Originally Posted by
Richard Cranium
Wow - I think we have the answers - some people think "dyno" - some people think "china-shine" LEDs on steroids and some people just don't care.
Having been "around the block" - and being an "early adopter" of bicycle lights - my first light was $5.95 6V dry cell in a metal box hooked to some brand of a sealed beam from Western Auto.... - woah but the kid down the street had a "Scwhinn branded" bottle generator? - All I can say is - we've come along way baby!
I'm not sure there is anyway to understand how or why a cyclist will place their interest or confidence in one light system over another. Clearly there is a demarcation between the type of rider who will accommodate a generator and light permanently mounted on a bike while others accept the need to care for batteries on a regular basis. (or re-supply)
However, my intent was to discuss how other cyclists would define what I "believe" to be any "all night" cyclist's necessities.
That being:
Two independent front lighting sources - powered and operated in a way in one of which is usable as an all purpose light.
Two independent rear lights - powered and operated in a way that one of the lights could possibly remain lighted all night.
The next big issue - coming up
Lighting systems are probably very much like most other bicycling gear - decided by personal whims and individual needs and budget. The only cyclists I've personally seen with identical bikes or gear have been married to each other. And often even married couples have different priorities regarding equipment.
Just because most cars have two headlights doesn't make all automotive headlights interchangable either. Almost every car manufacturer has their own idea of what an 'ideal' lighting system should be like - and it seems to change every year too.
I like what I'm using, but its overkill for most of my friends because they don't drive often at night wheras I do. Generators are OK but put a cap on how many watts you can drive, and sometimes I want to drive 40 to 60 watts. Batteries that'll do that for over 6 hours weigh about 2 lbs, but on an electric bike you can just tap into the electrical system so everything is relative.
The fact that there are so many options available is probably a pretty good indication that cyclists opinions about lighting system requirements vary widely.