Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

You know the story. You want to go for a pint in town and its light
when you set out but will be dark by the time you've finished your
"pint". Now I already have a wallet, phone and house keys in my Jeans,
so where am I going to stuff my lights?? I went to the shop and asked
to have Dynamo lights fitted just because I — either rightly or wrongly
— assume they're less attractive to thieves for a number of reasons (one
being they're harder to steal). The shop keeper doesn't seem to think
they're all that good or reliable. So are there any *good* and very
*small* lights suitable for pockets? Yes I can wear a coat, or take a
ruck sack with me etc etc but I'm looking for something a bit more
practical. Alternatively I will just have to find some that secure
better to the bike rather than quick release types. I live in Cambridge
and bikes and parts on bikes disappear within seconds so suggestions
welcome.

Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

David Johnson wrote:
You know the story. You want to go for a pint in town and its light
when you set out but will be dark by the time you've finished your
"pint". Now I already have a wallet, phone and house keys in my Jeans,
so where am I going to stuff my lights?? I went to the shop and asked
to have Dynamo lights fitted just because I — either rightly or wrongly
— assume they're less attractive to thieves for a number of reasons (one
being they're harder to steal). The shop keeper doesn't seem to think
they're all that good or reliable.

Your man in the shop is talking Bollox(TM). The good ones are (a) good
and (b) reliable. Get the current from a hub dynamo and you've got
about as reliable a light setup as you'll find anywhere, especially if
it uses LED front lights as that way you don't even have to worry about
blowing a bulb.
Roos & I use B&M Oval Plus and D-Toplight front/rear combinations on the
'bent and Roos' commuter, I've got a Basta front on the Brom. They're
very reliable and aren't in the habit of going Walkies, as they're
bolted on and wired in and most thieves probably think dynamos are a bit
wanky too...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

David Johnson wrote:

they're all that good or reliable. So are there any *good* and very
*small* lights suitable for pockets?

Cateye EL410
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetai...0Front%20Light

Easily pocketable, completely waterproof (it uses a magnetic reed switch
to switch on and off) and the rubber strap is uses fits in seconds to
handlebars or a helmet. About the size of a big lipstick.

Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

"David Johnson" wrote in message
...

You know the story. You want to go for a pint in town and its light
when you set out but will be dark by the time you've finished your
"pint". Now I already have a wallet, phone and house keys in my Jeans,
so where am I going to stuff my lights?? I went to the shop and asked
to have Dynamo lights fitted just because I — either rightly or wrongly
— assume they're less attractive to thieves for a number of reasons (one
being they're harder to steal). The shop keeper doesn't seem to think
they're all that good or reliable.

Which shop? I'm guessing it isn't Ben Haywards.

Dynamo lights are great, esp. hub dynamo ones, and the reasons you mention
are one of them.

cheers,
clive

Light Theft (solutions - small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

On Aug 28, 4:16 pm, David Johnson wrote:
snip
The shop keeper doesn't seem to think
they're all that good or reliable.

Cheap ones can be a bit crap - they tend not to put out much power,
fade rapidly as speed drops, and be noisy and of pretty poor quality.
Unless you're buying them as a complete throwaway, the cheap ones
should be avoided.

Hub dynamos are, by general concensus, the best type of dynamo, but
you need to get a wheel built up around them - requires a bit of
thought.

The best compromise (IMO), is a good quality bottle dynamo setup,
preferably complete with standlight. Rose Versand (Germany) is a good
place to look.
http://www.roseversand.de/output/con...=2&detail2=135

Tellingly, they catagorise "lighting" under "bike parts" rather than
"accessories".

hth,

bookieb

Light Theft (solutions - small pocket lights, or heavy duty wellsecured lights?)
 

bookieb said the following on 28/08/2007 17:10:

The best compromise (IMO), is a good quality bottle dynamo setup,
preferably complete with standlight.

Just curious, and I suppose I could look it up, but are those bottom
bracket roller dynamos still available? Or did everyone finally realise
that they really are crap?

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

David Johnson wrote:
You know the story. You want to go for a pint in town and its light
when you set out but will be dark by the time you've finished your
"pint". Now I already have a wallet, phone and house keys in my Jeans,

If you're always cycling 'in town' where there is adequate street lighting then your front
light is a 'see me!' device and can easily be small/tiny and doesn't need endurance.

Dynamo lights are fine (for values of fine) but the hub type are stuck with the bike so if
you have more than one bike or will borrow a friend's then that's no good. A bottle
dynamo (personally I hated the whine when engaged) are easier to swap to a new one if you
sell your bike.

If you have a habit of forgetting your lights or going 'to town' in the day but stopping
late on a whim then use a dynamo.[1]

Don't worry about /carrying your lights in the daylight/. Why would you? Simply clip them
to the bike. So, result, you don't need them tiny as the only time they'll be off the
bike is in the pub. This is an important result if you need endurance, and IMHO you only
want to be thinking about changing batteries say once every 4 evenings. (Doesn't apply to
LED rear lights but a cycling in the country headlight needs decent cells.)


[1] Or use the "A-B-C-D" mnemonic when (re)starting a ride
A - Air : Glance at tyres
B - Brakes : Flick each one to test effect
C - Clips : All things that clip... have you got them...should you have them?
D - Danglers : No laces, straps etc. that could get caught?



--
Peter Fox
Beer, dancing, cycling and lots more at www.eminent.demon.co.uk

Light Theft (solutions - small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

On 28 Aug, 16:27, John Hearns wrote:
David Johnson wrote:
they're all that good or reliable. So are there any *good* and very
*small* lights suitable for pockets?

Cateye EL410http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=536002576...

Seconded. I've used one of these for a couple of years now. Don't
expect it to light the road for you, but for such a small light it's
phenomenally bright.

I use a Cateye TL-LD1000 as my rear light - small and VERY bright. I
wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. My sole gripe is that in flashing
mode the top and bottom lines of LEDs flash slightly out of sync and
therefore don't have quite the all-on/all-off effect I'd like.

Light Theft (solutions - small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
On 28 Aug, 16:27, John Hearns wrote:
David Johnson wrote:
they're all that good or reliable. So are there any *good* and very
*small* lights suitable for pockets?

Cateye
EL410http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=536002576...

Seconded. I've used one of these for a couple of years now. Don't
expect it to light the road for you, but for such a small light it's
phenomenally bright.

I use a Cateye TL-LD1000 as my rear light - small and VERY bright. I
wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. My sole gripe is that in flashing
mode the top and bottom lines of LEDs flash slightly out of sync and
therefore don't have quite the all-on/all-off effect I'd like.

It's not waterproof but will survive a full wash cycle in a washing machine
:-)
As for synching the top and bottom rows, I doubt that it makes that much
difference to an observer 100m away.

Light Theft (solutions — small pocket lights, or heavy duty well secured lights?)
 

On 28/08/2007 16:27, John Hearns recommended:
Cateye EL410
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetai...0Front%20Light

Easily pocketable, completely waterproof (it uses a magnetic reed switch
to switch on and off) and the rubber strap is uses fits in seconds to
handlebars or a helmet. About the size of a big lipstick.

I bought one a couple of years ago for the kids' trailer. I don't think
I've ever actually used it on the trailer, it was just the best excuse I
could think of for buying it.

It lives in a pannier, strapped into a Maglite headband [1], to provide
light when I have to fix a puncture after dark. It also gets a lot of
use when I'm camping, because the light is good and, as John says, it's
very easy to pocket.

[1]
http://www.toolmix.com/browse/product.asp?pid=47734&s52cnc=FROOGLE-UK&s52r=FROOGLEUK

--
Danny Colyer http://www.redpedals.co.uk
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2