Best bike lights on a budget
 

Can someone recommend 1 or 2 front and back lights on a budget of $50? I see the sticky posts for lights but it seems dated

Here is a combo for $62. Sorry it's more, but the cheap stuff is crappy in performance and durability. Cygolite stuff is very good, and so is customer service. If you care, it's made in the USA.

Looks like a good choice but don't sell in Canada. Well from third party selling for $100 +

Search Amazon for Cygolite. They do have it even on amazon.ca.

Her's what I've done. I got a 400 lumen rechargeable front light for around $30 (I think that's what it cost, it was a while ago). I then got two small high intensity flashlights which I've duct taped to the bike light. I took a while to get things balanced and aimed right, but the combination works great. With one flashlight on a wide beam and the other set to narrow, I get great coverage and plenty of light. I ride a lot before dawn and I'm very happy with how the combo works.

Do your lights shine into people's eyes?

I can vouch for the Cygolites. I've been using the Metro (500 and 850) for 2+yrs.

link from another thread Sunup Eco MaxiDyn 6V12W Bicycle Spoke Dynamo (hub dynamo/dynohub alternative + USB) - Sunup Eco Spoke Dynamo - Hub and Spoke Dynamos | Intelligentdesigncycles

I like this, except for the price. I hope to hear from someone who has used it.

Best way to read the sticky threads is from the end. That's the most current info.

Check REI in Canada. Recently they've been heavily discounting older but still very good head and tail lights from NiteRider and Serfas, including some combo head/tail lights for under $50 US. Right now I see the Serfas E-Lume 450 on sale for $22 at REI in the US. That's very good.

But don't get stuck on any particular brand. I've compared most of the popular brands and models at REI and other shops that have displays for customers to try lights. They're all very similar: Cygolite, NiteRider, Serfas, Light & Motion, a few others.

There are also hundreds of variations of the same three or four types of generic Chinese made lights sold under various names. The main difference described by customer reviews is battery performance. Consistent battery performance may be one of the reasons why the better known brands cost a little more.

There's not much traffic when I'm out there before dawn, so I'm not sure. But I don't think so - no one has ever flashed their lights at me.

A bit more than $50, this is what I would buy if I needed new lights on a tight budget. (a more realistic budget would be 100USD)

Front: Fenix BC25R

Rear: Nitecore NU05 (I've had this over a year now, weighs almost nothing, battery life is 5 hours+ in flash, lights up street signs 200 meters away)

I think the trusted brands are worth more serious consideration than the unknown ones. You listed the trusted brands. Any of them should be OK. The off brands have various compromises which reveal themselves later. Sometimes it's the mount. Sometimes it's something else like a second rate battery. They have worked poorly for me, and I bought far too many of them. I have no doubt NiteRider, Serfas, and Light & Motion are very solid. I've had good success with Cygolite.

MEC in Canada , REI in the USA..

I just got this light yesterday (online from the REI Outlet), and I'm pretty happy with it so far - fairly bright, the beam isn't too wide or too narrow, and it feels like good quality. I'm thinking of adding the 40 lumen Serfas taillight https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/produ...gn-2-taillight to it, only $15 US. It seems like a pretty good combo for $37 US.

Whenever I see a thread like this I always Iike to inform the person who started the thread that they really didn't give enough information. Really hard to recommend a light when we have no idea what kind of riding you do, where do you ride, how long do you ride, how fast do you ride... etc, etc. Do you prefer something with a self-contained battery or with a separate battery? Fifty bucks ain't much of a budget but doable depending on the questions I asked. If you ride on normal roads and not faster than 18mph on average I would recommend something like the the Raveman CR-500. Only a 1.6 hr run time on high though. Has an excellent wide cut-off road beam pattern and includes a wired remote control. I've seen the CR-500 on sale in the range of $45. You can buy a cheap rear light off of Amazon from anywhere from $5 to $20. If you ride road I would highly recommend a tail light that is at least 60 lumen.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Get two pair and you're still under 40 USD. Rear is also rechargeable. My handlebar is not thick enough for the included mounting gear but adding a cut-up inner tube as a shim makes them snug.

Amazon name:
TOPTREK USB Rechargeable Bike Lights Set,Super Bright CREE LED Bicycle Front Light and Tail Light Set,Quick Release Compatible with Mountain,Road,MTB,Kids & City Bike, $17.99, delivered.

It had lots of 5-star reviews but Amazon removed them all. They did sound too good to be real reviews. But the kit is good value. I did not like the idea of just one front/rear, so got two.

Another Cygolite Metro user, here! I have both the 750 as well as the new 1100. Honestly, there's not much difference between the two, so I usually recommend whichever one is cheaper! You can often find them used for around your price range, though! And in fact, you can buy the 700 or 850 lumen model right now for $50 on Amazon, new. I also have one of the lower lumen models (400?), but I don't usually recommend it because the light is more yellow and it doesn't have the diffuser lens so the beam pattern doesn't spread very much.

Fantastic lights! You can't go wrong with them.

Its the price point budget that concerns me. When riding, especially in the dark hours, the lights are something to be taken seriously.

Agreed a few extra dollars but worth the investment safety first

I think the combo noglider suggested is a good starter set. Eventually the original poster can upgrade and have a spare. At this point I have 3 headlights ranging from 200 to 700 lumens, and about a half dozen tail lights (I also use them for walking the dogs in the neighborhood since a lot of the streets here don't have sidewalks).

I second cyglolite . i have 2 and they are great

For $50, you can consider the Cygolite Metro 550 or Light and Motion 500.

If you're not fussy about the design, the Cygolite is actually top quality stuff.

I recommend Cygolite brand. I have a rear Cygolite Hotshot 150 and I get a lot of compliment from Driver and cyclist. The light output great in daytime and night time.

I picked mine up, at MEC the equivalent to a REI in Canada.

Look up bike lights on Amazon and you will find a pair for $20 then get a headlamp with that and that will be under $50.