On Sep 13, 1:33 pm, Ace <
[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:15:29 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
> >
> >Vehicle headlights use precise optics - except those vehicle
> >headlights that are cobbled together by small companies on the cheap.
> >Such companies just grab MR bulbs and put them in a housing.
> >Unfortunately, most rechargeable bike headlights seem to be made by
> >that sort of company.
>
> In practise though, as long as you point them in the right direction,
> the MR-11 type lights do actually put a lot of light onto the road
> where you want it without over-blinding oncoming traffic. They are, to
> be fair, predicated upon producing more light than they really need
> for this application, such that the 'wasted' light doesn't matter, but
> I've been using such things for years and been very happy with them.
>
> Particularly off-road, of course, but I appreciate that this is
> another matter.
Off-road, MR bulbs make sense. In the woods, you're often moving
slow, picking your path around obstacles, ducking branches, etc. A
wide fog of light is fine.
On-road, it's just inefficient. Yes, those same lamps work only
because they pump out enough lumens to waste. But why put up with
waste, when a simple front lens would make it unnecessary?
Cycling is all about efficiency. We don't run tires that weigh 2
pounds each, even though those could be puncture-proof, because they
would waste energy. We don't use motorcycle gage spokes, or solid
handlebars, or massive chains even if they would be bulletproof and
wear forever. We tend to use just the minimum to get the job done,
because we value efficiency.
Except for some cyclists with their light systems. We've had people
post here that they want as much light output as a motorcycle.
Why??? In truth, almost nobody _ever_ hits even 40 mph at night on a
bicycle. Why waste lumens, and lug extra battery mass, put up with
lower run times, and spend more battery money than necessary?
Very seriously, I understand that some people may not have the
electrical and mechanical skills to install a generator system. It is
slightly more complicated. And many people have a false idea of the
level of drag. (See
http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/dynotest.html )
Those problems, real or imagined, might drive someone away from a
generator set.
What I don't understand is why battery systems use such primitive
optics. A generator headlamp, slightly modified to stand a more
powerful (i.e. hotter) bulb, would allow most rechargeable sets to
either be half their present mass, and somewhat less expensive, or
last twice as long.
Almost nothing else on a bike is designed as crudely as a typical
rechargeable headlamp. That's the truth.
- Frank Krygowski
