Lights

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively on long country roads
(100% paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out to the country. I
want to maximize the length that I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am
riding a Gold Rush and am capable of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the
wind.... I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging...

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in terms of different approaches
which you think could work better are appreciated. Of course, any system such as this is a
tradeoff between weight of batteries, riding time between battery recharge and expense. I am
generally OK with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

At 20 mph, your bike is traveling 29 fps. I like to employ the '3-second rule' Meaning that I can
react and stop or avoid anything I can see in 3 sec. This rule has worked well for me riding at
night on not the best of surfaces. With that rule 88' is mimimum. So I'd say your Performance
criteria are on target.

Quoted message said:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

For the $ your are talking about you might want to consider a SON/Lumotec combination Hub Dynamo. It
does not throw 'deer blinding' light, but it does preserve your night vision allowing you to see
things not in the beam. It is a focused light and more efficent than any thing that does blind
everything else in the path.

I first put mine on a RANS Stratus with dual Lumotecs four years ago. When I got the Giro, which is
now my commuting bike, I moved it and installed it with only one Lumotec. The SON is maintenance
free. The single Lumotec is nearly as efficient as the Dual set up on the Stratus and I never need
batteries.

I have tried several other battery operated lights. NiteRider Digital Pro 12 and 6v systems, and
more recently the Cateye EL300. Only the NiteRider throw more light but a 2 hour burn time soon
turns into a 1 hour burn time on batteries that go into a second or third season. I can not get
a replacement battery for my three year old out of production NiteRider 6. And if I could, it
would be $200.

--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.orgOpen ↗
- Bellaire, TX USA -

Ken If you wanted to have a two bulb system consider a big bulb (20W) and a small bulb (5W,
something to get home on when your battery is pooping out) and run one at a time. Also get spot
bulbs. Flood lights are good for the woods where you want to see where you are placing your front
tire but at 20+ mph, I don't see the point?

I built a bright system (It has substantial light for 30mph.) using one MR11 20w 12V bulb spot light
and a gel cell 13.2 volt battery. Probably spent about $30-35 on it. Parts were all obtained locally
at the Ace Hardware.

I am using a 12V 3AH battery for about 1H 15M of light. You would want to use two of them wired in
parallel. With the way that gel cells work, probably 2, 2.5AH batteries (If you are using 6V then
double the AH rating.) would provide enough current to meet your needs.... of course you said you
wanted to buy not build and you have $340 to spend.

Dave I ride about 3 hours a week at night. 64 centuries for 2003

"Ken Huizenga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively

on

Quoted message said:

long country roads (100% paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out
to the country. I want to maximize the length

that

Quoted message said:

I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am riding a Gold Rush and am capable
of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the wind. (I would slow down, if
necessary, at night time for safety. However, part of the reason for getting a really good

lighting

Quoted message said:

system would be to avoid having to slow down much.)

I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging. I would also like to avoid
helmet mounted lights. Price is not a major obstacle, I am looking at a system right now which
would cost $340, and that's OK, if "that's what it takes." I willing to use both of my water
bottle holders if necessary for battery storage. Based on the above..., in consultation with one
of the major light system producers (Turbocat) I am seriously considering the following system:

Two light fixtures, independently aimable, with one 15 watt bulb in each light with two separate
6V water bottle batteries (Ni Cad). One 15 watt

bulb

Quoted message said:

would be a flood light, focused fairly low/near in. This would hopefully provide decent lighting
up to about 60 feet out, while simultaneously providing some light for cornering, lighting up
signs in front of me, etc. The other light would be a 15 watt medium spot, focused further out,

beyond

Quoted message said:

where the flood light is illuminating. This would give me advance warning of anything in the road
about 60-80 feet out or perhaps a bit more.

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in terms of different approaches
which you think could work better are appreciated. Of course, any system such as this is a
tradeoff between weight of batteries, riding time between battery recharge and expense. I am

generally

Quoted message said:

OK with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

What I'm asking is whether, in your experience, the above described system will deliver something
close to the above "Desired Performance". Also, if you have any suggestions for how to modify this
system to improve "desired performance attributes" without raising cost/weight or keep the same

Desired

Quoted message said:

Perforance while reducing cost or weight...I'm all ears...er...eyes.

Also...if there are any obvious concerns with the above system...such as

the

Quoted message said:

potential for excessive glare for oncoming traffic, etc., etc. please

point

Quoted message said:

out such things as well. Currently, I would intend to ride with both

lights

Quoted message said:

on...all the time (at night). If I need to turn off either the flood or

the

Quoted message said:

spot for oncoming traffic I should buy handlebar switches which are not

part

Quoted message said:

of the current plan.

Thanks, Ken Huizenga Appleton, Wisconsin Folding Gold Rush

"Cletus Lee" skrev...

Quoted message said:

For the $ your are talking about you might want to consider a SON/Lumotec combination Hub Dynamo.
It does not throw 'deer blinding' light, but it does preserve your night vision allowing you to
see things not in the beam. It is a focused light and more efficent than any thing that does blind
everything else in the path.

Can you see where you are going even in mixed light conditions? Cars coming at you or widely spaced
streetlamps etc. Thats the big failing of the EL300 IMHO.

And one would need a SON20 I guess? Any downsides to it cept maybe price and weight?

Mikael

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Cletus Lee" skrev...

Quoted message said:

For the $ your are talking about you might want to consider a SON/Lumotec combination Hub
Dynamo. It does not throw 'deer blinding' light, but it does preserve your night vision allowing
you to see things not in the beam. It is a focused light and more efficent than any thing that
does blind everything else in the path

Can you see where you are going even in mixed light conditions? Cars coming at you or widely
spaced streetlamps etc. Thats the big failing of the EL300 IMHO.

Mixed light conditions are my only riding conditions. The SON Illuminates the roadway 25-30m in
front of me. Since it is not such a bright beam, I still have my night vision for everything outside
of the beam. There are times when the widely spaced street lighs provide all the illumination I need
and the SON fills in elsewhere. Auto headlights are a problem. Especially the HID lamps so popular
with the 'cool crowd'. The oncoming headlight problem does not diminish if one uses a NiteRider. I
guess with a NiteRider, you can return the favor and blind the oncoming driver too.

Quoted message said:

And one would need a SON20 I guess?

Yes, But this is not a difficult thing to obtain.

Quoted message said:

Any downsides to it cept maybe price and weight?

The Hub weighs around 600g but since it is the hub, the added weight is not noticed. The SON drag is
not detectable (by me on the bike) although I can feel it if I spin the wheel by hand. I found that
there was no appreciable degradation of my over all speed and I do not bother to swap front wheels
for my Saturday 'go fast' ride.

From the American wheel builder/supplier (Peter White Cycles) the price for a complete built wheel
on nice Velocity AeroHeat rims and 20S Hub is ~$280USD. Hub only is $180USD Even with the $80 BiSy
FL Headlight (best optics) it is much cheaper than the SRP on NiteRider battery lighting.

--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.orgOpen ↗
- Bellaire, TX USA -

"Cletus Lee" skrev...

Quoted message said:

The Hub weighs around 600g but since it is the hub, the added weight is not noticed. The SON drag
is not detectable (by me on the bike) although I can feel it if I spin the wheel by hand. I found
that there was no appreciable degradation of my over all speed and I do not bother to swap front
wheels for my Saturday 'go fast' ride.

From the American wheel builder/supplier (Peter White Cycles) the price for a complete built wheel
on nice Velocity AeroHeat rims and 20S Hub is ~$280USD. Hub only is $180USD Even with the $80 BiSy
FL Headlight (best optics) it is much cheaper than the SRP on NiteRider battery lighting.

230 USD for hub and a Lumotech Plus here unless they try to charge more for a 20. 600 g is actually
an improvement over my 730 g drumbrake hub for the Stiletto so won't be a big deal. I'm getting a
"daywheel" built for the new offset fork with a 105 hub and a Weinmann something or other rim.

Thanks for the info. I wonder if the spending ever stops. ;-) Will be quite a bundle if I need a
SON, winterbikeclothes and a tailbox from Kamil just so I can be cold and miserable riding brevets
in the dark for "fun". ;-)

Mikael

I agree about the "get spots" statement.I have backed myself into a 6 volt system. I can't for the
life of find any 6Volt MR11 spots.My flood lights do not support confidence at speed, Does anyone
know of a source?????

Miles of Smiles Tom

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ken If you wanted to have a two bulb system consider a big bulb (20W) and a small bulb (5W,
something to get home on when your battery is pooping out) and run one at a time. Also get spot
bulbs. Flood lights are good for the woods where you want to see where you are placing your front
tire but at

20+

Quoted message said:

mph, I don't see the point?

I built a bright system (It has substantial light for 30mph.) using one

MR11

Quoted message said:

20w 12V bulb spot light and a gel cell 13.2 volt battery. Probably spent about $30-35 on it. Parts
were all obtained locally at the Ace Hardware.

I am using a 12V 3AH battery for about 1H 15M of light. You would want to use two of them wired
in parallel. With the way that gel cells work, probably 2, 2.5AH batteries (If you are using 6V
then double the AH

rating.)

Quoted message said:

would provide enough current to meet your needs.... of course you said you wanted to buy not build
and you have $340 to spend.

Dave I ride about 3 hours a week at night. 64 centuries for 2003

"Ken Huizenga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively

on

Quoted message said:

long country roads (100% paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out
to the country. I want to maximize the length

that

Quoted message said:

I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am riding

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Gold Rush and am capable of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the wind.
(I would slow down, if necessary, at night

time

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for safety. However, part of the reason for getting a really good

lighting

Quoted message said:

system would be to avoid having to slow down much.)

I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

would also like to avoid helmet mounted lights. Price is not a major obstacle, I am looking at a
system right now which would cost $340, and that's OK, if "that's what it takes." I willing to
use both of my water bottle holders if necessary for battery storage. Based on the above...,

in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

consultation with one of the major light system producers (Turbocat) I

am

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seriously considering the following system:

Two light fixtures, independently aimable, with one 15 watt bulb in each light with two separate
6V water bottle batteries (Ni Cad). One 15 watt

bulb

Quoted message said:

would be a flood light, focused fairly low/near in. This would

hopefully

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

provide decent lighting up to about 60 feet out, while simultaneously providing some light for
cornering, lighting up signs in front of me,

etc.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The other light would be a 15 watt medium spot, focused further out,

beyond

Quoted message said:

where the flood light is illuminating. This would give me advance

warning

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of anything in the road about 60-80 feet out or perhaps a bit more.

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in

terms

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of different approaches which you think could work better are

appreciated.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Of course, any system such as this is a tradeoff between weight of batteries, riding time
between battery recharge and expense. I am

generally

Quoted message said:

OK with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

What I'm asking is whether, in your experience, the above described

system

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

will deliver something close to the above "Desired Performance". Also,

if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you have any suggestions for how to modify this system to improve

"desired

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

performance attributes" without raising cost/weight or keep the same

Desired

Quoted message said:

Perforance while reducing cost or weight...I'm all ears...er...eyes.

Also...if there are any obvious concerns with the above system...such as

the

Quoted message said:

potential for excessive glare for oncoming traffic, etc., etc. please

point

Quoted message said:

out such things as well. Currently, I would intend to ride with both

lights

Quoted message said:

on...all the time (at night). If I need to turn off either the flood or

the

Quoted message said:

spot for oncoming traffic I should buy handlebar switches which are not

part

Quoted message said:

of the current plan.

Thanks, Ken Huizenga Appleton, Wisconsin Folding Gold Rush

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Cletus Lee" skrev...

Quoted message said:

The Hub weighs around 600g but since it is the hub, the added weight is not noticed. The SON
drag is not detectable (by me on the bike) although I can feel it if I spin the wheel by hand. I
found that there was no appreciable degradation of my over all speed and I do not bother to swap
front wheels for my Saturday 'go fast' ride.

From the American wheel builder/supplier (Peter White Cycles) the price for a complete built
wheel on nice Velocity AeroHeat rims and 20S Hub is ~$280USD. Hub only is $180USD Even with the
$80 BiSy FL Headlight (best optics) it is much cheaper than the SRP on NiteRider battery
lighting.

230 USD for hub and a Lumotech Plus here unless they try to charge more for a 20. 600 g is
actually an improvement over my 730 g drumbrake hub for the Stiletto so won't be a big deal. I'm
getting a "daywheel" built for the new offset fork with a 105 hub and a Weinmann something or
other rim.

The SON20 is a few more $ than the SON28. SON also makes a 20S for disk brakes.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the info. I wonder if the spending ever stops. ;-) Will be quite a bundle if I need a
SON, winterbikeclothes and a tailbox from Kamil just so I can be cold and miserable riding brevets
in the dark for "fun". ;-)

Look at it this way, you need to buy winter clothing either way. The SON is good for 50 000 km
w/o servicing. And you can used the tailbox year 'round.

You could always write a letter to Santa ;-)

--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.orgOpen ↗
- Bellaire, TX USA -

I say go home brew. Bulbs.com (or a local bulb supply) and batteries.com have the stuff to put
together a light for around $20.

My home page has one design that works pretty well: home.earthlink.net~rehastonOpen ↗

You can also put the switch on the battery or in-line.

"Ken Huizenga" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
kc.rr.com...

Quoted message said:

I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively

on

Quoted message said:

long country roads (100% paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out
to the country. I want to maximize the length

that

Quoted message said:

I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am riding a Gold Rush and am capable
of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the wind. (I would slow down, if
necessary, at night time for safety. However, part of the reason for getting a really good

lighting

Quoted message said:

system would be to avoid having to slow down much.)

I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging. I would also like to avoid
helmet mounted lights. Price is not a major obstacle, I am looking at a system right now which
would cost $340, and that's OK, if "that's what it takes." I willing to use both of my water
bottle holders if necessary for battery storage. Based on the above..., in consultation with one
of the major light system producers (Turbocat) I am seriously considering the following system:

Two light fixtures, independently aimable, with one 15 watt bulb in each light with two separate
6V water bottle batteries (Ni Cad). One 15 watt

bulb

Quoted message said:

would be a flood light, focused fairly low/near in. This would hopefully provide decent lighting
up to about 60 feet out, while simultaneously providing some light for cornering, lighting up
signs in front of me, etc. The other light would be a 15 watt medium spot, focused further out,

beyond

Quoted message said:

where the flood light is illuminating. This would give me advance warning of anything in the road
about 60-80 feet out or perhaps a bit more.

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in terms of different approaches
which you think could work better are appreciated. Of course, any system such as this is a
tradeoff between weight of batteries, riding time between battery recharge and expense. I am

generally

Quoted message said:

OK with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

What I'm asking is whether, in your experience, the above described system will deliver something
close to the above "Desired Performance". Also, if you have any suggestions for how to modify this
system to improve "desired performance attributes" without raising cost/weight or keep the same

Desired

Quoted message said:

Perforance while reducing cost or weight...I'm all ears...er...eyes.

Also...if there are any obvious concerns with the above system...such as

the

Quoted message said:

potential for excessive glare for oncoming traffic, etc., etc. please

point

Quoted message said:

out such things as well. Currently, I would intend to ride with both

lights

Quoted message said:

on...all the time (at night). If I need to turn off either the flood or

the

Quoted message said:

spot for oncoming traffic I should buy handlebar switches which are not

part

Quoted message said:

of the current plan.

Thanks, Ken Huizenga Appleton, Wisconsin Folding Gold Rush

Howdy Cletus and others!

Cletus, I'm curious as to your experience with the Cateye EL300. I use two Cateye EL300s and one
Cateye EL400 on the front of my Tour Easy SS XL. I have the EL300s mounted just under and behind the
top of the fairing, on the top horizontal strut of the handlebars. It illuminates very nicely in
front of me and a small portion of light also reflects off the fairing and slightly down, lighting
up my cyclometer and the road directly in front and to the side of me. I've set the lights to where
their lights converge in front of me. Not good with guessing the distance, but I will say that I
ride just about every night here in lower Delaware and have plenty of light in which to see to do
so. I'm not burning it up, but probably am averaging around 15mph or so. The Cateye EL400 is mounted
below the handlebars on the vertical strut. I have it set to blinking mode so that I get a bit more
notice from drivers. I use twin Vistalite 7 LED vertical blinkers mounted on the top of each seat
back tube.

I ride mostly at dusk, but I've also ridden quite late and I've got plenty of light in which to see
and navigate. I really like the Cateyes and their long burn times.

--
"Sea" ya!
--Lars S. Mulford
"You can find evil anywhere you look.
The question is, why are you looking?"

"Cletus Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

and more recently the Cateye EL300.

"Lars S. Mulford" skrev...

Quoted message said:

I ride mostly at dusk, but I've also ridden quite late and I've got plenty of light in which to
see and navigate. I really like the Cateyes and their long burn times.

Well I'm not Cletus but I have a 300 and ride late once in a while. Its great for the city to be
seen and out in totally dark conditions where the road has stripes along the edges or just no
other lights.

Where it failed me was in places with enough light to drown its light, be it streetlamps or
oncoming traffic. Worst experience was riding a twoway bikepath along a road where I was riding
against traffic. (Bikepath was on the left of the road). Every time a car came I couldn't see the
path at all.

Mikael

"Mikael Seierup" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well I'm not Cletus but I have a 300 and ride late once in a while. Its great for the city to be
seen and out in totally dark conditions where the road has stripes along the edges or just no
other lights.

Howdy Mike!

I agree in that it is quite nice for what you mention above. I've found also that here in rural
lower Delaware where many of the roads don't have benefit of side marking lines or lane divider
lines, the lights still work nicely. I can see the edges of the road decently enough.

Quoted message said:

Where it failed me was in places with enough light to drown its light, be it streetlamps or
oncoming traffic.

I haven't ridden it anywhere where there were streetlamps, so I can't say as to how my experience
would be, but I'd like to know how it would be. I'll saddle my bike up and take it into town and
ride about to see (or not). (lol) I'll let you know how things shake out.

Quoted message said:

Worst experience was riding a twoway bikepath along a road where I was riding against traffic.
(Bikepath was on the left of the road). Every time a car came I couldn't see the path at all.

Wow, that is definitely not a cool situation. I have not experienced anything like that, but then
again, we don't have any real "bikepaths" to speak of here. We've got official "bike paths" in our
town, which are nothing more than a slightly wider shoulder on some roads that go through and
around town. It's a start, but it sure would be nicer if the town actually broke out the street
sweeper and cleaned the bike paths once in a while, instead of coming by with the street sweeper
and blowing/sweeping all road debris (broken glass, trash, etc) right onto the shoulder... They
get some of it, but a lot of it remains. Anyway, I digress. Thus far, I've been pleased with the
lights and they have been an inexpensive and decently bright way of expanding my riding horizons
into the evening.
--
"Sea" ya!
--Lars S. Mulford
"You can find evil anywhere you look.
The question is, why are you looking?"

Mikael Seierup said:

Can you see where you are going even in mixed light conditions? Cars coming at you or widely
spaced streetlamps etc. Thats the big failing of the EL300 IMHO.

And one would need a SON20 I guess? Any downsides to it cept maybe price and weight?

I've found that the light works very well in pitch-dark conditions. Oncoming car headlights tend to
drown it out, though. Streetlights are not a problem.

For more light, if you have a 20" front wheel, you could use a SON28 hub and a 12-volt 6-watt light
like the new 12-volt Lumotec, or a pair of 6V/3W lights in series. The SON28 will give higher-than-
normal voltage on a small wheel.

You can get 12V out of a SON20, but only at higher speeds, so the SON20 would need the two-light
setup with a bypass switch for the secondary light, so you could cut it out and get good light at
slower speeds as well. Or, a 6V/3W light for slow speeds, a 12V/6W light for high speeds, and a
switch to choose which light to use.

The SON acts as a constant-current source, since the magnetic field from the permanent magnets is
constant. The voltage goes up with speed, which is why good generator lights have some form of
voltage regulator built into them - and also why you can run two lights in series at higher RPM.

Another alternative would be B&M's 12V bottle generator to go with the 12V light. I'm not sure how
you'd mount one on a VK, though.

A tip for best brightness: Replace the bulb yearly, even if it hasn't burnt out. Even though it's a
halogen, it tends to run cooler than most halogen bulbs, and so it will blacken over time, albeit
more slowly than a vacuum bulb would do. I also carry a spare bulb in my toolkit, inside some bubble
wrap. I've never burnt out a bulb, but I've replaced it and noticed a difference in brightness. A
blackened bulb could be used as an emergency spare, as well.

--
Russ [email hidden] the wabbit to despam "...remember that shrink-
wrapping the average stick-built suburban bung- alow against anthrax, VX and radioactive fallout is
akin to rolling a rubber on before diving naked into a shark tank full of blood." -Patrick O'Grady

Ken,

Consider the Cateye Stadium 2 light system. It is a very powerful HID light with 3 hours of use on a
single charge. The blue light is unique and the pattern is a conical combo of spot and flood
illuminating the road with uncanny sharpness and security.

The components are top notch, 12 volt Nimetal halide battery in a water bottle

configuration, quick charger for fast 3 hour recharges and smart technoloty, excellent ballast to
strike up the arc (5000 degrees required), and very large

aluminum finned headlamp head for heat dissipation.

This is a very expensive production light in the over $300 range but will pay dividends in safety
and peace of mind. It is as bright as a motorcycle HID systems and clearly as good as the expensive
BMW, Audi, Mercedes, equivalents.

It will fit most all your requirements regarding light output, runtime, weight considerations, and
cost. The only one criteria it will not conform to is glare. Because this is an off road system
designed for single track MTB riding, the conical flood beam is obnoxious to oncoming traffic.
Imagine a motorcycle HID headlamp without the cut off shielding, you get the picture? Also turning
the light on and off is not recommended as there is a finite number of times the bulb will cycle.

One night while riding on a sidewalk right next to oncoming traffic, the cars literally stopped dead
in their tracks not knowing what was coming near them. There has been reports from some owners
regarding law enforcement personel commenting about the overly bright beam and glare.

If you want the most bright system $$ can buy, this is it.

Go to cateye.com for information. The lowest price I've found is at Bikeman.com

I use the Cateye Stadium as main light, a Niterider 10 Watt 2 hour system and the Cateye EL 300 as
emergency backup.

Ed Gin

Ken Huizenga said:

I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively on long country roads
(100% paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out to the country. I
want to maximize the length that I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am
riding a Gold Rush and am capable of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the
wind. (I would slow down, if necessary, at night time for safety. However, part of the reason for
getting a really good lighting system would be to avoid having to slow down much.)

I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging. I would also like to avoid
helmet mounted lights. Price is not a major obstacle, I am looking at a system right now which
would cost $340, and that's OK, if "that's what it takes." I willing to use both of my water
bottle holders if necessary for battery storage. Based on the above..., in consultation with one
of the major light system producers (Turbocat) I am seriously considering the following system:

Two light fixtures, independently aimable, with one 15 watt bulb in each light with two separate
6V water bottle batteries (Ni Cad). One 15 watt bulb would be a flood light, focused fairly
low/near in. This would hopefully provide decent lighting up to about 60 feet out, while
simultaneously providing some light for cornering, lighting up signs in front of me, etc. The
other light would be a 15 watt medium spot, focused further out, beyond where the flood light is
illuminating. This would give me advance warning of anything in the road about 60-80 feet out or
perhaps a bit more.

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in terms of different approaches
which you think could work better are appreciated. Of course, any system such as this is a
tradeoff between weight of batteries, riding time between battery recharge and expense. I am
generally OK with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

What I'm asking is whether, in your experience, the above described system will deliver something
close to the above "Desired Performance". Also, if you have any suggestions for how to modify this
system to improve "desired performance attributes" without raising cost/weight or keep the same
Desired Perforance while reducing cost or weight...I'm all ears...er...eyes.

Also...if there are any obvious concerns with the above system...such as the potential for
excessive glare for oncoming traffic, etc., etc. please point out such things as well. Currently,
I would intend to ride with both lights on...all the time (at night). If I need to turn off either
the flood or the spot for oncoming traffic I should buy handlebar switches which are not part of
the current plan.

Thanks, Ken Huizenga Appleton, Wisconsin Folding Gold Rush

Ken,

For the amount of money you have budjeted, I would look into the HID light systems. The Niteriders and Light and Motion systems are available via the net and dealers. My friend has the Niterider and it delivered well over 3 hours of lighting with very good coverage, and this is during some really cold Midwestern nights. The beam is primarily a spot design but with adequate flood coverage, it that is believable.

Good luck,

Raffi

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Ken Huizenga
I am looking into purchase of a good light system for riding exclusively on long country roads (100%
paved, and mostly straight) and about 1 mile of city streets to get out to the country. I want to
maximize the length that I can see debris, potholes, etc. in order to react in time. I am riding a
Gold Rush and am capable of speeds in excess of 20mph and over 30mph downhill or with the wind. (I
would slow down, if necessary, at night time for safety. However, part of the reason for getting a
really good lighting system would be to avoid having to slow down much.)

I would like to get at least 2 hours of riding time before recharging. I would also like to avoid
helmet mounted lights. Price is not a major obstacle, I am looking at a system right now which would
cost $340, and that's OK, if "that's what it takes." I willing to use both of my water bottle
holders if necessary for battery storage. Based on the above..., in consultation with one of the
major light system producers (Turbocat) I am seriously considering the following system:

Two light fixtures, independently aimable, with one 15 watt bulb in each light with two separate 6V
water bottle batteries (Ni Cad). One 15 watt bulb would be a flood light, focused fairly low/near
in. This would hopefully provide decent lighting up to about 60 feet out, while simultaneously
providing some light for cornering, lighting up signs in front of me, etc. The other light would be
a 15 watt medium spot, focused further out, beyond where the flood light is illuminating. This would
give me advance warning of anything in the road about 60-80 feet out or perhaps a bit more.

I'm looking for 2nd opinions on the above setup. Any suggestions in terms of different approaches
which you think could work better are appreciated. Of course, any system such as this is a tradeoff
between weight of batteries, riding time between battery recharge and expense. I am generally OK
with the "promised parameters" of the above system:

Desired Performance
==============
80+ feet of straight ahead illumination on the road
2.2 hours with both lights running full time

Cost / Weight
=========
$340 total weight just under 5 pounds.

What I'm asking is whether, in your experience, the above described system will deliver something
close to the above "Desired Performance". Also, if you have any suggestions for how to modify this
system to improve "desired performance attributes" without raising cost/weight or keep the same
Desired Perforance while reducing cost or weight...I'm all ears...er...eyes.

Also...if there are any obvious concerns with the above system...such as the potential for
excessive glare for oncoming traffic, etc., etc. please point out such things as well. Currently, I
would intend to ride with both lights on...all the time (at night). If I need to turn off either
the flood or the spot for oncoming traffic I should buy handlebar switches which are not part of
the current plan.

Thanks, Ken Huizenga Appleton, Wisconsin Folding Gold Rush

raffiman said:

For the amount of money you have budjeted, I would look into the HID light systems. The Niteriders
and Light and Motion systems are available via the net and dealers. My friend has the Niterider
and it delivered well over 3 hours of lighting with very good coverage, and this is during some
really cold Midwestern nights. The beam is primarily a spot design but with adequate flood
coverage, it that is believable.

Good luck,

Raffi

--

I wholeheartedly endorse the HID system for surface viewing. At the same time, I use flashers which
contain five AA battery powered LEDs [red for rear - amber for front] and eight flash patterns to
obtain maximum attention getting. Don't remember which USA hardware store I found them at but they
have SH-05 on outside of pocket clip and a snap-on holder which has rubber sleeve inside for
attaching to steering bar or round tubing supporting fender on rear driving wheel.