On 5/7/2018 11:31 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 7 May 2018 13:21:02 +0000 (UTC), David Scheidt
wrote:

Theodore Heise wrote:

:Someone noted elsethread the great variation in user requirements,
:and the choice between dynamos and rechargeables is certainly
:affected by them. I need a light only infrequently, so for me a
:dynamo would largely be wasted weight and clutter on the bike. On

Ah, but it would just work. Get on the bike, and ride. a rechargable
light would have to be found, put on the bike, and discover the
batteries are dead.

Assuming you own an automobile, what do you check before you go for a
ride or drive? Got enough gasoline? Fluid levels within limits? Tire
pressure look normal? Engine warning light on? For fanatics, does
the add-on OBD II display panel show anything unusual? Having driven
rolling wrecks during college, walking around the vehicle to see what
has fallen off or was stolen in the night was a regular ritual.

Same with my bicycles. Do you check the air pressure in your tires
before riding? I don't, but I give the tires a good squeeze as a
crude pressure check and pump as needed. My favorite mistakes are a
loose quick release, a loose nut from an unfinished repair, and my
folding pedals in the folded position. I take a quick look at the
frame and gears for any sign of damage. I check for my seat bag of
tricks, which contains tools, parts, munchies, and a few dollars.

Batteries do not provide a visual or mechanical indication of SoC
(state of charge), but you can add something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lithium-ion-Charging-Battery-Voltage-Capacity-Percent-Level-LED-Indicator-18650/181692946263
Some headlights have a similar indicator built in. I use a DVM
(digital voltmeter) instead.

More problematic is the tail light, which usually runs on alkaline AA
or AAA cells. I haven't seen one with a SoC indicator and would not
expect to see one as the added circuitry and display would probably
cost more than the tail light. So, I run the alkalines until they
die, and carry a few spare NiMH cells which I rotate as needed. With
LSD (low self discharge) NiMH cells, they remain mostly charged for
months.

While just jumping onto the bicycle and going for a ride is a nice
thought, the reality is that we all do some manner of pre-flight check
before riding. So, why is it so painful to add a headlight battery
test to the checklist?

Oddly enough, with both the car and the bike (and the motorcycle) I
don't have a checklist, at least for ordinary day-to-day trips. I just
get moving.

I used my utility bike today to go out to get some food for dinner. I
clipped on my eyeglass mirror, used safety pins to contain the cuffs of
my jeans, and pedaled off. I suppose I may have glanced down as I left
the drive to be sure my tires weren't low on air, but maybe not.

It was not long before sunset. I didn't even think about lights, because
I never have to on the bike, except that when it gets dark, I turn them
on. Just like the car and the motorcycle.

Tomorrow we'll be taking our folding bikes with us on a little trip. I
won't check anything before I pack them, because we used them a few days
ago and they were fine. I certainly won't check the lights. They just work.

--
- Frank Krygowski