i also think flashlights with cheap mounts are great along with some reflective clothing.
my trusty front light.


i usually ride in the city where it's more well lit. But this is at one of the night rides where a lot of roads have no streetlights at all. I could prob use more reflective pieces at this ride. But then my front light is 180 lumens so..



on another note. If u do get a really bright light, i suggest to point it downwards a little (like car headlights) so you don't blind people coming at you. If you blind people, they have trouble seeing you too.

Riding at night is a ball since I got a $30 light from dealextreme. At 900 lumens, it is pretty impressive:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12623
With 2 batteries and charger it is about $50.

I don't know that I trust their quality 100%, but I have a 50 lumen 'blackburn flea' on my helmet to use as a backup and when changing batteries. Takes several weeks to get the thing, but not too bad "for the money"

It is pretty nice having a light on my bike almost as bright as motorcycle light. People do think I am a motorcycle with this much light and when traveling over 20mph. Much better than a "blinky" light, as no one ever seems to expect me to be riding 20mph with a "blinky" light - its nice to have fewer people cut me off because they don't know I'm "just" on a bicycle.

If you are 100% dependant on the light, go for long rides, or in bad weather, you probably want something made in the USA with better quality. But its not worth $250 for me to get a hard core setup - $50 was more like it for me.

Below is a comparison of the flashlight to a standard H4 light you may find in a motorcycle or a car. Nope, it isn't as bright as an automotive light, but its getting close. Not bad for a bicycle.

chas58, that is impressive lighting. How fast can you ride before you outrun that headlight ? I know with mine, it'll light up the tire and ground while rolling slowly, but not much further ?

i win.

Dat's aright.

that's not a standard h4 light. that's a 'blind everyone on the road because you're too cheap/poor to do a proper retrofit' light. i have a hard time resisting the urge to smash those headlights when i see them. ****ing idiots that don't understand the differences between halogen optics and xenon optics...

and i have two 900 lumen MTE lights, they may be as bright as a headlight but they don't give even and useful illumination unless you aim them straight ahead. depending on the optic in the flashlight, it gives you a very 'spotlight' pattern which is hard to see with if it's not attached to your helmet.

Better quality lights like B&M and Schmidt have a better lens with a high cutoff that keeps light from going everywhere and blinding oncoming people... the 3 watt halogen I have throws a very tight beam and is a better high speed light while the LED version throws a wider light pattern but still has a good cutoff.

If you do it right, you should be more visible than during the daylight. Reflectors on your bike and clothing, flashing lights front and rear.

You may have to slow down a bit, but darkness should not stop you. It has never stopped me.

i got some of this really cool reflective cable housing on my bike, even if it is less than a half a foot to the front brake

i've considered getting fibre flare lights for sideways visibility but the price point is holding me back

Price Point:

https://www.uline.com/BL_6350/Reflective-Tape

not

Please explain the practical difference as it applies to bike lighting. And how that discussion applies to the light under discussion, which is an LED.

This will work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErbMU2wKEqg

it wasn't about bike lighting, it was about your car with h4 rebased hids.

and you don't get even lighting with the mtes i have unless they're mounted straight ahead on the bars or to the helmet.

aiming them at the ground so they don't blind people, as another member suggested, makes it impossible to see anything but the spot right in front of the bike... which most of the time is not where you want to be looking.

god dammit, what is it with people misquoting me lately?

Well, I was out mountain biking with them for 3 hours last night - one hour in the dark. No problems there.

On the road, I usually cuise at 20-25, and have no problem not out running my lights.

It is roughly 75% of the output of a halogen motorcycle or car (single) car headlight. Think that is enough?

It has a very useful beam pattern - both a wide flood and a tight spot. So it is good for tight turns (wide) and for high speed (far). For relatively cheap it has opened up the world of night biking to me - in places where there is no ambiant light. The build quality isn't the best, but it is a heck of a bang for the buck! It is about the size/weight of a AA mini-mag light. I just mount it on my handle bars, and I also have a light weight 50 or 100 lumen light on my helmet for tight turns. The 900lumen light just washes those out though. There is no comparison.

Aw, don't get your panties in a bunch. Its a decent comparison of the flashlight to a standard 35W H4 motorcycle/car headlight.

I ride at night because i can hit the mountain trail down to the bottom of my mountain side. plus im totally reliant on my 2 head lights. Really changes up your ride.

You know this is why you really ride at night, hivstersssssssssssss

Both the bike and I are so well reflecterized, I think and hope we are quite visible.. not that I frequent night rides, but in the winter, it happens, when I get home later than planned. Some basic rules.. I fear not seeing stuff in the road, such as grates.. Don't override your light and hit something you didn't see. Slow down.. I fear my lights are not strong enough to see glass in the road. Changing flats at night are a pain.. Other than that, night rides are no big deal. Lesser traffic volume and a quiet road can be pleasing. You'll hear noises you never hear otherwise... But, not as nice as riding on a perfect sunny day with balmy temperatures.

Thanks.I really like that tune.. I should remember to download it.. But, for cyclists at night don't forget to change the lenses to yellow in hue.
Phone booths.. Pretty much Tells us that the song is dated.?... But, 80's music is among the best...