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I wussed out today



 
 
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  #31  
Old November 16th 04, 03:08 PM
dgk
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On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 00:41:53 -0800, Bill Baka
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:03:16 -0500, dgk
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 03:29:58 GMT, "Gooserider"
wrote:


"dgk" wrote in message
...
I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day.

No shame there. Cold is OK, and wet is OK, but cold and wet sucks. The
problem I have riding to work this time of year is lack of light. I
have a
22 mile commute and since I work 8-5 I have to leave when it's dark and
I
end up getting home when it's dark. Do you have to deal with this also?
Let
me tell you----living in an area populated by retirees with night
blindness
is exciting!


It does get dark about halfway home but I have so many lights that I
look like an ambulance. I have the Nite Hawk Raptor (lead acid
battery) that lasts for over two hours, plus a backup of a Bell 4AA
battery light. One flasher on the seat stay and one on the back of the
helmet. Plus those adorable thingies that fit on the valve stems. And
reflectors. Someone would really need to be sleeping to miss me.

The lead acid will be your problem since they are only good for maybe
500 discharge cycles. NiMH is better if you can afford it and the
Lithium are the top of the heap. They have gone from Lithium-ion
to Lithium-polymer that I know of and there may even be something new.
How about a dyno-hub plus batteries? Expensive but the only way to
go in the dark.


It was only $40 or so. 500 discharge cycles should easily last three
years, and that is five times a week for six months per year. It isn't
as bright as some systems I'm sure, but I ride in New York City. It is
never truly dark where I'm riding.

I love the idea of dyno-hubs, but it would need a backup since I am
often forced to stop on the way home. Plus, I have a fairly
inexpensive bike ($300) for commuting, mostly because I figure that
sooner or later it is likely to get stolen. Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.

I think the Raptor is a good compromise. I just have to remember to
charge it every night. So far, no problem. Plus, I have that cheapo
4AA as backup!
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  #32  
Old November 16th 04, 04:40 PM
Bill Baka
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:08:16 -0500, dgk
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 00:41:53 -0800, Bill Baka
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:03:16 -0500, dgk
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 03:29:58 GMT, "Gooserider"
wrote:


"dgk" wrote in message
...
I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day.

No shame there. Cold is OK, and wet is OK, but cold and wet sucks. The
problem I have riding to work this time of year is lack of light. I
have a
22 mile commute and since I work 8-5 I have to leave when it's dark
and
I
end up getting home when it's dark. Do you have to deal with this
also?
Let
me tell you----living in an area populated by retirees with night
blindness
is exciting!


It does get dark about halfway home but I have so many lights that I
look like an ambulance. I have the Nite Hawk Raptor (lead acid
battery) that lasts for over two hours, plus a backup of a Bell 4AA
battery light. One flasher on the seat stay and one on the back of the
helmet. Plus those adorable thingies that fit on the valve stems. And
reflectors. Someone would really need to be sleeping to miss me.

The lead acid will be your problem since they are only good for maybe
500 discharge cycles. NiMH is better if you can afford it and the
Lithium are the top of the heap. They have gone from Lithium-ion
to Lithium-polymer that I know of and there may even be something new.
How about a dyno-hub plus batteries? Expensive but the only way to
go in the dark.


It was only $40 or so. 500 discharge cycles should easily last three
years, and that is five times a week for six months per year. It isn't
as bright as some systems I'm sure, but I ride in New York City. It is
never truly dark where I'm riding.

I love the idea of dyno-hubs, but it would need a backup since I am
often forced to stop on the way home. Plus, I have a fairly
inexpensive bike ($300) for commuting, mostly because I figure that
sooner or later it is likely to get stolen. Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.

I think the Raptor is a good compromise. I just have to remember to
charge it every night. So far, no problem. Plus, I have that cheapo
4AA as backup!


I have seen those hubs at up to $400.00 built into a wheel. It depends
on your ambition level. You could also try packing a solar panel to
charge up the batteries during the day. I have one that is 5" diameter
and puts out 6 volts at 100+ mA. Just an alternative idea.


--
Bill (not always politically correct) Baka
  #33  
Old November 16th 04, 08:38 PM
dgk
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 07:40:59 -0800, Bill Baka

....

I love the idea of dyno-hubs, but it would need a backup since I am
often forced to stop on the way home. Plus, I have a fairly
inexpensive bike ($300) for commuting, mostly because I figure that
sooner or later it is likely to get stolen. Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.

I think the Raptor is a good compromise. I just have to remember to
charge it every night. So far, no problem. Plus, I have that cheapo
4AA as backup!


I have seen those hubs at up to $400.00 built into a wheel. It depends
on your ambition level. You could also try packing a solar panel to
charge up the batteries during the day. I have one that is 5" diameter
and puts out 6 volts at 100+ mA. Just an alternative idea.


Oh, way cool. I don't think the bike thieves would even know whether
to steal it. But the LeadAcid battery comes with a very specific
charger and they warn you to use nothing else. A more serious problem
would be that I lock the bike to a subway gate that is right in front
of a college located a block from where I work. There are two great
advantages to that location:

1) security guards hang out all day right in that area - not that it
kept someone from stealing a wheel from a previous bike that I had
there, but one hopes it will keep them from walking away with the
whole thing. Plus I learned to lock the wheels at all times.

2) It is under a big overhang that is part of the college. So, while
it keeps the bike from getting rained on, or snowed on (we'll see
soon), it also keeps it from getting sunned on. So, no recharge.

Something for the future. I'm looking into getting solar panels for my
house, but they're still very expensive.
  #34  
Old November 16th 04, 09:12 PM
Zoot Katz
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Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:08:16 -0500,
, dgk
wrote of dynamo-hubs:

Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.


Shimano DH-3N70 - $119.95.
Dura- Ace HB-7800 - $113.95

That's six bucks for a generator.
Lock your wheel.
--
zk
  #35  
Old November 16th 04, 09:43 PM
dgk
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 12:12:32 -0800, Zoot Katz
wrote:

Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:08:16 -0500,
, dgk
wrote of dynamo-hubs:

Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.


Shimano DH-3N70 - $119.95.
Dura- Ace HB-7800 - $113.95

That's six bucks for a generator.
Lock your wheel.


True, but then I already have a hub. Plus, you need to get it in a
wheel, which raises it to $200 or so. And, of course, you need lights,
which seem to be another $50 at least.

One odd thing. I have a 10W Halogen on the Raptor, but the lights that
go with the hub are 2.4 or 3 watt. Wouldn't that provide much less
light than the 10 watt?
  #36  
Old November 16th 04, 11:15 PM
Zoot Katz
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Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:43:24 -0500,
, dgk
wrote:

Shimano DH-3N70 - $119.95.
Dura- Ace HB-7800 - $113.95

That's six bucks for a generator.
Lock your wheel.


True, but then I already have a hub. Plus, you need to get it in a
wheel, which raises it to $200 or so. And, of course, you need lights,
which seem to be another $50 at least.

Okay, as an upgrade it's an added cost. On a new bike it's more
expensive than comparable plain hub. Is it less expensive than a hub
and a light system with innumerable battery pack replacements?

I cheaped out spending only $10 for an old 70mm Union light scattering
front lamp, red rear and bottle generator. With $6.50 for a new
krypton bulb it gave me good service for over a year. Then I built
new wheels for the bike. $90 for the Nexus front hub, $55 for spokes
and rim. $4 for the switch. A broken switch ran it up to $149 CND
spread over almost four years daily service.
(Replacement bulbs and batteries for blinkies extra)

One odd thing. I have a 10W Halogen on the Raptor, but the lights that
go with the hub are 2.4 or 3 watt. Wouldn't that provide much less
light than the 10 watt?


There's been several discussions of this lately and they've concluded
that the power is wasted if the beam isn't shaped by the optics.
Many of the high wattage systems compensate for their inferior optics
by throwing extra watts at the problem.

Here's some examples of 2.4 watt headlights.
http://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Kompon.../vergleich.htm

High powered battery lights come into their own for limited off-road
rides after dark.

For my urban riding, 2.4 watts is totally adequate and _always_ there.
I can use it as a daytime running lamp and still have lights for the
way home later.
--
zk
  #37  
Old November 17th 04, 12:18 AM
Bill Baka
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:38:13 -0500, dgk
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 07:40:59 -0800, Bill Baka

...

I love the idea of dyno-hubs, but it would need a backup since I am
often forced to stop on the way home. Plus, I have a fairly
inexpensive bike ($300) for commuting, mostly because I figure that
sooner or later it is likely to get stolen. Those hubs (I checked)
tend to run $250 and above. That is simply too much to have stolen.

I think the Raptor is a good compromise. I just have to remember to
charge it every night. So far, no problem. Plus, I have that cheapo
4AA as backup!


I have seen those hubs at up to $400.00 built into a wheel. It depends
on your ambition level. You could also try packing a solar panel to
charge up the batteries during the day. I have one that is 5" diameter
and puts out 6 volts at 100+ mA. Just an alternative idea.


Oh, way cool. I don't think the bike thieves would even know whether
to steal it. But the LeadAcid battery comes with a very specific
charger and they warn you to use nothing else.


Scare tactics. If you set the charger at 6.9 volts for a 6 volt lead acid
battery it won't overcharge. Lead acid is 2.2 volts per cell so a 12 volt
car battery is a nominal 13.2 volts. I have one sitting next to me now at
13.8 volts float charge until I finish working on my pet hot rod car. Did
I just admit to that on a bicycle group? Whoops.

A more serious problem
would be that I lock the bike to a subway gate that is right in front
of a college located a block from where I work. There are two great
advantages to that location:

1) security guards hang out all day right in that area - not that it
kept someone from stealing a wheel from a previous bike that I had
there, but one hopes it will keep them from walking away with the
whole thing. Plus I learned to lock the wheels at all times.

2) It is under a big overhang that is part of the college. So, while
it keeps the bike from getting rained on, or snowed on (we'll see
soon), it also keeps it from getting sunned on. So, no recharge.

Something for the future. I'm looking into getting solar panels for my
house, but they're still very expensive.


I saw some panels that were about $240.00 for a 120 watt panel. I can't
think where to save my life but they were Japanese made, maybe Korean, but
I didn't bookmark it. I think the best is $2.00 per watt and with
electricity pushing $.20 KW/Hr and only 8 hours of good sun per day it
takes a while to pay back. Reality check is that solar is getting cheaper
and electric utilities have nowhere to go but up.

Anyway, I found out with bikes you have to lock the wheels to the frame
and then lock it all to the rack. Somebody on here had their seat stolen
due to a quick height adjust and a lowlife thief. Maybe just take the seat
with you.



--
Bill (not always politically correct) Baka
 




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