Need 2nd Battery

hoodoo40

Was riding home tonight and discovered about half way home, my battery won't last to work and home . 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

Steve_in_NH

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

zumbrunndbla

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.