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.deEdited by Reg Gupton, gupton@growthseminars.com

Light & Motion ARC Li-ion Headlamp Set Need the brightest, whitest light available? The Light & Motion ARC turns night into day. High Intensity Discharge (HID) technology provides 13.5 watts of intense natural light that is 3 times brighter than comparable halogen systems. Multiple output levels (for 4 to 5 hours of burn time), low battery warning (to protect the battery) and auto shutoff are just a few features that set the ARC apart from the rest. The custom reflector provides a clean even beam pattern for optimal light dispersion. A built in reserve mode provides 15 minutes of burn time to get you out of the woods. The ARC light head mounts without tools anywhere on the bar using the supplied thumb screw adjustable mount, or use the included helmet mount for bombing down the trails. Top it off with the 3.5 hour Turbocharger and you have one technologically superior light system.

Nite Hawk Raptor 10w Light System Take the long way home with confidence, 2.5 hour run time at 10 watts let?s you extend your training time on the shortest of days, or commute year round. Plug and forget charger with SLA bottle mount battery for trouble free charging. Versatile mount works above and below the bar, included 2 inch riser puts the light head above most handle bar bags. Includes: 10 watt halogen light head, quick disconnect cord with remote switch, 6 volt SLA bottle mount battery, plug and forget charger, handlebar mount, and 2 inch riser

Cateye LD1000 10 LED Tail Light From the brilliant minds at Cateye comes this super bright, universal mount tail light. It has 10 red LED's that are bright enough to be seen even during the day, 15hr run time, 3 flashing modes and constant on. Opticube lens technology and high water resistance makes this the perfect light for commuting or getting home after dark. 2AA Batteries included.