24 Hours of Booty - Columbia, lights suggestion
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24 Hours of Booty - Columbia, lights suggestion
I'm riding the 24 Hours of Booty in Columbia, MD later this month. I'm looking to try and ride as long as possible, so I will need lights for the evening hours. I have a tail light blinker, but not sure what to get for the front. Not looking to spend a ton, since I won't be using them much, but don't want to skimp and not be able to see. Looking for a long burn time, decent light, and trying to keep I under $200. Any one that has ridden the event, looking for some input. Thanks in advance!
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Hi, there, I rode the Columbia 24 HOB last year, and I'll be back out there this year also.
You really don't need much in the way of lighting. The loop is through a white-collar business park, so there is a fair amount of light that spills over onto the roadway from the various parking lot lights. For the two spots on the loop that were relatively darker, the ride organizers put up big generator-run lights (like you see at highway night-time construction sites.) I assume they will do so again this year.
I just used my commuting lights, which aren't the greatest shakes: two Cateye HL-EL 500 headlights, and a two Cateye taillights -- one of them the TL-LD 1100, the other I guess they don't make anymore, a less bulky light, I think it's TL-LD 600 or something. I got several "oohs" and "aaaahs" about the headlights at Booty but I have friends who are true light geeks, and I know they really aren't "all that." But they were more than fine for the Booty route.
https://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/345
https://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/550
The headllight is about $60, the taillight is about $40; you can probably find them for less with some poking around.
Edit to add: Oh, and Cateye's claim about the lights being "highly water-resistant?" Totally true. As I said, I use these lights for commuting, so they are not strangers to precipitation, anyway, and on last year's Booty ride, it was raining (sometimes light, sometimes bucket-pouring) for about 20 of the 24 hours -- including just about every minute of the overnight hours. Not a peep of complaint from any of my lights.
You really don't need much in the way of lighting. The loop is through a white-collar business park, so there is a fair amount of light that spills over onto the roadway from the various parking lot lights. For the two spots on the loop that were relatively darker, the ride organizers put up big generator-run lights (like you see at highway night-time construction sites.) I assume they will do so again this year.
I just used my commuting lights, which aren't the greatest shakes: two Cateye HL-EL 500 headlights, and a two Cateye taillights -- one of them the TL-LD 1100, the other I guess they don't make anymore, a less bulky light, I think it's TL-LD 600 or something. I got several "oohs" and "aaaahs" about the headlights at Booty but I have friends who are true light geeks, and I know they really aren't "all that." But they were more than fine for the Booty route.
https://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/345
https://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/550
The headllight is about $60, the taillight is about $40; you can probably find them for less with some poking around.
Edit to add: Oh, and Cateye's claim about the lights being "highly water-resistant?" Totally true. As I said, I use these lights for commuting, so they are not strangers to precipitation, anyway, and on last year's Booty ride, it was raining (sometimes light, sometimes bucket-pouring) for about 20 of the 24 hours -- including just about every minute of the overnight hours. Not a peep of complaint from any of my lights.
Last edited by maxine; 08-02-10 at 08:17 AM.
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Thanks for the feed back. I didn't think I was going to need to go super high end on the lights. I was hoping I could get away with some lower level lights, especially since I won't be using them often. I was actually looking at the same Cateye headlight when I saw your response. I was thinking about getting that one, and then looking for one that might be a little more of a flood light to balance it all out. Worst comes to worst, I'll pick up two of those and mount them on either side of the stem, and go that way.
Thanks again for the recommendation, and if anyone else has any input/suggestions, please pass it along.
Scott
Thanks again for the recommendation, and if anyone else has any input/suggestions, please pass it along.
Scott
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Thanks Maxine - just got to thinking about lights tonight when I was returning home from a neighborhood b-b-q. I'm glad to hear the lighting in the lot is adequate. We have one strong light for a helmet and will probably borrow another light from a neighbor. I have no plans whatsoever for riding in the middle of the night - think I'll be in the tent from around 12m - 6am but Jimmy wants to see how long he can ride. We are both in miserable riding shape this summer - I've been swimming more than anything...Jimmy is always in good shape though. 3 weeks baby! ugh!
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Ellen, I haven't been doing enough long-distance riding this year, either, and lately almost all I've been doing is commuting to work. I'm just crossing my fingers that the heat will let up a little bit for the Booty ride!
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Max, you will be kicking my butt. My knee has decided to act up big time this summer. Just had a cortisone shot today and had it tapped as well. Let's hope it cooperates and I'm able to ride. We'll have to talk before to ride and meet up. You won't miss us - my husband will be starting the ride on the tandem with our son. He is thinking a fixie for the ride - what are your thoughts?
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It's pretty much a flat circuit, so he should be fine on a fixie. There's one little swooping downhill curve which is kind of fun, and then a short bit of mild uphill as you head back to the starting line.
Actually, if you have any free weekend time before the ride, the Columbia Gateway loop is a popular training spot for local roadies; you can check out the course ahead of time, and you more than likely won't be alone out there!
Actually, if you have any free weekend time before the ride, the Columbia Gateway loop is a popular training spot for local roadies; you can check out the course ahead of time, and you more than likely won't be alone out there!
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Our schedule over the next 2 weeks is crazy. I may actually be heading out having put less than 100 miles on my bike all summer. I have no plans of riding 200 miles - but at least wanted to get in 50 each day. Gosh I hope the weather cooperates. I see you are riding with a team - where do you set up camp? Like I said - we'll be an easy find. Any other tandems out there last year?
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There is a huge grassy area by the Merkle building. The tents are set up there.
https://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/D....pdf?docID=381
(The tents are in the area labeled "Bootyville" on the map.)
There is plenty of parking, and part of the parking lot is used for the food tent and vendor area. A line of port-a-pots near the vendor/food tent. Supposedly there were showers available somewhere, too.
https://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/D....pdf?docID=381
(The tents are in the area labeled "Bootyville" on the map.)
There is plenty of parking, and part of the parking lot is used for the food tent and vendor area. A line of port-a-pots near the vendor/food tent. Supposedly there were showers available somewhere, too.
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Saw that - looks small for 800 so riders....
Where can we find out about showers? Wonder if they bother with that for 800 riders.
Are there designated times for meals?
Where can we find out about showers? Wonder if they bother with that for 800 riders.
Are there designated times for meals?
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I'd just get a few el-cheapo bike lights of the type that can be unclipped from the handlebar mounting bracket. Just rotate them out as the batteries start to go.
Alternately, you can wire most cheap bike lights running on "AA" batteries to some D cells in parallel. Replacing two AAs with four D-cells in a 2-series 2-parallel configuration will give you a good twelve hours, maybe more.
Alternately, you can wire most cheap bike lights running on "AA" batteries to some D cells in parallel. Replacing two AAs with four D-cells in a 2-series 2-parallel configuration will give you a good twelve hours, maybe more.
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booty lights
I am using a jetbeam flashlight [since I needed a good flashlight anyways] with a couple of extra AA li-ion batteries. +/- $100 plus a charger
mounted to the bars with a twofish mount. It's way overkill for the booty since you only need something that lets you see the occasional deer that wants to dart out in front of you.
mounted to the bars with a twofish mount. It's way overkill for the booty since you only need something that lets you see the occasional deer that wants to dart out in front of you.
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