Commuting - Don't just illuminate... dominate

Whoa... Shock and awe on a handlebar.

20W HID system. That's equivalent to 60W halogen. Brighter than car headlights.

http://www.supernova-lights.com/p-99dUSA.html

Only $700 U.S.!

Agreed. The shock and awe factor of my 12W HID is significant, I can't imagine a 20W unit.

I don't understand the exorbitant prices on "top of the line" bike lights. You can get a million candlepower hand lantern at the hardware store for under $20. The only problem is duct taping it to your bars.:-> But seriously, these bikelight makers are taking us for a ride, no?

I agree. I am using an old $20.00 Cateye for a headlamp and a rear blinker from Walmart that was on closeout for a few bucks. I have a run time of 1.5 hours/day and the blinker is still on the original batteries with well over 200 hrs. The headlight uses two D cells and I get about 15 hours on a set of batteries.

Although I think they are gouging, some of it has to do with economies of scale. Those $20 flashlights are made in great quantities, so the cost per light drops. The bike lights are made in smaller quantities and higher price per light to make. Also, with new items, prices are high until someone comes out with something similar for a lower price (competion).
But, They are still way too expensive for most people.

Just my 2 cents....

Todd

I agree they are too expensive but you get what you pay for. i have a small surefire flashlight that i use around the house and walking the dog at night. it was $32 but well worth it. it is also the least expensive model surefire makes. it will send a stray dog or varmint running. my mini maglight will not do that. i use a "roadtoad" in the morning on my commute. i call it my " don't hit me light" and it works pretty well for that. i have considered putting on my mtn bike lights though but 24w seems like overkill. i got a good deal on the performance brand bar lights and helmet lights over a year ago but still paid over $200. I have had no problems with the performance lights and am glad i bought them.

CD

I agree with Creep Dog, you get what you pay for.

I have to admit that the Shock and Awe factor in traffic is cool. Even so, for commuting around town, I rarely use my HID, it's just overkill. For cruising the single track at night, the HID just rocks, and their is just no comparison. At $300 for the L&M HID, I think that was reasonable. A Night Rider Digital system is around 280, and it's no where near as good the HID. A $700 light? I can't imaging paying that much, but ya never know.

As they say, don't dis it till you try it.

I'm generally not willing to spend more than $100.00 for bike lighting and as a fule never deal with batteries, rechargeable or otherwise. I use dynamo sets on all my bikes, some with and some without standlights. A 2.4 or 3 watt headlamp with a good beam pattern is more than enough to illuminate where you're going, and all the cars and peds can see you. Peter White cycles is the best source I know for dynamo lights and accessories -- convenient web sales, fast service, good products:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm

that would be rule, not fule. Where's the dang spell checker when you need it?

The NiteRider Storm H.I.D system is the best bike light system on the market. Here in NYC, I rule the streets at night.

Just look at my avatar on the left, thats how it looks when I'm speeding through the streets. I love the beautiful blue/white color of the Storm H.I.D, people drool when they see me riding at night. :thumbup:

The Ultimate Bike Light Setup, with pics! (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?threadid=28170)


Peace. :beer:

Ringo

Whoa... Shock and awe on a handlebar.

20W HID system. That's equivalent to 60W halogen. Brighter than car headlights.

http://www.supernova-lights.com/p-99dUSA.html

Only $700 U.S.!



You realize that Motorcycles have used car headlight bright lights for years and still get hit by people who claim they didn't see the motorcyclist. You can make something foolproof, but you can't make it idiot proof.

I dunno. A lot of these HID lights are overkill when commuting on streets. I think of them as the SUVs of bike lights; I've often been blinded by them when riding in the opposite direction.

There's a lot to be said for a light which is just bright enough to see well, without causing problems for others sharing the path/road/trail/whatever. Plus you get longer battery life with lower wattage.

I shopped around a lot last year before I found what I was looking for in the Cygolite Nite Rover NiCD Xtra. Totally acceptable output, great battery life.

I've been amazed at the LED headlights which have been coming out lately. Finally a good, bright, self-contained headlinght with great battery life! The new PlanetBike Beamer is quite good, as is the Cateye.

Love the fact that you can buy extra handlebar mounts separately for the Planetbikes.

I dunno. A lot of these HID lights are overkill when commuting on streets. I think of them as the SUVs of bike lights; I've often been blinded by them when riding in the opposite direction.



I couldn't disagree with you more. An HID light is just-about-adequate-kill, in my view.

The light beam is bright enough to permit daylight speeds at night, but not much brighter than that. It's dimmer than car headlights-- even the normal halogen car headlights-- and it's no higher than the lights on real SUV's.

When the light is very close, it's dominating to pedestrians and other cyclists-- but then again so are some truck headlights. Still, if someone's on the sidewalk right next to me I try to turn the thing away.

On the positive side, the light gets the attention of motorists like no halogen light will do. Drivers wait at intersections, they don't turn in front of me, and they slow down when they're oncoming on narrow roads.

Even more importantly, instead of doing trigonometry exercises with the shadows of my halogen lights I can just _look_ at the road to see it. I can see the bottoms of holes, stones, twigs, everything.

If you ride on well lit roads that aren't flooded with other bright light traffic, the light's brighter than you need, I agree. But I ride in places that aren't all like that. So, I'll gladly take the odd annoyed pedestrian over a compromise in my safety.

"So, I'll gladly take the odd annoyed pedestrian over a compromise in my safety."

That's why I think of these as the SUVs of bike lights. To hell with everybody else on the road; if they get blinded or hit, that's their problem.

It's not just annoying; it's compromising the safety of other cyclists on the road/path. There are many appropriate places for very high-output lights, but a well-used bike path--with cyclists approaching you and your blinding light--isn't one of them.

"So, I'll gladly take the odd annoyed pedestrian over a compromise in my safety."

That's why I think of these as the SUVs of bike lights. To hell with everybody else on the road; if they get blinded or hit, that's their problem.

It's not just annoying; it's compromising the safety of other cyclists on the road/path. There are many appropriate places for very high-output lights, but a well-used bike path--with cyclists approaching you and your blinding light--isn't one of them.

Great. Another drama addict. Welcome to the BF.

Did I say if anyone gets blinded or hit, to hell with them? Did I? Or did I say that I will turn the light away from others in close proximity? (Or did it matter, what with your indignation obviously fired up quite independently of any posting here?)

Look, yes, these lights are bright. If they shine right into a person's eyes, then they can reduce vision in the immediate area. I know, as I tested my HID light extensively when I bought it.

There is simply an unfortunate fact about night driving or riding. There is no way to provide adequate forward illumination for a driver without reducing the vision of oncoming traffic somewhat. That's true for sedans, for VW bugs, for motor scooters, for bicycles, and for evil SUV's.

Unlike SUV's, though, HID lights serve an important purpose for most people who own them: they allow riders to _see_ where they're going. Not just guess, not just remember-- but see, at daylight speeds, in the dead of night. That's what's normally called "road safety".

The light is bright enough that sometimes one must take precautions to make sure the light isn't aimed too high. But that's just to say that the light requires some care and consideration in its use. What doesn't?

I've used my light on heavily trafficked two-lane roads at night, and there has been no problem. No high beams from oncoming traffic. No horns. They definitely see me-- but that's the point.

In darker areas, with no lights or other traffic, cars will often slow down as they approach. They can't see me behind the light. They wonder if I'm driving a piece of farm equipment or something.

But they can't see behind a car's headlights either-- it's only the placement of those lights that tells them what they're looking at. So there's nothing specially "blinding" about an HID bike light. And again, it's dimmer than car headlights anyway.

When bright halogen lights appeared on cars, other drivers complained that they were blinded, that the newer lights were much more dangerous than the older ones, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure if we had the BF then we'd have heard similar things from bike riders. Now we're hearing it about HID lights. But the worry is overblown in this case too.

So, yes, despite the prospect of bothering some people in close proximity to me, I'll keep using the light. Of course, I almost never see other cyclists or pedestrians at night. In any case, trading off risks is just part of life, and not just for "SUV people". It's the same thing you do when you ride with halogen lights. Think how you'd preserve the night vision of oncoming pedestrians if you rode in the dark, after all. But that's all right, I guess-- it's only the actions of other people that are selfish.

Well said Merriwether. So did you end up getting the 20W system?

Merriweather. Perhaps you're overdriving adequate lights, and thus, going to an extreme?

No, I didn't buy the $800 20W lights. I don't need _that_ much light for the price. I use a 14W L&M light. I highly recommend it, as I've said many times.

WK: I don't understand your question. What is "overdriving adequate lights"?

The Super Nova's are great lights, made around the corner in Germany. Also home to Lupine Lighting.

Over here in the UK they are also expensive but in America htey are exhobitantly priced because they are imported adn your import laws slap a heavy tax on imported goods to protect your industry.

Also lets look at the technology being used.
It's basically a motor car headlight circuit fitted to abike.
The HID bulb is around $100 in price and that just the bulb with igniter circuit. You still need a ballast circuit to provide the bulb with a steady 100V charge for as long as possible.
Then youneed a high capacity battery to provide the amps to power the whole thing. Those battrey's don't come cheap especially Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium ion battrey packs which have electronic control circuits built in to regulate the charging current and voltage.
So around $200 for battery and charger, $100 for a bulb say $50 for the electronics and housings you cna see where the money has gone.

With the Super nova you have a programmable charger which will help with battery life.
Theres a programmable control switch to regulate the light intensity (no easy task withan HID bulb) and battery life.
There the housing wqhich are designed to dissipate the enormous amount of heat generated.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for. ou cannot compare a Halogen to HID. It's nowhere nearas bright and the run times are always shorter for similar light output.

To me run time = safety and thats cheap insurance.