Originally Posted by Merriwether
As for the lighting, I never understood generators, sidewall or hub. Battery lights are cheap, light, and much brighter than generator lights. And you don't have to waste precious human energy to produce that thin bit of light.
Been there, done that. I was used to generators in the 1970s, 1980s and kept mine until it broke down in 1999. Then went with batteries. Then went with a hub generator. There is no turning back. Why ? The generator has a few advantages:
- It's always there when you need it.
- No problem doing a 5-6 h ride in the dark. No fear of having dead batteries (even with backup) after 2-3 hours.
- No problems with battery duration at -20 C. It's incredible how short lasts the charge of a "2 hour" battery at -20 C. Sometimes not even long enough for a 20-minute commute!
- Less weight to carry around.
- With better hub generators, drag is insignificant, unless you race.
On the other hand, LED-based headlights are very promising technology. A Planet Bike 1 W LED Superspot or a Cateye EL-300 or EL-500 (better light, flimsy bracket) lasts 25-30 hours on the same set of batteries, and you could get a kit of rechargeables at your home renovation centre.