That Time of Year - What's the (current) best values for a light, and rear blinky?

[MattTuck]

Is the NiteRider Lumina line still the preferred option?

[sandyrs]

I love the Lupine Rotlicht. It's kind of expensive, but super powerful, versatile, mounts in seconds without a permanently-mounted bracket, great battery life, and gets brighter when you brake.

[chiasticon]

I like the Exposure Tracer. works great in the daytime as well as at night. looks nice. has great battery life. awesome pulsing pattern. cheap enough. works for me! :cool:

[weaponsgrade]

I just bought a Nite Rider Solas 150. It was maybe $40 on sale. What I like about it is that it's very easy to put on/take off. I don't have a whole lot of room on my seat post. Even though the light itself is long, it doesn't take up too much space because it be positioned low on the seat post such that the light itself extends out and past the seat binder bolt.

[FlashUNC]

Had good luck with Knog rears.

Though looking at the FlyIQ in case someone decided to pancake me.

[Idris Icabod]

In the rear on my commuter I have this:

https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Vis+180+Tail+Light+2016&vendorCode=LIGHTNMO&major=3&minor=24

On sale for $48, USB chargeable and bright as heck.

On the front I have

https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Urban+800+Fast+Charge+2016&vendorCode=LIGHTNMO&major=3&minor=6

$78 for 800 Lumens, charges fast. There is a 650 Lumen one for $48 but it isn't 'fast charge', states it takes 5.5 hours to charge compared to the 2.5 hours for the fast charge light.

https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Urban+650+Light+2016&vendorCode=LIGHTNMO&major=3&minor=6

[sooshi]

+1 on the Lupine Rotlicht. Extremely solid construction, super bright and great battery life.

[classtimesailer]

A couple months ago, my Blackburn Flea from years ago gave up in the charging dept. Lifetime warranty got me the newer model. I'm hooked on lifetime warranties. 300 lumen NR in the front is plenty.

[sdrides]

Nashbar has some good deals on the Lumina right now. $70 for 600 lumens from a reputable company with great service.

[SlackMan]

I often leave for my commute in the dark. I have a Cygolite 850 that is amazing. On the rear, the Dinotte Quad Red, is fantastic. If my budget did not permit me to buy both, I'd get the Dinotte on the rear and a cheaper option up front...'cause I want cars to see me from miles away when approaching from behind. :)

[woodworker]

Another vote for the Dinotte quad as a rear light. Very bright with different functions, and has a long run time. I've ridden 4-5 hours and it's still going. It has good mounting hardware as well.

From my vantage point, the most important point is that the light remains on. If the light has a short battery life before needing to be recharged, you're likely to be turning it off and back on at stops (and also forgetting to turn it back on). I like not having to worry about the length of the charge so that I can turn it on at the start of the ride and then forget about it.

[Slipstream]

I like the CygoLite Hotshot 50 lm

[Nooch]

A couple months ago, my Blackburn Flea from years ago gave up in the charging dept. Lifetime warranty got me the newer model. I'm hooked on lifetime warranties. 300 lumen NR in the front is plenty.

I've had about 8 blackburn pumps to date. While it's crappy that I have to keep getting them replaced, I'm pleased as punch that my $70 investment has worked out pretty well..

[mt2u77]

I've been happy with my Bontrager Flare R on my commuter. I also wear a cheap blinky on my helmet as I have a theory that two seperated light sources are more noticeable than one. I've got a Light and Motion 700 up front that is still going strong after ~600 1 hr commutes. I cursed when I laid out the money for that one, but no complaints at all. I run my lights all the time now.

A co-worker once called me the Clark Griswold of bicycle lighting, and I took that as a compliment.:)

[SlowPokePete]

i like the Light and motion Vis 180 in back.

Very bright, even in daylight.

Value? Excel has them for under $50.

SPP

[seanile]

I've been happy with my Bontrager Flare R on my commuter. i've heard a lot of good things about this one

[chrismoustache]

I've used Planet Bike Superflashs for a good few years. Non rechargeable, but I'm satisfied with the battery life. I also forego the plastic band mount and have them mounted directly to my fender braze ons; works great! Pretty cheap and good customer service from PB.

[Marc40a]

I use a Cygolite Hotshot 100 and a 50 interchangeably.

I'm a commuter, so I depend on the lights for 2 hours each day - they've been rock solid. USB rechargeable, batteries are for the birds.

I really appreciate that there's half a dozen blinking patterns and that you can customize the speed of each program.

3 strengths, pick your poison:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=cygotliote+hotshot

[tuxbailey]

Another vote for Planetbike Superflash. I can clip it on the back of my helmet's adjustable strap as well.

[smontanaro]

I always hated helmet-mounted lights... If I was out on an early morning ride and passed a group going the other way along Sheridan Rd or Green Bay Rd (I live in Chicago's north suburbs), someone would look over at me with his helmet-mounted flamethrower headlight and temporarily blind me. No doubt they did the same to oncoming cars.

However, after my collision while riding home after work in February (with resulting surgery), I have come to a new appreciation for helmet-mounted lights. I had a headlight and two taillights, both at basically handlebar height. I don't think she had her headlights on (despite it being around dusk). I didn't see her. She didn't see me. I woke up in the ambulance.

In an urban commuter setting (Chicago for me), I think the added obstruction of lots of parallel-parked cars (both along residential side streets and as buffers between traffic and "protected" bike lanes), strongly suggests that a helmet-mounted light is the best choice for visibility. I'm looking at the L&M Vis 360, but no doubt there are plenty of suitable choices out there.

[josephr]

lumina nite rider 750 + planet bike superflash...


right now a niterider 750 can be had for about $50..maybe better if you do some shopping.

[jghall]

Imagine you'll get a lot of different answers here. Some of it based on expense.

That said, and for the lights I've tried/owned that put out at least 600+. I'm a fan of Light & Motion's Urban and Taz series. Also like Lezyne. Though more-so their older models(Deca/Deda) And then there is Exposure. Though a bit pricey.

I'd also not hesitate with Cateye's Volt series, and Bontrager's Ion.

Not much help tailights. Think all my bikes have Flares.

[seanile]

In an urban commuter setting (Chicago for me), I think the added obstruction of lots of parallel-parked cars (both along residential side streets and as buffers between traffic and "protected" bike lanes), strongly suggests that a helmet-mounted light is the best choice for visibility. this is what sold me on the helmet mounted lights. i've noticed a big difference in people no longer pulling out into me from obstructed intersections.

i use a serfas 350 and it's been great. about a year ago, after 2 or 3 years of using it, the charging port came a lil loose and they asked me to send it back to be fixed. got it back within a 7 days and it works great.