Commuting Lights

"John L. Lucci" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

Well it sort of depends on where and how you ride, and what you consider
adequate for your purposes.
As it becomes twilight and in the more lighted urban city streets, I use a 7
LED multifunction light for general purposes, in blinking mode.
Then when I get into the darker less well lit city streets I switch to one
of two Cygolite Nightrovers on my commuter bike. On a couple of stretches, I
turn on both Nightrovers, as it helps to keep the motorists from pulling out
in front of me as I ride by on the street. The motorists aren't used to
seeing all that light on something so it gives them pause to figure out what
it is first before they decide to cut you off.
Then on a couple of unlit dark roads I can run extra light if needed, handy
for seeing broken beer bottles and such up ahead when you are going along at
a good clip.
Having extra lights is handy as if one runs out of battery power you have a
spare, not counting light bulbs burining out, etc.
I do the same for LED tailights, as I run four LED tailights, two
ultrabright lights, and two not so bright LED lights I glued onto the back
of my panniers.
If one of the LED lights batteries run down, it doesn't slow you down any as
you can change the batteries later.

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

That's a bit too general of a question. A lot depends on the specifics
of your commute, the distance, the traffic, the types of drivers, etc.
Nitrider does have some good products, but they tend to be pricey.

I suggest that you Google "Bicycle Lighting Facts" and read the first
two search results (okay, okay, they happen to both be my site).

If I was buying a commercial lighting system for commuting, it would
consist of the following:

Headlight (one of the following)

-Nite Hawk Dual Pro Lighting System
-Cygo Lite Night-Explorer 25 watt 6 volt NiMH Lightset
-NiteRider Classic Plus H-bar mount 12/20/32w
-Sigma Evo X Pro 5/10 w/ NiMH Flat Pack

Tail Light (one of the following)

-Cat Eye LD1000
-Blackburn Mars 3.0
-Trek Disco Inferno

Steve
"http://bicyclelighting.com"

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

We have a broad experience, listening to riders for many
years. In some situations, a small inexpensive flashing
white LED [Cateye, $20) may be appropriate. In our
neighborhood for example, there is limited auto volume and
lots of ambient light. In other areas all that will vary. I
once had a job from which I left at 11:00pm riding a 2-mile
path through an unlit park. That trip just needs more
light.[such as Cygo 12W recharge $60 or 12W NiMH $70]

Rural riders who throw high speed car traffic into a mix of
no street lights and small shoulders may want to look at the
newer 40-W HID lamps[Cygo $295,Planet $350]. Our Audax
customers don't need extreme light [3W is sketchy but 10W is
fine] but they need either dynamos [$25 to $250] or battery
systems with huge run times for unassisted events [25hour
Cygo $129].

A typical 15~30 minute commute makes run time almost
irrelevant where you can plug in at your office. Other
riders will forgo a bit more light for the dependability and
one-time-expense of a dynamo. And among them, some riders
insist on the silence of a hub dynamo [$89 up] while others
extol the light weight of a side mount [$25 up] or
under-frame models[$70 up].

So for your specific needs, think about how much light is
needed ( more is always good!), your limits of attention
[will you want to time your charges?] and money and your
taste in hardware.

There has never been so much choice because riders have
different needs, taste and criteria.

0--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

I've been commuting for almost thirty years on various bikes and have been through a small
fortune in hideously overpriced, horribly underbuilt, pathetically designed crappy lights.
Manufacturers like to take off the shelf items, slap them into plastic housings that are designed to
look cool (and expensive), then charge a fortune for them. I've disassembled all the ones I've
bought (after they break or die) over the years and am constantly disgusted at the junk they peddle.
I have a 'top quality-designed for years of trouble free use-guaranteed forever-blah-blah-blah'
bottle battery that cost over $100 and died in less than a year, open on my workbench. It contained
nothing but a sealed lead-acid battery stuck in some foam. I bought a new battery of similar
capacity for $23 at a local battery shop. The bike battery was some off brand (made in China),
while the one I bought locally was made in North America by a reputable named company.
Here is what I recently built....
http://www.dansworkshop.com/Monster%20Quartz%20Halogen%20Bike%20Light.shtml
I like this guys approach, simple, rugged, cheap. Now THIS will survive many years of
bouncing along rutted woodland trails when it's -14 Celsius. It seems that lots of people have had
it with the garbage being offered by the mainstream manufacturers and are making their own lighting
systems.
Bob.

Quoted message said:

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

I've been commuting for almost thirty years on various bikes and have been through a small
fortune in hideously overpriced, horribly underbuilt, pathetically designed crappy lights.
Manufacturers like to take off the shelf items, slap them into plastic housings that are designed to
look cool (and expensive), then charge a fortune for them. I've disassembled all the ones I've
bought (after they break or die) over the years and am constantly disgusted at the junk they peddle.
I have a 'top quality-designed for years of trouble free use-guaranteed forever-blah-blah-blah'
bottle battery that cost over $100 and died in less than a year, open on my workbench. It contained
nothing but a sealed lead-acid battery stuck in some foam. I bought a new battery of similar
capacity for $23 at a local battery shop. The bike battery was some off brand (made in China),
while the one I bought locally was made in North America by a reputable named company.
Here is what I recently built....
http://www.dansworkshop.com/Monster%20Quartz%20Halogen%20Bike%20Light.shtml

Nice site Bob.

I would also point out that commercial MR-16 enclosures are available if
you don't want to do something out of PVC, i.e. see
"http://tinyurl.com/aapzo" (the description is incorrect, these are
MR-16 lamps).

For mounting to the bicycle, you can use a readily available clamp from
Cabela's ("http://tinyurl.com/987yu"😉 which costs $6.

You're correct about the pricing of some of the commercial lighting
systems, they seem way out of line. However most of these companies are
pretty small operations, and the volumes aren't huge, so I don't really
think they are gouging. I was manufacturing high end lighting systems
back in the mid 1980's, and I only made money if I didn't include the
time I spent in assembly (it was a side business, that I ran for about a
year, but it was consuming too much time for too little return).

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

Worldwide, it's very likely that the majority of cyclecommuters use
generator lights. In America, where "expensive" is always better and
bikes are high price toys, other systems are more popular.

I've tried small, inexpensive self-contained lights that mount on the
handlebar and found them insufficient. I tried much more expensive
halogen lights powered by separate rechargeable batteries, and found
that the rechargeable batteries typically didn't live up to the claimed
ride times, or recharge cycles, and cost a surprising amount to
replace. I built my own 12 volt light based on hardware store bulbs
and a separate rechargeable battery, and while I was pretty proud of my
design, I found the optics of hardware store bulbs (MR-11 or MR-16)
were not well suited for road riding.

While toying with those alternatives, I also used generator lights.
After a couple of bad ones (back in the 1970s), I found a good
combination - a generator with quite low drag, and a headlight with
very nice optics. Despite my collection of other headlights (with
batteries I still tend, in case someone wants to borrow one) I now use
the generator light exclusively. The other lights simply aren't worth
the trouble for me. The generators on my bikes are now over ten years
old, and functioning perfectly.

These work well for me up to at least 25 mph, on very dark roads, on
heavily trafficked roads, and everywhere in between. It's always ready
- no battery worries at all. It works whatever the temperature, unlike
many battery lights. It has infinite run time. It's just like the
lights on my car: always there, no worries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_lighting has a good discussion on
bike lights. It has much less bias and less misinformation than the
"world's greatest expert" site.

- Frank Krygowski

On 11 Feb 2006 17:48:22 -0800, [email hidden] wrote:

I believe the key phrase used (a few threads back) was, "it depends on the conditions you're
riding in". I tend to be hard on equipment since I'm almost exclusively on trails year round.
Parts of the trails are very rough, and this combined with below freezing temps, is quite the
proving ground. This is why I've found that the home made stuff is way better than the purchased
stuff.
Another point on batteries, vibration and cold will quickly kill a battery. I have a pouch that
hangs on my waist under my coat that holds my SLA (sealed lead acid) battery to keep it warm and
insulate it from the worst of the pounding. It's a little bulky but works well. I'm goofing with
different coiled cords to enable me to put it in my backpack.

frkrygow said:

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

Worldwide, it's very likely that the majority of cyclecommuters use
generator lights. In America, where "expensive" is always better and
bikes are high price toys, other systems are more popular.

Oh, come on, Frank. Generators are not necessarily the only way to go,
and using a battery light does not make you a dilletante. Generator
lights are cumbersome, and either require a bracket/housing for the bottle
generator, or an expensive generator hub. They do not have the light of
the best (or even medium-quality) battery lights, and are impossible to
switch from bike to bike. Generators also have a marginal amount of power
available, and for one that gives adequate (only adequate) light to ride
by, you spend a fair chunk of money.

Quoted message said:

I've tried small, inexpensive self-contained lights that mount on the
handlebar and found them insufficient. I tried much more expensive
halogen lights powered by separate rechargeable batteries, and found
that the rechargeable batteries typically didn't live up to the claimed
ride times, or recharge cycles, and cost a surprising amount to replace.

This is generally true, but becoming less of a problem. Batteries are
getting better, and more are using standard battery packs.

I switch, in seconds, my DiNotte light from bike to bike. In fact, I will
do that tomorrow morning, since I have to use my snow bike tomorrow. It
has plenty of light for my commute, and uses batteries costing a few bucks
to replace. No, it won't last all night, but I don't have plans to ride
all night, either. If I did, I could carry enough spare batteries to get
me through, and still be way under the weight of a generator, without the
drag.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

Quoting David L. Johnson <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

and using a battery light does not make you a dilletante. Generator
lights are cumbersome,

This I don't get. I much prefer a headlight out of the way on the fork
crown to cluttering up the handlebars.

Quoted message said:

and are impossible to switch from bike to bike.

That's not really so. A minute to swap a front wheel over; and if I really
didn't want to shell for one headlight per bike, I'd splice a join into
the cable and swap that over, too - maybe another couple of minutes to
unscrew it from the bracket and bolt it on somewhere else. Not ideal - and
I'll end up with one tail light per bike anyway - but certainly not
impossible.

[The tandem is now sharing a front wheel with another bike. I don't swap
the headlights, though, because the tandem has a Lumotec Plus and an E6Z
secondary. So this isn't purely hypothetical.]
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Kill the tomato!
Today is First Sunday, February - a weekend.

David L. Johnson said:

Oh, come on, Frank. Generators are not necessarily the only way to go,
and using a battery light does not make you a dilletante. Generator
lights are cumbersome, and either require a bracket/housing for the bottle
generator, or an expensive generator hub. They do not have the light of
the best (or even medium-quality) battery lights, and are impossible to
switch from bike to bike.

This is a big issue for many people that have multiple bicycles. We have
a lot of bicycles, and we do swap lights. I've gone to a simple
handlebar mount (aluminum rail clamp) which is easy to swap, and the
battery is portable as well. I do keep an LED flasher or xenon strobe on
each bike though. I can't imagine adding a dynamo to every bike, even a
$30 bottle dynamo, and the hub dynamos are out of the question (I
suppose that if your bicycles all used the same wheel size that it would
be possible to swap, if you added some connectors, but personally I have
bicycles with many different size wheels, i.e. 12" (Gekko), 16"
(Brompton), 20" (Dahon), 24", 26" narrow, 26" wide, and 700c.

Quoted message said:

Generators also have a marginal amount of power
available, and for one that gives adequate (only adequate) light to ride
by, you spend a fair chunk of money.

This is true. The high quality, high end dynamo systems are quite
expensive, you can price them over at Peter White's site.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've tried small, inexpensive self-contained lights that mount on the
handlebar and found them insufficient. I tried much more expensive
halogen lights powered by separate rechargeable batteries, and found
that the rechargeable batteries typically didn't live up to the claimed
ride times, or recharge cycles, and cost a surprising amount to replace.

This is generally true, but becoming less of a problem. Batteries are
getting better, and more are using standard battery packs.

It's true that most of the self-contained handlebar lights do not
provide sufficient illumination. The only good one still available
(other than the 5W Luxeon based ones) is the Nightpro BULLITe (which
Performance used to market as the Viewpoint Lazer) for $74 (see
"http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1041292622"😉

I think the issue here was that with NiMH or Alkaline batteries, the
run-time was too short. Unfortunately, the LED lamps, except for the
top-end ones like the DiNotte, do not provide sufficent illumination to
see the road. What I've been using as a portable light, is a Li-Ion
powered police flashlight. The run time is sufficient for my commute,
about 80 minutes, and it provides far better illumination than the cheap
LED headlights, or the dynamo powered 3W lights.

The DiNotte is coming down in price, Nashbar has it for $180 with their
10% off coupon, which is less than a less effective dynamo light. The
Exposure Lights Enduro Turbo, is just insane at $570, though I suppose
that it's marketed at a segment other than commuters.

Quoted message said:

I switch, in seconds, my DiNotte light from bike to bike. In fact, I will
do that tomorrow morning, since I have to use my snow bike tomorrow. It
has plenty of light for my commute, and uses batteries costing a few bucks
to replace. No, it won't last all night, but I don't have plans to ride
all night, either. If I did, I could carry enough spare batteries to get
me through, and still be way under the weight of a generator, without the
drag.

One other issue with dynamo lights is that they often mount to a fork
blade, which is not the best place for a light. If you just want to
illuminate the road surface it's fine to mount on the fork, but it's a
bad place for a "being seen" light.

Personally, I'm a big advocate of being self-contained. If there were a
dynamo that could produce sufficient power for lights that were good for
commuting, I'd accept the extra drag. Even just a 12W dynamo would be
sufficient.

Quoted message said:

On 11 Feb 2006 17:48:22 -0800, [email hidden] wrote:

I believe the key phrase used (a few threads back) was, "it depends on the conditions you're
riding in". I tend to be hard on equipment since I'm almost exclusively on trails year round.
Parts of the trails are very rough, and this combined with below freezing temps, is quite the
proving ground. This is why I've found that the home made stuff is way better than the purchased
stuff.
Another point on batteries, vibration and cold will quickly kill a battery. I have a pouch that
hangs on my waist under my coat that holds my SLA (sealed lead acid) battery to keep it warm and
insulate it from the worst of the pounding. It's a little bulky but works well. I'm goofing with
different coiled cords to enable me to put it in my backpack.

See "http://nordicgroup.us/battery/temper.gif"

I didn't but SLA up here, because the chart was done for a web site
regarding camera batteries, but if cold weather is a concern, Li-Ion
batteries do very well in the cold.

One thing I've found about home-made is that the lights mount less
elgantly, but more securely, and that using heavier duty connectors than
the commercial products makes a big difference. Using waterproof molded
connectors with wires attached, rather than trying to use little barrel
or phone-plug type connectors, makes a big difference in ruggedness,
plus it makes the whole thing much easier to assemble.

Is it okay to have a favorite connector?
"http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=189&item=CON-320&type=store"

SMS said:

Quoted message said:

On 11 Feb 2006 17:48:22 -0800, [email hidden] wrote:

I believe the key phrase used (a few threads back) was, "it depends on the conditions you're
riding in". I tend to be hard on equipment since I'm almost exclusively on trails year round.
Parts of the trails are very rough, and this combined with below freezing temps, is quite the
proving ground. This is why I've found that the home made stuff is way better than the purchased
stuff.
Another point on batteries, vibration and cold will quickly kill a battery. I have a pouch that
hangs on my waist under my coat that holds my SLA (sealed lead acid) battery to keep it warm and
insulate it from the worst of the pounding. It's a little bulky but works well. I'm goofing with
different coiled cords to enable me to put it in my backpack.

See "http://nordicgroup.us/battery/temper.gif"

I didn't but SLA up here, because the chart was done for a web site
regarding camera batteries, but if cold weather is a concern, Li-Ion
batteries do very well in the cold.

One thing I've found about home-made is that the lights mount less
elgantly, but more securely, and that using heavier duty connectors than
the commercial products makes a big difference. Using waterproof molded
connectors with wires attached, rather than trying to use little barrel
or phone-plug type connectors, makes a big difference in ruggedness,
plus it makes the whole thing much easier to assemble.

Is it okay to have a favorite connector?
"http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=189&item=CON-320&type=store"

I know about the Li-Ion batteries but the SLA's are a lot cheaper and easier to get. (Cheap is
a BIG word with me).
As far as connectors and hardware go, I'm an Air Force technician and so have access to some
pretty good gear. I always check out the garbage can on the hanger floor near the maintenance desk.
Stuff that's no longer acceptable for flight can frequently be adapted to my bike. I'm not
concerned about elegance.

David L. Johnson said:

frkrygow said:

John L. Lucci said:

Who makes the best lights for commuting? Niterider?? Those of you who
Cyclecommute what do you use??

Worldwide, it's very likely that the majority of cyclecommuters use
generator lights. In America, where "expensive" is always better and
bikes are high price toys, other systems are more popular.

Oh, come on, Frank. Generators are not necessarily the only way to go,

True. OTOH, I didn't say they were! They're merely the worldwide
favorite.

Quoted message said:

and using a battery light does not make you a dilletante.

Also true. However, dilletantes do generally favor them.

Quoted message said:

Generator lights are cumbersome,

Not at all! At least, not in my experience. What I love best about
generator lights is their absolute lack of hassle. They are no more
cumbersome than the headlights on my car or motorcycle. They're always
ready.

Quoted message said:

and either require a bracket/housing for the bottle
generator, or an expensive generator hub.

It's true, they do need to be attached to the bike - like most
accessories. To me, this is no more objectionable than attaching a
rear rack. (I don't have "an expensive generator hub." Perhaps
someday.)

Quoted message said:

They do not have the light of
the best (or even medium-quality) battery lights,

Here, I strongly disagree. I've ridden alongside many, many battery
lights. "The best" put out more lumens, to be sure, but only the most
expensive light the road any better than a good generator set.

I don't know anyone with the DiNotte (my friends must have smaller
budgets) but the $50+ Cateye EL500 was not quite as good as my ancient
generator set. Similarly, I've ridden alongside a 5 watt rechargeable
and a 10 watt rechargeable that were far, far inferior to my generator.
Again: Optics makes a huge difference.

Quoted message said:

and are impossible to
switch from bike to bike. Generators also have a marginal amount of power
available, and for one that gives adequate (only adequate) light to ride
by, you spend a fair chunk of money.

I disagree with all of that. But if you want a disadvantage of
generator lights, this is one: It's hard to find them in America.
They're not popular, so they're not current goods in the vast majority
of American bike shops. You have to go to the web...

Or, alternately, take advantage of that situation. While I haven't
done this for a few years, there was a time I acquired quite a few
new-old-stock generators from old bike shops, plus a few little-used
ones from friends and acquaintances. As a result, I don't switch them
from bike to bike very much. I've got generators mounted on the two
bikes I ride frequently, plus the little-used folder, plus my wife's
bike, and I have a few perfectly good ones still ready in the drawer,
should I need them.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've tried small, inexpensive self-contained lights that mount on the
handlebar and found them insufficient. I tried much more expensive
halogen lights powered by separate rechargeable batteries, and found
that the rechargeable batteries typically didn't live up to the claimed
ride times, or recharge cycles, and cost a surprising amount to replace.

This is generally true, but becoming less of a problem. Batteries are
getting better, and more are using standard battery packs.

I know batteries are getting better, but I don't feel any happier
replacing a bike light rechargeable than I do a laptop rechargeable -
arguably among the best in the world, but with a life of only a few
years and a cost upwards of $100. (Obviously, I need a pedal-powered
computer!)

Quoted message said:

I switch, in seconds, my DiNotte light from bike to bike. In fact, I will
do that tomorrow morning, since I have to use my snow bike tomorrow. It
has plenty of light for my commute, and uses batteries costing a few bucks
to replace. No, it won't last all night, but I don't have plans to ride
all night, either. If I did, I could carry enough spare batteries to get
me through, and still be way under the weight of a generator, without the
drag.

Understand, I _don't_ think generators are for everyone. They're not
the only valid choice. In addition to the lesser availability, they
do require a bit more mechanical and electrical knowledge than battery
lights, and this will stop lots of people.

But the common reasons given for rejecting them - insufficient
illumination and high drag - are absolutely false, in my extensive
experience. (The "too expensive" reason is not commonly stated; it's
largely the imaginary claim of one denizen of this list.) And the
illumination will doubtlessly get even better in the near future.

I know I'd never spend $250 for the likes of the DiNotte, despite its
good (so far) reputation. Why? Because for me, there's no need. I've
got something that's been doing a great job for years.

And frankly, if I had a choice between a $50 DiNotte and a $50
generator, I might still pick the generator for its overall greater
reliability.

- Frank Krygowski

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

David L. Johnson said:

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 17:48:22 -0800, frkrygow wrote:

I know I'd never spend $250 for the likes of the DiNotte, despite its
good (so far) reputation. Why? Because for me, there's no need. I've
got something that's been doing a great job for years.

And frankly, if I had a choice between a $50 DiNotte and a $50
generator, I might still pick the generator for its overall greater
reliability.

I'm looking for somewhere to get a fairly decent dynamo (generator) light
for my wife for her pretty short daily ride to college and back. Looking to
spend ~$50 on the set. But as far as I can see the "big" web suppliers
don't carry any. Although the $12 WalMart one we have on our tandem is
really quite effective, barring the shedding of the tyre contact wheel on
Saturday night - any suggestions for looking for a replacement?

Quoted message said:

I know about the Li-Ion batteries but the SLA's are a lot cheaper and easier to get. (Cheap is
a BIG word with me).
As far as connectors and hardware go, I'm an Air Force technician and so have access to some
pretty good gear. I always check out the garbage can on the hanger floor near the maintenance desk.
Stuff that's no longer acceptable for flight can frequently be adapted to my bike. I'm not
concerned about elegance.

Ah, a Mil-Spec lighting system.

Simon Cooper said:

I'm looking for somewhere to get a fairly decent dynamo (generator) light
for my wife for her pretty short daily ride to college and back. Looking to
spend ~$50 on the set. But as far as I can see the "big" web suppliers
don't carry any. Although the $12 WalMart one we have on our tandem is
really quite effective, barring the shedding of the tyre contact wheel on
Saturday night - any suggestions for looking for a replacement?

"http://loosescrews.com/index.cgi?d=single&c=Accessories&sc=Generator&tc=&item_id=UF-23009&id=979061717759"
"http://www.yellowjersey.org/dynamos.html"

Simon Cooper said:

I'm looking for somewhere to get a fairly decent dynamo (generator) light
for my wife for her pretty short daily ride to college and back. Looking to
spend ~$50 on the set. But as far as I can see the "big" web suppliers
don't carry any. Although the $12 WalMart one we have on our tandem is
really quite effective, barring the shedding of the tyre contact wheel on
Saturday night - any suggestions for looking for a replacement?

I second the advice to get the Union set from Yellow Jersey. I did so in
November 2005, and I've been pretty happy. Yellow Jersey held up their
end of the bargain well. Here are my recommendations...

1. I have the rubber pulley cover. I think it probably helps to avoid
slippage in the rain.

2. Tyres are important. The generator slips in the rain if you have
slippery tyres. Conti Ultra 2000s are terrible in this respect.
Panaracer Pasela are much better. Tyres with ribbing on the sidewall
(i.e. Ritchey SpeedMax 'cross tyres) are the best.

3. I blew a tail lamp bulb pretty quickly with a 2.4W head lamp and a
0.6W tail lamp. I run a pretty high speed on a descent during my daily
commute. Maybe I just got a defective bulb, or maybe my descent was too
much for the system. At any rate, I have since switched to 3W head lamp
and 0.6 W tail lamp; it's too early to tell if that is effective.

4. The sidewall generator is a little tricky to set up well with
close-fitting fenders. I find that the optimum position of the generator
interferes with the fenders. The generator sits a bit too low and my
rubber pulley cover is wearing out at one end rather than sharing the
load over a larger surface. At least those rubber pulley covers are cheap.

5. The system comes without a separate wire for the ground. I put in a
second wire; I think the light now comes on at a lower speed and it's
light output is more steady at low speed. An ohm meter showed that the
headset was an intermittent high resistance path for the ground if the
second wire is not used.

6. The bracket that holds the head lamp to the fork crown seems a little
fragile. Mine broke already. I rigged the head lamp to mount from my
fork leg instead. And most of us have an old reflector mount that can be
adapted to mount the head lamp to the fork crown if desired.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

"dvt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

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Simon Cooper said:

I'm looking for somewhere to get a fairly decent dynamo (generator)

light

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for my wife for her pretty short daily ride to college and back.

Looking to

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spend ~$50 on the set. But as far as I can see the "big" web suppliers
don't carry any. Although the $12 WalMart one we have on our tandem is
really quite effective, barring the shedding of the tyre contact wheel

on

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Saturday night - any suggestions for looking for a replacement?

I second the advice to get the Union set from Yellow Jersey. I did so in
November 2005, and I've been pretty happy. Yellow Jersey held up their
end of the bargain well. Here are my recommendations...

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5. The system comes without a separate wire for the ground. I put in a
second wire; I think the light now comes on at a lower speed and it's
light output is more steady at low speed. An ohm meter showed that the
headset was an intermittent high resistance path for the ground if the
second wire is not used.

I did this for the set on my tandem already, I'm not so worried about the
issue of stabbing holes in the paintwork and an aluminium frame, but I've
never really believed the headset and brake bolt to be a good way to route a
6V system.

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6. The bracket that holds the head lamp to the fork crown seems a little
fragile. Mine broke already. I rigged the head lamp to mount from my
fork leg instead. And most of us have an old reflector mount that can be
adapted to mount the head lamp to the fork crown if desired.

Most of the lamp brackets seem to be basically the same, and I have a number
of old steel ones around if that's really a problem.

dvt said:

3. I blew a tail lamp bulb pretty quickly with a 2.4W head lamp and a
0.6W tail lamp. I run a pretty high speed on a descent during my daily
commute. Maybe I just got a defective bulb, or maybe my descent was too
much for the system. At any rate, I have since switched to 3W head lamp
and 0.6 W tail lamp; it's too early to tell if that is effective.

Reflectalite sells a tiny voltage regulator for generator lights.
http://www.reflectalite.com/regulater.html Alternately, you can
install two Zener diodes back-to-back in parallel with the generator
output. Zeners with a rating of about 8 volts have worked well for me.
You're just clipping the top of the AC waveform with the zeners, which
is why you want more than a 6 volt rating.

I bought one of Reflectalite's regulators out of curiosity, but never
got around to installing it, since my zeners were working very well.
In fact, just yesterday I gave it away to a friend who's also using a
generator light.

BTW, on that same Reflectalite page, it's good to read the generator
tips further down.

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4. The sidewall generator is a little tricky to set up well with
close-fitting fenders. I find that the optimum position of the generator
interferes with the fenders.

Many people have notched their fenders to cure this. Or, back in the
days of aluminum fenders, formed a bulge in the fender to clear that
pulley.

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5. The system comes without a separate wire for the ground. I put in a
second wire;

Excellent idea.

- Frank Krygowski