rugged commuter lights?

[MisterClaw]

In the last year I've killed 2 LED front lights (Cateye and Trek) and at least 2 Red LED blinkies. My Petzl LED headlamp also died serving as a bike light. (I wrapped the handband around the handlebars)

The LEDs don't seem able to stand up to the abuse of being mounted on my commuter bike and just stop working.

Any suggestions for a rugged LED light? At $10-$30 a pop this is getting expensive.
My cygolights have held up well, but more than once I've ran out of juice on them and had only a LED light in front.
Should I just give up on LED and go back to halogen?

[funky-funky-chicken]

I've been using one of the Cateye HL-EL400 LED lights for at least a year now... All kinds of rotten weather conditions, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Lots of hours on a set of batteries too. Not the brightest thing in the world, but enough to get by. My commute to work is in the early morning before there is any traffic... I get to ride home in the daytime.


http://www.cateye.com/en/productImages/big/1086023930HL_EL400.jpg

[MisterClaw]

I've been using one of the Cateye HL-EL400 LED lights for at least a year now... All kinds of rotten weather conditions, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Lots of hours on a set of batteries too. Not the brightest thing in the world, but enough to get by. My commute to work is in the early morning before there is any traffic... I get to ride home in the daytime.


http://www.cateye.com/en/productImages/big/1086023930HL_EL400.jpg

Yup, that's the one of the lights I killed. It lasted about 6 months.
I'm wondering if the solid state circuitry on these LED lights is the weak spot.

[johngute]

build your own lights!
see the thread here:
http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14364