Rechargeable lights or no

[xenovier]

What are your opinions for rechargeable versus non-rechargeable lights? Rechargeables seem to cost much more, are they worth the extra cost? I currently use Cateye 530 and TL-LD 1000 (stolen last week).

They serve me well, but I'm wondering what are the benefits of rechargeables? They don't seem to last more than 5hrs. I can only think it saves cost from batteries.

 

[threaded]

That's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question. First off depends on how bright you need it.

If you're in a city with lots of street lights you only need lights to stay legal, and some little supermarket flashing things may well do the trick, last years, and cheaper to replace than buy batteries for.

At the other extreme: if on the other-hand you're someone who goes cross country on the commute in the pitch black and find they sometimes 'overtake' their lights you want them as bright as possible, robust, and using rechargeable batteries otherwise you're buying, and carrying large blocks of batteries everyday..

Then with rechargeables you get into the how many hours maximum (remember to factor in getting a flat and fixing it) do you need to run the lights, at what power level, how absolutely cold does it get, are you liable to drop the bike, and how much do you want to pay. All the while do remember that the manufacturers often have an approach to battery lifetime, light efficiency, and power usage that can outdo even the best fiction writers.

 

[531Aussie]

I found them annoying, having to take them off all the time to charge them....then there are the days you forget.....boo!

Then there are rechargeable batteries, which may be even worse, coz it's a sh1t having to pull the batteries out of the tightly-fitted lights

 

[Bigbananabike]

Forget the cost for once - think of the cost to the environment of all the braindeads putting used batteries in landfils that leech out toxins and destroy good earth

Get rechargeables and get in to a habit of charging them when needed. If you have to use your bike and have forgotten have a small emergency light with a rechargeable battery in it(the charge is held for weeks - I know) and put that on your bike and go

What are your opinions for rechargeable versus non-rechargeable lights? Rechargeables seem to cost much more, are they worth the extra cost? I currently use Cateye 530 and TL-LD 1000 (stolen last week).

They serve me well, but I'm wondering what are the benefits of rechargeables? They don't seem to last more than 5hrs. I can only think it saves cost from batteries.