Helmet ..... some folks would tell you not to bother ... but are tired of getting flamed by people with no data to back up their opinions. I suggest that you spend not very much, though. I read about the high-tech Mips and Wavecell lids .... they offer some protection up to about 13.8 mph. So as long as you never go faster than that .... hmmmm.
I have always used Bell because they fit the shape of my head. I have always bought whatever was on sale or closeout.
The smartest analysis of helmet value came from a poster here who said he wore a helmet not to save his life but to save his ride---any crash over a minimal speed would be fatal no matter what helmet he was wearing, but for some other crashes, a helmet might prevent a big-enough gash to require an ambulance ride---instead, he'd have a headache, maybe a concussion, but could ride home.
So .... I buy helmets based on looking decent (IMO) and being fairly cheap models from major brands---Bell never made a helmet which didn't meet code, and I trust their quality control. If I knew another brand always fit my head and was of the same stature, I'd use them.
I tend to use Cygolite Hotshot tail lights. $30-$40 online, but they last and they are bright. I will have to research whatever you listed ... one sec.
The Flare looks awesome. A bit of money, and I don't know how it handles weather, but it has all the right features.
Check this out about the Cygolite Hotshot 100 (
https://www.thegeekycyclist.com/prod...e-hotshot-100/)
"Pros
"Very bright and visible light. Ensures other road users don’t have any excuse for not seeing you.
"Recharge Quickly. No more long waits before hitting the road.
"Cons
"Can be Blinding to Other Users. Due to the high brightness, it has to be set low so as not to obstruct the view of others, especially when in a group ride."
$34 on Amazon. But the Flare seems to be in the same class .... 65 lumens as opposed to 100 (or 50, for the Hotshot 50) and bright enough for day or night use ... long life, USB recharge .... either one looks great.
I am a big believer in tail lights because the more time a driver has to prepare for you the better the odds he or she actually will.
Lock? I have long maintained that you buy not bike security but personal security--peace of mind.
(Prepackaged, oft-repeated rant incoming
If your bike is nice enough, it can be stolen. People will steal a bike depending on cost benefit analysis---and if your bike is worth $500 or so to a fence, some guy will jump out of his van, whip out his angle grinder, and saw through whatever lock/chain you are using---Whatever. No chain or lock cannot be defeated. If you have a bike worth a lot of money it is never safe out of sight.
If you have a normal bike, people will steal it for drug money or joy rides. Drug-money thieves probably don't have a lot of gear, and probably plan to cut the chain and ride away. A serious hardened chain (a few dollars a foot at the local hardware store) and a decent padlock will beat most of them.
If you lock up your bike in an area with a lot of sketchy people and leave it for a long period of time .... well, ...... or if you lock it in an urban area and leave it for a long period of time ..... but for most uses, a hardened chain and a serious lock (not a serious "bike-specific" lock---those are outrageously expensive and no better than any other unless you go to the super-high-end and pay as much for the lock and chain as you do for the bike) will discourage thieves---they will go looking for easier prey.
The third class of thief is the joy-rider, who will steal anything easy to steal. Any lock which makes your bike not easy to steal will do.
I have used cable locks, even though a person can saw through a steel cable with a steak knife (in time) or cut through with regular wire cutters. When locking up at the library or grocery store, that is probably enough, unless you live in a college town with a bad bike-theft problem. Now I use a combination lock (too easy to pick) with a hardened chain and a very thick cable with a key lock built in. My thinking is that a person could defeat either in 20 minutes but no one is going to spend 45 minutes trying to steal the kind of bike I'd leave locked up anywhere.
Basically, my bike looks like a pain to steal and that is 90 percent of the battle.
If I already owned a decent key lock I would just go for the chain and the key lock. I wouldn't spend another $20 to buy one though.
I also sometimes carry a very thin cable with a cheesy built-in combo lock---very small, very lightweight---when I am out on one of my better bikes. I would never leave one of my good bikes outside anywhere except in times of emergency---like in an urban area where I Must use a restroom. In that case, even though I know a thief could cut the cable in three minutes, it is preferable to having an unpleasant situation. I roll the dice there .... because unless you live in a high-crime area, any lock is probably enough most of the time.
It amuses me though---people will spend $3000 on a superlight superbike and then carry a 22-pound lock and chain. Why not buy six $50 beaters for use in high-theft areas and carry three pounds of lock which will discourage anyone who might even look at the bike? If you lose one .... laugh, call an Uber, and pump up the tires on the next one in the rack?
So .... if you like your bike, don't leave it in a dangerous area, and if you leave it locked, if it Looks like it is really secure, 90 percent of the time it is. if your bike is that worth stealing, don't leave it.
Four feet of hardened steel chain, slipped inside an old inner tube so it doesn't scratch the paint, and a key lock ... $30 for all the security you could ever get. And if you ride on bike trails or such .... the lightest cable lock you can find, just for emergencies, to keep borderline people honest.