at 10mph. Our Use lamp is good for 30mph offroad but downhills do require caution at that speed. The shadows are different at night and "Is that a big puddle or is it 6" of Mud" Or even a change from dry soil to damp stuff.

I used to use the EL 500 and this is a spot lamp. Fine for seeing where you are going to go at 15mph but not a wide enough beam if set up in front of the wheel to see the broken surfaces or holes. Then we added an EL300 to it and this was a Wider beam. The pair together worked but By far the most usefull lamp was a helmet lamp. It shines where you look and not just where the bars point.

You can spend a fortune on Lighting for a bike but you have to get the right lighting for your use. And don't forget to carry spare batteries as a lamp turning into 1 candle power does not make for enjoyable riding.

Tom: You might be surprised at how quickly the illuminated area disappears even at 10-12 mph. Is there anyone from which you could borrow a 3w LED light and get a first hand test ride with it. I'm amazed at how quickly my illuminated area seems to get smaller with modest increases in speed.