"Choosing Lights for Your Bicycle: Ten No-Compromise Requirements"article

Duane writes:

Dan wrote:
N8N writes:

On Friday, August 2, 2013 10:36:58 PM

snip


When I got my 2-watt I was blown away at how "excellent" it is.

You gonna tell me it's not excellent?

My Planet Bike 2. Watt 149 lumens is excellent. Does just what I need.
Also comes off easily when I don't need it. So does my 1 watt flea. Does
just what I need it to do. So it's also excellent. If you're happy with
the price and it does what you want, I'd say it's excellent.


That's the light I use (well, now I also have PDW - what is it
called again? Cosmic Dreadnaght?)

The PB Blaze 2-watt produces excellent light for my purposes,
*but* it SUCKS *&^%$%$ in the rain (until I semi-destructively
took it apart and re-assembled it sealed with Saran wrap).

Dan writes:

N8N writes:

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 12:26:49 PM UTC-5, Dan wrote:
N8N writes:



On Friday, August 2, 2013 10:36:58 PM UTC-5, sms wrote:

On 8/2/2013 6:42 PM, Andre Jute wrote:



Yo, Scharfie. I agree with you, the EU-legal wide, flat beam shape isn't optimal. But Nate is right. You must find space in your 100 words to point out that the best lights available have some kind of a cutoff, and that they aren't available with a flashing mode. I have a zooming flashlight, branded by the German supermarket Lidl, with zoom and flash modes, and it throws nearly as much light as my BUMM IQ Fly driven off a 36V battery, and doesn't have the hotspot, but you put that flashlight on your bike in Germany, and you do not pass jaii.







I think that some people's confusion is that they're thinking about 1000



lumen+ off-road bicycle lights with a symmetrical beam, used by mountain



bikers, which would indeed be annoying to oncoming traffic.







I'm talking about road-bike lights which are in the 200-600 lumen range



where a symmetrical beam is far better than the StVZO compliant beams.



For road riding, the EU-standard beams are definitely sub-optimal, even



riders in the EU now find ways around them.





"Far better?" By whose standards? Yours (and even then, you may be deceiving yourself) or oncoming traffic?



Keep in mind that there are some odd perception issues going on with headlamps where a person can honestly believe that his headlights are excellent when they are not optiomal for seeing or the converse where a headlight may appear not that good but actually are better for seeing than one that appears better. I'm assuming that that is what's going on here.



I am having some perception issues understanding anything you just said.



Nate, I commuted to work in the ~dark _with no headlight_ for some

time before I got a lame 1-watt, which I thought was pretty darn

good. I then rode another couple of years with another 1-watt.

When I got my 2-watt I was blown away at how "excellent" it is.



You gonna tell me it's not excellent?

"adequate" maybe, depending on the perspective. Heck, I've ridden behind a 3W flashlight with a DX collimator that turned the beam pattern into a line before - actually worked surprisingly well and in some ways was superior to commercially available lights (and in some ways was inferior, as in the distinct *lack* of foreground light) When your choices are ride behind less than optimal lights and don't ride, I'll take the less than optimal lights any day so long as I feel they're good enough that doing so is not overly dangerous.

But the title of the thread was "no-compromise" which of course can't possibly be accurate, otherwise we'd hire a lighting engineer to design the perfect bike headlight, cost be damned, with a limited run made just for the enlightened (heh) few cognoscenti, complete with ultra low drag hub dynamo with hard-chromed titanium balls lubricated with pressed baby seals and a neural interface to optimize the beam pattern as you ride. However, when an article says "no-compromise" and then recommends lights for which there are readily available, superior commercial alternatives, I have a hard time letting that go without comment. Someday I should learn to just shake my head and move on, but the problem with that is that then people might not learn about the superior alternatives available.


Now I get what you're saying.

And it's all good, and I appreciate advancing the state of affairs,
and putting it into practice in ways that will create economy of
scale such that the current state of affairs (most of what I see
showing up on bike racks outside workplaces are brand new hybrids
with "be seen... maybe - in flashing mode" handlebar mounted lights).

Until then, Pedro riding his crappy MTB to work is probably not
going to have any light at all - or maybe a secondhand 1-watt,
and most other "cyclists" just won't ride at night (their bikes
will remain playthings to take out when it's convenient), and
people will have the idea that anything that produces considerable
lumens is superior, and...

(The Luxos U turns me on, too - for the superior light and also
the remote mode switch - looks like the state-of-the-art to me.)

Good talk.

I just realized, though, that the "no compromise requirements" in
the subject line are lines in the sand that will not be compromised
- not "uncompromising" cost-no-object high-end. So, opposite end
of the spectrum.

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 1:48:08 PM UTC-5, Dan wrote:

I just realized, though, that the "no compromise requirements" in

the subject line are lines in the sand that will not be compromised

- not "uncompromising" cost-no-object high-end. So, opposite end

of the spectrum.

OK, I can see you coming at it from that way. In that case, I could see a few things that I personally would not want compromised...

1) A reasonable amount of water resistance, in case you get caught in the rain, or are riding after a rainstorm without fenders.

2) A runtime (assuming battery light) at least 3x preferably more of usual commute time, assuming commuter bike, to allow for riding to/from work in the dark and a reasonable margin of safety. Preferably with a dropping to lower mode before going out completely as the batteries deplete, to give you warning that it's time to find a CVS and buy some cheap alkalines or whatever just in case you inadvertently stay out too long.

3) Related to above, for a battery light I'd prefer AAs so that I could use LSD NiMHs (that would normally mean Eneloops) for regular use, but would allow for use of alkalines or Energizer lithium primaries in a pinch. Second choice would be C-cells (for which you could use Tenergy Centuras) or CR123A/RCR123 (the latter being lithium primaries/lithium ion rechargeables, which require a little more support infrastructure and also special handling to be safe.) Both of the latter would provide much more power than AAs but would be more expensive - but you still could probably find a primary cell replacement in an emergency at a local drugstore, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.

4) Lights that are intended for use in traffic and for seeing by and not just conspicuity lights should have a horizontal cutoff so as to allow maximum seeing distance without being offensive. Preferably with most of the light thrown just below the cutoff for the best possible results.

5) Having good lights doesn't mean they'll never fail. If you're really riding where lights are required, carry a pocket flashlight with a low mode just to get you home in a pinch and don't forget some way to mount it to the bike (e.g. a couple zip ties in your tool kit. Or if you're real fancy, a twofish block.) Yeah, it'll suck compared to a good light, but it's way better than no light. Also, strategically applied reflective tape in a few areas and at least one piece of reflective or light/brightly colored clothing is never a bad idea just to make sure others see you.

Anything else I'm missing...?

On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 19:45:40 +0100, Phil W Lee
wrote:

What is your bike lock for?

Ummmm.... locking the bicycle perhaps?[1]

I hadn't considered using a U-lock or cable lock as a weapon. The
U-lock should work, but is rather unwieldy and clumsy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV92duKyObY
It also lacks the reach of a 3D or greater aluminum flashlight
truncheon.

However, swinging a 1 meter long cable over my head with a heavy
padlock at the end is certainly a major improvement if bicycle
defensive armament. My current cable is coiled into a spring like
affair, which is compact, but not very useful as a weapon. However,
are non-coiled versions available. Thanks for the suggestion.

I just found a good use for all the useless springs and shock
absorbers found on todays bicycles. Recoil absorber:
http://www.mikecooper.com/2013/04/bicycles-and-guns-more-in-common-than-youd-think/

Self-defense for cyclists. No mention of flashlight truncheons.
http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/weapon/
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jimmy_fatwing/SelfProtection/cycle.htm

Hmmm... I wonder if removing the front wheel, and using it as a discus
would work? That probably will take some practice, but might be
useful. I could also remove the chain and use it as a chain whip, but
that takes too much time, and is probably more dangerous to the user
than any assailant.

Of course, any idea worth doing is also worth overdoing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqCueUsZ7rg
http://urbanvelo.org/ground-up-designs-flamethrower-bike/
http://www.bikesvscars.com/photos/flame_thrower_bicycle.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/3043075016_1f909b209c.jpg




[1] About a month ago, I may have thwarted an attempt at stealing my
bicycle from my office. I left to go to the bathroom. When I
returned, my bicycle had been moved a few feet from its normal
position. I lock the bicycle, even when it's in the office, thanks to
paranoia from a previous burglary. I suspect the prospective thief
wanted to grab the bike and ride off, but couldn't due to the lock.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 2:30:54 PM UTC-5, Phil W Lee wrote:


Why not link to Rose Bikes?

Whole dynamo wheels from 75.00 Euro to 187.00, although shipping isn't

exactly cheap, it would still beat the prices from Peter White.

Hubs alone from 24.00 Euro to 239.00.

Indeed, and the Shimano hubs are eminently serviceable (in both senses of the word.)

I think mine is the DH-3N72 but the 30A looks pretty equivalent at half the price save for a little extra weight, and the price isn't that much more than a good quality front hub. I got what I did because I got it back when Velo Orange was offering a prebuilt wheel with CR18s for what I thought was an excellent price, and I needed a whole new wheelset anyway.

Sure you could pop for a SON (and I actually have a used one in my junk box that I was going to build into a wheel but never did - I should probably test it someday and then put it up for sale) but from reading online there are tradeoffs... the SON has sealed bearings, but according to some reviews actually transmits more vibration under load into the fork sooo.... (and yes, I can feel a little vibration in the bars with the Shimano on fast descents at night.)

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 11:19:26 AM UTC-4, sms wrote:
On 8/3/2013 4:27 AM, Andreas Oehler wrote:

Fri, 02 Aug 2013 20:36:58 -0700, sms:





I'm talking about road-bike lights which are in the 200-600 lumen range

where a symmetrical beam is far better than the StVZO compliant beams.

For road riding, the EU-standard beams are definitely sub-optimal, even

riders in the EU now find ways around them.



The strange thing is: Motorcycle and car manufacurers are still not

"enlighted" by this idea.



It may come as a surprise to you, but motor vehicles are not the same as

bicycles. They are supposed to ride as far to the right as practical,

they are slower, they are more vulnerable, and they ride in places where

motor vehicles are not permitted such as separate cycling

infrastructure. At least that's the way things work in the U.S..

VBEG, LOL ;) You got your first sentence backwards because it's bicycles that are all those thing not motor vehicles.

I tried a couple of flashlights including a 1,000,000 candlepower one for night time riding. Even with the very large lens and battery it did not work nearly as well or run anywhere near as long as the CygoLite Rover I 4.8 volts battery light I ended up getting.

Sometimes it's just easier to bite the bullet and get the proper equipment that's designed for the task at hand. In my experience a PROPERLY designed bicycle light is far better for a lot of nightime riding (unlit roads and trails) than a flashlight.

Cheers

Cheers

sms wrote:
I've been asked to write one of those articles with the format of "10
Things..." that magazines seem to adore these days. This is on the
subject of buying bicycle headlights.

I completed a first draft, and the earlier thread on "overhanging
trees..." provided some good material and came just at the right time.

The drawings I made are not what will be published, they have a graphic
designer that will re-do them.

The word count for each section is suppose to be not more than 100 words
of text, though I think they'll give me a little leeway.

Any comments are welcome. It's too long to post here, and the graphics
won't show up, so I put the first draft up he http://nordicgroup.us/ten/

"One of Earth's leading experts..." Perhaps a trifle more humility here
might stand you in good stead.

N8N writes:

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 1:48:08 PM UTC-5, Dan wrote:

I just realized, though, that the "no compromise requirements" in

the subject line are lines in the sand that will not be compromised

- not "uncompromising" cost-no-object high-end. So, opposite end

of the spectrum.

OK, I can see you coming at it from that way. In that case, I could see a few things that I personally would not want compromised...

1) A reasonable amount of water resistance, in case you get caught in the rain, or are riding after a rainstorm without fenders.


I want (need) essentially weatherproof. Major no compromise top
priority here.

2) A runtime (assuming battery light) at least 3x preferably more of usual commute time, assuming commuter bike, to allow for riding to/from work in the dark and a reasonable margin of safety. Preferably with a dropping to lower mode before going out completely as the batteries deplete, to give you warning that it's time to find a CVS and buy some cheap alkalines or whatever just in case you inadvertently stay out too long.


Depends on the time of year.

3) Related to above, for a battery light I'd prefer AAs so that I could use LSD NiMHs (that would normally mean Eneloops) for regular use, but would allow for use of alkalines or Energizer lithium primaries in a pinch. Second choice would be C-cells (for which you could use Tenergy Centuras) or CR123A/RCR123 (the latter being lithium primaries/lithium ion rechargeables, which require a little more support infrastructure and also special handling to be safe.) Both of the latter would provide much more power than AAs but would be more expensive - but you still could probably find a primary cell replacement in an emergency at a local drugstore, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.


My headlights are all 2 x AA. I use NiMH's as primary, and carry
a pair of alkalines in my bag during the darker seasons.

4) Lights that are intended for use in traffic and for seeing by and not just conspicuity lights should have a horizontal cutoff so as to allow maximum seeing distance without being offensive. Preferably with most of the light thrown just below the cutoff for the best possible results.


Whatever. I just try not to let my clamp slip such that the
light is pointed right up into people's faces.

5) Having good lights doesn't mean they'll never fail. If you're really riding where lights are required, carry a pocket flashlight...


Well, a quick release battery light *is* a pocket flashlight, so
you're talking about a *spare* headlight. Got that covered. I
run two lights now side-by-side in the dark season, and have been
known to carry a loaded spare in my bag.

.. with a low mode just to get you home in a pinch...

As noted, I *will* get home with or without a headlight.

... and don't forget some way to mount it to the bike

All my headlights snap into the same mount.

snip

On 8/3/2013 1:41 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
sms wrote:
I've been asked to write one of those articles with the format of "10
Things..." that magazines seem to adore these days. This is on the
subject of buying bicycle headlights.

I completed a first draft, and the earlier thread on "overhanging
trees..." provided some good material and came just at the right time.

The drawings I made are not what will be published, they have a graphic
designer that will re-do them.

The word count for each section is suppose to be not more than 100 words
of text, though I think they'll give me a little leeway.

Any comments are welcome. It's too long to post here, and the graphics
won't show up, so I put the first draft up he http://nordicgroup.us/ten/

"One of Earth's leading experts..." Perhaps a trifle more humility here
might stand you in good stead.

That already is more humility. Before it was "One of the universe's
leading experts."

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 9:41:34 PM UTC+1, Ralph Barone wrote:
sms wrote:

I've been asked to write one of those articles with the format of "10

Things..." that magazines seem to adore these days. This is on the

subject of buying bicycle headlights.

"One of Earth's leading experts..." Perhaps a trifle more humility here

might stand you in good stead.

Why is it always the zero-achievement little ******s like Ralphie who are the maximum experts on how humble everyone else should be?

Yo, Ralphie, you have so much empty space between your ears, and in your life, to be humble about. So why not be a good chap, and go somewhere else to be humble about it? Take all the time you want.

Decent people would congratulate Scharfie on being noticed and invited to do the piece, and try to help him perfect it. On RBT so much of what we see is envy, jealousy and petty needling in the Little Ralphie mode.

Andre Jute