Headlights

[Roy Zipris]

Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
--Roy Zipris

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, "Roy Zipris" >
wrote:

>Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road.

Busch & Muller Lumotec coupled to a SON hub dynamo, with a Busch &
Muller 4D Toplight at the back. The SON is set up as a part-time 12V
installation, the other light is usually a SON E6 but sometimes I use
another B&M.

I always have dynamo lights on my commuter bikes because you can never
predict when you might get held up in the office. I've just ordered a
Brompton folder, also with a SON. I've got another bike with the
Shimano Nexus hub dynamo, that's pretty good, too, and has an
automatic light-sensitive switch for the ultimate in fit-and-forget
lighting :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

[rdclark]

Roy Zipris wrote:
> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
> --Roy Zipris

I'm pretty pleased with the "Viewpoint Gen3" I got last year from
Performance. I see it's currently on sale for $45. It's very bright for
an LED -- maybe as bright as some 10W halogens -- light and compact,
and gets 8 hours (by my own count) from 4 AA nicad rechargeables. In
the winter I use it as a supplement to my 15W Niterider; during DST I
carry it in my rack trunk in case I get caught late at work. It's
bright enough that I'm comfortable using it by itself, though I prefer
more light when it's really dark.

On low power it works as a reading light on trips, too.

RichC

[jhas]

Roy Zipris wrote:
> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
> --Roy Zipris

If all you are concerned with is making sure drivers see you, I would
think any of the myriad white LED lights would work fine. I use a
3-LED light from Planet Bike, which is very bright, small and
lightweight.

For an affordable and really bright headlight system, check out
www.bicyclelights.com. I've been really happy with mine.

[[email protected]]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, "Roy Zipris" >
> wrote:
>
> >Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
> >riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that
helps
> >announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road.
>
> Busch & Muller Lumotec coupled to a SON hub dynamo, with a Busch &
> Muller 4D Toplight at the back. The SON is set up as a part-time 12V
> installation, the other light is usually a SON E6 but sometimes I use
> another B&M.
>
> I always have dynamo lights on my commuter bikes because you can
never
> predict when you might get held up in the office.

I agree with Guy about the generator lights, but you can't call a SON
hub dynamo "inexpensive." Worth it, maybe so - but not cheap!

But the SON is certainly not the only generator out there, even though
it is the best. After years of fussing around with different battery
lights, I just fitted generators to all the bikes I regularly use. No
more wondering about battery replacing, or charging, or "Did I bring
the headlight today?" or any of that. It works like the headlight on a
car; you turn it on, and it gives you light. It's always ready.

The only problems are these: Good generators can be hard to find in
the US (but there are mail order sources); and it takes a little more
mechanical and electrical sense to install a generator, compared to a
battery light.

- Frank Krygowski

[wafflycat]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote in message
...
> On 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, "Roy Zipris" >
> wrote:
>
>>Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>>riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>>announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road.
>
> Busch & Muller Lumotec coupled to a SON hub dynamo, with a Busch &
> Muller 4D Toplight at the back. The SON is set up as a part-time 12V
> installation, the other light is usually a SON E6 but sometimes I use
> another B&M.
>

Then there's me doing my low-flying UFO impersonation with multitudinous
lights & acres of reflectives ;-)

Cheers, helen s

[Mr_Grant]

I quite like my Serfas SL200, which I've also seen sold under the names
Giant "Quark" and Jet "Ascent"--

:: 5 LEDs
:: Brilliant blue-white light
:: Steady and fast-flash modes, 1-button control.
:: Comes with 2 rubber spacers to accommodate different handlebar
diameters.

Probably the brightest and best visibility of all the AA / AAA-powered
headlights I've seen.

It's surprisingly small, sort of huddles on the handlebars. Hinged top
cleverly flips-up to access battery compartment (3 AAA).

LBS guy told me:
:: Don't overtighten barclamp thumbscrew.
:: Tape battery lid closed with piece of electrical tape, just for
insurance.

Picture: http://www.greggscycles.com/cartgenie/prod-2523.htm

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Fri, 20 May 2005 19:55:54 +0100, "wafflycat"
<waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
>:

>Then there's me doing my low-flying UFO impersonation with multitudinous
>lights & acres of reflectives ;-)
^^^^^

I thought it was down to a few square yards these days?

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

[Don Wiss]

On 20 May 2005 06:25:05 -0700, "rdclark" > wrote:

>I'm pretty pleased with the "Viewpoint Gen3" I got last year from
>Performance. I see it's currently on sale for $45. It's very bright for
>an LED -- maybe as bright as some 10W halogens -- light and compact,
>and gets 8 hours (by my own count) from 4 AA nicad rechargeables.

I also bought one of these to take with me on trips to the Caribbean, where
it gets dark by about 6:30. It also came in handy when on Bonaire when the
electricity went out. For my bike here I have a dynamo generator.

Since my current camera doesn't use AAs I didn't take a charger. The
alkaline batteries I took lasted more than enough for the trip.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[[email protected]]

US$35 5 LEDs, 100 hours on 4 AA batteries HL-EL300

http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=19&catId=7&subCatId=2

[catzz66]

Roy Zipris wrote:
> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
> --Roy Zipris
>


Low tech works for me. I first bought a more expensive NiteRyder (sp)
unit with a rechargeable battery pack. I followed the charging
instructions but the battery pack failed within a month. I switched to
a CatEye Opticube that uses AAs and have gotten much better service. I
carry extra batteries in my seat pouch.

[what does THIS button do?]

catzz66 wrote:
> Low tech works for me. I first bought a more expensive NiteRyder
(sp)
> unit with a rechargeable battery pack. I followed the charging
> instructions but the battery pack failed within a month.

I had a similar failure with a NiteRyder 15W helmet-mounted light at
the 6 month point. Brought it back to the Performance shop i purchased
it at and they traded me for the orig. 4xAA battery pack fir one
twice as big 2x(4xAA), for free, no hassles.


For being-seen, any of the newer LED lights work well, although i like
the ones which modulate their output.

..max

[Jeff Starr]

>Roy Zipris wrote:
>> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
>> --Roy Zipris

I just bought some lights for my older bike. I plan on using it once
or twice a week for a somewhat short commute. On nice nights, I may
extend the ride home.
I found what I think is a real good deal. I just got them and the rear
blinky is really nice. The front is quite bright, although it has one
limitation, that is a 2 hour run time. That isn't a problem for me,
it comes with charger and the rechargeable batteries.

Nashbar often has 10% off online coupons, so search for one of those.
I got mine with another special, for $16, but $20 isn't bad. I'm even
thinking of buying a second one. I'd use the blinky on my LeMond and
the headlight alternating with the first one.

Here take a look:
http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?subcategory=1085&category=121&browse=&storetype=&estoreid=&brand=&searchbox=&start=1&orderby=price1&pagename=

Even though it says the batteries aren't included for the blinky, they
do come with it.


Life is Good!
Jeff

[Stephen Harding]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, "Roy Zipris" >
> wrote:
>
>>Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>>riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>>announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road.
>
> Busch & Muller Lumotec coupled to a SON hub dynamo, with a Busch &
> Muller 4D Toplight at the back. The SON is set up as a part-time 12V
> installation, the other light is usually a SON E6 but sometimes I use
> another B&M.

Excellent suggestion but hardly inexpensive.

> I always have dynamo lights on my commuter bikes because you can never
> predict when you might get held up in the office. I've just ordered a
> Brompton folder, also with a SON. I've got another bike with the
> Shimano Nexus hub dynamo, that's pretty good, too, and has an
> automatic light-sensitive switch for the ultimate in fit-and-forget
> lighting :-)

I agree that with a commuter/touring type of bike, you really
can't do much better than a generator driven light.

I have the Lumotec Plus driven by a Dymotec generator. The power
of this 3W light (I've opted to keep a battery powered VistaLight
in the back) is surprising. Very nicely focused beam that belies
it's 3W power.

But I also have a Cateye HL200 on the bike (in fact all four of
my bikes) as well. It makes a very good flashlight and is easily
detachable for those times you need to fiddle with the bike in the
dark, drop something on the road, or whatever.

These AA battery driven LED lights can be run a very long time in
flashing mode and provide just enough light to be seen at dusk
even though they're somewhat lacking as effective headlights. Use
rechargable batteries and it might be an option.

If one really rides often at night or dusk hours, you can either
go with a low end 10W SLA battery unit for under $50 or bite the
bullet and get a quality generator. A good bottle generator will
cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).


SMH

[Tom Keats]

In article <l6Ije.15237$Y36.8576@trndny05>,
Stephen Harding > writes:

> These AA battery driven LED lights can be run a very long time in
> flashing mode and provide just enough light to be seen at dusk
> even though they're somewhat lacking as effective headlights. Use
> rechargable batteries and it might be an option.

I've got a Planet Bike[tm] 3 LED unit that I'm quite
happy with. I use it as a standlight to supplement
my generator headlight (leaving it on continuously
during the ride, on flash mode.)

If one is going to use LED headlight & taillights,
I suggest trying to get both that are powered by
AA cells, instead of one that's AA-powered, and
the other, AAA-powered. Buying a 4/6/8-pack of AAs
is less painful to the wallet than buying combinations
of AAs and AAAs, and IME AAs are generally more useful
around the house, for other gadgets. I expect this
would be even more economical and convenient if one
goes the rechargable route.

> If one really rides often at night or dusk hours, you can either
> go with a low end 10W SLA battery unit for under $50 or bite the
> bullet and get a quality generator. A good bottle generator will
> cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).

My Tung Lin bottle generator cost about $28(CDN),
c/w fancy headlight and taillight. The generator
itself appears to be about equiv in quality to the
venerable Union ones, with noticably less drag.
My only problem with it has been the soft rubber-like
drivewheel wearing down too quickly. I replaced it
with a metal drivewheel from an old Union unit, and
it now continues to live happily ever after.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

[Mike Latondresse]

(Tom Keats) wrote in
:

> My only problem with it has been the soft rubber-like
> drivewheel wearing down too quickly. I replaced it
> with a metal drivewheel from an old Union unit, and
> it now continues to live happily ever after.
>
If it is on your sidewall Tom all you have done is change from
sacrifical drive wheel wear to sidewall wear.

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Sat, 21 May 2005 15:04:49 GMT, Stephen Harding
> wrote in message
<l6Ije.15237$Y36.8576@trndny05>:

>> Busch & Muller Lumotec coupled to a SON hub dynamo, with a Busch &
>> Muller 4D Toplight at the back. The SON is set up as a part-time 12V
>> installation, the other light is usually a SON E6 but sometimes I use
>> another B&M.

>Excellent suggestion but hardly inexpensive.

Hey, you should see what I do consider expensive!

Point taken, though, but I noted the Nexus as well. That is really
good value.

>But I also have a Cateye HL200 on the bike (in fact all four of
>my bikes) as well. It makes a very good flashlight and is easily
>detachable for those times you need to fiddle with the bike in the
>dark, drop something on the road, or whatever.

I always have at least two lights at each end of the bike. And
actually I keep a micro Maglite in the bike bag with some spare lamps.

>A good bottle generator will
>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).

Sheldon's selling the new Nexus hub for $90.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
Mike Latondresse > writes:
> (Tom Keats) wrote in
> :
>
>> My only problem with it has been the soft rubber-like
>> drivewheel wearing down too quickly. I replaced it
>> with a metal drivewheel from an old Union unit, and
>> it now continues to live happily ever after.
>>
> If it is on your sidewall Tom all you have done is change from
> sacrifical drive wheel wear to sidewall wear.

That's all right. The tire is just a sacrificial
cheap-o IRC Metro.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

[Don Wiss]

On Sat, 21 May 2005, (Tom Keats) wrote:

>If one is going to use LED headlight & taillights,
>I suggest trying to get both that are powered by
>AA cells, instead of one that's AA-powered, and
>the other, AAA-powered. Buying a 4/6/8-pack of AAs
>is less painful to the wallet than buying combinations
>of AAs and AAAs,

AAAs are never a good choice. AAAs have half the stored energy, yet cost
the same as AAs.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[[email protected]]

Stephen Harding wrote:
>
> I have the Lumotec Plus driven by a Dymotec generator. The power
> of this 3W light (I've opted to keep a battery powered VistaLight
> in the back) is surprising. Very nicely focused beam that belies
> it's 3W power.
> ...
>
> If one really rides often at night or dusk hours, you can either
> go with a low end 10W SLA battery unit for under $50 or bite the
> bullet and get a quality generator. A good bottle generator will
> cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).

Not necessarily. See http://tinyurl.com/77m8s

This Union (or Marwi) unit may have somewhat more drag than the
Dymotec, but for most people's night riding (which I'd guess is pretty
occasional) it's probably fine.

I fitted a much cheaper K-mart generator to one person's bike. I added
a halogen bulb. The headlight optics were surprisingly good, and the
unit's done well for years. IMO, the more expensive generators differ
mostly in their reduced drag, but that's not important to a lot of
people.


- Frank Krygowski

[Jim Smith]

Don Wiss > writes:

> On Sat, 21 May 2005, "Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote:
>
>>>A good bottle generator will
>>>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).
>>
>>Sheldon's selling the new Nexus hub for $90.
>
> Plus much higher installation costs.

I can buy 32 swaged Sapim spokes at my LBS for about $20, I suspect
you can too. Of course one then has to resist the urge to build a
bicycle around the newly orphaned front hub. That can get expensive.

[Don Wiss]

On Sat, 21 May 2005, Jim Smith > wrote:

>Don Wiss > writes:
>
>> On Sat, 21 May 2005, "Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote:
>>
>>>>A good bottle generator will
>>>>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).
>>>
>>>Sheldon's selling the new Nexus hub for $90.
>>
>> Plus much higher installation costs.
>
>I can buy 32 swaged Sapim spokes at my LBS for about $20, I suspect
>you can too. Of course one then has to resist the urge to build a
>bicycle around the newly orphaned front hub. That can get expensive.

And how much of your time? I suspect that most people are not going to have
the tools and inclination to respoke a wheel.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Jim Smith]

Don Wiss > writes:

> On Sat, 21 May 2005, Jim Smith > wrote:
>
>>Don Wiss > writes:
>>
>>> On Sat, 21 May 2005, "Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote:
>>>
>>>>>A good bottle generator will
>>>>>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).
>>>>
>>>>Sheldon's selling the new Nexus hub for $90.
>>>
>>> Plus much higher installation costs.
>>
>>I can buy 32 swaged Sapim spokes at my LBS for about $20, I suspect
>>you can too. Of course one then has to resist the urge to build a
>>bicycle around the newly orphaned front hub. That can get expensive.
>
> And how much of your time? I suspect that most people are not going to have
> the tools and inclination to respoke a wheel.

You're right, time is the thing. If you don't like to tinker this is
not for you. On the other hand, the only tool required to build a
wheel is a spoke wrench. A truing stand makes it faster, but it is
possible to get the same results with the wheel mounted in the bike.

[David L. Johnson]

On Fri, 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, Roy Zipris wrote:

> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
> --Roy Zipris

Hi, Roy. I have a Niterider for truly dark commutes in the winter, but
for what you describe my Planet Bike 1-watt LED light is probably better.
Quite bright, and easy to deal with. It is my current all-around
flashlight. The batteries last a long time, and it is far brighter than
your average flashlight. Not good enough for seeing the road at any
nontrivial speed, but great for being seen.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | "What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
_`\(,_ | What are you on?" --Lance Armstrong
(_)/ (_) |

[Ron Wallenfang]

After trying quite a few options, I'm wedded to the Cateye Opticube referred
to here. They have been very durable, and are easy to see. Their wattage
is low, so they're not that good for seeing. But as noted, the most
important objective is to be seen.


"catzz66" > wrote in message
...
> Roy Zipris wrote:
>> Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>> riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>> announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
>> --Roy Zipris
>>
>
>
> Low tech works for me. I first bought a more expensive NiteRyder (sp)
> unit with a rechargeable battery pack. I followed the charging
> instructions but the battery pack failed within a month. I switched to a
> CatEye Opticube that uses AAs and have gotten much better service. I
> carry extra batteries in my seat pouch.

[Bill Baka]

David L. Johnson wrote:
> On Fri, 20 May 2005 05:22:39 -0700, Roy Zipris wrote:
>
>
>>Among the current options, what headlights do folks recommend for
>>riding at dusk? I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive light that helps
>>announce my presence to cars, not to illuminate the road. Thanks.
>>--Roy Zipris
>
>
> Hi, Roy. I have a Niterider for truly dark commutes in the winter, but
> for what you describe my Planet Bike 1-watt LED light is probably better.
> Quite bright, and easy to deal with. It is my current all-around
> flashlight. The batteries last a long time, and it is far brighter than
> your average flashlight. Not good enough for seeing the road at any
> nontrivial speed, but great for being seen.
>
For me, which is usually off the beaten track I ride in moolight on a
full moon and can see perfectly. I only use a headlight or tailight when
there is traffic, and rechargeable NiMh are much better than NiCad. More
capacity by about 2:1.
Bill Baka

[Stephen Harding]

Tom Keats wrote:

> In article <l6Ije.15237$Y36.8576@trndny05>,
> Stephen Harding > writes:
>
>>If one really rides often at night or dusk hours, you can either
>>go with a low end 10W SLA battery unit for under $50 or bite the
>>bullet and get a quality generator. A good bottle generator will
>>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).
>
> My Tung Lin bottle generator cost about $28(CDN),
> c/w fancy headlight and taillight. The generator
> itself appears to be about equiv in quality to the
> venerable Union ones, with noticably less drag.
> My only problem with it has been the soft rubber-like
> drivewheel wearing down too quickly. I replaced it
> with a metal drivewheel from an old Union unit, and
> it now continues to live happily ever after.

I had a setup like that as well. Actually, still have it
in the "box 'o bike" parts. One of those made in China
cheapo sets from Walmart or wherever.

Worked reasonably well. Seemed to be a lot of play in
the generator bearings. Rather noisy, but ran well enough
in varied weather for several years.

The headlight came nowhere close to my current Lumotec
though.

I "geared up" the generator wheel by putting a rubber
grommet around the metal drivewheel to make peak output
occur at a higher bike speed. Bad side of that was the
light just dropped off slowly as you came to a halt.

I think the real difference between the cheapo generator
and a higher end version is the light comes to full
brightness very quickly after starting up, and stays
bright until just before stopping.

I'd recommend anyone doing lots of night riding with a
generator to go with a light having a capacitor and LED
that gives off some light for a period after the
generator has stopped.


SMH

[Stephen Harding]

wrote:

> Stephen Harding wrote:
>
>>I have the Lumotec Plus driven by a Dymotec generator. The power
>>of this 3W light (I've opted to keep a battery powered VistaLight
>>in the back) is surprising. Very nicely focused beam that belies
>>it's 3W power.
>>...
>>
>>If one really rides often at night or dusk hours, you can either
>>go with a low end 10W SLA battery unit for under $50 or bite the
>>bullet and get a quality generator. A good bottle generator will
>>cost you probably $75+ (my Dymotec was about $100).
>
> Not necessarily. See http://tinyurl.com/77m8s
>
> This Union (or Marwi) unit may have somewhat more drag than the
> Dymotec, but for most people's night riding (which I'd guess is pretty
> occasional) it's probably fine.

I stand corrected.

> I fitted a much cheaper K-mart generator to one person's bike. I added
> a halogen bulb. The headlight optics were surprisingly good, and the
> unit's done well for years. IMO, the more expensive generators differ
> mostly in their reduced drag, but that's not important to a lot of
> people.

I quite frankly haven't really noticed much difference in drag
between my old, cheapo *mart generator "set" (looking surprisingly
similar to that in your posted link; but then, how different can
bottle generators look?), and my current higher end generator.

Perhaps I'd notice a difference if my comparison where more direct
rather than based on my memory of how the old one ran several years
ago!

I think the primary difference between high and low end generators
is how well they regulate the produced current and how quickly they
power up (or down) the light when starting/stopping.

The old generator setup seemed to very slowly come up to full power
(light brightness) as speed increased. The new one seems fully
bright almost right off the line.


SMH

[Jeff Starr]

On Sun, 22 May 2005 02:38:04 -0700, Bill Baka > wrote:

>
>>
>For me, which is usually off the beaten track I ride in moolight on a
>full moon and can see perfectly. I only use a headlight or tailight when
>there is traffic, and rechargeable NiMh are much better than NiCad. More
>capacity by about 2:1.
>Bill Baka

So, in Baka-land there is always a full moon.

Rich is right, you really are a moron.



Life is Good!
Jeff

[Bill Baka]

Jeff Starr wrote:
> On Sun, 22 May 2005 02:38:04 -0700, Bill Baka > wrote:
>
>
>>For me, which is usually off the beaten track I ride in moolight on a
>>full moon and can see perfectly. I only use a headlight or tailight when
>>there is traffic, and rechargeable NiMh are much better than NiCad. More
>>capacity by about 2:1.
>>Bill Baka
>
>
> So, in Baka-land there is always a full moon.
>
> Rich is right, you really are a moron.
>
>
>
> Life is Good!
> Jeff

Jeff and Rich, you must be the two with the corn cob stuck up your ass
permanently. The full moon phase lasts about 4 days and that is fine
with me when I am riding a road that may have one car per night and my
only company is the bullfrogs croaking at each other. I suspect they
could give me a more intelligent conversation than you two. Remember,
moron twins, I live way out in the country and don't have city traffic
to worry about.
What part of nobody in 2 or 3 miles in any direction don't you
understand? A car can be seen well over a mile before it gets anywhere
near me and I can either pull off or just blink my flashlight or LED key
fob that I got as a courtesy gift from a salesman. Life is good, but
only if you can have a little fun without going all paranoid that you
may be doing something wrong.
Go out and smoke a bong of Afghani hash, have a few beers, then ride,
should be a hoot with you two uptight asses.
You might actually enjoy it and then I would be blamed for turning you
guys into drug addicts.
Life is good but the government sucks, so I work around it, even if I do
sometimes work for the DOD (don't ask).
Bill Baka

PS, I also work indoors so my night vision is not shot at night, and I
do wear dark blue/UV blockers that are also polarized, not cheap, but
good. If you don't mind looking dorky, Edmund Scientific Optics sells
some laser safety goggles that block UV, IR, the violet end of blue, and
even red down to about orange. They fit over my regular prescription
sunglasses just fine. About 60 dB attenuation for you rocket scientists
out there, and only about $15 per pair.

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Sat, 21 May 2005 15:52:22 -0400, Don Wiss >
wrote in message >:

>>Sheldon's selling the new Nexus hub for $90
>Plus much higher installation costs.

Sure - or free fitting on a new bike (see the shiny new Brompton over
there in the corner?).

Hub dynamos have some major advantages: they are more efficient, they
don't slip in the wet, they are less vulnerable to mechanical damage
and theft, and they require less maintenance.

I have tried bottles, bottom brackets and hubs. Hubs win, by a large
margin, for utility cycling.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

[Don Wiss]

On Mon, 23 May 2005, "Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote:

>Hub dynamos have some major advantages: they are more efficient, they
>don't slip in the wet, they are less vulnerable to mechanical damage
>and theft, and they require less maintenance.
>
>I have tried bottles, bottom brackets and hubs. Hubs win, by a large
>margin, for utility cycling.

I absolutely agree. I didn't buy a Breezer bike as he puts a bottle
generator on the model without front shocks, and the dynamo hub only on the
model with front shocks. Having a very low opinion of front shocks on a
street bike I ended up bringing a Dutch city bike back from Holland. Later
they saw me post here, e-mailed me, and said that on special order they
would have replaced the shocks with a fixed fork. My Breezer dealer did not
tell me this. But too late when I got their e-mail.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[wafflycat]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 20 May 2005 19:55:54 +0100, "wafflycat"
> <waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
> >:
>
>>Then there's me doing my low-flying UFO impersonation with multitudinous
>>lights & acres of reflectives ;-)
> ^^^^^
>
> I thought it was down to a few square yards these days?
>
> Guy


Certainly I have a lower acreage due to loss of mucho excess mass.

Cheers, helen s

[Mr_Grant]

I got the Serfas SL200 as a back-up.

Interesting the number of people who've had Nite Rider problems, it was
supposed to be So Much better than Nightsun. See my saga at
http://www.epinions.com/content_176763604612