lighting for nightime forest ride
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 67
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
lighting for nightime forest ride
I plan to get some kind of head light mounted on my bike that will give me enough visability to ride in the woods at night. I dont know what kind of light setup would be best. I saw a three led cateye and a single led cateye at the store. Also I am interested in the DIY halogen 12v 20W setup. Can anyone give me pros on cons of these type of setups please ?
#2
Slow and Steady
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 346
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Another thought: Fenix Digital L2D Black Premium Q5
For 1/5th the price of a cateye triple shot. I don't know how bright the cateye is, but the Fenix is AWESOME! I use it for night riding on city streets and night trails. On the city streets, the lights do not get washed out and I feel that I can see well and drivers CANNOT miss me. On the trails, it's like riding in the day, it's THAT bright!
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_...roducts_id=362
For 1/5th the price of a cateye triple shot. I don't know how bright the cateye is, but the Fenix is AWESOME! I use it for night riding on city streets and night trails. On the city streets, the lights do not get washed out and I feel that I can see well and drivers CANNOT miss me. On the trails, it's like riding in the day, it's THAT bright!
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_...roducts_id=362
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 72
Bikes: Cannondale CAAD 9 with full Ultrega
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
One light that I have had good luck with is the Niterider MINEWT X2 Dual.
It throws out a nice beam and since it is on two seperate lights, you can adjust one to be close and the farther out. It give you some flexibility.
The only drawback is that the batteries will only last a little under two hours at high intensity (3 and half hours at low intensity).
I have had mine for about 7 months now and I am very happy with it.
I hope this helps.
It throws out a nice beam and since it is on two seperate lights, you can adjust one to be close and the farther out. It give you some flexibility.
The only drawback is that the batteries will only last a little under two hours at high intensity (3 and half hours at low intensity).
I have had mine for about 7 months now and I am very happy with it.
I hope this helps.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 411
Bikes: Lynskey R210, Miyata 610, Anchor PCD3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Fenix L2D is great, but the form factor is long which means I bump it a lot when not thinking about it and there isn't a ton of side-spill to see around with. I am definitely thinking about trying to break one apart into a separate battery pack, cause that would just about make it perfect. Plus they are cheap and use standard rechargeable AAs, so you can always find a replacement battery when needed. I regret not buying two or three of them.
#5
Scott
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Are you an experienced DIY person? If so you might consider building an LED headlight. DX now has a triple aluminum reflector for high power Cree and SSC LED's. You can easily build a headlight thats brighter than an MR-16 20-watt halogen light with no where near the power drain. The three LED's can be sandwiched between the reflector and an old CPU heat sink.
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11922
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2394
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3256
You'll have an extra driver but don't worry, you can use it in the DIY taillight.
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1776
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11922
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2394
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3256
You'll have an extra driver but don't worry, you can use it in the DIY taillight.
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1776
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Denver Front Range
Posts: 61
Bikes: www.amoebalight.blogspot.com
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Pond Scum is the answer
Build a Pond Scum, you won't be dissappointed. Be sure to overvolt to 14.4V's to get maximum light ouptut.
https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=245737
Bar Mounted
Helmet mounted
https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=245737
Bar Mounted
Helmet mounted
#7
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,091 Times
in
2,325 Posts
When riding off-road at night, make sure that you are on trails you know. Ride with only a little light on up hills and save the burners for downhill. It's also a good idea to know how long your batteries will last before you go getting 20 miles away from civilization.
The main reason you should have more than one light is if something goes wrong but it's also wise to carry an LED back up flashlight. It is absolutely no fun stumbling around in the dark, in the woods, in the middle of the night without a light. Been there done that.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 1,143
Bikes: '07 Giant OCR3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Here's a quick list of pros and cons off the top of my head and speaking strictly from my experience. Hope it helps.
DIY Halogen Pros:
-Most lumens per buck period
-Excellent quality of light (ie colour temperature for discerning details)
-Cheap bulbs, lots of selection for beam angles (online anyway not so much at home depot).
-Simple and reliable.
DIY Halogen Cons:
-Short Run time...(this is the killer for most people considering Halogen despite all the pros)
-Batteries/Chargers are expensive.... or heavy and bulky.
DIY LED Pros
-Fairly bright, starting to come close to Halogen
-Less power consumed/longer runtime
-Cheaper lighter batteries
DIY LED Cons
-Lower quality of light (tends to be bluish/higher colour temp, less useful for discerning detail)
-Higher level of electronics understanding required.
-Heat sinking requirements
Proffesional lights Pros
-Small and light
-Easy to install, ready to go out of the box
Proffesional light Cons
-Expensive! They're manufactured for a small market.
-Possibly not as much light as a DIY set up. Certainly less than 2x20W overvolted Halogens....
DIY Halogen Pros:
-Most lumens per buck period
-Excellent quality of light (ie colour temperature for discerning details)
-Cheap bulbs, lots of selection for beam angles (online anyway not so much at home depot).
-Simple and reliable.
DIY Halogen Cons:
-Short Run time...(this is the killer for most people considering Halogen despite all the pros)
-Batteries/Chargers are expensive.... or heavy and bulky.
DIY LED Pros
-Fairly bright, starting to come close to Halogen
-Less power consumed/longer runtime
-Cheaper lighter batteries
DIY LED Cons
-Lower quality of light (tends to be bluish/higher colour temp, less useful for discerning detail)
-Higher level of electronics understanding required.
-Heat sinking requirements
Proffesional lights Pros
-Small and light
-Easy to install, ready to go out of the box
Proffesional light Cons
-Expensive! They're manufactured for a small market.
-Possibly not as much light as a DIY set up. Certainly less than 2x20W overvolted Halogens....
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Denver Front Range
Posts: 61
Bikes: www.amoebalight.blogspot.com
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Pig_Chaser - Very nicely said. Only one thing I can think of adding -
Professional light Cons
- most professional LED lights are using LED's that are about a year behind what is the latest and the greatest.
Professional light Cons
- most professional LED lights are using LED's that are about a year behind what is the latest and the greatest.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 67
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
right now the diy halogens seem more attractive. I can build a test rig for like 5$ just to see what to expect and see if I want to focus more on this. Battery is still unknown. A buddy of mine can supply me with very small 12v led acid batteries (unknown amp hours until I go over and check but free!!!), Also I have access to small selection of left over laptop lion 4000+ 10.5 and 14.4v packs. If the lighting turns out very clear and bright with the halogens, I will try and focus on power supply. If that fails I will move on to diy leds.
#11
Senior Member
I plan to get some kind of head light mounted on my bike that will give me enough visability to ride in the woods at night. I dont know what kind of light setup would be best. I saw a three led cateye and a single led cateye at the store. Also I am interested in the DIY halogen 12v 20W setup. Can anyone give me pros on cons of these type of setups please ?
1- NiteRider Digital Evolution 5/10/15 watt settings (this was my first bike light; I picked it up marked down from $239 to $30 at an REI Garage Sale, too good to pass up!)
2- Fenix L2D Premium Q5 (cost = approx. $60 w/S/H)
3- DiNotte 200L (cost = sale price of $100 through DiNotte without batteries or charger - takes AA batteries - plus S/H)
I have done a lot of night riding on very technical singletrack (if you're in the Pacific Northwest: Tapeworm, Skookum Flats, Banner Forest, Lake Sawyer, and Capitol Forest), all with the NiteRider, mostly at the 10 watt setting (before I got #2 and #3 above). The Fenix and DiNotte are both noticeably brighter than the NiteRider's 15 watt setting. I'm currently on a hiatus from mountain biking due to time constraints: I'm stuck on the road for now. When I do more night single-track riding in the future, I'll use the Fenix on the helmet/DiNotte on the bar setup.
For any but the fastest downhill singletrack (anything less than 15- 20 mph, which most night riding is), one Fenix on a helmet would suffice.
Good luck!
#12
Señor Member
True, but some of these lights can be retrofitted with newer emitters as they become available. I spent 20$ and roughly doubled the amount of light coming from my lights - if even better emitters come along, I could easily do it again.
#13
Scott
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11809
SSC P7 W724C0-BSYPI 3.6V~4.2V 12W LED Emitter (Bare) 570~740 lumen's in a single emitter package.
These will be replacing those mercury filled curly Q lights in your house very soon.
I can't wait for compatible optics so I can use it on my bike and for my motorcycle headlight.
#14
Scott
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
DIY LED Pros
-Fairly bright, starting to come close to Halogen
-Less power consumed/longer runtime
-Cheaper lighter batteries
DIY LED Cons
-Lower quality of light (tends to be bluish/higher colour temp, less useful for discerning detail)
-Higher level of electronics understanding required.
-Heat sinking requirements
New LED's are now brighter than halogen and the color is closer to a pure white.
#15
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 10,082
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Fenix L2D is great, but the form factor is long which means I bump it a lot when not thinking about it and there isn't a ton of side-spill to see around with. I am definitely thinking about trying to break one apart into a separate battery pack, cause that would just about make it perfect. Plus they are cheap and use standard rechargeable AAs, so you can always find a replacement battery when needed. I regret not buying two or three of them.
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 67
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I just got back from the local electronics shop they sell the mr16's 20watt for 1.99$ canadian!!! unfortunately they have no sockets... I found for 9.99$ a fully enclosed metal type fixture that comes with a 55watt halogen bulb and the wire/tab outside ready for any power source. The thing is, it took just the bulb, not like the mr16's which have there own housing and different sized pins. Are there any kind of bulbs I can get for this kind of fixture that might be just as good as a mr16 ?
#17
Scott
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I just got back from the local electronics shop they sell the mr16's 20watt for 1.99$ canadian!!! unfortunately they have no sockets... I found for 9.99$ a fully enclosed metal type fixture that comes with a 55watt halogen bulb and the wire/tab outside ready for any power source. The thing is, it took just the bulb, not like the mr16's which have there own housing and different sized pins. Are there any kind of bulbs I can get for this kind of fixture that might be just as good as a mr16 ?
#19
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,091 Times
in
2,325 Posts
For reasons beyond me to fully understand the only way to get a socket compatible with the MR-16 bulbs is to purchase the entire fixture and remove the socket from it. I've looked very hard in the past when I was playing around with halogen lights to find a source for MR-16 sockets to no avail.
I've progressed past halogen so I'm not to worried about that stuff now. LED's are so much easier. Here is a view of a headlight I built using two SSC Z-power LED's , a 15X30 degree lens, a 10 degree lens, mounted in a standard outdoor aluminum electrical outlet box. The entire box is working as a heat sink so overheating is never a problem. Once the cover with clear plastic is mounted it's totally waterproof. I'm powering it with a dynamo so no batteries are required or wanted. Lumen output at 7 MPH and faster is 240 so it's roughly equivalent to a 10-watt halogen bulb but with 85% efficient optics light output appears brighter than a 15-watt MR-16 halogen bulb.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#20
?
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,775
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
LED is simple. Here's what you need for major components.
LED
Led lens
driver
simple switch/potentiometer
battery
That's it. Not only that, dimming is easier, there's a much need highly visible flashing mode, 200 lumens flashing at 10 hertz is ridiculously bright, and much more noticeable than a 700 lumen steady light, you just can't miss it.
Overall, it's much more portable, transferable, and lighter (think 4 AAs battery plus 100 grams for the light).
I'm dumping the battery system to trails on later on this year, I'm planning to use dynamo hubs exclusively for road, if the project LED lumens comes out later this year, you can probably get 700 lumens at 10 miles an hour.
LED
Led lens
driver
simple switch/potentiometer
battery
That's it. Not only that, dimming is easier, there's a much need highly visible flashing mode, 200 lumens flashing at 10 hertz is ridiculously bright, and much more noticeable than a 700 lumen steady light, you just can't miss it.
Overall, it's much more portable, transferable, and lighter (think 4 AAs battery plus 100 grams for the light).
I'm dumping the battery system to trails on later on this year, I'm planning to use dynamo hubs exclusively for road, if the project LED lumens comes out later this year, you can probably get 700 lumens at 10 miles an hour.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Berkeley
Posts: 2,265
Bikes: 2010 Tarmac SL, 2013 Fairdale Weekender, 2013 Fairdale Coaster, 1995 Specialized M2 Pro, 1972 Schwinn Heavy Duty, 2014 Surley Long Haul Trucker
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Kind of a cool little article... good place to start I suppose.
https://www.bikemag.com/gear/accessor...t_1/index.html
https://www.bikemag.com/gear/accessor...t_1/index.html
#22
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,091 Times
in
2,325 Posts
As for the whole flashing thing, I've never understood the need. I'd much rather have a steady lamp that gives me good illumination of the road so that I can see hazards before I run into them. If I need to get a driver's attention, I have a very powerful (we're talking 100 m or more of throw) helmet light that gets far more attention than 200 lm of flashing light. Just riding down the road, my helmet light is moving all over the road.
Transferability is a function of the mounts you use. Some DIY LED systems don't look too transferable to me. Some DIY halogen systems can, and are, transfer from bike-to-bike in seconds. Personally, I wouldn't have a system that couldn't be easily transfered.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#23
Scott
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
LED is simple. Here's what you need for major components.
LED
Led lens
driver
simple switch/potentiometer
battery
That's it. Not only that, dimming is easier, there's a much need highly visible flashing mode, 200 lumens flashing at 10 hertz is ridiculously bright, and much more noticeable than a 700 lumen steady light, you just can't miss it.
Overall, it's much more portable, transferable, and lighter (think 4 AAs battery plus 100 grams for the light).
I'm dumping the battery system to trails on later on this year, I'm planning to use dynamo hubs exclusively for road, if the project LED lumens comes out later this year, you can probably get 700 lumens at 10 miles an hour.
LED
Led lens
driver
simple switch/potentiometer
battery
That's it. Not only that, dimming is easier, there's a much need highly visible flashing mode, 200 lumens flashing at 10 hertz is ridiculously bright, and much more noticeable than a 700 lumen steady light, you just can't miss it.
Overall, it's much more portable, transferable, and lighter (think 4 AAs battery plus 100 grams for the light).
I'm dumping the battery system to trails on later on this year, I'm planning to use dynamo hubs exclusively for road, if the project LED lumens comes out later this year, you can probably get 700 lumens at 10 miles an hour.
3 watt bicycle dynamo. This is the circuit I use on my touring bike with a tire driven bottle type dynamo.
I only show one high power LED in the headlight circuit just to keep everything as simple as possible. Here is a site showing many dynamo driven LED circuits utilizing up to 6 high power LED's driven from a single dynamo. https://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectron...moCircuits.htm
When I am on a tour I take along a GPS unit and use the dynamo to keep it recharged. Here is a description of the circuit.
https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/390107-my-new-led-headlight-usb-dynamo-circuit.html
#24
?
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,775
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You are forgetting the heat sink. And which driver? How do you choose? What does the driver do? Any other things you have to take into consideration for the LED to work? I've looked at what schematics I can find that and there's a whole lot more to them than a lamp, a battery and a wire. I'm not an electronics guy and the whole schemer looks very complicated.
I have never understood the need for dimming of lights. I've never needed dimmer lights...if anything I want brighter! That's why I ride with 3 lamps putting out 1600 lumens...each! The only weapon I have at night on a bike is my lights and I'm already carrying a knife into a gunfight, why would I trade my knife for a rock?
As for the whole flashing thing, I've never understood the need. I'd much rather have a steady lamp that gives me good illumination of the road so that I can see hazards before I run into them. If I need to get a driver's attention, I have a very powerful (we're talking 100 m or more of throw) helmet light that gets far more attention than 200 lm of flashing light. Just riding down the road, my helmet light is moving all over the road.
As for the whole flashing thing, I've never understood the need. I'd much rather have a steady lamp that gives me good illumination of the road so that I can see hazards before I run into them. If I need to get a driver's attention, I have a very powerful (we're talking 100 m or more of throw) helmet light that gets far more attention than 200 lm of flashing light. Just riding down the road, my helmet light is moving all over the road.
Personally, I don't care about lightness of the unit. I care much more about illumination, i.e. light output. My system may not be as light as an LED but I can throw down much more light than any LED (or even HID) system currently made...commercial or DIY. I also have enough run time for what I need it to do. If I were doing rides that lasted longer than my current capacity (around 2.5 hour), I might consider LED. Or I could just carry a larger capacity battery.
Transferability is a function of the mounts you use. Some DIY LED systems don't look too transferable to me. Some DIY halogen systems can, and are, transfer from bike-to-bike in seconds. Personally, I wouldn't have a system that couldn't be easily transfered.
Transferability is a function of the mounts you use. Some DIY LED systems don't look too transferable to me. Some DIY halogen systems can, and are, transfer from bike-to-bike in seconds. Personally, I wouldn't have a system that couldn't be easily transfered.
It's gets even simpler when your driving high power LED's with any standard 6 volt
3 watt bicycle dynamo. This is the circuit I use on my touring bike with a tire driven bottle type dynamo.
I only show one high power LED in the headlight circuit just to keep everything as simple as possible. Here is a site showing many dynamo driven LED circuits utilizing up to 6 high power LED's driven from a single dynamo. https://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectron...moCircuits.htm
When I am on a tour I take along a GPS unit and use the dynamo to keep it recharged. Here is a description of the circuit.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=390107
3 watt bicycle dynamo. This is the circuit I use on my touring bike with a tire driven bottle type dynamo.
I only show one high power LED in the headlight circuit just to keep everything as simple as possible. Here is a site showing many dynamo driven LED circuits utilizing up to 6 high power LED's driven from a single dynamo. https://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectron...moCircuits.htm
When I am on a tour I take along a GPS unit and use the dynamo to keep it recharged. Here is a description of the circuit.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=390107
#25
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,091 Times
in
2,325 Posts
I personally find anything over 1000 lumens an overkill, and yes, I have used a 1000 lumens worth of pure white LED beams on the road. The colour is much whiter than car's HID lamp. Dimming is an option I prefer because one, there are times where I actually don't want that much light on the road, we're talking <300 lumens.
I'm planning to use circuit #10, I didn't want the autoswitching as I like to control the light output instead of having the brightest mode all the time. No, I'm not planning to use 6, that's an overkill with Seoul P4s. 4 is enough. Tire driven is not going to cut it here, most of the time it's wet.
A prime example of why I don't think LED is a simple as you say
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!