visibility in dark commute

[ZenBiker]

I have a helmet mounted light that I love. Three out of the 4 employees in my office who ride to work this time of year use the same kind. It was made by GeoManGear but when I went to get a link for this message, I discovered they went out of business over the summer, which is really too bad. So all I can do is echo the advice to find a nice, bright, rechargeable light for your helmet. It lets you make "eye contact" with any driver that you think might be overlooking you - and gets an instant response!

The one I use is pretty heavy, and a little bit of a hassle to take on and off. In fact the light unit plugs into a battery pack that you carry in a pocket, so there's a cord running up my back and into my helmet. Not exactly elegant but worth it for the long battery life and brightness it produces. I put it on an older helmet, one that still has useful life in it but that I opted to replace with a better vented one for summer use. So instead of taking the light on and off, I just switch helmets for weekend rides.

edited to add: I also use these for side visibility - and because they're fun: http://www.rei.com/product/774213/ni...ke-wheel-light

[Jones]

When I put a blinking light on the front of my bike I realized I became much more visible to cars. Far fewer close calls. I use this light to see http://www.rei.com/product/826129/ni...750-bike-light and this light to be scene http://www.rei.com/product/843467/ni...350-bike-light. I never realized how much money I had invested in bike lights. Yikes.

[ZenBiker]

After discovering GeoMan Gear was out of business (see earlier post) I looked around and found that the light I bought from them is basically a Magicshine light like this one:
http://magicshineusa.com/products/li...men-bike-light

The specs on mine are very similar. The battery will operate 180 minutes at the highest brightness setting. I like how the power button on the light changes color to show how much charge you have left, and the brightness and span of light thrown. Like I said earlier it is kind of heavy and you deal with a separate battery pack and cord. But it's a lot of light for the money and can be mounted on a helmet or handlebars.

[Giulianna23]

I got this one on ebay...I love it...the actual light has about 7 differet settings and the laser lines has the normal solid setting and blinking setting as well.

[Sky King]

had to laugh at the DH last night so am bringing this up. He reset his generator powered light on his commuter and in the process cleaned the light. So he comes home and said "huh, amazing what cleaning your light will do to improve brightness" So on that note, grab the alcohol or windex or whatever you use and wipe off all your lights. I know it is something I don't think about.

[Eden]

I'll second all the suggestions for helmet, down lighting and side lighting. I look like a traveling carnival, but no one should ever be able to say they don't see me....from the front, behind or the side. I have a helmet light (Stella 200) a small flasher on my handlebars (Flea) Two rear red blinkers (Flea on my messenger bag, Dinotte on my bike), A blue bar LED on my downtube and a green flasher on my valve stem (cheapo from Toys R' Us, with overpowered silver calculator batteries put in it) Not to mention various reflective bits here there and everywhere. Most of this comes off pretty easily for daytime training rides - just the downtube light is zip tied on pretty permanently.

[NadiaMac]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I currently have a niterider mininewt mounted on my drop bars and a cateye red rear light mounted on my tool bag. I definitely want to improve side visibility as well as getting a helmet light. I'm pretty happy with the niterider, though it doesn't do a terrific job at illuminating the actual street surface (a problem on darker streets).

Can't wait for the time to change so my longer morning ride is in the light! Or more of it, at least.
thanks again,
NM

[Eden]

Here's my commuter in all of it's light show glory (sorry it's just a bad ipod photo though). This doesn't include my helmet or messenger bag lights of course. The dinotte rear light is pretty thermo nuclear bright.....
The green on on the front spins with the wheel as well as flashing, so it's pretty eye catching. The blue one puts a pretty good light pool on the ground and also catches my front fender.