Looking for bike light under $100
 

Edited:
What is a good headlight for around $150 or lower?

What is a good tail light for under $100?

Prefer battery operated. Wireless.

Thank you-

I have been considering the Biolite Powerlight Mini. I have other Biolite products (stove, kettle, flexlite) and the quality is tremendous.

Mark V reviews: BioLite PowerLight Mini - Bike Hugger

The best under-$100 battery powered headlight I've heard of -- per experienced users and web reviews with light pattern tests -- is the Busch & Muller Ixon IQ Premium. Takes four AA batteries, alkaline or NiMH rechargeables. Great, evenly distributed beam pattern to light up the road without blinding other cyclists or motorists. And the price has recently decreased about $30, so even with international customs and sales taxes, the Ixon IQ Premium, light shade, and fork mount, will cost less than $80.

You can find YouTube demo reviews by ordinary users for the B+M Ixon IQ and IQ Premium compared with other lights and it's clearly the best in its price class.

I'd planned all year to buy the Ixon IQ or Premium myself, but a series of nagging costs for repairs, higher medical costs for prescriptions, etc., kept putting that purchase out of reach. So I finally settled on a Serfas SL-255 for $35, total, via Amazon Prime. Bright enough for safe commuting, runs on a pair of AA batteries, more than half the light for half the price of the excellent B&M lights. I've had a few night rides with the Serfas SL-255 and it'll do nicely. Subjectively it's as bright as car headlights on low, but with a narrow round (oval on the road ahead) pool of bright light surrounded by a weaker wider rectangular spill that helps illuminate toward the sides a bit.

I can't think of a USB rechargeable headlight I'd recommend because none of them ran long enough per charge on steady bright to suit my needs. I often begin rides early in the day and don't get home until midnight or later, depending on social occasions, visits to museums and galleries, etc. I wanted a headlight that would run at least four hours continuously at maximum brightness, and needed only a quick battery swap to keep going. I can carry spare AA batteries, or if necessary buy 'em from any late night store.

I have two or three red LED taillights that are adequate and run off USB rechargeables or CR2032 button cells, but I'm looking for another brighter taillight to bolt onto the rear rack that runs off AA batteries and will last much longer per charge.

save up a little longer and buy the Fly6 and Fly12 combo:
https://cycliq.com/products
Cycliq Fly12 Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET

I know you said $120 or lower for a headlight, but for around $130, you couldn't go wrong with a NiteRider Lumina 700. It's what I use, and it throws out quite a bit of light, even on its lower settings. At first I thought I was crazy to spend that much on a headlight, but it has been worth every penny.

NiteRider Lumina 700 LED Headlight - Performance Exclusive

Out of curiosity, why 700 over the new 750? Both can be bought under $100 on Amazon.

I never know which site I can trust to order from Germany.

Go to Ebay and check out the Cree LED lights from China. There are many sellers for them. They are awesomely bright, come with battery packs and chargers. You can buy the battery packs separately so you change those out if you don't have acces or time to recharge. The awesome part is that they are usually about $20-30. complete. I have one and love it. I have the two LED version and it blinds car drivers from a few hundred feet (not recommended). I cover it with my hand momentarily so as to not cause an accident. They make them with up to 7 LEDs and 10,000 lumens. Those would suffice for aircraft landing lights!!

No joke - these are excellent lights.

New Solarstorm 5000LM 2X CREE T6 LED Front Bicycle Bike Light Head Lamp Battery | eBay

Rosebikes.com (linked in my above post) is reliable, according to other Bike Forum members who've purchased from them.

If you'd rather order in the US, Bike Shop Hub stocks a few B+M lights and will order others. They estimate 1-3 weeks for delivery when ordering lights that aren't in stock, as these come through a US distributor who orders from Germany.

Fenix BT20R

It's a slightly shaped beam so it won't blind people nearly as much as the niterider mentioned above.

It's also 800 lumens... and ~$125.

I like it. It's not perfect, but it throws out PLENTY of light for commuting. I generally use it on the 400 Lumen setting, which I would say is perfect for commuting, even in bad weather.

Oh, and you can run it on really any battery pack between 8-12V. (12V max input voltage according to the spec sheet) I've run it on a 12V lead acid battery for a while. (Nominally 14V) It didn't care at all. Got a bit warmer, but almost the entirety of the light is one large heatsink, so it wasn't a problem.

You need to specify your riding style and environment (rural, city, lots of lights, street lighting, do you need the light to see by, etc) and how much runtime you need.

I have a Cygolite Metro 550 which is nice for what it is. Bright enough for me to see by in rural areas, bright enough flash to work as a daylight visibility aid.

on the back, for < $100, I guess I'd go with a Axiom Pulse 60 for nighttime. Nothing < $100 is what I'd call daylight visible. For a bit more I'd try an Orfos flare. Personally the minimum I'd go for on the taillight would be a Dinotte Quad Red. I haven't tried the Orfos yet, it just looks good and is closer to your budget.

I spent more on my taillight than my headlight and I'd do it again.

+1 For the Crogolite, here's what I use http://www.amazon.com/Cygolite-Recha...ilpage_o04_s00

+1 For the Cygolite, here's what I use http://www.amazon.com/Cygolite-Recha...ilpage_o04_s00

I am currently using the Fenix BC30R. GREAT light. Fenixgear currently has it priced at $90, way under what most places are asking for it.
http://www.fenixgear.com/fenix-bike-light/fenix-bc30r.htm

Here's a video review

Thanks for the recommission. I ordered it from Fenixgear for $89.
Free shipping took 4 business days. I am really happy with the light but little on the heavy side. Thanks again!

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=520613http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=520614

Wow, that Fenix is very nice looking. I don't know if I'll get one as I already have a whole box of acceptable lights, but if I had to buy a new commuting light it would be a high contender.

Glad you like it, fellow Northern Virginian.

It weighs far less, puts out more light, runs far longer, and costs less compared to every light system I've owned in the past 30 years. My first light and battery weighed five pounds!

I know right, kids these days. My first light was an MR16 halogen in a plumbing fitting, with a 12v lead acid cell in the back. The light didn't weigh much but the battery must have been 8 pounds. I think after that I went to an HID designed for an offroad ATV, it weighed probably half a pound but I had upgraded to a NiMH bottle battery which took the battery down to only about 2.5 pounds.

Ituo Wiz20: Ituolights.com

Under $100 shipped, blows away fenix and many of those other lights listed. Actual lumens rating (not the hold hte button for max power of fenix), usb rechargeable, 18650 cells you can change really quick, dont even have to remove form the bike, can change optics to suit your needs and so on.

I have a Fenix BC30R (and a pile of other lights). BC30R has a flashy display thats about all it has going for it. The remote is a joke, for nothing more than the "flash" which is the only time it sees more than 800 lumens. Never use it since i got the WIZ20. Actually the wiz20 has become my bar light for everything lately.

As for a tail light, I like my cygolight hotshot. USb rechargeable as well, solid run time and good selection of modes. Keeps it simple. I have a couple chinese lights that do the job as well but I get tired of replacing batteries. SO have them as back ups.

In their second beam shot, there is a strong hot spot. They say the optics are changeable. Is there a European style beam available? My B&M lights' beams make the road look "painted" with light, with no hot spots.

Beam shot from Ituo:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/12...g?v=1462946643

That's a nice light, but the beam is circular. Try this instead:

1800Lm CREE XM L T6 LED Head Front Bicycle Bike Light Headlight Headlamp Battery | eBay

Paired with:

Wide Angle Lens for CREE XML T6 Bike Headlight Bicycle Light Includes O Ring | eBay

Very bright, very wide beam.

That's less than $25 for one of the most powerful front beams/wide lens, plus a free taillight!

If you want to get really hardcore, but a cree headlight, and add this RED lens to make it into an ultra powerful tail light:

http://www.amazon.com/Angle-Magicshi.../dp/B00B9JJPPM

Thanks for the tip. I have ordered the light and lens. With these available I don't understand the need to pay hundreds for all the other lights out there. I do have a nice USB rechargable Cateye single LED light which is very nice and use it on the streets with background illumination. That won't cut it out in the countryside, though.

Looks great!

I find it very useful.

I'm strictly a road cyclist. I rarely use the 800 lumen high setting; in most instances the 500 lumen setting is plenty. As for the remote, while I agree it is not ideal, I use the 1600 lumen burst to warn motorists; an optical horn, so to speak. I can see where the Ituo would be a better off-road light though.

I own a lot of lights (plenty of chinese cheap stuff and a few quality/branded lights) and I would never buy that single emitter chinese junk. They are like 500 lumens at best, batteries/chargers are well known to cause fires and the lights often times don't last. Every bit of details and ratings of the lights and batteries is very much false too.

Basically you get what you pay for.

As for the optics on the WIZ20, there are several options for optics. They just come fitted with narrow spot optics. The "painted" look isn't a European thing only, just a personal preference which I also happen to prefer for a bar light if running a helmet light too. If not I have it set with optics that has a bit of a hot spot but it's very large in close and not noticeable during use. Just depends on what you want.

I never care what people buy for lights expect please for the love of all things holy, if the light is less than $50 with batteries, is it really worth the risk of your house burning down t save a few bucks. And I'm not just posting "fear". Very much a rather common and proven fact that those cheap lights are dangerous. See articles and threads all over the place like singletrack, MTBR, and so on.

That's why I buy cheap lights, and expensive batteries. Connecting two wires together isn't rocket science.