In article ,
(David Johnston) wrote:

Tim McNamara wrote in message
...
I've been delighted with my Schmidt dynamo hub and fork mounted
headlight. There are no batteries and the drag is imperceptible.
It wouldn't be suitable for off-road night rides, though.

The Schmidt dynamo hub is appealing, but it's so expensive for
something that doesn't produce a lot of light. Also, I don't know
how I'd feel about the reduction in light, going from 10 Watts to
3. Yes, going to 6 watts is possible with a secondary light, but
that comes out to about $250 without even factoring in the new rim
and spokes.

Don't be mislead by watts, which are not necessarily a good indicator
of light output. Optics design is just as important. There's a lot
of good discussion about this on the Internet and in the bike lighting
mailing lists.

As far as output goes, I find after 6 hours of riding at night, my
Schmidt system (with Lumotec Oval headlight) puts out a lot more light
than any battery powered system. ;-) My lighting system is perfectly
suitable for riding in rural areas with little or no ambient light, at
speeds up to 35 mph.

I find this system superior for my needs, which of course doesn't make
it so for anyone else. It's always on my bike (well, that particular
bike), so I can ride without worrying about the sun going down whether
riding for fun or commuting.