We study the hydrogen abstraction reaction from pentane by chlorine radicals using four different experimental approaches. We use two different solvents (CH2Cl2 and CCl4) and two different chlorine atom sources (photodissociation of dissolved Cl-2 and two-photon photolysis of the solvent) to investigate their effects on the recombination and reactivity of the chlorine radical. All four experimental schemes involve direct probing of the transient chlorine population via a charge transfer transition with a solvent molecule. In one of the four approaches, photolysis of Cl-2 in dichloromethane, we also monitor the nascent reaction products (HCl) by transient vibrational spectroscopy. Probing both the reactants and the products provides a comprehensive view of this bimolecular reaction in solution. Between one-third and two-thirds of the chlorine radicals that initially escape the solvent cage undergo diffusive geminate recombination with their partner radical (either another chlorine atom or the solvent radical). The rest react with pentane with the bimolecular rate constants k(bi) = (9.5 +/-0.7) x 10(9) M-1 s(-1) in CH2Cl2 and k(bi) = (7.4 +/- 2) x 10(9) M-1 s(-1) in CCl4. The recombination yield Phi(rec) depends on both the chlorine atom precursor and the solvent and is larger in the more viscous carbon tetrachloride solutions. The bimolecular reaction rate k(bi) depends only on the solvent and is consistent with a nearly diffusion-limited reaction.