Head/taillight suggestions? It's getting dark!

[pasadena]

Knog lights are great usb lights and highly visible.
Their service and warranty is really good too.

I have several for a few years and still going strong. Very bright.

I have the old version of this
https://www.knog.com.au/bike-lights/...-twinpack.html

It's nicely made, w/partial metal housing

[jb_11]

I've been happy with the Garmin Varia lights front a rear. Good integration with a Garmin head unit, if you use one. Nice mounting system as well.

I also supplement with Niterider 750 on my helmet for two reasons; it's nice to be able to see into a corner, and it's nice to have a backup if one runs down too far.

[Kirk007]

If your budget allows, check out both Exposure and Dinotte. Pricey but hard to beat. L&M is great too.

[sg8357]

Busch&Muller Ixon Space, 150lux, battery.

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m.php

[rst72]

Originally Posted by pasadena

Knog lights are great usb lights and highly visible.
Their service and warranty is really good too.

Agreed.

Been using the PWR Road front and Blinder tail light for the past year.

BTW...what does that red frownie face under my name mean?

[Lovetoclimb]

Light and Motion can’t go wrong with almost any of their bike lights.

[djg]

So how many folks are using high settings on lights advertising 1000 lumens or more?

I have an L&M 650 from a few years back or so -- it's been reliable and has seemed a good light. In most conditions the high setting seems plenty bright and there are many where the medium setting seems fine. Sometimes, here and there, I wonder -- maybe not as much when it's pitch black, I think, as when it's dark and the light environment, if you will, is challenging, with car headlights of varying types coming in and out of the picture, maybe odd bits of glare or reflective surfaces, etc. Sometimes I think about going brighter and sometimes I think that there are situations that aren't fixed even by good car headlights, and wouldn't be helped by somewhat higher output on my little bike light. I mean, it's cheap, relative to a crash, so there's that -- just wondering if folks, at least subjectively, find the extra "power" helpful.

[Nooch]

Originally Posted by djg

So how many folks are using high settings on lights advertising 1000 lumens or more?

I have an L&M 650 from a few years back or so -- it's been reliable and has seemed a good light. In most conditions the high setting seems plenty bright and there are many where the medium setting seems fine. Sometimes, here and there, I wonder -- maybe not as much when it's pitch black, I think, as when it's dark and the light environment, if you will, is challenging, with car headlights of varying types coming in and out of the picture, maybe odd bits of glare or reflective surfaces, etc. Sometimes I think about going brighter and sometimes I think that there are situations that aren't fixed even by good car headlights, and wouldn't be helped by somewhat higher output on my little bike light. I mean, it's cheap, relative to a crash, so there's that -- just wondering if folks, at least subjectively, find the extra "power" helpful.

Ultimately I went with more lumens to run at a lower setting for longer. The Taz1500 that I have is advertised at 1.5 hours at max, which is typically my normal morning ride, but 3 hours on medium (750), and I think 6 on low (something like 375-400 lumens). I'm typically at medium and I can get two mornings out of a charge. I'll kick it up to high if I feel the conditions warrant it.

[Aaron O]

Originally Posted by Nooch

Ultimately I went with more lumens to run at a lower setting for longer. The Taz1500 that I have is advertised at 1.5 hours at max, which is typically my normal morning ride, but 3 hours on medium (750), and I think 6 on low (something like 375-400 lumens). I'm typically at medium and I can get two mornings out of a charge. I'll kick it up to high if I feel the conditions warrant it.

Yeah - this is how I view it. I don't look/care about the max setting...I want the medium or low settings. Bigger lights typically give you a higher medium setting at longer hours. Give me 400ish lumens and 4 hours and I'm happy.

It's also not just lumens...it's beam and placement. My helmet light doesn't put out a crazy lumen count, but it gives me enough to see on my road conditions and to be seen.

[false_Aest]

A friend at Kryptonite gave me the Alley F-800 R-75 combo.

They're surprisingly good!

Before that I was using a Cateye 800 lumen thing and a Niterider 750 lumen thing. For a rear light I was using a Niterider Solas 150.


The Niterider was brighter than the Cateye but I preferred the Cateye steady-flash option (the light is on steady at ~400(?) lumen and then flashes to 800 lumen to get people's attention). The Krypto doesn't have this option but it does have a "daytime running mode" which is pretty useful since I'm commuting in LA around 7am/6:30pm.

The Solas 150 was one of the brightest rear lights I've used but the mount SUCKED! Too much weight cantilevered off the mount means that it either falls off or turns as its subject to road vibration.

The Kryptonite mounts perfectly on the seat post, seat tube and seat stay and, as far as I can tell, doesn't rotate.

Front mount on the Krypto is perfect. It's "QR" but solid. Also has a lil screw in the mount that allows you to adjust where the light is pointed. Unlike the Niterider mounts it doesn't rattle. Unlike the Cateye mounts its easy on/off.

The head light holds a decent charge -- daytime flash gives me around a week of commuting (that's like 7.5 hours) -- but the rear kind've sucks at full-power flash (just under 2 hours runtime).

USB micro charging so its easy to plug it in at your desk while you work.


If I paid for bike lights I'd probably pay for this one.

[suzuki]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

Bontrager Flare R and Cygolite HotShot 150 are two great rear light choices

For front lights I like the Light and Motion "urban" models

Theres a lot of good choices...decide if you are using them to see or to be seen so you don't get sucked into more lumens is better.

Another vote for the L&M urban light, which I use as a helmet light for commuting. I use another light on the handlebar and the Cygolite HotShot for the rear. So many options out there, but I think that L&M is particularly good with its amber side lighting, which allows you to be better seen. Plus, the L&M pulse mode works really well when combined with another light (a bit too annoying for me, however, when the only light).

[Ozz]

I am a fan of the Light and Motion stuff...been using their lights for 15+ years...all the way back to the HID lights.

well made, durable, good features, great support....

I have a Vis 180 for the rear, a Taz 1000 that I currently use. Also have a Seca 900 and a Stella 200 that use cords and a battery pack.

[m_sasso]

Going to be a decenter here, look at the Cateye front light line up, I use a Cateye Volt 800 https://www.cateye.com/intl/products...ts/HL-EL471RC/. The removable battery, secure versatile mount and light output performance led me to chose it over anything else in the marketplace.

Rear light look at the Light & Motion, Vibe Pro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xmCgKN6exQ

Neither of these products may be the right choice for you, however, both of these two products are reliable, durable and work exceedingly well.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by suzuki

Another vote for the L&M urban light, which I use as a helmet light for commuting. I use another light on the handlebar and the Cygolite HotShot for the rear. So many options out there, but I think that L&M is particularly good with its amber side lighting, which allows you to be better seen. Plus, the L&M pulse mode works really well when combined with another light (a bit too annoying for me, however, when the only light).

I’m using a an older LM500 in flash mode and a LM300 in pulse mode - one light on each side of the stem. It’s overkill but I don’t need to be left crossed. My use case is daytime visibility not night riding. Hence the cygolite hotshot 150 rear plus knog blinder

The beams are aimed level and straight. I’d like to know how a car might view me and what the view angle of the light is when looking at it

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

I’m using a an older LM500 in flash mode and a LM300 in pulse mode - one light on each side of the stem. It’s overkill but I don’t need to be left crossed. My use case is daytime visibility not night riding. Hence the cygolite hotshot 150 rear plus knog blinder

The beams are aimed level and straight. I’d like to know how a car might view me and what the view angle of the light is when looking at it

It shouldn't be hard to find a building with mirrored glass.