Headlights
 

The 'Taillight Safety' thread, has some excellent info with some good recommendations.

But I am interested in headlights.

I have yet to find a decent headlight. I am tired of getting caught in the dark with little or no capability of seeing in front of me.

I am referring to a headlight that will shine over a wide area. Not one of the awful lights from a bike shop, that doesn't shine very far.

This fits your description
http://www.lightjunction.com/MagicSh...0bf17df752945c

If you don't have much concern for a lot of traffic this is a c battery operated light. My guess it is 1/3 as bright as the Majicshine

I ride in traffic every time I go out. I just don't actively ride at night. I have gone out a couple times during the night. But on roads where I know their status(construction, warped asphalt, etc.).

I just don't want a large battery pack on my bike.

Check the following for some very good info:

http://reviews.mtbr.com/2011-bike-lights-shootout

http://road.cc/content/news/46538-bi...ghts-test-data

For the best one-piece lights consider the Niterider Mininewt 600, Cygolite Expilion 500, Serfas True 500, Lezyne Superdrive... These are the good lights at bike shops as opposed to "the awful lights at bike shops" you appear to be familiar with.

Also suggest looking in the Electronics and Lighting Forum: http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ng-amp-Gadgets

+1 to the Serfas True 500. A very bright light from the riders perspective.

I'd highly recommend the Philips SafeRide LED headlight if you're riding on the road.

Most bright lights have a round beam pattern that throws half the light away into the trees or the eyes of oncoming traffic, and over-illuminates near you which makes the light seem dimmer further away. The SafeRide uses an automotive-style reflector system that keeps the light down where it's useful, and throws less light right in front of you so the distant light is more useful.

I have the Mininewt 600 and routinely have cars blinking high beams at me when I am at a corner waiting to cross a street if my handlebars are turned I also have people on the trail at night telling me to turn it down....lol...my comment to them is well, at least you saw me and I saw you.

I took a look at everyone's recommendations. I am leaning towards the MagicShine MJ-816E. But the connection to the battery pack still bothers me.

Look at the minewt sytems, from 150 to 700 lumens, rechargeable with a wall or usb outlet, lots of choices.

Look at the Peter White Cycles webpage. He is the North American distributor for all the really good European systems.
He knows more about bike lighting than anybody I've heard or seen.
Contrary to popular opinion, I still use a tire driven dynamo with a Spanninga led on one of my bikes each season and am really happy with it.

Marc

Looking again at his website, I am leaning towards the Supernova E3 Triple.

I got a Shimano Dynohub last fall and linked it to a B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo. Plenty of light for city commuting and I really like the comfort of never having to worry about batteries.

-G

How does the Shimano Dynohub work? When I saw a picture of it, it looked like a deep sea fishing reel with a locking mechanism like on a wheel?

I use a Light&Motion Stella 150. I have used it both for commuting and on pitch dark trails. It works fine and has three settings High, Low and Flash. The battery is good for 2.5 hours on high, 10 on low and 100 on flash.

From a user's perspective the dynohub works just like a normal front hub, except it has an electrical connector on one side that outputs juice when you're rolling. Maybe this is what looks like a "locking mechanism"? Anyway, the dynohub is a hassle initially because you have to have your wheel rebuilt around it, but after that it's fantastic because you never have to carry batteries or worry about how much charge they have left. Light selection is more limited than battery-powered lights, but there are some great dynohub lights available.

Thanks for the explanation.:thumb:

You may be thinking of the velo orange hub that has a star wheel to lessen drag when lights are not needed.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=237835

The Shimano works great. I know it has some drag, but I really can't feel it. At higher speeds (>25mph) you can feel a very slight high frequency buzz through the bars when the light is on. I find myself using my lights more often than if they were battery powered, for instance on overcast days or when it is rainy.

I build my own wheels, so it was less of an expense for me, but since I was converting from 27" to 700C for more clearance, the dyno hub was a no brainer.

-G