 LED-based bicycle lights (front) There are several types of bicycle lights available. In North America, most commuters choose to use high power halogen lights, which operate from a rechargeable battery. In parts of Europe, low power lights that operate from a dynamo are still popular, but are slowly being replaced by safer, higher power, battery operated halogen lights. Front LED lights used to be useful only for being seen, but newer products project a good beam for illuminating the road.
For rear lights, LED flashers are popular in North America, but illegal in most other countries. A better choice for a rear lamp, where flashing lamps are legal, is a xenon strobe, because it is less directional. This is changing as new omnidirectional bright rear LED lights have come to market.
Many cycle commuters build their own lighting systems with commonly available lamps, batteries, and chargers. One method is to use a generator stored in the hub of the front wheel. This method requires no external batteries or chargers because the power source is always available.
Recently there has been much interest and development in the LED lighting market. The previously common Japanese Nichia LED's are slowly giving way in many applications to the newer, more powerful American Luxeon LED's. Power consumption is an issue, but where maximum brightness is required Luxeon's meet the need. The Cygolite company has come out with two products, the Hi-Flux 200, with rechargeable NiMH battery, and the Hi-Flux 100 with a four-C-cell battery pack, which is as bright as most 10-watt halogen systems, but which has a much longer battery life. Endurance is approximately 6 hours /hi beam, 50 hours/lo beam for the 200, and 25 hours/hi beam, 200 hours/lo beam for the model 100. This far exceeds the endurance of a comparably bright halogen system, and the LED emitters last about 100k hours.
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