Putting lights on my beater

"B.B." wrote ...

Quoted message said:

So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.

For the rear, grab a nice VistaLight strobe. Good front lighting systems
don't come "cheap."

JF

The Cateye brand line has a couple of multiple-LED headlights which
work more or less. They don't really light up the road very far, but
they are effective enough at low speeds for short distances and to
alert nearby vehicles. The 3-LED model is about $25 and their 5-LED
model is about $35. Both are worth the money. I have the 3-LED model
and I get about the advertised 30 hours battery life. Don't get the
earlier quartz halogen bulb model, since the 4 AA batteries only last
for 3 or 4 hours. I was almost glad when that model fell off my bike
and broke.

r.b.

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

Quoted message said:

Fixed up the wheel bearings, been running smoothly since. Now I'd
like to add lights so I can make one last trip in the evening with it.
As-is I have to drive to class at five in the afternoon just so I'll
have my car at 9:00 when we leave. I'd like to avoid all that and just
use my bike for that one short trip at night.
So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.

(flatline) said:

The Cateye brand line has a couple of multiple-LED headlights which
work more or less. They don't really light up the road very far, but
they are effective enough at low speeds for short distances and to
alert nearby vehicles. The 3-LED model is about $25 and their 5-LED
model is about $35. Both are worth the money. I have the 3-LED model
and I get about the advertised 30 hours battery life

I second the recommendation... I use a Cateye EL-200 (the three LED version) myself and find it perfectly suited for the long, slow touring rides I favor (with the light set in strobe mode, I get about 280 hours of service off one set of batteries).

B.B. said:

Fixed up the wheel bearings, been running smoothly since. Now I'd
like to add lights so I can make one last trip in the evening with it.
As-is I have to drive to class at five in the afternoon just so I'll
have my car at 9:00 when we leave. I'd like to avoid all that and just
use my bike for that one short trip at night.
So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.

You might consider a cheap generator set. I know one person who has a
<$20 generator set (from a discount store) on her commute bike, and it's
been working fine for several years now. I helped her out by
replacing the stock bulb with a 2.4 watt halogen bulb, which was
certainly worth it, and I double-wired the headlight (that is, I did not
rely on the bike frame as a ground.)

The beam is much better than any comparable headlight, and there are
absolutely no battery worries. It always works. It will slow you
slightly, but not enough to worry about. (Get used to maybe 15 mph
instead of 17 mph.)

You do need basic mechanic skills to install it and align it, though.

--
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com.
Substitute cc dot ysu dot
edu]

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

Quoted message said:

B.B. said:

Fixed up the wheel bearings, been running smoothly since. Now I'd
like to add lights so I can make one last trip in the evening with it.
As-is I have to drive to class at five in the afternoon just so I'll
have my car at 9:00 when we leave. I'd like to avoid all that and just
use my bike for that one short trip at night.

Good plan.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.

Efficiency is always a concern!

Quoted message said:

You might consider a cheap generator set. I know one person who has a
<$20 generator set (from a discount store) on her commute bike, and it's
been working fine for several years now.

Seconded.

Modern generator/dynamo sets are cheap, light, and last well under light use
(pun not accidental :-)

Quoted message said:

I helped her out by
replacing the stock bulb with a 2.4 watt halogen bulb, which was
certainly worth it, and I double-wired the headlight (that is, I did not
rely on the bike frame as a ground.)

In the UK a lot of people mount the dynamo at the front, and use the its full
output to drive the headlight directly (and double wired) with a 3 W bulb.

The rear lighting is then performed by a small, cheap LED light which would
probably run for a year on a pair of AAA cells under your planned use.

Quoted message said:

The beam is much better than any comparable headlight, and there are
absolutely no battery worries. It always works. It will slow you
slightly, but not enough to worry about. (Get used to maybe 15 mph
instead of 17 mph.)

The current (again, awful pun deliberate ;-) dynamo generation (aaaargh! ;-)
also produces good light at low speeds. My beater bike with its new dynamo
system produces full light as long as I'm moving fast enough to stay balanced.

Quoted message said:

You do need basic mechanic skills to install it and align it, though.

And it is worth checking regularly.
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen, Human Dynamo

B.B. said:

So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.

Set it on fire!

http://dclxvi.org/chunk/operations/fire/index.html

Bwahahahahaaa!!!

Chalo Colina

You should be able to get a decent generator, used, for $10.00.

Also, a 'blinky' light on the rear is a good attention getter.

I have seen these here (in TX) in the 'Dollar Stores' ( thats where
EVERYTHING is only one buck). The light is great but the bracket is
poor, so just clip the light on your belt or backpack.

Lewis.

***********************

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

Quoted message said:

Fixed up the wheel bearings, been running smoothly since. Now I'd
like to add lights so I can make one last trip in the evening with it.
As-is I have to drive to class at five in the afternoon just so I'll
have my car at 9:00 when we leave. I'd like to avoid all that and just
use my bike for that one short trip at night.
So any cheap but useable lightning systems I can stick on an ancient
ten speed? It's a short trip, so efficiency isn't too big a concern.