bike light suggestions?

[A_Bear]

Can anyone recommend good front (white) and rear (red) lights for early morning riding. I've been riding a lot in the morning and my current lights don't inspire confidence.

[rwsaunders]

I ride pretty early in the morning, but I don't need illumination, just some visual protection from distracted motorists, and motorists who care, but need help seeing me. I've spent a lot of money on lights that were blah and settled on the Dinotte amber front and red rear lights and the Cygolite Hypershot 350 rear.

https://store.dinottelighting.com/storefront.aspx

https://cygolite.com/product/hypershot-350-usb/

[Ozz]

I am a fan of Light & Motion, but lots of good ones out there....depends on your buget.

I have a light for sale here (Taz 1500)....selling cuz I just got the 2000 lumen version a couple months ago and don't need it. Price is negotiable....

[catchourbreath]

The bontrager front headlights of varying strength and the rears are very bright and have a lot of battery life.

[cgolvin]

If you use a cycling computer you might consider investing in a Garmin Varia radar light (many discussion threads on this topic to peruse in the forum). Nothing really special as a light but many people (myself included) find the radar function extremely valuable. I have a Wahoo but I understand that there's added value/control if you use a Garmin computer and include the front light option. Much more spendy but, IMO, worth it.

[slowpoke]

What's your budget? Is this just for safety (to be seen), or also for you to navigate any trails in the dark?

As with any sort of hobby equipment, there's perfectly fine stuff that works at $50, and diminishing returns over $100 or more.

E.g. these are some taillight recommendations:

Budget $30 - Planet Bike Superflash Turbo (non-USB)

Medium ~$50 - Bontrager Flare RT, Cygolite Hotshot 150/250, NiteRider Sentry Aero 260

Premium $100+ - Lupine Rotlicht, Garmin Varia

[ridethecliche]

I think the varia is worth spending the money for if you have a computer that does the integration.

Might be worth posting a wtb on the classifieds. I picked up a few lights for commuting through the forum.

[A_Bear]

Originally Posted by slowpoke

What's your budget? Is this just for safety (to be seen), or also for you to navigate any trails in the dark?

Budget: $5 to as much as necessary to be seen. I'm not looking so much to be able to ride in the dark. Just to reduce the risk of me being swiped by a driver who didn't see me from one direction or another.

[zennmotion]

As mentioned above, Dinotte red quad rear and amber quad front for Bay Area twisty roads with (not so) occasional insane drivers and motorcyclists, and oh yeah, unpredictable localized fog. I also have a Varia that I'm still getting used to with a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt- jury's still out. But I never ride local roads without the Dinotte quads. The front amber is unique and much better imo than white headlights in daytime fog for drifting oncoming cars and shady intersections. I use medium settings, bright settings are too much even in daylight. Easy to remove and charge quickly. Expensive but worth it.

[djg21]

I’d suggest a Varia UT 800 smart front light and a Varia RTL 515 (or if you want to splurge on a camera the RCT715). Set up a smart light network and the GPS auto adjusts the lights depending on desired use (high-vis daytime use, or dusk/nighttime), controls the brightness, and preserves battery. The rear Varia is one of those gadgets that you won’t want to ride without once you’ve used it. The front Varia is well built with an aluminum body, solid, and provides enough light to ride in the dark, but flashes during daylight.

[makoti]

I use this, and it gives lots of confidence. It's being closed out so it's on sale. https://www.outboundlighting.com/pro...roduct_reviews
The new version is wireless.
Rear, I really like my Lupine https://www.amazon.com/Lupine-Lighti...Bch%7C%5Blt%7C

[fredd]

I really like my Lezyne 800xl. Very good brightness (enough to see by on max) and battery life for the size. I’m sure their less powerful stuff is good too.

[Mr. Pink]

Cygolite, both front and rear.

[trener1]

I'm a big fan of the Cygolte Metro.
They are pretty cheap for what you get, and they have a day time flash mode that I think is awesome.

[deluz]

I find that Magicshine are a good value. I have on of their head lights.