On 8/15/2013 8:49 PM, Phil W Lee wrote:
John B. considered Thu, 15 Aug 2013 18:46:54
+0700 the perfect time to write:

On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 07:31:56 +0100, Phil W Lee
wrote:

John B. considered Thu, 15 Aug 2013 08:40:07
+0700 the perfect time to write:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 22:09:26 +0000 (UTC), Duane
wrote:

Lou Holtman wrote:
Duane wrote:
On 8/14/2013 2:37 PM, sms wrote:
On 8/14/2013 11:22 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

I rie my road bike quite some distance most days. I use it for
transportation and I *"DO NOT WANT OR REQUIRE A HUB DYNAMO ON IT"* nor
would I want to pay the extra $ for something I neither want or need.
I'm sure that there are many other "Transportation" bicyclist who also
do not need or want any lighting system on their bike.

This is true. However it might be nice if bicycle manufacturers offered
the option to substitute a dynamo hub wheel for a non-dynamo wheel at
the time of purchase, for a nominal charge, for those that do want it;
at least on models that would be likely to be used for transportational
cycling.


The problem is that most of us don't buy bikes from manufacturers. If
the retail outlets want to offer that option I don't have a problem with
that. Choice is a good thing. Otherwise, I'm with Sir R, here. Don't
need it and don't want it. My lights are in my backpack on my commute
unless I need them. If I'm off on a road ride on the weekend, they're
still in my backpack but it's in the closet. I certainly don't want
anything built into my bike.

Where I have a problem is if I'm forced to use something that I don't
need or want, especially not based on how someone else thinks I should use my bike.


Do you really think the Germans and we, the Dutch, have dynohubs on our
roadbikes, Atb's or crossbikes? We only think it is stupid to have battery
powered lights on bikes which are regularly used when it is dark. Think of
a family with three kids going to school on bike all with battery powered
lights? You gotta be kidding.


No I don't think that but some people here are calling for bikes to be
"manufactured" with hub dynamos or for them to be mandated. I can't see the
government making the distinction between a road bike and a commuter.

I would guess that if bicycles were sold with a mandated dyno-hub and
lights meeting some sort of "standard" there would be a huge outcry
from the cycling brotherhood.

We might ask A Muzi what he estimates a mandated lighting system might
add to the price of a bike, but my guess would be that if it was a
matter of government fiat, with manufacturers required to pass some
sort of government inspection and gain government approval together
with penalties for those who sold non-approved lighting, it would not
be cheap.

Then too, if one has a mandated requirement then one must have some
sort of inspection function to ensure that "unsafe" systems are not
being used, and of course, some sort of documentation that the
inspection had been passed......

It's easy to find the illegal ones.
They trail swearing and threats of justified violence in their wake.

I'm betting that A Muzzi would LOVE to see cycle sales in the US reach
German levels.

I believe that bike sales in the U.S. are considerably higher, both in
volume and dollar value, then German sales.

Per capita?

I'd be very very surprised.


I had no idea but it seems roughly 82 million Germans buy
about 4.05 million bikes (2011) or 1:20.25 while 330 million
USAians buy about 12 million bicycles or about 1:27.5

ref page 19:
http://www.coliped.com/docs/issuu/Eu...ion%202012.pdf

(I assumed everyone who happens to be here, citizen or not,
and all kinds of bicycles. No idea if population figures for
Germany include aliens legal or otherwise, I'm not claiming
any deep research or statistical rigor.)

The E495 average price is a large number I think. Wow.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971