Merry Christmas to me!

I bit the bullet - I ordered a DiNotte light (finally) after over a year of talking about doing it. I wasn't initially convinced that spending a lot of money (to me "a lot of money" = more than $50) on lights was worth it for the short bicycle commute I have and the few months out of the year it is dark during my commute to or from work or both. I noticed my speed has dropped a lot and I can only attribute it to my internal hesitance to ride faster than my lights can shine.

I found a really good deal at an online retailer that was offering a one-day sale of 25% off any orders over $100. I saved $15 even after adding shipping and taxes. (Now, I do generally stick with local bicycle shops for 99% of my cycling-related purchases, so I have some remorse about going this route).

I opted for the helmet-mounted 200L-AA-L. It features a front 200 Lumen light (equivalent to 15-20 watts Halogen) and a rear red flashing light within the same housing. A battery pack of four AA rechargeable batteries is stuffed into your jersey pocket or backpack. The batteries are not a proprietary style, so out on a trip, they can be replaced by virtually any rechargeable AA. I was hoping to find one that had a USB charger, but I admit I was pulled in by the sleek, small look of the DiNotte product.

As for the reason I selected the helmet style, I figured since I might be hopping from one bike to another (commuter bike to road bike) this is an easy way to switch rides without having to go through the hassle of transferring the lights over. Also, I like the ability to have the light sine where I am looking - at a pothole, at a pedestrian, motorist, etc.

Here is the light mounted... (stock DiNotte photo)


Here is a bicycle equipped with the DiNotte lights... (DiNotte stock photo)


Once the light gets here and I have a chance to test it out, I'll post my observations and recommendations.