Need 2nd Battery

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Was riding home tonight and discovered about half way home, my battery won't last to work and home :eek:. Left later then normal and for the first time used the light all the way home (well at least half way). Sure was a great ride, light headwind and right at 40 degrees F, in the Washington, DC metro area. A little scary once off the bike path with the cars on the road and no headlight.

-- John

Sounds like you need a second charger to recharge the battery while at work.

Consider a dynamo. They come in a wide range of prices. Good ones are rather costly. In Switzerland, where I come from dynamos are (used to be?) mandated by law.

Upsides:
- You will never again worry about depleted batteries (only about blown bulbs...).
- You have more light than most battery operated systems (less than the high end ones though, but those are heavy).
- Apart from changing bulbs once in a while there is virtually no maintenance required.

Downsides:
- There is some drag, slowing you down. The higher the gear the more you feel the drag.
- Unless you choose the very best models dynamo lights go dark if you don't move, like waiting at a stopline. More and more models are available now that don't have this problem.
- Cheaper models tend to slide on the tire in wet wheather resulting in less light when you need it most.

To me the dynamo solution is the only viable one: I am not disciplined enought to recharge the batteries every time.

i definitely second the suggestion about the dynamo. i've been commuting 100% for the last year now. the first part of '05 i was using some nice battery systems (niterider, nightsun) then this summer i bought a schmidt dynamo hub, headlight and taillight ( http://peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm )

i much recommend the dynamo system. considering that the daily wear and tear broke both of my expensive battery lights, the cost of the dynamo system is not really that much. the schmidt is a little more expensive than others, but i've never noticed the drag while riding. i carry a couple of extra bulbs in a pill bottle so they don't get smashed. i also have inexpensive LED lights front and rear. they work as my "stand lights" when i'm at stoplights.

i haven't done any calculations, but i bet a dynamo system with a headlight and taillight would pay for itself pretty quickly, considering the cost of battery, charger and hassle.

keep riding.