Commuting - Light...I Need Light

I have a rather long commute so I start at 5:30 in the morning. I forgot how early in the season it starts to get dark in Wisconsin. The only light system I have is a very cheap AA battery system. But I am detirmined to stretch the season out as long as possible this year.

Please help me and recomend a safe, rechargeable lighting sytem that I could use for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning and possibly more time coming home in the afternoon when it starts to get really dark in the evening too. I don't like putting my bikes away in the basement for the winter.

My NiteRider Digital is expensive but GREAT. It has enough light power in the front to turn night into day, has a blinking front light that is great for daylight attention-getting, and a rear LED light that is visible from three states away. I have a 20-mile one-way commute and the battery is nearly drained by the time I get home, but they work with about 15 mins to spare (my commute is typically 1h10m long).

No, I don't work for NiteRider but I use the light -- day and night -- and would never consider a commute without the blinking front and rear lights even during the day.

I've been happy with the Performance Viewpoint Dual system I got last year, and Performance sometimes puts these on sale very cheap. I particularly like the mounting system.

I also have an older Niterider Pro6 that works fine, but it being a single bulb system it makes me nervous. The dual-bulb head unit gives you a built-in safety net in case of a lamp failure.

Be sure to choose a system that won't overcharge your batteries. Consider keeping an extra charger at the office if you need to run your light 90 minutes at each end of the day.

RichC

Andy, what did you pay for your setup?

I don't know if other commuters go thru the same evolution of lighting systems as I did:

1st Light: powerful halogen battery powered (4AA) light.
batteries died one night, so I switched to using re-chargeable batteries.
Forgot to re-charge the batteries so I got a bottle cage xtra battery pack (4x size D) rechargeble. The 4 AAs were now my backup power source and I always carried 4 new AAs in my tool bag. I got fed up fiddling with batteries in the rain and decided to get a dynamo setup. I kept the battery halogen on the bike as a second light.
2nd Light: Lumotech halogen headlight fed off a bottle dynamo. A very powerful light with cunning circuitry to stop the bright/dim surges these used to get when I was a nipper. But I always struggled with the dynamo. It would slip in the wet or tear my side wall to shreds. S I kept the light and had my fron wheel rebuilt around a dynamo hub.

Now we're talking! Reliable, efficient power whenever you need it. I've done longe distance rides thru the night with this setup. The battery light gives me any additional light I may need (eg if descending in the dark at speed. plus white LED blinkies on the front, red LED blinkies on the back and the hub dynamo also drives a rear red bulb.

It may be a bit of a cost up font, for the dynamo and wheel, but the savings in batteries and time and effort are incalculable. We're spoilt for choice with battery lights, and LEDs are getting ever more powerful, bu seriously consider a hub dynam and halogen headlight, and use the others as useful auxilliaries

Stew

Originally posted by Joe Gardner
Andy, what did you pay for your setup?
I think the NiteRider Digital (two front lights, rear LED, the "right" type of battery that doesn't peter-out on you in two rechargings, etc.) was about $300 if I recall. Like I said, not cheap.

I've got a Cateye LED headlight with 3 LED's. It's bright enough for lighting up the street but maybe not appropriate for offroad. It claims to last 30 hours on 4 AA batteries. No need for rechargeable with that kind of power consumption. Paid about $25 for it.

Originally posted by stewartp
It may be a bit of a cost up font, for the dynamo and wheel, but the savings in batteries and time and effort are incalculable. We're spoilt for choice with battery lights, and LEDs are getting ever more powerful, bu seriously consider a hub dynam and halogen headlight, and use the others as useful auxilliaries

I will.

Does the hub dynamo cause much rolling resistance?

I'm very fond of Niterider lights, having had three of their systems. Actually, one of my findings was that their 15W single-beam light projects in such a tight pattern that it will reach forward even further than my dual-beam lights at 35W (both bulbs on). So if you want a very long, focused beam with high visual "attack," you might consider a single-beam 15W Niterider headlight, one of the monstrous Niterider LED taillights Andy mentioned, and either a second battery pack, or a quick-charger for at work.

If your needs don't call for vast wattage, then perhaps a dynamo hub would be a solution too. But I'm in love with the Niteriders... waterproof, long-lived, and the taillight is a safety enhancement even in broad daylight, to say nothing of darkness. :)

Originally posted by Rich Clark
I've been happy with the Performance Viewpoint Dual system I got last year, and Performance sometimes puts these on sale very cheap....

....Be sure to choose a system that won't overcharge your batteries. Consider keeping an extra charger at the office if you need to run your light 90 minutes at each end of the day.

RichC

Rich,
Did you have any problems with the internal wiring shorting out on the Veiwpoints? Performance used some pretty light insulation on one wire and none at all on the second wire inside the light housing, I ended up rewiring both of mine (helmet and handlebar units) in the second year I used them.

The Viewpoints have a really bright white light beam, are lightweight, relatively inexpensive and last a long time on a charge, but unfortunately I couldn't recommend them because of the wiring problems.

Originally posted by threadend


Did you have any problems with the internal wiring shorting out on the Veiwpoints?

None at all. The insulation in my unit (about a year old) is a heavy, woven, rubberized material covering all wires that looks like it's waterproof and very substantial. If they had a lot of complaints like yours, apparently they responded.

I'm pretty well impressed with the build quality of the unit. It's a simple design, but well executed. I like how the handlebar mount lets you sling the lamp upside down under the bar, and it's offset so you can center it in front of the head tube.

RichC

Originally posted by JDP
I've got a Cateye LED headlight with 3 LED's. It's bright enough for lighting up the street but maybe not appropriate for offroad. It claims to last 30 hours on 4 AA batteries. No need for rechargeable with that kind of power consumption. Paid about $25 for it. So waste extra money on batteries you throw in the garbage? Why do that when you can pick up a 4 pack of NiMH AA's for $18, use them hundreds of times and then recycle them? :confused:

Here's a how to I found that may help (http://www.joinomba.org/wittenberg/tips/barmountheadlight.html) Except for the Ray-O-Vac headlight housing (Use a cheap flashlight lens / reflector assembly) It's pretty easy to do. I'm looking at these (http://www.bicyclelights.com/) myself.

Originally posted by JDP
I've got a Cateye LED headlight with 3 LED's. It's bright enough for lighting up the street but maybe not appropriate for offroad. It claims to last 30 hours on 4 AA batteries. No need for rechargeable with that kind of power consumption. Paid about $25 for it.

I use the same. It makes a blindingly bright front beacon with just enough lightspill onto the road so you can see where you are going.

Great light for an urban/suburban commute. Not enough light for rural roads, though

I use a catey front light (the 5w/10w single light with switch and rechargeable lead acid bottle cage battery) Cost about £40 UK.

great last winter. My commute is 2 - 2and a half hours round trip and I run on 5W most of time, hitting 10w when in complete (no street lights ) darkness.

I also keep a Cateye back up light which fits on to the same bracket and I can use if things go pear shaped.

The bottle battery is heavy, but with all the winter stuff i carry the difference is minimal.

Originally posted by Pete Clark

Does the hub dynamo cause much rolling resistance?

You can feel it if you're off the bike and you spin the wheel. But that's resistance against the wheel weight only. And it only kicks in if the light is on. If the light is off there's no resistance at all, its just a hub.

When you're sitting on the bike and rolling, there's no noticable resistance at all. And it's silent. Bottle dynamos make a hell of a racket so there's more "percieved" resistance.

My original plan was to use the hub dynamo in winter and then in summer put a plain wheel on, but I couldn't be bothered, coz I never perceived any added resistance.

Stew

I've been using a night rider classic along with a night rider tail light, my commute is 18.5 miles each way, the lighting system is three years old and works great, It lights my way for the hour ride in the morning and has enough power to light my way home in stormy weather or during the time of year that it's dark on both ends of my commute. I also use a battery powered cateye in the rear, should the night rider fail, I will still be seen from the back. It takes about 2.5 hours to charge in the evenig. I think this system is well worth the money, it works dependably and is rugged enough to withstand the weather and the bad roads.

Originally posted by Raiyn
[COLOR=blue]So waste extra money on batteries you throw in the garbage? Why do that when you can pick up a 4 pack of NiMH AA's for $18, use them hundreds of times and then recycle them?

That works too. That would probably be cheaper in his situation since he burns for an hour every morning. I only burn for 15 min. max every morning so std. batteries are probably more cost effective. The shelf life on those NiMH isn't too great.

I'd like to also endorse the Lumatec/dynamo combination. Having to hook the bike up to a charger every night would be far too much hassle for me.

Paul

Originally posted by pucci


I use the same. It makes a blindingly bright front beacon with just enough lightspill onto the road so you can see where you are going.

Great light for an urban/suburban commute. Not enough light for rural roads, though


Actually, it's sufficient light when you're out in the middle of nowhere, but when it has to compete with street lights or yard lights or oncoming headlights, it pretty much disappears and the road goes dark. I'm thinking of adding a second one for more illumination. (And backup.)

I picked up one of these for my night rides.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimages.cfm?category=101&subcategory=1067&sku=2208&brand=

The lo-beam is ok to be seen. The hi actually allows me to see on unlit country roads. But, I will say that my night vision has always been better than most.

I cant say much about battery life yet. But the pack is rechargable.

I do have one complaint, the gasket that seals the battery compartment on the light is very fragile.

I have a couple of blinkies for rear visibility.

Originally posted by bjlaw
I have a rather long commute so I start at 5:30 in the morning. I forgot how early in the season it starts to get dark in Wisconsin. The only light system I have is a very cheap AA battery system. But I am detirmined to stretch the season out as long as possible this year.

Please help me and recomend a safe, rechargeable lighting sytem that I could use for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning and possibly more time coming home in the afternoon when it starts to get really dark in the evening too. I don't like putting my bikes away in the basement for the winter.

I am in the same geographic location as you and commute all year long. One big challenge you will have is that the batteries get cold in the winter and their usefulness decreases rapidly.

The best solution is a generator light. The biggest down-side is that snow and ice builds up on the wheels and interferes with the generator. A hub generator would solve this problem, but they are expensive.

LED lights work well. They will keep going for an hour even in the cold.

For the money, I really like Cateye products. They have some very inexpenisve ($10.00 to $20.00) lights out now with long run times. You can use rechargeable C batteries with these lights and can make it through the winter.

Of course, the above are low-end solutions. IF you want to high beam it, then see some of the other posts on this thread.

Originally posted by mike
One big challenge you will have is that the batteries get cold in the winter and their usefulness decreases rapidly.


You can probably increase your battery life by taking the lights off the bike and bringing them indoors with you when you park, of course. CatEye lights detach very easily.

Thanks everyone for some great info. I now have enough information to search the web and then check with my LBS. The Nightrider, Performance Viewpoint and Lumotech with the dynohub is really interesting.:D

Originally posted by Inkwolf


You can probably increase your battery life by taking the lights off the bike and bringing them indoors with you when you park, of course. CatEye lights detach very easily.

Inkwolf, you know what it is like when the January night wind is blowing a minus 20 degree wind around. It takes about 3.7 seconds for the wind to blow any warmth right out of the light and it's batteries.

There are at least a couple of nights that you step out into the dark, blowing cold to go home and your eyelashes start to freeze together. It takes a lot of courage to scratch the ice off the saddle and climb on board.

On days like that, batteries just say, "I'm going to sleep, thank you. Wake me when we get home".

Originally posted by mike


Inkwolf, you know what it is like when the January night wind is blowing a minus 20 degree wind around.

You actually ride in those conditions? I tend to bundle up a bit when riding below 40 degrees here:p

Originally posted by mike


Inkwolf, you know what it is like when the January night wind is blowing a minus 20 degree wind around.

Yeah, I know what it's like, and that's why you won't catch me on a bike, then. :D

My setup has pendled between a NiteSun dual battery powered setup with a battery driven SBI light, with a Schmidt Nabendynamo (hub dynamo) The problem with the hub dynamo (had it driving a Lumotec) was that it tended to fry the bulbs. Really liked the light and ease of use, however. I've gotten one for my road bike but haven't tried it out as yet.

The main problem that I have is reduced night vision in the rain. That really kills the light when the road is wet.

I'd go with the Schmidt Hub, Lumotec (make sure it's to be driven with the Schmidt, it puts out a LOT of juice!) and a battery back up.

Ride carefully out there.
tt

P.S. if you're looking for studded tires, the Nokkian ones work like a charm on snow & ice. Didn't fall once last winter!

It's those cold nights like that when there is usually enough ambiant light reflecting off the snow, the moon, and the city lights to make the ride rather mellow.

I love riding like that, the ice forming in your beard, the hairs of your nostrils freezing together.

I got interested in the hub generator when I started looking into Rondonnuerring, wanting to do the Paris Brest Paris in the future. And I ride an awful lot at night.

Hi, all!

I'm currently using a 5 watt battery halogen (Sigma), but am considering moving over to dynohub. I'm mostly worried about the amount of light: Sigma's 5 watts seem just about right for me and Lumotech's 3w make me wonder...

So, Tom the Bikeman, having tested both battery-operated lights and the SON-Lumotech-setup do you feel you get a lot less light with the Lumotech's 3 watts? What was your wattage anyway with the battery setup?

BTW, re: frying bulbs. I understand lights connected to the SON should add up to 3w total. The Lumotech lights for SON come with a 2.4w bulb with the assumption that you use their 0.6w tail light as well. If you don't use that, be sure to upgrade the Lumotech to the optional 3w bulb, as the SON will fry the 2.4w bulb quite quickly.

--J

Originally posted by Inkwolf


Yeah, I know what it's like, and that's why you won't catch me on a bike, then. :D

Oh ho ho, Inkwolf, don't speak too soon. The bicycle commuting fever is stronger that Malaria. When it is strong in your veins, you will find yourself riding through driving winter storms and loving every minute of it.

Originally posted by Juha
I'm currently using a 5 watt battery halogen (Sigma), but am considering moving over to dynohub. I'm mostly worried about the amount of light: Sigma's 5 watts seem just about right for me and Lumotech's 3w make me wonder...

So, Tom the Bikeman, having tested both battery-operated lights and the SON-Lumotech-setup do you feel you get a lot less light with the Lumotech's 3 watts? What was your wattage anyway with the battery setup?

BTW, re: frying bulbs. I understand lights connected to the SON should add up to 3w total. The Lumotech lights for SON come with a 2.4w bulb with the assumption that you use their 0.6w tail light as well. If you don't use that, be sure to upgrade the Lumotech to the optional 3w bulb, as the SON will fry the 2.4w bulb quite quickly.

--J

Not really. The Nite Sun spills a LOT of light outside of what might be considered your riding path, but this is a good thing imho.

I was frying the bulbs even when running a taillight with the front headlight. I'm hoping that by upping the light power in front that I'll avoid burning out bulbs. I'm not really sure how much juice that my H20 puts out...

Originally posted by chewa
I use a catey front light (the 5w/10w single light with switch and rechargeable lead acid bottle cage battery) Cost about £40 UK.

great last winter. My commute is 2 - 2and a half hours round trip and I run on 5W most of time, hitting 10w when in complete (no street lights ) darkness.

I also keep a Cateye back up light which fits on to the same bracket and I can use if things go pear shaped.

The bottle battery is heavy, but with all the winter stuff i carry the difference is minimal.



I've just bought that one new - no manual though. :(

I've seen ONE review that said charge it for NO MORE than 45 minutes.... what's your experience?

Well, to revitalize this thread. My commute to the new job is going to mean my commuting after the sun is down (working 4p-12MN) so I am in the market for a light system. Seeing as it's cold in the winter here, and my trials with a rechargable number weren't real successful. It worked but like all batteries in the cold, it would go to sleep.

That means the one option, and I mentioned it before, the hubdynamo. I am really leaning towards this as a solution, just not sure. My LBS dudes have shot them down the few times I've tried discussing them, I don't know if that is because they have product to move, ie, batteries, bulbs and overstock of rechagable systems, or they were using old school equipment. I've understood the new technology has improved the "drag quotient" to nothing, or at least next to nothing.

I'm interested in hearing more about the hubdynamo experience as I continue to research this as an option, and build a wheel around the hub.

Thank you for bringing this thread back to life. I may be in the market for a new light in the very near future myself.

Hi,
I am using a pair of Cateye EL-300's. That's 10 LEDs, supposedly a 100 hour runtime for the batteries. They're cheap, you can get one at a time, and a pair throws a generous amount of light. Bike shops could sell these like tortilla chips if they had one lying around with batteries in it.

I have the Cygo Lite Night-Explorer NiCad light system (http://www.cygolite.com/2-2exp-nica.htm) I paid $125 for it at the LBS. You can get the same light at Performance for less than $100. I have been very pleased with the light. The 10w wide beam gives me enough light for 3/4 of my ride. I use both lights on two sections of my ride - one where I'm going down hill at about 35 MPH and the other on a road where there's no street lights at all. I typically recharge it once a week and use it for about 30 minutes per day.

Zack

Originally posted by bjlaw
I have a rather long commute so I start at 5:30 in the morning. ...I am detirmined to stretch the season out as long as possible this year.

Please help me and recomend a safe, rechargeable lighting sytem that I could use for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning and possibly more time coming home in the afternoon...
I got a used Vistalight (2 1/2 hrs. on the 10w, less on the 15w)
dual lamp for about $65. The shop owner showed me some other systems before he sold me his old one--ranging from $100 to $200. All were satisfactory.

The only thing I would like to add is that when riding in the dark, be careful. Personally, I'd like something that would light up the road like a spotlight.

Originally posted by Pete Clark
I got a used Vistalight (2 1/2 hrs. on the 10w, less on the 15w)
dual lamp for about $65. The shop owner showed me some other systems before he sold me his old one--ranging from $100 to $200. All were satisfactory.


I've got a similar (lower power) Vistalite Code 15 setup, works great. I got a great deal on mine new from SuperGo (http://www.supergo.com/itemdisplay.asp?parentid=16189&secid=24&subid=1519&compflag=1&company=VistaLite). A bargain at $55!!!

Regarding the issue of wattage, most users of high power systems tend to be a bit sniffy about a mere 3w froma dynamo, BUT the lamp units like Lumotec are specially designed for cyclists, and throw a highly concentrated rectangular path with a star pattern for side visiblity. This compares well to the generic sealed beam units of high power systems.
To get a bottle dynamo to work well, the only real solution is a solid mounting bracket on the frame. I have a brazed-on tab and there is simply no comparison with the old clamp I used to use. If you do go for a dynamo, make sure it is a modern high-efficiency unit from Germany or Switzerland, not the older 1960s technology ones.

I have had a lot of success using a dynamo headlamp (which comes with a fork mounting bracket), powered by a 3w/6v rechargeable battery in a waterbottle. It is cheap to make, easy to wire up ,very reliable and has a better recharging unit than most shop-bought systems.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Regarding the issue of wattage, most users of high power systems tend to be a bit sniffy about a mere 3w froma dynamo, BUT the lamp units like Lumotec are specially designed for cyclists, and throw a highly concentrated rectangular path with a star pattern for side visiblity. This compares well to the generic sealed beam units of high power systems.
I wouldn't sniff at anything that works well. But even with the 10W, I feel I need more light on the street. Perhaps wattage alone doesn't account for brightness.

Frankly, I don't know why lights are so expensive. Mine is really just a couple of bulbs connected to a pack of rechargeable "D" size batteries. Works fine, but I bet I could make one just as good if I had the time and resources.

Michael, I'll keep your comments in mind. You've mentioned your lighting preferences before, and I believe you know what you're talking about.

I have had a Vistalite Code 20 with a 5 W and 10 W headlights. Good in Summer, as long as you don't forget to recharge. Unreliable after the first Winter, even if you stock the batteries on your body.

I finally decided to bite the bullet and equipped both bikes with a Lumotec headlight (standard one without standlight as I alreadly had a few Vistalite clear flashers for that purpose). The Lumotecs I ordered came with a 3 W bulb, as I use Vistalite Eclipse flashers on my bike. I can't compare the flashers with the taillights sold by Peter White, but I didn't want to wire a taillight, and I need to put my taillights behind the bike, the trailercycle or the child trailer, whichever is last.

On my commuter I used a Shimano Nexus Dynohub and on my tourer I used a Schmidt dynohub. All the gear came from Peter White http://www.peterwhitecycles.com which offered great service, even North of the border. Besides, his website has a wealth of information on the subject. I laced my wheels using my own rims, so my only wheelbuilding expense is about $15 CDN of spokes per wheel. See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuilding.html


Comments: When I got it, I did a few spinning tests: spinning the front wheel a few times with the original hub and with the dynobub. If I remember corectly, I could spin the wheels with a regular hub for 20 turns. I got almost the same result with the Schmidt (maybe 19 instead of 20), and a slightly lower result with the Shimano (16-17). With the light on, the Schmidt spins 6 turns, while the Shimano spins 3.

How do they feel? When the light is off, I feel no difference between either one or a standard front hub. When the light is on, I can't feel it with the Schmidt, but I definitely feel the Shimano is "notchy": like riding on a very granular asphalt. All in all, I don't find the Shimano inconvenient at all in city commutes, but I don't think I would really enjoy to ride 20-30 km in the countryside at night, whereas I wouldn't mind doing that with the Schmidt.


Regards,

I've written about this at length on different threads, but for the sake of adding to this conversation I'll mention the Light and Motion HID light.

It's a spectacular light, with a long charge. See the thread on this Commuting forum from last fall. But it ain't cheap.

One item's worth mentioning-- the battery held its charge well in the cold. By the cold, I mean below zero. The nominal run time is 3hrs at high power. In very cold weather, I could do about 2hrs without running down the light. Maybe I could have gone longer, but I never rode longer.

mgagnonlv, how do you feel about the amount of light and light pattern you get with the Lumotec as compared to your previous setup?

Also, has anyone tried the 2x3w Lumotec system with a dynohub (the additional light being used at higher speeds only)?

--J

Well this is crazy, I posted here couple of days ago and it was here yesterday but gone today, so sorry if this pops up again, but here it goes.

My first light was a Berec I bought about 23 years ago and at the time was the brightest thing (used 2 D bats) on the market for bikes but it was dim so I switched the bulb to a halagen which helped a little. I used this for about 20 years! and still have it for camping purposes. Then I bought a Zefal hf635 which was much brighter than the old light but that light only lasted 2 years before it started to flicker on bumps so now that's another camping light! Then last fall I bought a Cateye EL300, that light was brighter but with it's odd bluish spot beam I almost preferred the Zefal flood pattern but the Zefal ate bats. The Zefal and the Cateye were somewhat bright enough for commuting in city lit streets but I had to slow down on a pitch black bike bath due to overiding the light.

About 2 months after buying the Cateye the LBS where I bought the light started carrying Cygo lights. I compared the Cygo Metro (a $45 light) to my Cateye and the Cygo on flood or spot-either completely overwhelmed the Cateye. The Cygo Metro has 2 beam choices, 6.2 watt flood and/or 6.3 watt spot for a combine total of 13 watts. It runs off of 6 D bats which is what I prefer but you may not, because I am not a slave to the wall and I can go into any store to buy more should my bats die on a ride. On one beam the bats will last about 5 hrs and on both about 2.5 hrs. This thing is so bright all I use around town is the flood; when I went to the pitch dark bike path the flood was still more then enough, but for added safety I use both, and can ride at daytime speeds without worring about overriding the light.

I am on a tight hobby budget and the Metro for $45 fitted my budget perfectly and is more than enough light for me and luckly the bike shop allowed me to return the Cateye since I had the original box and papers so I was only out $13 more. I get my bats at Walmart because their storebrand is only $8 for 12 which is substantially less then any name brand and they last just as long.

I don't know if that is any help to you or not but I thought I would relay it on to you.

Originally posted by Juha
mgagnonlv, how do you feel about the amount of light and light pattern you get with the Lumotec as compared to your previous setup?

Also, has anyone tried the 2x3w Lumotec system with a dynohub (the additional light being used at higher speeds only)?

For street and highway cycling, it's roughly equal to an 8 W Vistalite. The major advantage of the Lumotec (and Bisi) headlight is that it focuses the light on the road whereas the Vistalite and most other spots spread it all around including in the trees. Those are great features on the trail, but unnecessary on the road.

In other words, it is definitely brighter than the 5 W bulb, but not as bright as the 10 W bulb on a fresh battery. However, last October, as soon as the temperature dropped below 0 C, the battery couldn't keep the 5 W at full intensity for more than 15 minutes. By then, the batteries were 1.75 years old. The first Summer I got the adversised autonomy of 2.8 hours and 1.4 hours with the 5 W and 10 W bulbs respectively and even last Summer autonomy was fairly acceptable. Cold weather performance, however, went from acceptable the first year to bad in Winter 2001-2002 and to unacceptable last fall.

I could have kept the system and buy new batteries, but even the homemade solutions I could come with were more expensive than a system based on the Shimano dynohub.


Real-life experience

I don't see the light pattern very well on wet pavement of a highly-lit street (we have too much light on most of our streets, but I digress). Apart from that, the light pattern clearly shines on the road and helps identify road cracks... and light sign posts as well.
Also, the Lumotec is surrounded by a reflector, which means a fairly large white shiny surface to the front. I feel I'm much more visible by left-turning cars in front of me (subjective comment -- sample too narrow to assess) and by pedestrians jumping in the street (frequent occurence with the Vistalite, very rare with the Lumotec).

On rural roads and other unlit streets, I find the light pattern and intensity adequate, but I haven't done any high speed descent in the dark nor have I ridden in fog; just moonlight, rain and snow. The only problem I see is if you cycle a lot at night on two-lane roads without shoulders, where oncoming traffic frequently passes "into" you, then it won't be powerful enough. In that situation, however, nothing short of a 55 W headlight serves as a wake up call for the offending motorist.

Riding on trails is a different matter. Rails to trails and other "gentle" trails would be ok (unless other strong stray lights prevent you from seeing), but technical twisty trails would be problematic because of lack of speed and relatively tight beam pattern. If you sometimes ride in those conditions, you could supplement the light with a Cateye Microhalogen or EL-200 headlight or with a LED-based helmet headlight which is also good to read maps.


Using the Second Lumotec in Series

I installed the Dual Lumotec on my touring bike (which I also use for long rides). It seems great, but so far I'm disappointed... because I haven't been able to use it much. Why?

- It becomes useful above 18-19 km/h (10-11 mi/h). It's not so fast when I ride solo, but it is faster than I can ride when I tow both kids or when there is lots of snow on the ground, or when there is a strong headwind, or when there is gravel... I'll probably use it more during holidays and the low season (June-August)when I can do long long solo rides at night. Besides, I won't be limited by the 2.8-hour battery autonomy...

- It is quite useful for long unlit downhills (still don't overrun your lights), for brevets and fast group rides, and for times where you have the wind at your back.

- On lit roads and streets, the headlight is a safety feature to get seen. In those situations, the second headlight serves little purpose. Since last Fall, all rides have been within 50 km from home... which means exclusively lit streets. It would be a different story if I lived in a smaller city (i.e. closer to rural areas) or even is most other cities which seem to use less street lighting than we do in Montréal.

Regards

Thanks, Michel, lots of info there and just the kind of info I needed. You seem to be using the setup I am very much considering to buy (SON + 2 Lumotecs).

--J

You're welcome.

I fixed the main Lumotec on the fork crown. For the secondary, I had bought the small adaptor that allows to fix it to the handlebar... but I finally installed it on the left cantilever boss with an angle.

I don't know if you have any local supplier, but since you are in Finland you might have better prices and delivery options with St. John's Street Cycles in U.K. (http://www.sjscycles.com) than with Peter White (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com). There might also be a German supplier around.

No experience with any of them, except Peter White (great).

Yes, the SON seems a bit hard to find here, whereas Shimano dynohubs are easily available. I would imagine it's easiest to order just the hub from a web store and have the wheel built here. I've been browsing both Sjscycles' and Peter White's sites before, but thanks for the links anyway. I have also good experiences with Evans Cycles (http://www2.evanscycles.com/fast_frameset.html), but they don't appear to be selling these. I will continue searching...

--J

Another source for lighting, fairly similar stock to P White, but in central London.

http://www.bikefix.co.uk/b-dynamo.html

Originally posted by Andy Dreisch
My NiteRider Digital is expensive but GREAT. It has enough light power in the front to turn night into day, has a blinking front light that is great for daylight attention-getting, and a rear LED light that is visible from three states away. I have a 20-mile one-way commute and the battery is nearly drained by the time I get home, but they work with about 15 mins to spare (my commute is typically 1h10m long).

No, I don't work for NiteRider but I use the light -- day and night -- and would never consider a commute without the blinking front and rear lights even during the day.

This is what I am going to buy for this fall when the time changes again.