*shrug* seems to be about par for a decent "See me" setup. The other combos bounced around were going for $30-40 on Amazon, so pricepoint is about in there as well.
Last weekend I ran the bike on the Night Ride w/ the following lights up front:
(1) Inova Bolt 2AA (about $35-40) aimed low (about 15' in front on the road)
(1) Coleman MAX 2AA Cree XR-E ($25 @ Walmart) aimed mid (about 30' in front on the road)
(1) Task Force Cree 2C (about $30 @ Lowe's) aimed straight ahead
The MAX's beam pattern was very similar to the Inova, except brighter. The Task Force has a very narrow hotspot, mainly useful for lighting up distant signs. The weight balance makes it hard to aim down, so it's really only useful in that capacity. I put the lockblock at the center of weight (just behind the head), and slung it under the handlebar to keep it in place. The other two 2AA lights stayed in position with a Lockblocks on top of the handlebar.
All three lights performed ok on the 45-60 minutes I rode with them. None of the lights flickered or went out from being jostled on the bike, including one boneheaded 0-mph crash because I accidentally re-clipped standing at a red light.
The Inova's a known quantity (having run on my wife's daily commuter for years), the MAX is a very good deal if it proves to be as reliable. The switch is a lot more touchy than the Inova's (you can't lock it out) so it can be tricky if you are carrying your lights in a bag when not in use. If you can store your bike in a secure location (like in your room/office) during the day, leaving the light mounted will reduce accidental light-ups.
And with all three lights on at the same time, I got remarks about how bright I was lighting up the road from other riders.
Not bad for under $100. Even two would do an excellent job lighting up the road under most conditions. One would be fine in most cases so long as you're not expecting sudden rough pavement or have a lot of headlights in your face.
I'd take pictures, but uh... I lost the MAX that same night.
Not the fault of the bike setup, it was in my pocket at the end of the ride and fell out in the crowd.
Photos will have to wait until I can get it replaced.
