Eyc headlight problem

sms wrote:
On 3/31/2021 6:49 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
sms wrote:


snip

I don't know whatever happened to the plans for 12V hub dynamos. There
are 12V bottle dynamos, but for whatever reason 12V hub dynamos never
were marketed
http://www.velovision.com/ftp-admin/VVArchive/www.velovisionmag.co.uk/showStory37a0.html?storynum=56.



Come on now, Steven, dust off your EE textbooks. A typical hub dynamo
transmits 3 Watts of power over a distance of maybe 3 feet. If you wanted
to double, triple or even transmit 10 times as much power, you don’t need
to change the voltage, just change the internal design of the dynamo. The
obvious solution would be a 3 phase AC generator, with a rectifier/buck
converter inside that puts out a constant 6 V with a much higher current
limit.

Now, inside the dynamo, there may be arguments to be made for a higher
internal voltage before the regulator, but a 6V output should be good up to
the point where nobody would buy one because it would sap too much energy
from the rider.

A hybrid design would be ideal. Regenerative braking on downhill to
charge the battery but running on the battery alone when going uphill.

With speed sensors, level sensors, and torque sensors, a hybrid bicycle
light might rarely require recharging from the mains, especially because
during daytime riding the battery drain would be limited to the small
amount of power used by a DRL.



Regenerative braking sounds great, but practically speaking, what
percentage of your life do you actually spend braking on downhill segments?

On 4/1/2021 11:25 AM, Rolf Mantel wrote:
Am 01.04.2021 um 18:03 schrieb jbeattie:

Most people who commute don't spend that much time riding
in the dark
and aren't willing to make the effort to get a dyno,
although that
demographic would be best served since most riding is in
facilities
and on streets.

Yes, you southerners (the 49th latitude is some 50 miles
south of here) don't have winters where the sun goes down
before the kids come home from school.
Round here, in southern Germany, there are three months
where you might be able to chose whether you prefer a dark
morning commute or a dark evening commute (and take 2 weeks
of vacation after christmas if you wish to see the sun at all).

+1
(from 43 something North)

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

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:59:48 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I think a lot of skepticism of dyno systems is due to "safety
inflation." Whatever was good enough last year _must_ be dangerous this
year, because there's something that claims to be "better." It applies
to riding without protective headgear, sliding our feet into toe clips,
removing our hands from the brake levers to shift gears, riding in
daylight with no lights, riding our bikes on roads that don't have walls
between cars and bikes, and much more. It amounts to retroactively
imagining past dangers we were never aware of.
--
- Frank Krygowski

Responding only to the toe clips comments. I vaguely remember riding with toe clips back in the 1980s. It was 30 years ago. I had Alfredo Binda toe straps. I got my first set of Time clipless pedals in the early 1990s. I was delighted to retire the toe clips and never ever use them again. Clipless for me. SPD or SPD-SL on all my bikes.

I've had bikes with stem mounted levers, downtube levers, bar end levers, STI, and Ergo. I'll rate STI and Ergo as a tie. Both are vastly superior to the others. I'm not going back.

On 4/1/2021 2:41 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:59:48 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I think a lot of skepticism of dyno systems is due to "safety
inflation." Whatever was good enough last year _must_ be dangerous this
year, because there's something that claims to be "better." It applies
to riding without protective headgear, sliding our feet into toe clips,
removing our hands from the brake levers to shift gears, riding in
daylight with no lights, riding our bikes on roads that don't have walls
between cars and bikes, and much more. It amounts to retroactively
imagining past dangers we were never aware of.
--
- Frank Krygowski

Responding only to the toe clips comments. I vaguely remember riding with toe clips back in the 1980s. It was 30 years ago. I had Alfredo Binda toe straps. I got my first set of Time clipless pedals in the early 1990s. I was delighted to retire the toe clips and never ever use them again. Clipless for me. SPD or SPD-SL on all my bikes.

I've had bikes with stem mounted levers, downtube levers, bar end levers, STI, and Ergo. I'll rate STI and Ergo as a tie. Both are vastly superior to the others. I'm not going back.

I never saw the appeal of bar-end levers, but brifters and even separate
bar mount shifters and brake levers make absolute sense.

Toe clips still make sense in situations when you want to ride with
normal shoes but can't get used to not being clipped in.

Hub dynamos still have some appeal to me, though the reality is not many
people are going to incur that kind of expense in order to obtain a
lighting system that is not as good as a battery-powered system that
costs much less. I think that these days people have gotten so used to
the nightly charge routine of phone, car, watch, computer, etc., that
plugging a USB cable into their bicycle light upon arrival at home has
just become habit.

On 4/1/2021 5:41 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:59:48 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I think a lot of skepticism of dyno systems is due to "safety
inflation." Whatever was good enough last year _must_ be dangerous this
year, because there's something that claims to be "better." It applies
to riding without protective headgear, sliding our feet into toe clips,
removing our hands from the brake levers to shift gears, riding in
daylight with no lights, riding our bikes on roads that don't have walls
between cars and bikes, and much more. It amounts to retroactively
imagining past dangers we were never aware of.
--
- Frank Krygowski

Responding only to the toe clips comments. I vaguely remember riding with toe clips back in the 1980s. It was 30 years ago. I had Alfredo Binda toe straps. I got my first set of Time clipless pedals in the early 1990s. I was delighted to retire the toe clips and never ever use them again. Clipless for me. SPD or SPD-SL on all my bikes.

I've had bikes with stem mounted levers, downtube levers, bar end levers, STI, and Ergo. I'll rate STI and Ergo as a tie. Both are vastly superior to the others. I'm not going back.

Preference is one thing. My point with the list I gave is that all of
those items have been touted, at least by some, as either necessary or
highly desirable for "safety" purposes.

And we live in odd times. Despite this being the safest era that ever
existed, society is ever more fearful of "danger." It leads to all sorts
of weird behavior - prohibiting kids playing away from adult
supervision, requiring protective gear for safe and normal activities,
living in communities with guards at the gate, buying guns for
"protection," etc. It makes people suckers for anything the promises
"safety," including bike equipment that solves safety problems that
never existed.

And simultaneously, we glorify risk taking through TV shows, movies,
video games, YouTube videos and more. Skateboarders, snowboarders,
mountain bikers and BMXers go for "big air." Skydivers, BASE jumpers
drift drivers are heroes.

Some day I'm going to be famous on YouTube for moving my hands away from
my brakes to shift.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 3:56:59 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/1/2021 5:41 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:59:48 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I think a lot of skepticism of dyno systems is due to "safety
inflation." Whatever was good enough last year _must_ be dangerous this
year, because there's something that claims to be "better." It applies
to riding without protective headgear, sliding our feet into toe clips,
removing our hands from the brake levers to shift gears, riding in
daylight with no lights, riding our bikes on roads that don't have walls
between cars and bikes, and much more. It amounts to retroactively
imagining past dangers we were never aware of.
--
- Frank Krygowski

Responding only to the toe clips comments. I vaguely remember riding with toe clips back in the 1980s. It was 30 years ago. I had Alfredo Binda toe straps. I got my first set of Time clipless pedals in the early 1990s. I was delighted to retire the toe clips and never ever use them again. Clipless for me. SPD or SPD-SL on all my bikes.

I've had bikes with stem mounted levers, downtube levers, bar end levers, STI, and Ergo. I'll rate STI and Ergo as a tie. Both are vastly superior to the others. I'm not going back.
Preference is one thing. My point with the list I gave is that all of
those items have been touted, at least by some, as either necessary or
highly desirable for "safety" purposes.

Yes, all modern improvements are the result of irrational fear. Take the toilet -- and computers for example.

Nobody in my cohort ever touted STI or step in pedal systems as a safety improvement. And in bike shops, they were sold as conveniences -- or performance enhancers. STI was the secret weapon! Click and sprint!

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set. Dim light but lots of it, like the hand-squeeze flashlights. Most people would rather spend one-fifth as much money and get twice the light at one-quarter the weight for the hour or so it takes them to get home during the winter months. That makes perfect sense. It's not safety inflation. Just look at the Costco flashlight ads: "it lights up a whole room!"

OTOH, super-bright flashers are safety inflation or perhaps irrational fear -- or maybe even rational fear, who knows. I got a bright pulsing rear flasher because I felt imperiled on parts of my commute, and I put reflective tape on my fenders. I do want to be seen at night -- and I have some great reflective booties that are real attention getters. A super-bright front flasher, however, has serious negative impacts when used indiscriminately.

And we live in odd times. Despite this being the safest era that ever
existed, society is ever more fearful of "danger." It leads to all sorts
of weird behavior - prohibiting kids playing away from adult
supervision, requiring protective gear for safe and normal activities,
living in communities with guards at the gate, buying guns for
"protection," etc. It makes people suckers for anything the promises
"safety," including bike equipment that solves safety problems that
never existed.

Like? A helmet? I look at my bike and see no safety improvements except for maybe wider tires. My current bikes are really no more or less safe than my bikes 50 years ago. They are more fun to ride, though. Yes, I love STI. I was riding last night, out of the saddle, clicking away merrily as I ascended the endless hills on my pre-dinner loop. F*** DT shifting.

And simultaneously, we glorify risk taking through TV shows, movies,
video games, YouTube videos and more. Skateboarders, snowboarders,
mountain bikers and BMXers go for "big air." Skydivers, BASE jumpers
drift drivers are heroes.

Some day I'm going to be famous on YouTube for moving my hands away from
my brakes to shift.

Mmmm. No.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 4/1/2021 4:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

OTOH, super-bright flashers are safety inflation or perhaps irrational fear -- or maybe even rational fear, who knows. I got a bright pulsing rear flasher because I felt imperiled on parts of my commute, and I put reflective tape on my fenders. I do want to be seen at night -- and I have some great reflective booties that are real attention getters. A super-bright front flasher, however, has serious negative impacts when used indiscriminately.

I wish that more lights didn't use the brightest setting for the DRL
flasher, and that instead of a "flash" they used a breathe mode (which
is similar to modulated motorcycle headlights).

I really like this light
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32802747811.html with the "breathe"
mode between 50 lumens and 100 lumens. You get the benefit of a DRL
without annoying oncoming cyclists.

Like? A helmet? I look at my bike and see no safety improvements except for maybe wider tires. My current bikes are really no more or less safe than my bikes 50 years ago. They are more fun to ride, though. Yes, I love STI. I was riding last night, out of the saddle, clicking away merrily as I ascended the endless hills on my pre-dinner loop. F*** DT shifting.

Braking systems are much better. Retention tabs on forks, shifters where
you don't have to remove your hands from the handlebars, better tires,
better lighting, better helmets.

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 7:45:49 p.m. UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 3:56:59 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/1/2021 5:41 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:59:48 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I think a lot of skepticism of dyno systems is due to "safety
inflation." Whatever was good enough last year _must_ be dangerous this
year, because there's something that claims to be "better." It applies
to riding without protective headgear, sliding our feet into toe clips,
removing our hands from the brake levers to shift gears, riding in
daylight with no lights, riding our bikes on roads that don't have walls
between cars and bikes, and much more. It amounts to retroactively
imagining past dangers we were never aware of.
--
- Frank Krygowski

Responding only to the toe clips comments. I vaguely remember riding with toe clips back in the 1980s. It was 30 years ago. I had Alfredo Binda toe straps. I got my first set of Time clipless pedals in the early 1990s. I was delighted to retire the toe clips and never ever use them again. Clipless for me. SPD or SPD-SL on all my bikes.

I've had bikes with stem mounted levers, downtube levers, bar end levers, STI, and Ergo. I'll rate STI and Ergo as a tie. Both are vastly superior to the others. I'm not going back.
Preference is one thing. My point with the list I gave is that all of
those items have been touted, at least by some, as either necessary or
highly desirable for "safety" purposes.
Yes, all modern improvements are the result of irrational fear. Take the toilet -- and computers for example.

Nobody in my cohort ever touted STI or step in pedal systems as a safety improvement. And in bike shops, they were sold as conveniences -- or performance enhancers. STI was the secret weapon! Click and sprint!

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set. Dim light but lots of it, like the hand-squeeze flashlights. Most people would rather spend one-fifth as much money and get twice the light at one-quarter the weight for the hour or so it takes them to get home during the winter months. That makes perfect sense. It's not safety inflation. Just look at the Costco flashlight ads: "it lights up a whole room!"

OTOH, super-bright flashers are safety inflation or perhaps irrational fear -- or maybe even rational fear, who knows. I got a bright pulsing rear flasher because I felt imperiled on parts of my commute, and I put reflective tape on my fenders. I do want to be seen at night -- and I have some great reflective booties that are real attention getters. A super-bright front flasher, however, has serious negative impacts when used indiscriminately.
And we live in odd times. Despite this being the safest era that ever
existed, society is ever more fearful of "danger." It leads to all sorts
of weird behavior - prohibiting kids playing away from adult
supervision, requiring protective gear for safe and normal activities,
living in communities with guards at the gate, buying guns for
"protection," etc. It makes people suckers for anything the promises
"safety," including bike equipment that solves safety problems that
never existed.
Like? A helmet? I look at my bike and see no safety improvements except for maybe wider tires. My current bikes are really no more or less safe than my bikes 50 years ago. They are more fun to ride, though. Yes, I love STI. I was riding last night, out of the saddle, clicking away merrily as I ascended the endless hills on my pre-dinner loop. F*** DT shifting.
And simultaneously, we glorify risk taking through TV shows, movies,
video games, YouTube videos and more. Skateboarders, snowboarders,
mountain bikers and BMXers go for "big air." Skydivers, BASE jumpers
drift drivers are heroes.

Some day I'm going to be famous on YouTube for moving my hands away from
my brakes to shift.
Mmmm. No.

-- Jay Beattie.

Back in 2001 I put Campagnolo 9-speed Mirage Ergo levers on my touring bike.. I love the fact that I can make a shift whilst struggling up a long or steep hill whilst battling a strong gusty head or side wind. I find that because of the convenience of those Ergo levers that I shift a lot more often which makes a long ride far less fatiguing since I can easily shift into a more efficient gear.

Cheers

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 8:54:48 p.m. UTC-4, sms wrote:
On 4/1/2021 4:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip
OTOH, super-bright flashers are safety inflation or perhaps irrational fear -- or maybe even rational fear, who knows. I got a bright pulsing rear flasher because I felt imperiled on parts of my commute, and I put reflective tape on my fenders. I do want to be seen at night -- and I have some great reflective booties that are real attention getters. A super-bright front flasher, however, has serious negative impacts when used indiscriminately..
I wish that more lights didn't use the brightest setting for the DRL
flasher, and that instead of a "flash" they used a breathe mode (which
is similar to modulated motorcycle headlights).

I really like this light
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32802747811.html with the "breathe"
mode between 50 lumens and 100 lumens. You get the benefit of a DRL
without annoying oncoming cyclists.
Like? A helmet? I look at my bike and see no safety improvements except for maybe wider tires. My current bikes are really no more or less safe than my bikes 50 years ago. They are more fun to ride, though. Yes, I love STI. I was riding last night, out of the saddle, clicking away merrily as I ascended the endless hills on my pre-dinner loop. F*** DT shifting.
Braking systems are much better. Retention tabs on forks, shifters where
you don't have to remove your hands from the handlebars, better tires,
better lighting, better helmets.

I like how in one paragraph is says, "the running time can be 9 hrs with middle luminance" and a bit further down the page it is says, "the running time can be 4 hours and 48 minutes on middle luminance".

Cheers

On 4/1/2021 8:58 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 8:54:48 p.m. UTC-4, sms wrote:
On 4/1/2021 4:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip
OTOH, super-bright flashers are safety inflation or perhaps irrational fear -- or maybe even rational fear, who knows. I got a bright pulsing rear flasher because I felt imperiled on parts of my commute, and I put reflective tape on my fenders. I do want to be seen at night -- and I have some great reflective booties that are real attention getters. A super-bright front flasher, however, has serious negative impacts when used indiscriminately.
I wish that more lights didn't use the brightest setting for the DRL
flasher, and that instead of a "flash" they used a breathe mode (which
is similar to modulated motorcycle headlights).

I really like this light
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32802747811.html with the "breathe"
mode between 50 lumens and 100 lumens. You get the benefit of a DRL
without annoying oncoming cyclists.
Like? A helmet? I look at my bike and see no safety improvements except for maybe wider tires. My current bikes are really no more or less safe than my bikes 50 years ago. They are more fun to ride, though. Yes, I love STI. I was riding last night, out of the saddle, clicking away merrily as I ascended the endless hills on my pre-dinner loop. F*** DT shifting.
Braking systems are much better. Retention tabs on forks, shifters where
you don't have to remove your hands from the handlebars, better tires,
better lighting, better helmets.

I like how in one paragraph is says, "the running time can be 9 hrs with middle luminance" and a bit further down the page it is says, "the running time can be 4 hours and 48 minutes on middle luminance".

Cheers


As is often noted, "If not for double standards, we'd have
no standards at all.'

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