Headlight Recommendations

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Look at diNotte LED lights. They are so small that you can take it with
you if there is any chance of being out at night. It's brighter than a
10W halogen light, plenty bright enough to see as well as be seen. It
lasts about an hour and a half on bright, and spare batteries are small
enough to carry if you need 'em.

--

David L. Johnson

And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you killed
all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would
rise up to take our places. Even Nazis can't kill that fast.
-- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

These babies are getting a huge rap in Australia
http://www.ayup.com.au/
I've just ordered a set.
They are about to switch from Luxeon to Cree LEDs.

donga

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Get the Big Bang. It'll run 4.5 hours on the Li-Ion battery.

"http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp"

SMS said:

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Get the Big Bang. It'll run 4.5 hours on the Li-Ion battery.

"http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp"

And it's only $953. I'll take two! -- Jay Beattie.

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

I use the Cateye EL-500 $45 30 hours on 4 AA Duracells.

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Well, how about mine? 8-)

http://www.zefox.net/~bob/bicycle/

bob prohaska

David L. Johnson said:

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Look at diNotte LED lights. They are so small that you can take it with
you if there is any chance of being out at night. It's brighter than a
10W halogen light, plenty bright enough to see as well as be seen. It
lasts about an hour and a half on bright, and spare batteries are small
enough to carry if you need 'em.

Also look at the Light & Motion Vega at:
"http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=13970&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products"

Note that the LED lights are generally not as good as halogen lights in
terms of brightness because the beam cannot be focused as well, but the
battery life is longer. "A few hours" is actually quite a long time.

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Type "bicycle lighting" into Google, then click on "I'm Feeling Lucky."
Once there, click on "LED Lights". Or go directly to the sub-page on LED
lights at "http://nordicgroup.us/s78/LED.html".

Jay Beattie said:

SMS said:

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Get the Big Bang. It'll run 4.5 hours on the Li-Ion battery.

"http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp"

And it's only $953. I'll take two! -- Jay Beattie.

Can you charge this to one of your clients? 😉

For that price, the US/Canada charger plug adapter should be included at
No Additional Charge.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Quoted message said:

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

I use the Cateye EL-500 $45 30 hours on 4 AA Duracells.

-------------
I use a EL-500 and a DiNotte, they both
complement each other. Also I never
ride with just one light, in case one fails.

Jay Beattie said:

SMS said:

Jay Beattie said:

The days are getting shorter, which reminds me that I need to replace
my headlight. Are there any new lights on the market that are worth
looking at? I need something bright, but I don't need a super long
burn time. A few hours is good enough. -- Jay Beattie.

Get the Big Bang. It'll run 4.5 hours on the Li-Ion battery.

"http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp"

And it's only $953. I'll take two! -- Jay Beattie.

Don't forget the $3 for the plug adapter!

Seriously, not all that much has changed, except for the high-end Luxeon
LED lights from companies like DiNotte. These are good lights, though
they aren't as efficient as HID lights.

The ideal lighting system (at least in terms of illumination) will
consist of both a flood and a spot beam, or an adjustable beam. Most of
the high-end quartz-halogen and HID systems are dual beam. There are now
some LED systems that also come with both a spot and a flood, i.e. the
Dinotte Lithium -Dual- 5-3W, but they aren't cheap.

Of course you can build an excellent dual beam system for a lot less
than the commercial systems, if you're so inclined.

What you want to avoid, since you stated that brightness is important,
is the LED lights with low power LEDs, such as the Cateye EL-500 These
are okay for "being seen" but they don't illuminate much of anything,
especially if you're riding fairly rapidly. As one reviewer wrote (of
the EL-500), "I made the mistake of hoping this light would be enough to
light my way, rather than just get the attention of motorists and
pedestrians. The beam is too narrow and not bright enough for anything
but really slow riding in the dark. I think it's okay for being seen,
but only okay."

It's a similar situation for dynamo lights, they're great for relatively
low speed riding, but the limited available energy results in a beam
that is not powerful enough for fast riding on dark roads, at least this
is what all the experts say ("http://nordicgroup.us/s78/experts.html"😉.

Steve
http://bicyclelighting.com

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

Quoted message said:

It's a similar situation for dynamo lights, they're great for relatively
low speed riding, but the limited available energy results in a beam that
is not powerful enough for fast riding on dark roads, at least this is
what all the experts say ("http://nordicgroup.us/s78/experts.html"😉.

"SMS spoils otherwise decent post by including pet nonsense again shock!"

(for the uninitiated, SMS doesn't like dynamo lights, and doesn't believe
they can be used safely - contrary to the experience of many happy users)

clive

Clive George said:

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

Quoted message said:

It's a similar situation for dynamo lights, they're great for
relatively low speed riding, but the limited available energy results
in a beam that is not powerful enough for fast riding on dark roads,
at least this is what all the experts say
("http://nordicgroup.us/s78/experts.html"😉.

"SMS spoils otherwise decent post by including pet nonsense again shock!"

(for the uninitiated, SMS doesn't like dynamo lights, and doesn't
believe they can be used safely - contrary to the experience of many
happy users)

I don't dislike or like them. I have some dynamo lights. They are fine
for use in certain circumstances, certainly in bicycle-friendly places,
like the Netherlands, they are often sufficient.

However I do agree with all the experts regarding the relative safety of
the different types of lights. For commuting at relatively high speeds,
you want to light the road both further ahead, and further to the sides
than is possible with dynamo powered lights, other than perhaps a 6W
dynamo system.

Find someone with some expertise that disagrees with all the
experts--I'm open to what they have to say if it's more than 'I use
dynamo lights and I'm alive, so they must be okay,' or 'I asked someone
to look at me riding and tell me if they could see me,' or 'look at the
Netherlands.'

North Carolina Bicycle Coalition
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lights/lights.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
....a cyclist operating at 15 mph can see well enough with less than 600
candlepower (e.g. 12 watt halogen), and a cyclist operating at 7.5 mph
can see far enough in with less than 150 candlepower (e.g. 3 watt
halogen). The light provided by a bicycle headlamp may be focused into a
narrow beam for maximum range, or may be spread out for better
peripheral vision. A three watt lamp can be focused into a beam suitable
for high speed cycling on the darkest roads, but will not give much
illumination of turns. North Carolina Bicycle Coalition

Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
(http://www.sacbike.org/articles/article.php?mode=display&lognum=17)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you want to cycle at low speeds in areas with street lights, other
ambient lighting, or when there's a full moon on a cloudless night, a
low wattage light is OK. If you actually want to see obstacles in darker
areas, you need a more powerful light, from 10 to 30 watts or more. With
the added power come a couple of penalties, much higher costs and more
weight. These lights can run from $70 to well over $200. Their weights,
mostly from the batteries (often rechargeable NiCads) can go from 2 to 3
pounds."

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_lighting (prior to being
repeatedly vandalized)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"There are several types of bicycle lights available. In North America,
most commuters choose to use high power halogen lights, which operate
from a rechargeable battery. In parts of Europe, low power lights that
operate from a dynamo are still popular, but are slowly being replaced
by safer, higher power, battery operated halogen lights. Front LED
lights are useful for being seen, but do not project a good beam for
illuminating the road. For rear lights, LED flashers are popular in
North America, but illegal in most other countries. A better choice for
a rear lamp, where flashing lamps are legal, is a xenon strobe, because
it is less directional.

Many cycle commuters build their own lighting systems with commonly
available lamps, batteries, and chargers. One method is to use a
generator stored in the hub of the front wheel. This method requires no
external batteries or chargers because the power source is always
available."

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
(http://www.bfw.org/new_bfw/articles/brightideas.php?printable=true)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Generators One of the oldest lighting systems is the generator. This
type of lighting works off a generator (or dynamo) that is powered when
it makes contact with the bicycle's tire. A generator system is often
set up to power a headlight and a taillight. These systems are reliable,
but often lack the power to really light up the road. Generators are
more popular in Europe than in the United States."

Ken Kifer http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/traffic.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"For commuters, the best front light is the very bright rechargeable
lamp. For the day tourer, it's important to carry a small,
battery-powered lamp for the trip that ends up finishing after daylight
has ended. Unfortunately, many of the lights sold for this purpose are
inadequate. For long-distance travelers, those who ride long distances
in the country at night, or those whose habits are sporadic, a generator
front light is bright and always available for use."

Ice Bike (http://icebike.com/Equipment/lights.htm)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
......my personal first priority is brightness. Not just because its hard
to see, but because being seen is even more difficult. If you are doing
city riding, you need more light than country riding. 6 watts is
adequate on a dark country road, but would be totally overpowered in a
city environment.

Ken Kifer (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/commute/accessor.htm)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been using generator lights for many years, and I find them very
suitable for riding in the country at night and on touring trips. There
are no batteries to fade or go bad, and the light gets brighter while
going downhill. The beam is very wide and thus visible from all sides.
On the other hand, a generator light is not very bright in city traffic
and goes out each time you stop at a red light.

I have great respect for Ken Kifer's writings. He was able to admit that
he used dynamo powered lights, explain what the advantages were to
dynamo powered lights, while at the same time stating why what he used
may not be be the right solution in other situations (in this case, city
traffic).

Peter Cole
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm always surprised that so many serious cyclists who otherwise
recognize the equivalence of bicycles to other vehicles take exception
to lighting requirements. I wouldn't dare operate a motorcycle with a 3W
light, so I don't understand the recommendation to operate a bicycle (at
often similar speeds ) with such inadequate lights. Perhaps this was an
accommodation to the technological limitations of the past, but in these
times of readily available and relatively cheap, high-wattage
alternatives, it seems a bad way to go."

Steven Goodridge
(http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lights/lights.htm)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"...a cyclist operating at 15 mph can see well enough with less than 600
candlepower (e.g. 12 Watt halogen), and a cyclist operating at 7.5 mph
can see far enough in with less than 150 candlepower (e.g. 3 Watt
halogen). The light provided by a bicycle headlamp may be focused into a
narrow beam for maximum range, or may be spread out for better
peripheral vision. A three Watt lamp can be focused into a beam suitable
for high speed cycling on the darkest roads, but will not give much
illumination of turns." This is a good, succinct, evaluation of the
trade-offs inherent with low power lighting.

Paul Dorn (http://www.runmuki.com/commute/commuting10.html)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The more expensive lights, which use a rechargeable battery mounted on
the frame, are essential if you ride at night."

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

Quoted message said:

However I do agree with all the experts regarding the relative safety of
the different types of lights. For commuting at relatively high speeds,
you want to light the road both further ahead, and further to the sides
than is possible with dynamo powered lights, other than perhaps a 6W
dynamo system.

Find someone with some expertise that disagrees with all the experts--I'm
open to what they have to say if it's more than 'I use dynamo lights and
I'm alive, so they must be okay,' or 'I asked someone to look at me riding
and tell me if they could see me,' or 'look at the Netherlands.'

I think I'm about as expert as those sources you post. As are a number of
posters to this NG who have repeatedly pointed out that their dynamo lights
are in fact perfectly good. I've definitely got the required experience -
the only difference between me and the people you quote is that I haven't
bothered writing up my findings. I know your definition of expert is
"Somebody who agrees with SMS", but I'd hope that others would be able to
see the flaw there.

Quoted message said:

North Carolina Bicycle Coalition
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lights/lights.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A three watt lamp can be focused into a beam suitable for high speed
cycling on the darkest roads

Quoted message said:

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_lighting (prior to being
repeatedly vandalized)

Would that be your writing being corrected by others? Having read the
current article, it seems to be fairly sane.

clive

Clive George said:

"SMS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's a similar situation for dynamo lights, they're great for relatively
low speed riding, but the limited available energy results in a beam that
is not powerful enough for fast riding on dark roads, at least this is
what all the experts say ("http://nordicgroup.us/s78/experts.html"😉.

"SMS spoils otherwise decent post by including pet nonsense again shock!"

(for the uninitiated, SMS doesn't like dynamo lights, and doesn't believe
they can be used safely - contrary to the experience of many happy users)

A dynamo is not an option for me because I switch bikes and need
something portable. I also want as much illumination as economically
feasible due to my riding conditions -- lots of rain and fast descents
in areas that are poorly illuminated but that have lots of point light
source polution (cars and homes in the hills). -- Jay Beattie.

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

Quoted message said:

Clive George said:

"SMS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's a similar situation for dynamo lights, they're great for
relatively
low speed riding, but the limited available energy results in a beam
that
is not powerful enough for fast riding on dark roads, at least this is
what all the experts say ("http://nordicgroup.us/s78/experts.html"😉.

"SMS spoils otherwise decent post by including pet nonsense again shock!"

(for the uninitiated, SMS doesn't like dynamo lights, and doesn't believe
they can be used safely - contrary to the experience of many happy users)

A dynamo is not an option for me because I switch bikes and need
something portable. I also want as much illumination as economically
feasible due to my riding conditions -- lots of rain and fast descents
in areas that are poorly illuminated but that have lots of point light
source polution (cars and homes in the hills). -- Jay Beattie.

Yeah - I didn't include you in the uninitiated :-)

cheers,
clive

Jay Beattie said:

A dynamo is not an option for me because I switch bikes and need
something portable. I also want as much illumination as economically
feasible due to my riding conditions -- lots of rain and fast descents
in areas that are poorly illuminated but that have lots of point light
source polution (cars and homes in the hills). -- Jay Beattie.

I'm in a similar situation, as are I suspect most bike commuters (which
is why dynamo systems aren't very popular in the U.S..

I have a dynamo system that's good for short trips to the store on
streets that I'm familiar with, at low speeds, but a dynamo system isn't
viable for most commute conditions, where you need greater brightness
for both higher speeds and either unlit streets or streets where you
need the brighter lights to stand out.

I also used to use a dynamo system in my college town, and it was fine
for going around campus and surrounding student neighborhoods, back in
the days when bicycles were the way to get around campus. Now the campus
is much more spread out, so you'd think bicycles would be even more
practical, but they've lost favor and the students use the bus system more.

Steve
"http://bicyclelighting.com"
Google "bicycle lighting" then click on "I'm Feeling Lucky."

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

Quoted message said:

I have a dynamo system that's good for short trips to the store on streets
that I'm familiar with, at low speeds, but a dynamo system isn't viable
for most commute conditions, where you need greater brightness for both
higher speeds and either unlit streets or streets where you need the
brighter lights to stand out.

Rephrase that as "I want" rather than "you need", and you're getting closer.
There are plenty of people out there demonstrating that your requirement is
bogus. If you _want_ bright battery lamps, I'm not going to stop you - but
keep on saying the others aren't good enough for anybody and I'll keep on
pointing out you're wrong.

(did I mention I've used dynamo lights for commute conditions encompassing
both lit city riding and unlit rural, at fairly respectable speeds (never
faster than 44mph though IIRC)? Oh yes, I probably did - you just seem to
have forgotten it _again_.)

clive

SMS aka Steven M. Scharf said:

...
I don't dislike or like them. I have some dynamo lights. They are fine
for use in certain circumstances, certainly in bicycle-friendly places,
like the Netherlands, they are often sufficient....

What is the outlook for fuel cell powered lights? I don't care for any
of the lights currently on the market, as they are either limited in
output or runtime. 🙁

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com