Andrew Webster said:Zog The Undeniable <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<41645691.0@entanet>...
Quoted message said:Joss Winn wrote:
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Quoted message said:Quoted message said:I don't know whether I need/want LED (possibly the Cateye EL500) or
rechargable HID or Halogen lights.
They are to fit on a road bike and strictly for road use.
Dynamo (with halogen bulb) or rechargeable systems are best for unlit
roads. LEDs don't cut it unless you use more than one of them.
I guess it depends on how big an LED.
Quoted message said:Disagree. Unlit country roads are easy to light as there are no
competing light sources so your eyes can become adjusted better to the
lighting conditions. There is an argument that, in the absence of
other bright light sources, you should use the dimmest light you can
as this will allow you to get the most from ambient light (yes, you
can ride by moonlight on open roads, despite what HID owners might
think), otherwise, a too-bright light can leave everything out of its
beam as inky blackness, even on a bright night.
Well, that arugument doesn't work for me. Anything outside any beam, bright or
dim, is inky blackness to me. The more light the better, and the faster I want
to go, the more light the better still.
Speak for yourself when it comes to night vision. Not everyone is the same.
Quoted message said:Using an everled (luxeon based LED) replacement bulb in a SMART BL201
headlamp unit provides easily enough light to see by and lasts 7 hours
on 5xAA 1800mAh rechargeables.
This is from my (now dark until March) 12 mile morning commute, about
a third country lanes, a third off road path and third lit streets.
Also bear in mind that on a commuting route you will likely know the
route pretty well, so won't need the same level of light as if trying
to navigate a new route.
That's a dangerous assumption too. In fact more accidents (driving) occur on
familiar commuting roads. People assume they "know the road" so they push the
limits, leaving no margin for surprises. In the case of a bike, you need a
safety margin for a new patch of gravel or pothole, stranded vehicle around a
blind curve, dog giving chase, deer in the middle of the road, or for that
matter, roadkill. I almost went over the bars running over a dead racoon that I
didn't see (relatively flat and gray, he blended right into the asphalt).
Quoted message said:Haiving said all this, you won't know unless you try it.
I agree that Cateye EL300 won't be much good for seeing with (I bought
one, hoping the hype would be partly true, but it wasn't). But the
EL500 (Luxeon Star based, I believe) should be comparable to my LED
setup, and could well work for you - it is very neatly packaged, too.
The latest flyer from Performance had Dual Viewpoint systems for $29.00 --
little more than half the cost of an EL500. If you email me*, I'll give you the
product code. I almost bought an EL500 to replace my Micro Halogen, but the
Viewpoint was a much better deal.
Matt O.
*The reply-to deltanet address is dead. Try my first initial and last name at
sdf dot lonestar dot org
