24 Hour Race Advice

Ride-A-Lot wrote:

> I'm racing in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy and I have a question about
> lights. Normally, when i do a night ride I am sort of a weenie about
> the dark. So, I run a Niterider Cyclone on my helmet and a storm on my
> bars. Both lights are HID and rated at 3+ hours which I normally get.
> Yes, two HID's pretty much create a daytime effect for me. I am worried
> because if I have to do two night rides (4 man team) the batteries might
> not charge fully between rides. Allamuchy is a very technical area
> during the daytime, I can only imagine what it will be like at night.
>
> So, do I invest the few hundred bucks for two more batteries (I really
> didn't want to spend that much for a one time use), take the chance that
> I'll have enough time to recharge, or just run one light each time? What
> have you done in the past?
>
> TIA.
>
>

If there are easy sections or climbs you can always turn off one light.
With the amount of candle power you're throwing around you can
certianly get away with burning only one light at slow speeds.

You should probably try riding with just one anyways, i personally don't
like too much light because at some point you start to lose shadows.

On 2004-08-19, Ride-A-Lot penned:
> I'm racing in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy and I have a question about lights.
> Normally, when i do a night ride I am sort of a weenie about the dark. So,
> I run a Niterider Cyclone on my helmet and a storm on my bars. Both lights
> are HID and rated at 3+ hours which I normally get. Yes, two HID's pretty
> much create a daytime effect for me. I am worried because if I have to do
> two night rides (4 man team) the batteries might not charge fully between
> rides. Allamuchy is a very technical area during the daytime, I can only
> imagine what it will be like at night.
>
> So, do I invest the few hundred bucks for two more batteries (I really
> didn't want to spend that much for a one time use), take the chance that
> I'll have enough time to recharge, or just run one light each time? What
> have you done in the past?
>

I haven't done a 24 hour event, but I was reading up on them ... the
general consensus seems to be that you want that extra battery,
regardless of expense.

http://grannygear.com/Skull/index.php3?thread=3

Here's a quote:

"Lighting Gear - Make sure you have two sets of lighting gear per person
(helmet mount is most important) and a handlebar set. Also make sure you
have one spare battery. I know it is expencive, but we borrowed lights
from Light and Motion and they were supposed to recharge them for us and
they were totally unprepared and our borrowed helmet lights went out
within a mile on our second night laps and it was a real bummer. Night
Rider, however, came through and had our personally owned light
batteries good and charged. Hat's off to Night Rider (I'll forever buy
your products)."

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
> I'm racing in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy and I have a question about
> lights. Normally, when i do a night ride I am sort of a weenie about
> the dark. So, I run a Niterider Cyclone on my helmet and a storm on
> my bars. Both lights are HID and rated at 3+ hours which I normally
> get. Yes, two HID's pretty much create a daytime effect for me. I am
> worried because if I have to do two night rides (4 man team) the
> batteries might not charge fully between rides. Allamuchy is a very
> technical area during the daytime, I can only imagine what it will be
> like at night.
>
> So, do I invest the few hundred bucks for two more batteries (I really
> didn't want to spend that much for a one time use), take the chance
> that I'll have enough time to recharge, or just run one light each
> time? What have you done in the past?

Isn't the Storm rated at 4 hours? (Not familiar with the Cyclone.)

Assuming "normal" 24-hour race lap times of 1:00 to 1:30 max, you should be
fine with NO charging; and, if the race is providing either NR or neutral
support, the ~4 hours inbetween your laps should be ample for...uh, amping.

Bill "BlowTorch on bars, but tempted to add a Storm to the lid (but not
/serious/ about it)" S.

Buy a $5 flashlight.

S o r n i wrote:
> Ride-A-Lot wrote:
>
>>I'm racing in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy and I have a question about
>>lights. Normally, when i do a night ride I am sort of a weenie about
>>the dark. So, I run a Niterider Cyclone on my helmet and a storm on
>>my bars. Both lights are HID and rated at 3+ hours which I normally
>>get. Yes, two HID's pretty much create a daytime effect for me. I am
>>worried because if I have to do two night rides (4 man team) the
>>batteries might not charge fully between rides. Allamuchy is a very
>>technical area during the daytime, I can only imagine what it will be
>>like at night.
>>
>>So, do I invest the few hundred bucks for two more batteries (I really
>>didn't want to spend that much for a one time use), take the chance
>>that I'll have enough time to recharge, or just run one light each
>>time? What have you done in the past?
>
>
> Isn't the Storm rated at 4 hours? (Not familiar with the Cyclone.)
>
> Assuming "normal" 24-hour race lap times of 1:00 to 1:30 max, you should be
> fine with NO charging; and, if the race is providing either NR or neutral
> support, the ~4 hours inbetween your laps should be ample for...uh, amping.
>
> Bill "BlowTorch on bars, but tempted to add a Storm to the lid (but not
> /serious/ about it)" S.
>
>

It is rated at 4 hours. The cyclone was knew for 2004 and has three
settings which can give up to 6 hours, plus three backup LEDs for 15
minutes just in case.

The race will have Niterider support, but our team has a cabin with
electricity anyway.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
> S o r n i wrote:
>> Ride-A-Lot wrote:
>>
>>> I'm racing in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy and I have a question about
>>> lights. Normally, when i do a night ride I am sort of a weenie
>>> about the dark. So, I run a Niterider Cyclone on my helmet and a
>>> storm on my bars. Both lights are HID and rated at 3+ hours which
>>> I normally get. Yes, two HID's pretty much create a daytime effect
>>> for me. I am worried because if I have to do two night rides (4
>>> man team) the batteries might not charge fully between rides.
>>> Allamuchy is a very technical area during the daytime, I can only
>>> imagine what it will be like at night.
>>>
>>> So, do I invest the few hundred bucks for two more batteries (I
>>> really didn't want to spend that much for a one time use), take the
>>> chance that I'll have enough time to recharge, or just run one
>>> light each time? What have you done in the past?
>>
>>
>> Isn't the Storm rated at 4 hours? (Not familiar with the Cyclone.)
>>
>> Assuming "normal" 24-hour race lap times of 1:00 to 1:30 max, you
>> should be fine with NO charging; and, if the race is providing
>> either NR or neutral support, the ~4 hours inbetween your laps
>> should be ample for...uh, amping.
>>
>> Bill "BlowTorch on bars, but tempted to add a Storm to the lid (but
>> not /serious/ about it)" S.
>>
>>
>
> It is rated at 4 hours. The cyclone was knew for 2004 and has three
> settings which can give up to 6 hours, plus three backup LEDs for 15
> minutes just in case.
>
> The race will have Niterider support, but our team has a cabin with
> electricity anyway.

Well la de friggin' da! Dude, you could ride for a MONTH with all the fire
power at your disposal.

Bill "you DO NOT need any backup batteries" S.

"Jerry Bone Jr" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Buy a $5 flashlight.

Actually that's really good advice for several reasons.

Use the flashlight for on the trails repairs or flat changes.

Use the flashlight to walk out should the lighting system fail. Especially
with the HID systems. I ridden with riders whose HID system fails to
restart because of a cranky ballast.

Other than that just conserve the batteries on nontechnical sections.