Originally Posted by swwhite
So, could someone invent a bicycle generator that does not power a head/tail light, but instead charges a battery which in turn runs the lights? That would solve the problem of the lights going out when the bike stops (for those who run on generators) and pulling out the battery to charge it after a ride (for those who run on batteries). If pedaling generated enough power, maybe there could be a automobile cigarette lighter plugin on the battery and one could run a radio or some other music device from the battery also.
Hah! This is what I already have in the plans for my bike!
It would be great for touring, too, since most likely most of your riding would be done during the daytime. And when I am touring I'll definetely be charging batteries and stuff from the generator... wouldn't want to be stuck not being able to take pics because I forgot to charge my camera!