Beverly wrote:

I see there has been another thread on building your own light system but I
need to buy one and want some suggestions based on how I'll use them.

Most of my riding is done on bike trails during day light hours. I never
considered buying lights until I misjudged how long it would take to return
to the car last weekend and had to ride the last few miles in the dark. I
was a little nervous as this trail is along a riverg I would like to have
a system that can easily be removed from the bike and possibly stored in a
bag until needed. There are so many different types and I'm not sure what
the pros and cons are for them. Any suggestions on buying a good lighting
system that won't be used too often? I'll be going to the LBS later this
week and would like to have some idea on what to purchase. I would like to
stay below $100 for the system. Am I going to be able to purchase a good
system in this price range?

Here are your choices - three broad categories:

1) "Flashlight" style units, clip onto handlebars, batteries in the
unit. Typical cost is $10 to $30. Typically 1.25 to 2.4 watts. The
newest designs have LEDs instead of halogen bulbs. These are OK for
occasional use, but marginal at best for anything over, say, 15 mph
unless there are lots of street lights.

2) Generator lights. Typical prices are $15 to $50. Almost all are
2.4 to 3 watts. No battery worries, and usually lots better optics than
any other type of light. Good for almost all riding, except night
mountain biking. But installation is more difficult and semi-permanent.
Good up to 20 mph, at least.

3) "Big" rechargeable battery units. Separate battery, almost always
powering a headlight based on an MR-11 or MR-18 lamp, as sold at your
hardware store. Typically 10 watts to 35 watts. Typical prices are
maybe $75 to $200. Brightest of the lot, but worst optics of the lot,
so you're paying big bucks for the priveledge of lighting the trees
overhead. The batteries have finite life (maybe a few years), and are
expensive to replace (maybe $50).

You can find extremes in each category, but those are typical.

For your use, if it's really just occasional, I'd get a Type 1 light
(the Cateye Micro II is about the best - see Andrew Muzi at the Yellow
Jersey online, or Peter White Cycles online), plus a rear LED blinky,
and I'd ride slow.

If this became a habit, I'd install a generator. They last forever and
are always ready. (Well, you may have to replace the bulb someday.)

If you plan to ride twisty dirt paths at night, or plan to exceed 30 mph
regularly, or are a "more is always better" type of person, then get the
Type 3 light. Don't ever mess up your recharging regime, or you'll
either be riding in the dark, or shelling out for another battery.



I've long thought that there should be a unit that uses the headlight
shell from a generator set (with their typically excellent optics) with
a (say) 5 to 10 watt bulb, to save the battery life, and allow a smaller
& less expensive battery. This would be for people who prefer tending
(& replacing) a rechargeable battery to installing a generator, or for
people whose night vision is bad. I can't understand why the priciest
lights have the worst optics!

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Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]