CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff

Winter Lights

(111 posts)

1…34

  1. Uberuce
    Member

    My dynamo conversion is now more or less complete, by which I mean my rear light is now installed.

    At some point I'll get round to shortening the wires, and I may or may not inflict more violence with pliers on my rear rack to adjust the light's angle. Then it'll be complete. But where's the fun in that?

    If I was going out into real country dark, which I will next time I ride that device in rural Tayside, I do suspect I'll bring my NiteRider along. Its beam pattern is mince compared to the B&M, but it can throw an absurd amount of light onto a downhill.

    So far I have enjoyed the week of not detaching front lights nor worrying about batteries, and I have been impressed by how cleverly it lights the road ahead.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. amir
    Member

    The Philips Saferide 80 battery light that I bought didn't work out very well. The charger doesn't work for a start - and when I charged the batteries using an external charger, the charge didn't last anywhere near as long as claimed (not enough for the return journey). That revealed either a problem with the batteries, my charger (it is old) or the light electrics. Anyway it's going back to the shop. I am asking for a replacement as, for the time it worked, it performed wonderfully - even better than the B & M.

    It's also persuaded me to seek a lightweight but powerful backup light - the Moon Crescent. I live too far away to be without a light.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. custard
    Member

    forget all who have been before
    for those times when you absolutly must dazzle all on the canal path

    http://www.trailled.com/lighting/

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    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. allebong
    Member

    I am bumping this thread solely to bring attention to what I said at the start:

    Check the mounts for fatigue

    It turns out my particular light mounts get fatigued in a way that makes the springy plastic bit (for lack of a better term) feel like its solidly engaged even when it's not. So I can happily put the light in and it seems nice and solid, until I give the stiff rear-facing button a firm push to turn it on, at which point the light breaks free from the bonds of the mount and is dumped onto the ground with a nice loud thwack.

    It turns out the solution to this is to bend the plasticky spring bit back a bit until it yields and can be deformed beyond where it normally sits, this restoring the springiness of the plasticky bit to normal and ensuring the light won't come out accidentally. Or deliberately as now it's a struggle to get the thing out sometimes.

    Who knew so much pain could be caused by a bit of plastic that has properties resembling a spring?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. Kenny
    Member

    I've come across a cyclist twice on the NEPN in the past 24 hours who has had a front light so bright it is literally like a car's light on full beam, aimed directly at eye level. So bright, in fact, that the first time, I had to put my hand up to shield my eyes from it because I could no longer see where I was going. This wasn't done to make a point, I honestly couldn't see any more and had no idea whether I was heading towards the cyclist, or the verge, or indeed in a straight line. Thankfully it's the exception rather than the rule on the NEPN.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. SRD
    Moderator

    I had this tonight on NMW. Could see light at West end as soon as I turned from MMW. like you say, car light. Had my hand in front of eyes and said 'that light's not suitable for paths like this'. think it was a female rider on a drop handlebar bike, but could be wrong - i was basically blind.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    There was a combination too-bright-upward-pointing-light combined with the rider of the bike on which it was mounted overtaking a pedestrian on their side of the path just as I would have drawn level with the pedestrian had I not anticipated their stupidity and braked lots on the WoL yesterday morning.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. Instography
    Member

    Christmas presents. My assumption this week is that the sudden increase in stupidly far too bright lights on a well lit path is Santa's fault.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. allebong
    Member

    The Creebay specials are down to around £15 now, which is both brilliant and awful, I reckon they're the ones most likely to be blinding people.

    The really interesting thing is when you realise you can't get 4 18650 cells of known good quality that are used in the batteries for that price. Makes one wonder exactly what corners are being cut. Wonder no more; the batteries are most likely either reclaimed laptop cells or rejects from the good factories. Combined with a crummy charger I'm really amazed there's not more stories of the things exploding and burning down houses. So you may find a reduction in the number of really cheap sizzling lights when they all die a few months down the line (when the prices have fallen further and the cycle begins again, oh joy).

    I am currently feeling slightly nostalgic for my childhood, where you had 'batteries' and that was it, compared to now when all I can think about is Zinc Carbon vs Alkaline vs NiMH vs IMR Li-on, LiPo and so much else, in between having to memorise voltage-discharge curves for every time I have to charge one of the things.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. Kenny
    Member

    I think you're probably right about the Christmas present theory.

    I saw him again today. Blinded once again, didn't have time to protect my eyes because he appeared from round a bend. If this carries on, I'll struggle to stop myself "having a word".

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    Please dip your front light down to the left might work

    I usually just go with BLINDER

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. Nelly
    Member

    Its really not tricky, proper mount, dipped down to the left. Suspect many "offenders" dont realise how bad they are - so a quiet word probably is in order.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. Kenny
    Member

    a quiet word probably is in order

    The difficulty, I find, is managing to start that conversation. For example, we're heading towards each other at a combined speed of 25 to 30 mph, so how do I stop him without sounding angry or combatitive? I like the "BLINDER" idea of gembo's, so I might try that to at least stop him, although maybe for the next couple of days I will continue to merely hold my hands up to my eyes in the hope he either gets the idea, or stops to ask WTF I'm doing.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. gembo
    Member

    When I say the word BLINDER I try to get a mix of admiration of the brightness and mild exasperation at the lack of dipping but you never know how your audience is going to perceive your shtick so maybe I come over as Harry Cross which is not my intention

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. Nelly
    Member

    Harry Cross! That takes me back.

    Tangentially, Simon O'Brien who played Damon Grant in Brookie has/had a bike shop cum cafe in Liverpool a while back.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. gembo
    Member

    Yes nelly, it was a good cafe, and I am sure the bike shop also good. I used to frequent the cafe in the mid 1990s. Quite an early example of the need to have a diverse business model to survive. Possibly ahead of it's time. Would have been two separate shops and I think maybe they knocked through, so if I recall correctly you were not sitting in the middle of the bike shop having your tortilla or felafels. It was called The Hub Cafe. See some info on a more aspirational name for it Liverpool Cycle Centre which also mentions a gym, showers and cycle parking. I don't remember that bit, but maybe developed after I stopped visiting Liverpool? I don't think it is there anymore? 9-13 Berry Street

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. amir
    Member

    I am giving up with the Phillips Saferide. The light output is excellent with a good beam pattern. But the batteries don't last long enough or as much as advertised, at least with the onboard charger. It works slightly better with an external charger but that's not overly practical.

    Instead I am getting a Cateye Volt 1200.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. gembo
    Member

    My wee rechargeable back light fell off tonight, it is EBC red rubber if you find it.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. allebong
    Member

    I've come across an unconfirmed report that Philips are about to discontinue their entire bike light line. Seems a strange decision as I've thought they were well regarded and quite popular. As I said, unconfirmed, nothing official turning up through google so far.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. LaidBack
    Member

    Yes - Philips were selling these to Hase and other companies as an alternative to B+M.

    Is anyone else holding out for B&M Luxos IQ2 U availability?
     We have latest one here fitted to the new Quetzal 24 tandem. Looks small enough on that! Powered by SON hub.

    Was buying a re-charge light for someone and came across this light overview at EBC. Useful enough comparison of various battery lights.

    Edinburgh Bicycle light comparison tool

    I chose the Volt300 as not bad for £50. Can re-charge from USB.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. LivM
    Member

    Wiggle also have a similar comparison tool (with a wider range of lights)

    Posted 10 years ago #

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