Bike Lights
 

Hello,

Grandson will soon be starting out on his first two-wheeler.

Thought it would be a good idea for him to have a LED light set, both
for the front and rear.

Going to Amazon, I see that they all "seem" to be LED lights for this
now, with a battery.

Do they still make any of those that I remember from "long ago" where
the power for these lights was provided by a generator turned by a
wheel, in some fashion ?

Are these still used ?

Better than the battery approach ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

BTW: Who makes the best and brightest ? Brand/Model, etc. ?

**Does he want the kind that is steady, or Blinks ? Why ?

Thanks,
Bob

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

Bike Lights
 

On 2/25/2014 6:01 PM, Bob wrote:

Grandson will soon be starting out on his first two-wheeler.

Thought it would be a good idea for him to have a LED light set, both
for the front and rear.

Going to Amazon, I see that they all "seem" to be LED lights for this
now, with a battery.

Not sure lighting is really a critical concern for someone on their
first bicycle. But I don't know the conditions/locations in which you ride.

You can get very good battery powered LED lights now. The LEDs are much
longer lasting and brighter than the older bulb, even halogen, types.

Do they still make any of those that I remember from "long ago" where
the power for these lights was provided by a generator turned by a
wheel, in some fashion ?

Are these still used ?

Better than the battery approach ?

Having a generator/alternator is the best approach if you are really
going to be doing a lot of early morning/night riding.

There are excellent generator and wheel dynamo light combinations, for
the most part made by Europeans (see Peter White bicycles for great
information on what to look for and prices on bike lighting), but they
are expensive, and I would think totally out of consideration for a
first bike setup!

You can still find cheapo, made in China, generator driven bike lighting
sets, but my experience is they aren't very good.

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

BTW: Who makes the best and brightest ? Brand/Model, etc. ?

**Does he want the kind that is steady, or Blinks ? Why ?

See Peter White bicycles for more information than you could possibly
imagine on this subject!


SMH

For Phil Lee From OP: Bike Lights
 

Hi,

Great article.
Well written.

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

Bob
--------------------

On 2/28/2014 2:51 AM, Phil W Lee wrote:
Bob considered Tue, 25 Feb 2014 18:01:24 -0500
the perfect time to write:

Hello,

Grandson will soon be starting out on his first two-wheeler.

Thought it would be a good idea for him to have a LED light set, both
for the front and rear.

Going to Amazon, I see that they all "seem" to be LED lights for this
now, with a battery.

Do they still make any of those that I remember from "long ago" where
the power for these lights was provided by a generator turned by a
wheel, in some fashion ?

Are these still used ?

Better than the battery approach ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

BTW: Who makes the best and brightest ? Brand/Model, etc. ?

**Does he want the kind that is steady, or Blinks ? Why ?

Thanks,
Bob

You'll find all you need to know here (and probably more, besides):
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/92/article9.html
Which is an article I wrote for the Cambridge Cycling Campaign
Newsletter on that very subject.



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

Bike Lights
 

On Tuesday, February 25, 2014 3:01:24 PM UTC-8, Bob wrote:
Hello,



Grandson will soon be starting out on his first two-wheeler.

Thought it would be a good idea for him to have a LED light set, both
for the front and rear.

Going to Amazon, I see that they all "seem" to be LED lights for this
now, with a battery.

Do they still make any of those that I remember from "long ago" where
the power for these lights was provided by a generator turned by a
wheel, in some fashion ?

Are these still used ?

Better than the battery approach ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

BTW: Who makes the best and brightest ? Brand/Model, etc. ?

**Does he want the kind that is steady, or Blinks ? Why ?

Thanks,
Bob

Bob - one thing that has to be emphasized - modern lights are NOT designed to light the roads. They are designed to make the bike visible in low visibility or dark. While this is a good idea for adult riders, kids rarely remember to both turn them on or turn them off thus making the idea of lighting moot.

The generator lights that you're talking about are still available from Europe and are actually designed so that they will light a dark road. But they are expensive and hard to find. And they do not light broken glass very well which is such a clear and present hazard on today's roads.

I would suggest that children not ride in the dark even with adult accompaniment since most of the adults I've met don't know how to ride in the dark any better than the kids.

Bike Lights
 

On Tue, 25 Feb 2014 18:01:24 -0500, Bob wrote:

Are these still used ?

Better than the battery approach ?

No, but horses for courses.
around town, a LED bicycle light utilising standard sized rechargeable
batteries is the easiest and more reliable.

The old problem of the generator lights is they went out when you
stopped. LEDs will stay on. Hint, some of those big 6" reflectors and a
reflective safety vest are also useful to be seen.

If he takes up touring and remote camping, then a generator to recharge
on the go is probably a worthwhile addition, unless he is paying for a be
each night.

Bike Lights
 

Checkout this lights, I am sure you will find some good deals. From lights that can lighten up the darkest woods to the only be seen city lights:

http://www.bicycle-discounts.com/acc...rs?s=perc_desc