From: koren@fc.hp.com (Steve Koren)
Subject: Re: Need info on lighting systems
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 14:58:37 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1.3 PL5

Gareth Beale (gareth@bcsaic.boeing.com) wrote:

> discovered that my front light is woefully inadequate.  I currently have
> one of those cateye halogens that use 2 "C" batteries.  They appear to 
> be fine for being seen, and you don't need it to see your way on lit

I agree with your assessment of the Cateye.  Its OK for being seen, but
not for seeing.  Actually, its only OK for being seen *sometimes*.  At a
busy intersection in town near neon signs and stuff, I think its not
adequate for being seen, either, since it will get lost in all the other
brighter lights around.  If there are 75 sources of light, you don't
want to be the dimmest one around.

> uses the nightsun, which I'm sure is very good, but also costs about
> $200.  My cateye was $15.  Surely there is some middle ground here.

Are you willing to make your own?  For between US$60 and $80 in parts,
you can make a custom 35 watt system with a 6 watt taillight that gives
you anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours of runtime depending on the
battery you choose.  It'll take a couple of hours to put together.  I
posted an article about making such a system last winter to
rec.bicycles, with info on good parts to get and a mail order source for
gel cell batteries.  If you are interested, send me email and I'll see
if I can find it again.  If a lot of people are interested, I suppose I
could post it again (although I probably should update it a bit first).

> like to hear about what others are using, especially those who commute.
> I don't really tear up the tarmac (my average speed on a commute is
> 15mph or less), so I don't think I need a very high power system.  The
> cateye I have is about 1.2 watts.  In the Performance catalog there's a
> model with 6 or 10 watt options.  What's a resonable power?

I commute and use a 35 watt system.  I tried going to 18 watts and felt
it was inadequate, but some people get along fine with 10 watts or less.
It depends on lots of factors, including the type of road surface you
ride on (black asphalt is harder to illuminate than concrete, for
example).  Anything you get will be better than the 1 to 3 watts you
have now.  If you can find a friend with a suitable lighting system, you
might want to try their bike before hand to see what X watts is like.
Personally, I think 25 is about the minimum I'd want.

> 1. Price and source of purchase

~ $65 in parts.  Source: various places including mail order (battery
from American Design Components), Checker Auto Parts (headlamp), and
Radio Shack (wiring, etc).

> 2. Power (wattage) and how well it works for you.

35 watt headlamp (with a 70 watt mode which draws too much current to be
very useful).  6 watt taillamp.  I also carry a Nicelite or Cateye for
an emergency backup light in case the main light fails.  I've only had
to use the backup 5 times in 3 years, and that was because I forgot to
recharge the battery for my main light.

> 3. Power source (recharge, batteries)

Lead acid rechargeable battery.  I have two: one is 7 AH, the other is
10 AH.  The 10 gives > 2 hrs of run time.

> 4. Ease of installation, and quick release (does a handlebar bag obscure
>    it?). 

About 30 seconds to get the whole thing off the bike.  The headlight is
on a quick release bracket and comes off in seconds.  The power bus
stays on the bike though, held on by those plastic tie down things.  But
I don't think anyone will steal your wiring.

> 5. Weight.

The light itself weights almost nothing (its a plastic cased Sylvania
car headlamp).  The battery, on the other hand, is heavy.  The 7 AH
battery is about 6 lbs.  The 10 AH is about 10 lbs.  Some people use 5
AH batteries and those are somewhat lighter (4.5 - 5 lbs?).  6 lbs is a
drag, but its not so bad in the winter when you are going slow anyway.

> 6. Quality (reliability, durability, any other nice features)

I've had essentially the same system for 3 winters now, and its still
going strong.  But I did change my mounting system once.

> 7. Suitability for commuting.

Works great for me.

Hope this helps you decide what sort of light to get.  Having good
lights is important for winter riding.

   - steve