Batteryless bicycle safety lights. (New Generation)

Q Gang said:

Batteryless, No friction on any parts of the bicycle. Not like normal
bicycle dynamos, this light system works regardless the bicycle's
speed and weather conditions. Standby lights if you want.

More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk

Well, that is extremely cool. But oversold.

If it is truly 'no friction' and 'no drag', let's just make
a few thousand large models and stop buying Saudi oil, ok?

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A. Muzi said:

Q Gang said:

Batteryless, No friction on any parts of the bicycle. Not like normal
bicycle dynamos, this light system works regardless the bicycle's
speed and weather conditions. Standby lights if you want.
More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk

Well, that is extremely cool. But oversold.

If it is truly 'no friction' and 'no drag', let's just make
a few thousand large models and stop buying Saudi oil, ok?

From the website:

,----
| Note: Many people wrote to me saying they do not believe there is no drag
| in this dynamo. Technically, there is a drag force but only between the two
| magnets. But unlike typical dynamos there is no scraping against the tire
| to slow down the bike itself. On my bicycle, even the drag force between
| the two magnets is too small to be detected. The lights still flash even at
| a very, very low speed.
`----

So hub dynamos would also fall under this authors 'no friction or drag'
definition.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Luke, I'm yer father, eh. Come over to the dark side, you hoser.
-- Dave Thomas, "Strange Brew"

Q Gang said:

Batteryless, No friction on any parts of the bicycle.

OK, maybe no "friction" if we insist on restricting friction to contact
friction. Just magnetic drag which the website listed conveniently ignores.

Andy Muzi's post has got it - this is being promoted as if it were a
perpetual motion machine.

Mark Janeba

Quoted message said:

Andy Muzi's post has got it - this is being promoted as if it were a
perpetual motion machine.

I don't think that is what they are trying to say. I think they are
simply saying that the thing uses so little power that you will not
feel it as you do when you use a bottle generator that presses against
the tire.

TD

hhu said:

I don't think that is what they are trying to say. I think they are
simply saying that the thing uses so little power that you will not
feel it as you do when you use a bottle generator that presses against
the tire.

And I can't feel that either, although it saps about 8W.

hhu uuhh said:

Quoted message said:

Andy Muzi's post has got it - this is being promoted as if it were a
perpetual motion machine.

I don't think that is what they are trying to say. I think they are
simply saying that the thing uses so little power that you will not
feel it as you do when you use a bottle generator that presses
against the tire.

The same can be said for a good hub generator which will power a
headlight and a taillight. No more firction than a standard hub, and
just magnetic drag (which in the case of the Schmidt SON results in
the equivalent of a 1 foot rise per mile).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Andy Muzi's post has got it - this is being promoted as if it were a
perpetual motion machine.

hhu said:

I don't think that is what they are trying to say. I think they are
simply saying that the thing uses so little power that you will not
feel it as you do when you use a bottle generator that presses against
the tire.

I was shooting for humor, not an attack.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>

More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk
<<<<

Personally, I think this sounds like a very good idea.

I'm surprised that most of the respondents seem less than enthusiastic
about it.

Lewis. (who admits to being queer for generators)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>

More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk
<<<<

Personally, I think this sounds like a very good idea.

I'm surprised that most of the respondents seem less than enthusiastic
about it.

Perhaps because of the outright lies in the claims for it.

Examples:

"The magnets do the work, not you!" Right. And what causes the magnets
to move? Hint: muscle power may be involved.

" Note: Many people wrote to me saying they do not believe there is no
drag in this dynamo. Technically, there is a drag force but only between
the two magnets. But unlike typical dynamos there is no scraping against
the tire to slow down the bike itself." Tire-driven dynamos roll
against the tire, they don't scrape.

"On my bicycle, even the drag force between the two magnets is too small
to be detected. The lights still flash even at a very, very low speed. "
If the drag is undetectable, how is it that the lights flash? Perhaps
they flash in an undetectable way?

--
Ted Bennett
Portland, OR

Quoted message said:

More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk

Quoted message said:

Personally, I think this sounds like a very good idea.
I'm surprised that most of the respondents seem less than enthusiastic
about it.
Lewis. (who admits to being queer for generators)

The last version of this light worked very well. It was the
puffery that amused us.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>

The last version of this light worked very well. It was the
puffery that amused us.
<<<<

I'm pleased to see this.

I seem to remember seeing this ad about a year ago and I notice that
the website seems to have been upgraded since then.

The system does have a 'home made' look to it but, as a car-free person
who rides frequently in the dark, I think I could deal with its
aesthetics if it performed as claimed.
Maybe I need to take the plunge and order one?

Lewis.

**********

begin quoting <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

More details on:
http://www.freelights.co.uk

Personally, I think this sounds like a very good idea.
I'm surprised that most of the respondents seem less than enthusiastic
about it.
Lewis. (who admits to being queer for generators)

A lot of us are, as you so charmingly put it, queer for generators.
Especially ones that work well and aren't supported by physics-defying
claims.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Kill the tomato!