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:<DoNotSpamthegoat4-
[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!

dclxvi.orgindex.htmlOpen ↗

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:<DoNotSpamthegoat4-
[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.