Quote Originally Posted by Melody
I like my Light & Motion ARC HID and I've got the small Lithium Ion battery. It is _not_ inexpensive but since I commute via my bike and I routinely leave after 7pm it's worth every penny I spent.

The other thing you should consider when looking at lights is not if you can see ok when it's a nice night out, but can you see when the weather is not good, if you ride in such weather. Since I commute via bike, rain or shine, this was very important, especially since I have a little bit of night blindness. The L&M ARC HID fits the bill to a T.

For rear light I use a Cateye TL-1000. It uses 10 superbright LEDs in total, 5 on top and 5 on bottom. Four of these 10 are used to illuminate the side of the light so you end up with six rear facing super bright LEDs, two superbrights on the left and two on the right. Helps cars coming at you from the side see you.

Mel
(Who's not quite completely gone but has been busy for months do to work)
[HI EVERYONE! ]
I have the same system as Mel on my after-dark bike. The L&M headlight is very bright and lights up the whole trail. I've had a lot of compliments on it from other bikers. I feel safe and seen when I have it on. I found it on sale at performancebike.com in the fall---saved about $100. Regardless, it was still an expensive light but I consider it an investment. The taillight is great, too, and not very expensive. In addition, I have some small, cheapo LED lights that I put on my bike and can hook onto my jacket. You also might consider putting reflective tape on your helmet and wheel rims.

You can't be lit up enough when riding after dark.