Good start to an argument! I would have added Rivendell (rivbike.com) as a very reputable maker of bicycles. On the topic of German know-how, though, I turn t

Good start to an argument! I would have added Rivendell (rivbike.com) as a very reputable maker of bicycles. On the topic of German know-how, though, I turn to my favorite topic of bicycle headlights. Why can't Americans make them? You can buy a lot of very fancy, very expensive bicycle lights made in America that are all crap. Every one of them has a useless circular beam, like a flashlight. As an exemplar I give you the Light & Motion Urban 800, very popular in San Francisco, $150, completely fucking useless[1]. From the Germans we have the B&M Ixon IQ[2], comparable in output but with proper optics, casts an even beam on the road ahead without blinding oncoming riders, $55. 1: http://www.lightandmotion.com/the-perfect-light/on-bike/road/urban-800-fast-charge http://www.lightandmotion.com/the-perfect-light/on-bike/road... 2: http://www.bumm.de/produkte/akku-scheinwerfer/ixon-iq.html http://www.bumm.de/produkte/akku-scheinwerfer/ixon-iq.html