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  #1  
Old 01-07.-2004
Tom
 
Posts: n/a
Default Lighting

Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light to
light up the road, but more of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and
one for the front.

Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .

Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers


Lighting







  #2  
Old 01-07.-2004
Joel Mayes
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

•In article <3ffbdfbb@dnews.tpgi.com.au>, Tom wrote:

> Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light
> to light up the road, but more of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear,
> and one for the front.
>
> Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .
>
> Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers

I've always liked the Cat eye lights, I used to use a Cat Eye opticube up front and a generic red
LED flashed at the back.

The opticube was definitely bright enough to allow other to see me and I would get about 2-3 months
out of a set of four AA batteries, riding about 30-45 minutes with lights on 4 times a week.

When looking at lights make sure they have good sideways range of visibility, so cars / other
cyclist can see you on crossroads I've nearly had a couple of nasty collisions with people riding at
night with el-cheapo greenish white LED lights that you can not see unless there facing directly
towards you.

--
| Joel Mayes | /~\ ASCII Ribbon campaign Accordionist | \_/ stop HTML mail and news Musician | / \
| Music Teacher |
  #3  
Old 01-08.-2004
Andy Simpson
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

"Tom" <tommi23@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3ffbdfbb@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light
> to light up the road, but
more
> of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and one for the front.
>
> Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .
>
> Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers
>

For a rear light, I use a Trek Disco Inferno - it is bloody bright and (optionally) sheds a whole
load of light out of the sides. Its more expensive but brighter than Cateye products I'd used in the
past. I use rechargeable AAs in it & I only recharged them twice over the winter (probably 3 hrs a
week for 4 months). I think I read somewhere that flashing LEDs and NiMh batteries are not a good
combination, but I had not problems.

After a few years with LED front lights and more than a few people pulling out on me, I gave up and
now use a Nightlightning halogen front light, which is really bright. I'm not convinced that enough
motorists have the spare brain capacity to figure out that strobe lights aren't a figment of their
windscreen. Now I look like a motor bike as I approach vehicles and they don't pull out on me,
although I do scare the **** out of peds when using shared pathways. This is again rechargeable
technology - although in this case I have to charge them about once/week (usage about 4hrs).

Andy
  #4  
Old 01-09.-2004
Bemw
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

Hokey Spokes would be ideal. They are suitable at dusk, strobe using a number of different computer
generated images or text, and they also provide important side visibility, which is mostly
unavailable in today's standard bicycle lights.

For more details, see www.salient.com.au/led.htm

"Tom" <tommi23@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:3ffbdfbb@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light
> to light up the road, but
more
> of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and one for the front.
>
> Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .
>
> Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers
  #5  
Old 01-09.-2004
Joel Mayes
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

•In article <taoLb.1916$Wa.999@news-server.bigpond.net.au>, bemw wrote:

> Hokey Spokes would be ideal. They are suitable at dusk, strobe using a number of different
> computer generated images or text, and they also provide important side visibility, which is
> mostly unavailable in today's standard bicycle lights.
>
> For more details, see www.salient.com.au/led.htm

Wow gimmicky!!!

\me wants

--
| Joel Mayes | /~\ ASCII Ribbon campaign Accordionist | \_/ stop HTML mail and news Musician | / \
| Music Teacher |
  #6  
Old 01-09.-2004
Spider1977's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Posts: 447
Rep Power: 7
Spider1977
Default Re: Lighting

Quote:
Originally posted by Tom
Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light to
light up the road, but more of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and
one for the front.

Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .

Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers
I'd agree with a previous post about strobe lights on the front. Even on a bike track I find strobe lights on the front difficult to discern. A bright halogen light which throws a bit of light on the road is better. Other cyclists and motorists are more attune to these.

I use a Trek brand rear light and a Cateye halogen front light. The front light doesn't really offer a great deal of road lighting. I bought a caverneers light which I can wear on my head unf\der the helmet for night riding. This is as bright as a car light and is good for use at speed. Plus it points where you are looking not where the handle bar is pointing. You can look directly into face of an oncoming driver or into their mirror, so they know you are there. Much safer.
  #7  
Old 01-09.-2004
Callan79
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

> Hokey Spokes would be ideal. They are suitable at dusk, strobe using a
>
> For more details, see www.salient.com.au/led.htm

What's the deal with Legality on these ones ... i.e. would the police have an issue with these?
We've just had a discussion about this at work, and it led onto the LEDs and Neon stuff that people
put on their cars.

I'd get some, provided the Mr Plod would not write me a ticket.

And here's a question - can a bicycle be "defected" ?

Cheers Callan
  #8  
Old 01-11.-2004
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Canberra, Australia
Posts: 247
Rep Power: 7
amirm
Default Re: Lighting

Then, how about winter when it gets dark real early?

Quote:
Originally posted by Tom
Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light to
light up the road, but more of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and
one for the front.

Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .

Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers
  #9  
Old 01-26.-2004
Laurence Dodd
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Lighting

Order a Cateye Stadium 3 frontlight system from a USA online bike store. I used BIKEMAN.com The
light really does run for 3 hours+ and charges in less than 3 hours. It as bright as most
car/motorbike front lights.

The exchange rate is even more in your favour at 77 than when I purchased at
67.Try to get one for no more than US$369.95 and try to get it shipped via US postal airmail which
cost me US$40.00

"Tom" <tommi23@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:3ffbdfbb@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Can anyone recommend some good lighting for my bike. I ride at dusk, so I really don't want light
> to light up the road, but
more
> of a strobe light, that others can see me coming. One for the rear, and one for the front.
>
> Which are the best ? The brightest ? And don't need to change the battery every day .
>
> Thanks for any advice on this. Cheers
 

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