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Bike Lights
I don’t do much riding at night and feel that information on bike lights is still in order and important to include here. I talked to some of my friends and did some web research. The following is what I learned about bike lights.There are simply put, two kinds of bicycle lights: the very, very expensive rechargeable-battery type and the much less expensive AA-battery type. You need to assess your needs and riding style. If you often ride at night coming from work or another engagement and/or you ride long distances when you might get stuck out and ride after dark to get home, then you might consider the more expensive type. Otherwise, you might look at the AA-battery version. Don’t forget that you can purchase rechargeable AA- batteries too. You can invest from $49.00 to $899.00. That is quite a spread. I learned that there is new kind of lighting system out there. It called High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting technology. It replaces the filament of the light bulb with a capsule of gas. The light is emitted from an electric arc instead of a heated filament. The result is a more efficient light with a color that better simulates daylight. A more detailed description is available here http://www.halcyon.net/lights/hid-faq.shtml Bottom line, the advantages are: - More light. Better efficiency allows a 10 Watt HID to produce same amount of light as a 30 watt halogen- Whiter light. The white light of HID compared to the yellowish light of halogen looks more like daylight and allows greater visibility.- Long run times. This is just a side effect of better efficiency. Running a 10 watt HID with a good battery results in run times in excess of 4 hours. Disadvantages:- Cost. Some of these bike lights cost more than a decent bike- Not instant on - HIDs take about 10-15 seconds to achieve full brightness. This makes them impractical for on-off switching while riding. For a good explanation of the main competitor to HID lights look at the following from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode It has been reported that Lupine makes great bike lights. They are massively expensive. When I checked in February, 2006 the price was over $800.00. If are concerned for your safety and health and ride often at night then this light is worth considering. These guys really know what cyclists need. When considering what bike lights to purchase think about things like run time, weight and the bundle of features that are provided. As I don’t do any night riding unless I get caught out, I am not the person with first hand experiences of bike lights. I hope you will find the resources linked above useful. Content by Thomas Driemeyer, www.bitrot.de
Edited by Reg Gupton, gupton@growthseminars.com
 PRINCETON TEC EOS Bike Light Bike brighter: the EOS BIKE from Princeton Tec takes self-contained battery lighting to the next level by balancing long-throw with localized lighting. Combination of a Maxbright Rebel LED and a Princeton Tec-designed collimator maximizes the beam by balancing long-throw with localized lighting. Ultimate backup light for your 24-hour race. Range: 34 m, 49 m, 65 m (low, medium, high settings). Includes helmet, handle bar, and headlamp attachments. Durable high-grade materials for drop-proof reliability. Strong resistance to water, weather, and environmental conditions. Self-contained unit feels virtually weightless on your helmet. Light enough to throw into your jersey pocket for a late afternoon ride ensuring you'll have enough light to get home. Requires 3-AAA alkaline (included) or lithium batteries. Water resistance: 1 meter.
You pay only $44.99
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