Lights for night-time riding

I'm sure this is a subject that gets discussed regularly but I haven'
been able to find anything specifically relevant and/or recent in th
archives..

What lighting do people use/recommend for night-time riding

By night-time riding, I'm thinking specifically of audax and simila
situations, so it needs to be effective on unlit roads. And I'm no
interested so much in what is 'legal' as what is practical and useful
(I imagine I'll probably fit some 'legal' lights on by bike as well
just as a token gesture, but I really want something that actually help
me see in the dark.

Currently I have a Cateye TL-AU100 on the rear, which is a pretty dam
good light if you ask me

On the front I have a Cateye EL200, which is a decent light for makin
yourself visible to cars etc. on lit roads, but is next to useless fo
finding your way on unlit roads

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and comin
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having rea
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights)

The Schmidt SON sounds good but expensive, so it will probably have t
be the Shimano if I go down that route. Since I'm happy with the Catey
at the rear, I'd probably want to put all the dynamo power into a nice
bright, wide-beamed front light. An advice/suggestions/anecdotes abou
such a set-up

Also, thinking about audax, what do people do for map/route-readin
lights? Would a clip-on booklight be up to the task? Pocket-sized torch
Petzl headlamp

cheers

d


-

In article , usenet-
says...
I'm sure this is a subject that gets discussed regularly but I haven't
been able to find anything specifically relevant and/or recent in the
archives...
=20
What lighting do people use/recommend for night-time riding?
=20
By night-time riding, I'm thinking specifically of audax and similar
situations, so it needs to be effective on unlit roads. And I'm not
interested so much in what is 'legal' as what is practical and useful.
(I imagine I'll probably fit some 'legal' lights on by bike as well,
just as a token gesture, but I really want something that actually helps
me see in the dark.)
=20
Currently I have a Cateye TL-AU100 on the rear, which is a pretty damn
good light if you ask me.
=20
On the front I have a Cateye EL200, which is a decent light for making
yourself visible to cars etc. on lit roads, but is next to useless for
finding your way on unlit roads.
=20
I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).
=20
The Schmidt SON sounds good but expensive, so it will probably have to
be the Shimano if I go down that route. Since I'm happy with the Cateye
at the rear, I'd probably want to put all the dynamo power into a nice,
bright, wide-beamed front light. An advice/suggestions/anecdotes about
such a set-up?
=20
Also, thinking about audax, what do people do for map/route-reading
lights? Would a clip-on booklight be up to the task? Pocket-sized torch?
Petzl headlamp?

OK. How good are you at basic electronics? A company called Lumileds=20
make a series of high-power LEDs called the Luxeon range and they come=20
in 1W, 3W and 5W flavours. The 1W ones seems to be (Haven't done an=20
object side-by-side test yet) about as bright as my 10W halogen. I'm=20
guessing that the 5W with the optional lens should give you a decent=20
beam to cycle by. The other advantages are relatively low power=20
consumption. The battery configuration for my halogen which gives me=20
about 2 hours burn time, would provide something like 40hours on the 1W.

This would be a bit of a project, but given that the batterise would=20
cost about =A335 (NiMH) and the light itself is around =A312 (1W) with lens=
,=20
this is still going to weigh in at less than the competition. I don't=20
believe I've seen a NiMH headlight for these sort of prices.

Your Total Cost of Ownership should also be reduced, given that the lamp=20
is not an incandescent and will last for something like 10,000 hours=20
before you might want to replace it.

Jon

Also, thinking about audax, what do people do for map/route-reading
lights? Would a clip-on booklight be up to the task? Pocket-sized torch?
Petzl headlamp?

I use a cateye EL400 (http://www.cateye.com/detail.php?products_id=116)
which attaches very easily to the side of my helmet. YMMV though as it will
only work on certain helmets with enough space for the bracket.

"davek" wrote in message
...

What lighting do people use/recommend for night-time riding?

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).

Well, you're already mostly agreeing with me! Hub dynamos have proved the
most reliable lighting for me.

The schmidt is nicer, but the shimano is perfectly adequate. (I used an
NX-10 for several years, and the newer ones are supposed to be better).

One trick you can do is run more than one lamp in series. The more common
use for this is a second switchable front lamp (used when you're going fast
enough to need one). I'm not sure this is compatible with the shimano switch
though - possibly an argument for not using one of those and having a normal
switch instead.

The less common variation on this is an LED back lamp, with lots (24) LEDs
in parallel, 12 facing one way and 12 the other. Stick the whole lot in
series with the front lamp, and you have a rather great back light.

cheers,
clive

davek wrote:

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).

The Schmidt SON sounds good but expensive, so it will probably have to
be the Shimano if I go down that route. Since I'm happy with the Cateye
at the rear, I'd probably want to put all the dynamo power into a nice,
bright, wide-beamed front light. An advice/suggestions/anecdotes about
such a set-up?

I used to use a cateye 2 * 10Watt lamps powered from a lead acid. It
broke after a few years and many thousand miles, no complaints, but I
needed new lights. I wondered about a SON but is is lots of money, new
wheel et al and I had just bought new wheels. The good lady points out
that I should stop faffing around, get the SON, try it and if it did not
work get something else (commuting saves a lot of cash so it pays for
itself quickly).

So I got a SON and a 3W head lamp. Does me fine for riding on unlit
country roads and in town. I would not go back to batteries, hence my
triplet has a dynamo (though not a hub one, which I sort of regret).

I would not hesitate to recommend a SON.

--chris

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 15:42:35 GMT, davek
wrote in message
:

I'm sure this is a subject that gets discussed regularly but I haven't
been able to find anything specifically relevant and/or recent in the
archives...

Oh, hey, at least it's not a helmet thread ;-)

What lighting do people use/recommend for night-time riding?

Hub dynamo plus headtorch on unlit roads, hub dynamo round town.

By night-time riding, I'm thinking specifically of audax and similar
situations, so it needs to be effective on unlit roads. And I'm not
interested so much in what is 'legal' as what is practical and useful.
(I imagine I'll probably fit some 'legal' lights on by bike as well,
just as a token gesture, but I really want something that actually helps
me see in the dark.)

SON with 12V setup is the dog's nuts then.

Currently I have a Cateye TL-AU100 on the rear, which is a pretty damn
good light if you ask me.

Not bad at all. Make sure you have two, one flashing one steady, so
if one fails you are still illuminated.

On the front I have a Cateye EL200, which is a decent light for making
yourself visible to cars etc. on lit roads, but is next to useless for
finding your way on unlit roads.

Indeed.

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).

Yes. Sound choice.

The Schmidt SON sounds good but expensive, so it will probably have to
be the Shimano if I go down that route. Since I'm happy with the Cateye
at the rear, I'd probably want to put all the dynamo power into a nice,
bright, wide-beamed front light. An advice/suggestions/anecdotes about
such a set-up?

I have both. I have a Nexyus powering a 2.4W front and B&M 4D
toplight senso multi on the wedgie, and that is excellent - switch on
auto, lights come on as required, no brain involved.

On the 'bent I use batter rear lights, a 3W SON E6 headlight and a
second Lumotec Oval in series with a shorting switch inna 12V stylee.
That's even better.

I also use a headtorch on unlit roads, just to fill in the dips.

If you can afford the SON, it's well worth the money. If you can't,
the Shimano is unlikely to disappoint.

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

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

"Clive George" wrote in message ...
"davek" wrote in message
...

What lighting do people use/recommend for night-time riding?

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).

Well, you're already mostly agreeing with me! Hub dynamos have proved the
most reliable lighting for me.

The schmidt is nicer, but the shimano is perfectly adequate. (I used an
NX-10 for several years, and the newer ones are supposed to be better).

One trick you can do is run more than one lamp in series. The more common
use for this is a second switchable front lamp (used when you're going fast
enough to need one). I'm not sure this is compatible with the shimano switch
though - possibly an argument for not using one of those and having a normal
switch instead.

The less common variation on this is an LED back lamp, with lots (24) LEDs
in parallel, 12 facing one way and 12 the other. Stick the whole lot in
series with the front lamp, and you have a rather great back light.

I am eternally grateful to two riders with front hubs for helping me
complete my first 400; however for this year's I intend to use two
Cateye opticubes, for the small amount of night riding I do they are
fine. Also recommend an ebay led head lamp (or if you want to pay full
whack a Petzl tikka) for maps/puntures.

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 17:39:52 -0700, MartinM wrote:


fine. Also recommend an ebay led head lamp (or if you want to pay full
whack a Petzl tikka) for maps/puntures.
I agree on the LED headlamp. On last years Dunwich Dynamo I found
mine very useful for reading road signs.

Quick plug: http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/
(I have no connection with this company)

davek wrote:

Currently I have a Cateye TL-AU100 on the rear, which is a pretty damn
good light if you ask me.

I agree, the weapon of choice for me on the Brompton, and with minor
wangles will fit on a mudguard as well a seatpost.

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of dynamo vs battery lights and coming
down on the side of dynamo, probably favouring a hub type (having read
some of the info at http://www.audax.uk.net/lights).

Having a SON on the 'bent *and* the Brompton, I clearly think they're
worth the money, and it's just got another vote here.
On the 'bent it's powering both lamps but is still quite adequate for
unlit country roads, of which there's no shortage round here. I do go a
bit slower round sharp bends on downhills and it's not really good
enough for extended offroad, but aside from that no gotchas. I've been
very impressed with it. My front is a B&M Lutoyec Oval Plus Sensor,
which includes a photocell to turn on the lamps for you as it gets
gloomy. Sounds like a gimmick, but the more I use it the more I like
it: it just makes your lamps something you can forget about.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Thanks Peter and Guy and everyone else for all the excellent advice -
I'm now leaning towards the possibility of waiting a while and building
the cost of a SON into my new bike (a fully kitted tourer) when I get
it... and at that point I'll probably convert the current all-purpose
machine into a dedicated road training bike, so a hub dynamo probably
wouldn't be such a good idea right now. I'm unlikely to do my first 400
before I get the new bike anyway.

cheers,

d.



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