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Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com - Page 3

post #31 of 216
10/29/04 at 1:08am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

dgk wrote:

>
>
> Suggestions always appreciated.

My usual suggestion is this: Test your setup by driving by it from
different directions as a friend rides your bike. See for yourself.

If that's somehow impossible, at least ask others whether you're
adequately visible.

Also, remember that reflectors and reflective tape are super-light,
super cheap, and very useful. Reflectors on moving parts of the bike
(say, the spoke-bed surface of your rims, or your crank arms) are
particularly noticeable. And low-mounted reflectors are particularly
bright, provided they're aimed properly. But of course, reflectors are
merely an add-on. You NEED a headlight.

Many people greatly overestimate what it takes to be safe at night.
Check your system out before going lumen-crazy.


--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]
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post #32 of 216
10/29/04 at 1:31am
Thread Starter 

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

"Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote in message
news:5%8gd.9739

> Now that I thought more about it, I think that this circuit is
> needlessly complex, and it can be done with fewer parts. I'll update it
> later.

Okay, I updated and simplified the circuit. It can be built for less than
$10, including an enclosure. I included a bill of materials, and sources for
the parts.

I agree that an automatically switching system is much better than having to
manually switch in the second light, especially if you're doing a lot of
stop and go riding. On roads where you don't stop much, a manual switch
would be okay.
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post #33 of 216
10/29/04 at 6:00am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

In article <41fa7f58.134968392@news.individual.net>, Zoot Katz
<zootkatz@operamail.com> writes
>Thu, 28 Oct 2004 04:43:55 GMT,
><fO_fd.4518$kM.2077@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
> "Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:
>
>>I hope you're not equating a "true cyclist" with a "serious cyclist." Ken
>>Kifer does have a page on his site
>>(http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/li...e/trucycle.htm) that explains
>>what a "true cyclist" is, and I very much fit that description
>
>As per your reference:
>"True cyclists, also known as serious cyclists, genuine cyclists, and
>real cyclists, demonstrate unusual behavior, clothing, and lifestyle."
>
>A desk lamp zip tied to your handlebar isn't a serious bike light.

It is however 'unusual behaviour' so maybe qualifies on these grounds
<grin>
--
Phil Passmore PPL(A)
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post #34 of 216
10/29/04 at 8:17am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

"Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote in
news:zqHfd.8481$KJ6.4869@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

>
>
> Specialized and Trek Discontinue their Wide Angle LED Flashers
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----- ---
> The discontinuation of the only two wide angle LED flashers (from Trek
> and Specialized) is a disappointment, though they were never widely
> available so few people were even aware they existed. These two models
> solved one of the major design problems with LED flashers, the lack of
> wide-angle visibility (on most LED flashers the LEDS point only to the
> rear). I've left them up on the web page just in case someone is able
> to find one somewhere.
>
>

I recently purchased LED flashers from SMART which have side-facing LEDs
like

<- ^ ^ ^ ->

which work very well. They come in both green and red; I used to have
them clipped to the straddle-arm of my V-brakes.

-A
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post #35 of 216
10/29/04 at 10:07am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:08:58 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@mousepotato.com> wrote:

>dgk wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Suggestions always appreciated.
>
>My usual suggestion is this: Test your setup by driving by it from
>different directions as a friend rides your bike. See for yourself.
>
>If that's somehow impossible, at least ask others whether you're
>adequately visible.
>
>Also, remember that reflectors and reflective tape are super-light,
>super cheap, and very useful. Reflectors on moving parts of the bike
>(say, the spoke-bed surface of your rims, or your crank arms) are
>particularly noticeable. And low-mounted reflectors are particularly
>bright, provided they're aimed properly. But of course, reflectors are
>merely an add-on. You NEED a headlight.
>
>Many people greatly overestimate what it takes to be safe at night.
>Check your system out before going lumen-crazy.

I did by a snappy bike jacket that has lots of reflective stuff on it.
I will get some reflectors for the spokes and other spots. Thanks. And
I will get another red blinker for somewhere on the frame.

Minor disaster this morning. I did mount the second light (Trek
Vision30). Plus bought nice new rechargable batteries for it (who ever
really uses C cells?) and a charger. Charged both the AA and C cells
and headed out this morning. Neither light lasted more than 15
minutes. I am not pleased. I think perhaps the charger is a bit screwy
so I'm assuming the batteries weren't in quite right and am charging
them again. I've used the AAs before and they laster much longer than
that. We'll see.

Even in the "dark" I am really able to see ok just about everywhere
since this is urban. The lights, even when bright, are pretty useless
for actually seeing by. I think, in real darkness, they might prove
adequate if not going faster than 9 mph.

Maybe a generator isn't a bad idea since it really just adds a little
more resistance and I AM doing this primarily for exercise and fat
burning. But, if it is worth anything it is going to get stolen, and
them I'm stuck somewhere with no lights.
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post #36 of 216
10/29/04 at 3:39pm

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

On 29 Oct 2004 18:54:27 +0100 (BST), David Damerell
<damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

>dgk <sonicechoes-spamless@hot-nospamp-mail.com> wrote:
>>Maybe a generator isn't a bad idea since it really just adds a little
>>more resistance and I AM doing this primarily for exercise and fat
>>burning. But, if it is worth anything it is going to get stolen, and
>>them I'm stuck somewhere with no lights.
>
>I've left my bike, dynamo and all, overnight in all kinds of places
>without problems - several times in London railway stations (some of which
>are accessible all night), in run down parts of town, etc.
>
>Generally speaking bike thieves are after bikes, not small bolted-on bits
>which are worth maybe a tenner second-hand. A hub dynamo is worth more,
>but of course if the bad guys can steal that they can steal the wheel, and
>you would be stuck whatever kind of lights you had.

Someone stole my kickstand a few months back. I figure they must have
cleared a good 50 cents on it. On a busy Manhattan street around noon.
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post #37 of 216
10/29/04 at 6:45pm

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Frank Krygowski wrote:

> Benjamin Lewis wrote:
>
>> One nice feature of the CatEye micro halogen lamp I have is that the
>> lens can be rotated 90 degrees to allow sideways mounting without
>> messing up the beam pattern.
>
> Whoa! Neat trick! I didn't know that.

Yeah, I thought it was really cool when I found out they'd designed it that
way.

> BTW, I gave my Cateye Micro to a family member who needed it more than I
> do. But I'd like to buy another. Are they still for sale anywhere?

I'm not sure. They don't seem to carry them any more where I bought mine,
but they're still listed on CatEye's web page.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Seeing is deceiving. It's eating that's believing.
-- James Thurber
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post #38 of 216
10/30/04 at 12:29pm

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

A Muzi wrote:

>>> Frank Krygowski wrote:

>>> BTW, I gave my Cateye Micro to a family member who needed it more
>>> than I do. But I'd like to buy another. Are they still for sale
>>> anywhere?

> Benjamin Lewis wrote:

>> I'm not sure. They don't seem to carry them any more where I bought
>> mine, but they're still listed on CatEye's web page.

> It's still the #1 battery light at most LBS, yes? It is here.

I was looking at Peter White's website the other day, and he had the Micro
listed there.

www.peterwhitecycles.com

Matt O.
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post #39 of 216
10/31/04 at 1:39am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Zoot Katz wrote:
> Wed, 27 Oct 2004 15:35:07 GMT,
> <LePfd.3987$kM.910@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
> "Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:
>
>
>>I think that the 3W dynamo powered lamps make a good back-up in case the
>>battery goes dead.
>
>
> You mean, _when_ the battery goes dead on your plug-and-play bicycle.
>
> Dynamo powered lights are for serious cyclists. You don't need one.

Hard to setup the tent by the light of the Dynamo.

--
Mark Wolfe Lakeside, ca http://www.wolfenet.org
gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6 8C71
If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they put them all there?
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post #40 of 216
10/31/04 at 4:01am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 21:39:14 -0700, <P%Zgd.26184$SW3.4338@fed1read01>,
Mark Wolfe <markw@wolfenet.org> wrote:

>> Dynamo powered lights are for serious cyclists. You don't need one.
>
>Hard to setup the tent by the light of the Dynamo.

Can't patch a flat with its light either.

I was carrying a flashlight for those emergencies but a white 3 LED
blinky light on the handlebar made that redundant.

Some enterprising tourist could be charging their cell phones, GPS and
MP3 players with the dynamo during the day and still have light to
ride all night
--
zk
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post #41 of 216
10/31/04 at 4:29am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

30 Oct 2004 16:40:01 -0700,
<4f153f94.0410301540.4055c02c@posting.google.com>, scharf@hotmail.com
(Steven Scharf) wrote:

>I'd be uneasy about leaving a dynamo system on my bike--the decent
>ones cost more than some commute bikes. A B&M Dymotec S12 costs
>$316.50, just for the dynamo, with about another $115 for the lights,
>about 9x what my high power quartz-halogen, lead-acid battery system
>costs!

Put your lead-acid battery back in the burglar alarm.
You can get four Shimano dynamo-hubs for 316 bucks!

You need a front hub anyway so why give it a free ride.
--
zk
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post #42 of 216
10/31/04 at 10:42am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Zoot Katz wrote:

> You need a front hub anyway so why give it a free ride.

Not quite free, unless dynamo hub manufacturers have found away around
the laws of physics, or your rides are all downhill and you'd be riding
a drag brake the whole time :-).

--
I do not accept unsolicted commercial e-mail. Remove NO_UCE for
legitimate replies.
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post #43 of 216
10/31/04 at 11:03am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Mark Wolfe wrote:

> Zoot Katz wrote:
>
>>
>> Dynamo powered lights are for serious cyclists. You don't need one.
>
>
> Hard to setup the tent by the light of the Dynamo.

After the third day of touring, it's hard to set up the tent by the
light of your rechargeable battery too. And just as hard to ride by its
light.

Touring - especially in fairly remote areas - makes good use of a
generator's attributes. It lights your way as long as you care to ride.

Sure, when touring, you'll need some kind of small, battery powered
flashlight. But being on tour and watching my battery-powered headlight
dim to nothing, with miles to go, is one of the things that sold me on
generators.



--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]
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post #44 of 216
10/31/04 at 11:13am

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

Steven Scharf wrote:

>
> I'd be uneasy about leaving a dynamo system on my bike--the decent
> ones cost more than some commute bikes. A B&M Dymotec S12 costs
> $316.50, just for the dynamo, with about another $115 for the lights,
> about 9x what my high power quartz-halogen, lead-acid battery system
> costs!

Yep, Steven's _still_ searching out the most expensive generators he can
find, and quoting their prices as if they are the only things available.

Complete generator sets, with headlights, are available from roughly $16
to hundreds of dollars. Typical prices are about $50, not $432.

Anyone interested can check The Yellow Jersey, Peter White, Sheldon
Brown's place (Harris Cycles), Loose Screws, etc. etc.

Here's just one.
http://www.thethirdhand.com/index.cg...id=68342941586

or http://tinyurl.com/3w8r4


--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]
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post #45 of 216
10/31/04 at 12:21pm

Re: Lighting--Update to http://bicyclelighting.com

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:13:49 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@mousepotato.com> wrote:

>Steven Scharf wrote:
>
>>
>> I'd be uneasy about leaving a dynamo system on my bike--the decent
>> ones cost more than some commute bikes. A B&M Dymotec S12 costs
>> $316.50, just for the dynamo, with about another $115 for the lights,
>> about 9x what my high power quartz-halogen, lead-acid battery system
>> costs!
>
>Yep, Steven's _still_ searching out the most expensive generators he can
>find, and quoting their prices as if they are the only things available.

It is his ideological insistence on 12V that is the issue. If he
would thow out the tautological arguments and try a few 6V systems he
might find something he likes at a lower price.

- rick
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