Eyc headlight problem

On 4/1/2021 7:45 PM, 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.

Hmm. I thought lawyers were supposed to be good at the fine print. And
heck, my posting was in normal font!

What did I say? I said nothing about your cohort.
I said the items in the list were touted as safety improvements by at
least _some_ as either necessary or desirable for "safety."

Examples: Some of the young racers in that comparative road test (modern
racing bikes vs. older racing bikes) were worried about the safety of
taking their hands off the brakes to shift.

Years ago, we had a poster here who said older pedals were unsafe, that
people should change their pedals. (Sorry, I admit I can't find the post.)

Scharf has gone on and on about the danger of riding in daylight without
a DRL. And companies are definitely pushing ultra-bright taillights for
daytime use. We've had people here describing their purported safety
advantages.

Joerg has gone on and on about the dangers of riding on ordinary roads,
those without separation between motor vehicles and bikes. And living in
Portland, you can't possibly have failed to hear safety claims for
"cycletracks."

And the myth of a bike brain injury epidemic was created to sell
helmets. Bicyclists are only a tiny percentage of serious TBI cases, yet
a huge slice of America thinks nobody should ever pedal without
styrofoam "safety" gear.

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set.

The "Radio Shack set" may like them. So do many members of the
"practical transportation set." The "long distance travel set." And the
"I don't want to keep fussing with batteries" set. There are others too,
I'm sure.

But you don't have to like them. In fact, you don't have to keep the set
you have. I can trade you for an Oculus that will blind your enemies.
Think how safe you'll feel!

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 7:15:45 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/1/2021 7:45 PM, 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.
Hmm. I thought lawyers were supposed to be good at the fine print. And
heck, my posting was in normal font!

What did I say? I said nothing about your cohort.
I said the items in the list were touted as safety improvements by at
least _some_ as either necessary or desirable for "safety."

Examples: Some of the young racers in that comparative road test (modern
racing bikes vs. older racing bikes) were worried about the safety of
taking their hands off the brakes to shift.

Some guy said something about something. My cohort is not lawyers but regular racers who were riding DT shifters when STI was introduced. It was not promoted as a safety device. I remember lining up at a start with my DT shifters next to some early adopter with STI, and his comments was "its my secret weapon" -- and not "I'm so scared; thank God I don't have to take my hands off the bars!"

Years ago, we had a poster here who said older pedals were unsafe, that
people should change their pedals. (Sorry, I admit I can't find the post.)

We've had posters here who have said unbelievably stupid things. I switched to clipless because they were more comfortable and stiff with a more positive connection to the pedal. There was no safety claim being made by Look.

Scharf has gone on and on about the danger of riding in daylight without
a DRL. And companies are definitely pushing ultra-bright taillights for
daytime use. We've had people here describing their purported safety
advantages.

Joerg has gone on and on about the dangers of riding on ordinary roads,
those without separation between motor vehicles and bikes. And living in
Portland, you can't possibly have failed to hear safety claims for
"cycletracks."

And the myth of a bike brain injury epidemic was created to sell
helmets. Bicyclists are only a tiny percentage of serious TBI cases, yet
a huge slice of America thinks nobody should ever pedal without
styrofoam "safety" gear.

My helmet has saved me from some stitches. Yes, you've never had an accident of any kind because you are superior. We less superior people may benefit from wearing a helmet, particularly off road -- and particularly in the conditions in which we inferior people ride, e.g. snow, ice, rain and on trail.

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set.
The "Radio Shack set" may like them. So do many members of the
"practical transportation set." The "long distance travel set." And the
"I don't want to keep fussing with batteries" set. There are others too,
I'm sure.

https://bikeportland.org/wp-content/...77316413_h.jpg I would hazard a guess that approximately one of those transportational riders has a dyno lights. I rode across the US from east to west and north to south with a battery light. I did have a roller dynamo while commuting in San Jose in the 70s. And then I got a Belt Beacon and a Wonder Light.

But you don't have to like them. In fact, you don't have to keep the set
you have. I can trade you for an Oculus that will blind your enemies.
Think how safe you'll feel!

Hell, I built the wheel and hand drilled and tapped the cast aluminum crown on my CX bike just to mount the mood light. No way I'm getting rid of it. Is it as bright as my L&M urban 800 lumen light that cost one fifth and weighs one quarter of my dyno set up? No. Does my dyno light run forever, yes. That's worth something.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 6:45:49 PM UTC-5, 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!


I have heard the promotion of clipless pedals for safety concerns. Easier to unclip and free your foot if you don't have to reach down and undo the toeclip strap. Of course that really only applies when you are riding cycling shoes with proper clips to lock onto the back of the pedal cage and have the toestraps cinched down tight. Not sure those circumstances happen too often. Now as for me, I have fallen over while clipped into toestraps. And while clipped into clipless pedals too. So not sure much safety of falling over was gained.

As for helmets, I do see the safety aspect of them. I have a big scar on my forehead I've had for almost 40 years due to not having a helmet in an accident. Every single time I look in a mirror I'm reminded of the safety advantage of helmets.

As for dynamo lights. For randonneuring, they are almost required because you are riding so long in darkness at night. Batteries would not work. But for riding around town, I have been more of a battery person than dynamo person. I have both types of lights. Battery lights are much more powerful and provide a couple hours of light. More than enough for evening recreational rides or commuting. One two hour evening rides a couple times a week or commuting morning or evening are the predominant uses of lights. Batteries work very well for these kinds of rides. Its very uncommon for someone to ride all night long and require a dynamo.

I am a proponent of rear red flashing lights. At night. I don't see much benefit during daylight. I always get irritated when I see cyclists in the evening who do not have blinking rear lights. I am such a fan I have two on the back of my saddlebag and one hanging from a ziploc through the back vents of my helmet. More rear blinking lights at night the better.







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 4/2/2021 12:11 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 7:15:45 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/1/2021 7:45 PM, 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.
Hmm. I thought lawyers were supposed to be good at the fine print. And
heck, my posting was in normal font!

What did I say? I said nothing about your cohort.
I said the items in the list were touted as safety improvements by at
least _some_ as either necessary or desirable for "safety."

Examples: Some of the young racers in that comparative road test (modern
racing bikes vs. older racing bikes) were worried about the safety of
taking their hands off the brakes to shift.

Some guy said something about something. My cohort is not lawyers but regular racers who were riding DT shifters when STI was introduced. It was not promoted as a safety device. I remember lining up at a start with my DT shifters next to some early adopter with STI, and his comments was "its my secret weapon" -- and not "I'm so scared; thank God I don't have to take my hands off the bars!"

Years ago, we had a poster here who said older pedals were unsafe, that
people should change their pedals. (Sorry, I admit I can't find the post.)

We've had posters here who have said unbelievably stupid things. I switched to clipless because they were more comfortable and stiff with a more positive connection to the pedal. There was no safety claim being made by Look.

Scharf has gone on and on about the danger of riding in daylight without
a DRL. And companies are definitely pushing ultra-bright taillights for
daytime use. We've had people here describing their purported safety
advantages.

Joerg has gone on and on about the dangers of riding on ordinary roads,
those without separation between motor vehicles and bikes. And living in
Portland, you can't possibly have failed to hear safety claims for
"cycletracks."

And the myth of a bike brain injury epidemic was created to sell
helmets. Bicyclists are only a tiny percentage of serious TBI cases, yet
a huge slice of America thinks nobody should ever pedal without
styrofoam "safety" gear.

My helmet has saved me from some stitches. Yes, you've never had an accident of any kind because you are superior. We less superior people may benefit from wearing a helmet, particularly off road -- and particularly in the conditions in which we inferior people ride, e.g. snow, ice, rain and on trail.

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set.
The "Radio Shack set" may like them. So do many members of the
"practical transportation set." The "long distance travel set." And the
"I don't want to keep fussing with batteries" set. There are others too,
I'm sure.

https://bikeportland.org/wp-content/...77316413_h.jpg I would hazard a guess that approximately one of those transportational riders has a dyno lights.

Of course! This is America. Only two or three of those riders have a
light at all.

I rode across the US from east to west and north to south with a battery light. I did have a roller dynamo while commuting in San Jose in the 70s.

I did east to west with a roller dyno and a halogen headlight. I'm
betting your battery light was nowhere near as effective as my various
B&M lamps, yet we both survived. Yet you seem to now be claiming my
lights are ineffective.

BTW: The worst experience with the light set I had on that trip was
where the C&O Canal Towpath passes through the Paw Paw Tunnel in West
Virginia. The tunnel is long and dark, with a very narrow walkway next
to the remains of the canal. I was forced by the narrowness and bad
surface to ride very slowly, maybe just 2 mph, so slowly that my light
was too dim to show the way very well.

BUT: My modern LED headlights light up as soon as the bike moves. And
most of them have "standlights" that would give enough illumination for
walking even if I somehow had to carry the bike.

But you don't have to like them. In fact, you don't have to keep the set
you have. I can trade you for an Oculus that will blind your enemies.
Think how safe you'll feel!

Hell, I built the wheel and hand drilled and tapped the cast aluminum crown on my CX bike just to mount the mood light. No way I'm getting rid of it. Is it as bright as my L&M urban 800 lumen light that cost one fifth and weighs one quarter of my dyno set up? No. Does my dyno light run forever, yes. That's worth something.

Hmm. It's terribly dim. It's just a "mood light." But you love it.

OK. Enjoy it.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Friday, April 2, 2021 at 7:41:20 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/2/2021 12:11 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 7:15:45 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/1/2021 7:45 PM, 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.
Hmm. I thought lawyers were supposed to be good at the fine print. And
heck, my posting was in normal font!

What did I say? I said nothing about your cohort.
I said the items in the list were touted as safety improvements by at
least _some_ as either necessary or desirable for "safety."

Examples: Some of the young racers in that comparative road test (modern
racing bikes vs. older racing bikes) were worried about the safety of
taking their hands off the brakes to shift.

Some guy said something about something. My cohort is not lawyers but regular racers who were riding DT shifters when STI was introduced. It was not promoted as a safety device. I remember lining up at a start with my DT shifters next to some early adopter with STI, and his comments was "its my secret weapon" -- and not "I'm so scared; thank God I don't have to take my hands off the bars!"

Years ago, we had a poster here who said older pedals were unsafe, that
people should change their pedals. (Sorry, I admit I can't find the post.)

We've had posters here who have said unbelievably stupid things. I switched to clipless because they were more comfortable and stiff with a more positive connection to the pedal. There was no safety claim being made by Look.

Scharf has gone on and on about the danger of riding in daylight without
a DRL. And companies are definitely pushing ultra-bright taillights for
daytime use. We've had people here describing their purported safety
advantages.

Joerg has gone on and on about the dangers of riding on ordinary roads,
those without separation between motor vehicles and bikes. And living in
Portland, you can't possibly have failed to hear safety claims for
"cycletracks."

And the myth of a bike brain injury epidemic was created to sell
helmets. Bicyclists are only a tiny percentage of serious TBI cases, yet
a huge slice of America thinks nobody should ever pedal without
styrofoam "safety" gear.

My helmet has saved me from some stitches. Yes, you've never had an accident of any kind because you are superior. We less superior people may benefit from wearing a helmet, particularly off road -- and particularly in the conditions in which we inferior people ride, e.g. snow, ice, rain and on trail.

Dyno hubs and lights are for the Radio Shack set.
The "Radio Shack set" may like them. So do many members of the
"practical transportation set." The "long distance travel set." And the
"I don't want to keep fussing with batteries" set. There are others too,
I'm sure.

https://bikeportland.org/wp-content/...77316413_h.jpg I would hazard a guess that approximately one of those transportational riders has a dyno lights.
Of course! This is America. Only two or three of those riders have a
light at all.
I rode across the US from east to west and north to south with a battery light. I did have a roller dynamo while commuting in San Jose in the 70s.
I did east to west with a roller dyno and a halogen headlight. I'm
betting your battery light was nowhere near as effective as my various
B&M lamps, yet we both survived. Yet you seem to now be claiming my
lights are ineffective.

BTW: The worst experience with the light set I had on that trip was
where the C&O Canal Towpath passes through the Paw Paw Tunnel in West
Virginia. The tunnel is long and dark, with a very narrow walkway next
to the remains of the canal. I was forced by the narrowness and bad
surface to ride very slowly, maybe just 2 mph, so slowly that my light
was too dim to show the way very well.

BUT: My modern LED headlights light up as soon as the bike moves. And
most of them have "standlights" that would give enough illumination for
walking even if I somehow had to carry the bike.
But you don't have to like them. In fact, you don't have to keep the set
you have. I can trade you for an Oculus that will blind your enemies.
Think how safe you'll feel!

Hell, I built the wheel and hand drilled and tapped the cast aluminum crown on my CX bike just to mount the mood light. No way I'm getting rid of it. Is it as bright as my L&M urban 800 lumen light that cost one fifth and weighs one quarter of my dyno set up? No. Does my dyno light run forever, yes. That's worth something.
Hmm. It's terribly dim. It's just a "mood light." But you love it.

OK. Enjoy it.

I don't love it. I would love a dyno light with a solid 800 lumen output, a little more upward spew and a stand light that was stronger than the light on my give-away key chain from Wells Fargo -- and one with a battery so I could use the light off the bike. We transportational cyclists often need a light for use off the bike. A flasher would be nice for dusk and dawn, but not required. And while we're wishing, how about something lighter and more efficient than a bunch of magnets whirling around. There must be some other way of harvesting electrons.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 4/2/2021 3:09 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 6:45:49 PM UTC-5, 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!


I have heard the promotion of clipless pedals for safety concerns. Easier to unclip and free your foot if you don't have to reach down and undo the toeclip strap. Of course that really only applies when you are riding cycling shoes with proper clips to lock onto the back of the pedal cage and have the toestraps cinched down tight. Not sure those circumstances happen too often. Now as for me, I have fallen over while clipped into toestraps. And while clipped into clipless pedals too. So not sure much safety of falling over was gained.

As for helmets, I do see the safety aspect of them. I have a big scar on my forehead I've had for almost 40 years due to not having a helmet in an accident. Every single time I look in a mirror I'm reminded of the safety advantage of helmets.

As for dynamo lights. For randonneuring, they are almost required because you are riding so long in darkness at night. Batteries would not work. But for riding around town, I have been more of a battery person than dynamo person. I have both types of lights. Battery lights are much more powerful and provide a couple hours of light. More than enough for evening recreational rides or commuting. One two hour evening rides a couple times a week or commuting morning or evening are the predominant uses of lights. Batteries work very well for these kinds of rides. Its very uncommon for someone to ride all night long and require a dynamo.


While I like my dyno hub and Luxos headlamp for randonneuring, I did two
of my super randonneur series with batteries, and liked 'em just fine.
And the first one was with lead-acid (heavy!) batteries. It was the
superior beam pattern on the Luxos (bought for my commuter) that
persuaded me to convert the rando bike to dyno.

Frankly, prior to well-engineered LED headlights, dynos just didn't
provide enough light for my tastes. Riding all night is much more
stressful when you have to struggle to see road hazards.

Mark J.

On 4/1/2021 9:11 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

Some guy said something about something.

Similar to one of Fox News's favorite statements when they have no proof
of anything, "some people say..."

snip

My helmet has saved me from some stitches. Yes, you've never had an accident of any kind because you are superior. We less superior people may benefit from wearing a helmet, particularly off road -- and particularly in the conditions in which we inferior people ride, e.g. snow, ice, rain and on trail.

Oy, is Frank still on his anti-fact, anti-helmet jihad? Was he also at
the Capital on January 6th claiming that the election was stolen from Trump?

snip

https://bikeportland.org/wp-content/...77316413_h.jpg I would hazard a guess that approximately one of those transportational riders has a dyno lights. I rode across the US from east to west and north to south with a battery light. I did have a roller dynamo while commuting in San Jose in the 70s. And then I got a Belt Beacon and a Wonder Light.

When I was commuting on Caltrain, and in the bike car, I had the
opportunity to check out a LOT of bicycles ridden by "transportational
cyclists." I usually took my Dahon Speed TR with its Joule (SP) hub
dynamo. It was rare that my bike was not the only one with any dynamo
lighting. Ironically, one other bicycle with a dynamo that I
occasionally saw was owned by an acquaintance who also used Caltrain to
go to SF from the South Bay.

snip

Hell, I built the wheel and hand drilled and tapped the cast aluminum crown on my CX bike just to mount the mood light. No way I'm getting rid of it. Is it as bright as my L&M urban 800 lumen light that cost one fifth and weighs one quarter of my dyno set up? No. Does my dyno light run forever, yes. That's worth something.

Well you point out one more reason why dynamo lights are not popular in
the U.S.. Most riders want a product, not a project. They are unlikely
to buy a hub dynamo and build (or rebuild) a wheel, nor are they likely
to drill and tap holes to mount a light on a bicycle that doesn't have
the appropriate mounting options available.

It's a lot different in countries where many bicycles are sold with a
dynamo hub wheel, either as standard equipment or where there is an
option to substitute a dynamo hub wheel for a non-dynamo wheel at
relatively low cost at time of purchase.

Previously I stated the price differences for a Brompton with no
lighting, battery lighting, or dynamo lighting; the difference at
time-of-purchase is pretty small, but to add a dynamo hub wheel
after-the-fact is expensive.

It's ironic that Frank is arguing with you (and I) about this since the
two of us are probably the few U.S. posters to this group that actually
have bicycles with dynamo lighting (at least as one of our lights).

I guess up in Portland things are better in terms of bike shops, but
down in the Bay Area I've never seen a dynamo light being sold at a bike
shop. Some drug stores and hardware stores used to sell some cheap
bottle dynamo lighting sets. When Payless Drug was going out of business
I picked up a 12V bottle dynamo lighting set that I've had in storage
for about 15 years
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ebvxdPmNCfRmFEI9VrnTLsQ15qLrSior.
Eventually I may at least use the bottle dynamo on my junker bike that I
ride to the store.

On 4/2/2021 9:00 AM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

I don't love it. I would love a dyno light with a solid 800 lumen output, a little more upward spew and a stand light that was stronger than the light on my give-away key chain from Wells Fargo -- and one with a battery so I could use the light off the bike. We transportational cyclists often need a light for use off the bike. A flasher would be nice for dusk and dawn, but not required. And while we're wishing, how about something lighter and more efficient than a bunch of magnets whirling around. There must be some other way of harvesting electrons.

Such a light would be wonderful but it would be a stretch with a 6V/3W
dynamo, even at higher speeds where you can get more than 3 watts out of
it. Some LED makers are claiming 300 lumens per watt, at least in the
lab, but 200-250 lumens per watt are what is available commercially at
this time.

A 12V/6W hub dynamo (or even a 9V/4.5W hub dynamo) would make dynamo
lights with sufficient intensity more practical, including a beam
pattern where some upward spew would be possible. DRL flash capability
is trivial to add, as are internal batteries to be able to use it off
the bicycle. But there is just not much of a market for any of this.

sms wrote:
On 4/2/2021 9:00 AM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

I don't love it. I would love a dyno light with a solid 800 lumen
output, a little more upward spew and a stand light that was stronger
than the light on my give-away key chain from Wells Fargo -- and one
with a battery so I could use the light off the bike. We
transportational cyclists often need a light for use off the bike. A
flasher would be nice for dusk and dawn, but not required. And while
we're wishing, how about something lighter and more efficient than a
bunch of magnets whirling around. There must be some other way of harvesting electrons.

Such a light would be wonderful but it would be a stretch with a 6V/3W
dynamo, even at higher speeds where you can get more than 3 watts out of
it. Some LED makers are claiming 300 lumens per watt, at least in the
lab, but 200-250 lumens per watt are what is available commercially at
this time.

A 12V/6W hub dynamo (or even a 9V/4.5W hub dynamo) would make dynamo
lights with sufficient intensity more practical, including a beam
pattern where some upward spew would be possible. DRL flash capability
is trivial to add, as are internal batteries to be able to use it off
the bicycle. But there is just not much of a market for any of this.


You seem to have it stuck in your head that the internal impedance of a hub
generator is some immutable quantity and not a design parameter. Why not a
6V/12W hub dynamo? Hell, if you were willing to do frequency dependent
series capacitor switching, you can get a lot more than 3W out of a 3W
labelled hub.

On 4/2/2021 11:59 AM, Ralph Barone wrote:
sms wrote:
On 4/2/2021 9:00 AM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

I don't love it. I would love a dyno light with a solid 800 lumen
output, a little more upward spew and a stand light that was stronger
than the light on my give-away key chain from Wells Fargo -- and one
with a battery so I could use the light off the bike. We
transportational cyclists often need a light for use off the bike. A
flasher would be nice for dusk and dawn, but not required. And while
we're wishing, how about something lighter and more efficient than a
bunch of magnets whirling around. There must be some other way of harvesting electrons.

Such a light would be wonderful but it would be a stretch with a 6V/3W
dynamo, even at higher speeds where you can get more than 3 watts out of
it. Some LED makers are claiming 300 lumens per watt, at least in the
lab, but 200-250 lumens per watt are what is available commercially at
this time.

A 12V/6W hub dynamo (or even a 9V/4.5W hub dynamo) would make dynamo
lights with sufficient intensity more practical, including a beam
pattern where some upward spew would be possible. DRL flash capability
is trivial to add, as are internal batteries to be able to use it off
the bicycle. But there is just not much of a market for any of this.


You seem to have it stuck in your head that the internal impedance of a hub
generator is some immutable quantity and not a design parameter. Why not a
6V/12W hub dynamo? Hell, if you were willing to do frequency dependent
series capacitor switching, you can get a lot more than 3W out of a 3W
labelled hub.

And yet virtually all the commonly available bike dynamos come out with
a half amp nominal design. (So that wattage is half of voltage). I'm
told their coils "saturate" (or something like that) at a half amp.

I've only been using dynamos over a span of 50 years. I've owned 6V/3W
and 12V/6W generators, and once I saw an 8V/4W claim. If there was a
big improvement to be had with some other amperage design, I would think
someone would have tried to market it by now. Dynamo design might have
some complications, but surely they are well understood at this date.

Mark J.