First dark morning of the year

"Ken M" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bruce & Lois Nelson wrote:
What are tireflys?


I am not sure but I am guessing that they are similar to fenders, but
made out of a fabric perhaps? Similar to a rainfly on a tent?

Tireflys are valve caps with a light on them.

I submit that on or about Tue, 27 Sep 2005 05:58:53 -0500, the person
known to the court as "Roger Houston" made a
statement in Your Honour's
bundle) to the following effect:

So what kind of light should one use to see potholes (a "to see" light) as
opposed to light your vehicle for others to see (a "be seen" light)? Is
there a site with reasonable reviews?

Dozens, some with an agenda, some without. Andreas Oehler's beam
pattern comparison is quite good:
http://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Kompon.../vergleich.htm

I use a SON E6 headlight powered by a SON hub dynamo. It works well
on every kind of road I ride (a mix of urban and unlit country roads).
A headtorch is useful, too - you can look into the shadows.

You are right that most of the brightest lights do not have road
vehicle optics, so can dazzle oncoming drivers (and riders). I really
can't imagine why this is, since it is not hard to make decent optics.
I guess they are primarily shooting for the offroad market. If you
want battery powered lights you could always get a couple of SON E6s
(or any other good quality road-optimised bike headlight) and power
them off a rechargeable battery pack, that would work well enough.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Richard wrote:
"Ken M" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bruce & Lois Nelson wrote:
What are tireflys?


I am not sure but I am guessing that they are similar to fenders, but
made out of a fabric perhaps? Similar to a rainfly on a tent?

Tireflys are valve caps with a light on them.

Interesting I have never seen them before. What is the power source? If
battery what type and what is the lifespan?

Ken

In article ,
"Just zis Guy, you know?" writes:

You are right that most of the brightest lights do not have road
vehicle optics, so can dazzle oncoming drivers (and riders). I really
can't imagine why this is, since it is not hard to make decent optics.

I think it's partly because such lights are
typically mounted too high up on the bicycle
(on the handlebar.) Bicycle headlights don't
need to be at drivers' eye levels.

The heights at which headlights are mounted
seems to be a too frequently overlooked
consideration, yet it can have such a
dramatic effect on a light's performance.

Per: http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/chapter8a.htm

"Mount a generator or high-powered battery light low,
so its beam pattern extends longest and reveals
surface irregularities."


cheers,
Tom

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Above address is just a spam midden.
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Ken M wrote:
Richard wrote:
"Ken M" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bruce & Lois Nelson wrote:
What are tireflys?


I am not sure but I am guessing that they are similar to fenders, but
made out of a fabric perhaps? Similar to a rainfly on a tent?

Tireflys are valve caps with a light on them.

Interesting I have never seen them before. What is the power source? If
battery what type and what is the lifespan?

Take a gander for yourself:
http://www.fadtoys.com/tireflys.shtml

-Buck

Buck wrote:
Ken M wrote:
Richard wrote:
"Ken M" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bruce & Lois Nelson wrote:
What are tireflys?


I am not sure but I am guessing that they are similar to fenders, but
made out of a fabric perhaps? Similar to a rainfly on a tent?

Tireflys are valve caps with a light on them.

Interesting I have never seen them before. What is the power source? If
battery what type and what is the lifespan?

Take a gander for yourself:
http://www.fadtoys.com/tireflys.shtml

-Buck

Interesting in a gadget / toy kind of way. But I think I have enough
battery powered stuff on my bike as it is.

Ken

Ken M wrote:
Interesting in a gadget / toy kind of way. But I think I have enough
battery powered stuff on my bike as it is.

Ken

I thought long before I added them to the trailer. Then I figured that
they wouldn't get much use, might provide some entertainment value for
the passengers, and really lit up the wheels for rides after dark. They
also seem to run forever, especially since they are bump-activated. Oh,
don't forget- they are cehap too.

-Buck

I submit that on or about Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:36:04 -0700, the person
known to the court as (Tom Keats) made a
statement in Your Honour's bundle)
to the following effect:

Per: http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/chapter8a.htm

"Mount a generator or high-powered battery light low,
so its beam pattern extends longest and reveals
surface irregularities."

Indeed. Many touring bikes have light brackets brazed onto the
offside fork leg.

But if you look at the standards for auto lights you will see that
they place strict limits on the amount of light that may be cast above
the vertical. Some of the really bright lights (HID etc.) can't
easily be kept below those levels without pointing them so low as to
be useless. If only they would offer proper road optics life would be
a lot simpler!

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Buck wrote:
Ken M wrote:
Interesting in a gadget / toy kind of way. But I think I have enough
battery powered stuff on my bike as it is.

Ken

I thought long before I added them to the trailer. Then I figured that
they wouldn't get much use, might provide some entertainment value for
the passengers, and really lit up the wheels for rides after dark. They
also seem to run forever, especially since they are bump-activated. Oh,
don't forget- they are cehap too.

-Buck

Well if the passengers like them. I don't ride too much in the dark
hours, but the elderly sight impaired drivers around here need as much
'here I am' warning as you can give them. Maybe I'll get some when I
get back from my tour.

Ken

In article ,
"Just zis Guy, you know?" writes:
I submit that on or about Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:36:04 -0700, the person
known to the court as (Tom Keats) made a
statement in Your Honour's bundle)
to the following effect:

Per: http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/chapter8a.htm

"Mount a generator or high-powered battery light low,
so its beam pattern extends longest and reveals
surface irregularities."

Indeed. Many touring bikes have light brackets brazed onto the
offside fork leg.

But if you look at the standards for auto lights you will see that
they place strict limits on the amount of light that may be cast above
the vertical. Some of the really bright lights (HID etc.) can't
easily be kept below those levels without pointing them so low as to
be useless.

I suspect that's because they're originally "designed" with
off-road use in mind. Mounting such lights high on the
handlebar would protect them from getting bashed by branches
and other natural obstacles. And with the comparatively
lower speeds dictated by rough singletrack, one would pretty
well want the area right in front of the front wheel illuminated,
as well as higher-up stuff like low-hanging branches. In effect,
one would want lights that make a "light tunnel" to ride through.
I daresay for such use HID and MRn-bulb'd spot/floodlights are
eminently practical. But for riding on paved streets & roads,
what good are such lights if one doesn't know where to stick 'em?
"Light tunnels" aren't needed on city streets or the open road,
and in fact, as you say, may dazzle other road users.

If only they would offer proper road optics life would be
a lot simpler!

It would be especially lovely to have well-illuminated &
shaped beams and spots on the street preceding us as we
near intersections, to announce our approach to any
cross-traffic drivers -- which is what you call "road optics"
would avail.


cheers,
Tom

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-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca