Advice on light for commuting

[N_laplaca]

Looking for advice on a good light. I am planning on commuting to work maybe a couple days a week. It's 26 miles one way so it will be a bit of a commitment. I will need to leave home no later than 4:00 a.m. so obviously a light and vest will be essential. I will not need it for the return home.

A friend of mine suggested getting a light that mounts to my helmet. I was considering maybe both. For visibility and in the event I have a flat or other failure it will be much easier to deal with if I had a light on my helmet as well. I was considering the Cat Eye HL-EL200. Does this seem like a good option? I looked at some other posts and saw a recommendation for this light.

Nick

 

[Flatscan]

I've never used that CatEye light, but it looks like 3 or 5 x 5mm LEDs. It's too weak to see with, it will only be useful for being seen.

Do you have an estimated budget? I'm not up-to-date on bike lights, but a $20 light definitely won't be enough.

 

[Insight Driver]

Go to a bike shop that carries light systems. Look at the ones they have and judge the brightness of each. For commuting I got a Nitrider Rage HID light. It can be helmet or bar mounted; both options are standard with the kit. You want to have a bright enough and wide enough beam that you can see far enough ahead of you to ride at a decent speed. No LED light I've seen is quite good enough for the purpose because for most the beam is too narrow. The Rage also had LED lights. If the HID were to burn out, or you only want illumination to be seen, the LED's are fine. Consider that you want a light that will be rugged enough to last as a commuting light, look at all the major brands and compare the features. They all have good web sites. It boils down to how well-lit your route is, a well. If it's all city streets then an LED light would be fine for you can see where you are going. It's totally different on a trail where there are no lights and there are turns and hills to ride, or on a country road that has a ditch on the right side and a lot of crown to the road. You will get sticker shock when looking at high-quality lights. Just remember, you get what you pay for.

 

[StartTday]

I'd agree with the previous poster. I'd suggest a niterider. Much brighter than the rest.

I hardly ever commute in the dark but did this past winter a couple times just to get some miles in. I borrowed a couple cat-eyes from the bike shop. And they are fine but I was struggling to see anything. I might as well not even have a light. I was cursing the entire way and could only see the road within two feet in front of me. Unlike the niteriders which provide a much broader site and you can see.

 

[rek]

I have found that for commuting at night, especially when there is little or no ambient street light, 10W or more of halogen light (or equivalent) is good. With that it gives you a long enough beam to safely ride up to about 30kph.

I've ridden with a 3W Luxeon-based LED headlight and though it does light up the road, its beam penetration is **** compared to a 'normal' light.. I didn't feel safe riding any faster than 20kph.

HIDs are incredibly good but expensive. I have one on my mountain bike and it really does turn night into day.

A flashing white LED front light as well is also a good idea, as it makes you more visible to cars.


I have a Light & Motion "Commuter" headlight on my commuting bike; 10W halogen, 2hr runtime, small NiMH battery.. simple, effective, and very good build quality. It was inexpensive (as far as 'proper' light systems go) and the battery is a nice small box that fits nicely in the "V" between the seattube and seatstay.

Unfortunately this model has been discontinued