Originally Posted by
wyeast
As far as "be seen" lighting goes, it's an alright combination. A 5-LED front blinker is pretty solid. The 3-LED rear is only sorta average, and N-cells can be a little tricky to find in a pinch.
This
Combo set from Blackburn is another one worth mentioning. The Quadrant (HL) has only 4 LED's, and it's rather bulky as blinker headlights go, but it serves it's purpose well enough, and I rather like the unusual 2-steady 2-flash mode it has - still attracts attention, but you still have 2 steady lights for visual reference.
And the Mars rear (imho) is superior to a 3-LED light.
Another one worth considering are this
Planet Bike Combo, both the Blaze and Superflash will be brighter than the Cateye counterparts. The superflash you're a little limited by the light's narrow viewing angle - not ideal if you're not mounting to the bike (like on a messenger bag or someplace where it can potentially be aimed away from traffic)
Cool, some more choices. Thanks for the links. Both are in the ~$32 range, which is slightly cheaper than the $40 Cateye combo. You said both of these sets are brighter than the Cateye? What about real-world battery life - how would they compare? Also, is there any theft deterrent on how they're installed or does one always need to remove the lights when leaving the bike in a public area? Thanks!