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It’s peak fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk season here in North Texas, so the cool move (pun intended) is to get your pedaling in before 9am or sometime after 8pm, when the temperature lowers to a light broil. That means a headlight and taillight are a must, at the very least to “be seen,” or as I prefer, something good and bright to see with. I also like to save money and try different setups, so I looked for the most enticing cheap-and-bright options.

First up is the Lumintrail Super Bright Bike Light, which is rated at 1000 lumens and currently selling at Walmart.com for $23. It’s a rechargeable light with a Li-Ion battery on board. No charger is included, you just get a USB cable.
Lumintrail_light

It includes a blinky taillight, which runs on a couple of watch batteries (included), and looks like this:
Lumintrail_tailight

Cheap headlight number two is also from Walmart.com. The APGtek 5000 Lumens is dual-beam unit, which is powered by an included remote battery. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t really put out 5000 lumens. But it is bright. And it was only $15.
AGPtek_light

Here’s the battery. A charger is included, as well as a fabric-and-Velcro pouch to mount it on the bike. AGPtek_battery

A head strap is in the box too. I’ve never taken the term headlight literally, but what the heck, I’ll try it.

AGPtek_headband

Headlight number three is a Livabit 1000 Lumen flashlight. Walmart.com again, and just $9. This one has a slick telescoping lens to adjust the light pattern from a broad, even disc to a bright, narrow beam. It feels really substantial and high-quality. I don’t know how they can sell it for $9, even from China. To mount the flashlight on my handlebar, I picked up a Twofish Flashlight Holder from Rivendell Bicycle Works.
Livabit_1000L

Livabit’s included case looks sturdy, but it’s fairly chintzy. Which is fine, I’m glad all the money went into the flashlight. The translucent thing in the upper left corner of the box is a sleeve and adapter that lets you power the light with three AAA batteries instead of the included 5000mAh Li-Ion battery.

Livabit_open_case

Here’s that battery. It’s a “26650” cell, which means it measures 26 x 65mm. The battery has to be removed for charging, you can see the charger in the box shot above.

Livabit_battery

And what’s this? It’s a single-LED headlight from Dollar Tree. I gotta say, it’s very bright for a dollar. Of course, that price doesn’t include the three AAA batteries it requires, but still…

Dollar_store_combo