lkl@houxm.UUCP (L.LUNAS) (09/04/84)
As the days grow shorter I begin to think about the safe way to continue riding to work. I ride on narrow suburban roads in southern New Jersey and believe I need the best lighting system I can find. I am seeking suggestions on the "best" system to use in order to see and be seen. (I would prefer a system I can buy ready to install, not a kit of parts like capacitors and Radio Shack switches) The primary objective is to ride safely at a fast speed and stay alive, aesthetics and weight are secondary. Net reader's experience with Quartz/Halogen or other of the newer systems would be appreciated. Thanks, Les Lunas AT&T Bell Laboratories Holmdel, NJ
tierney@fortune.UUCP (09/06/84)
I, too have been looking for a safety light. And one of the best ideas I have seen is a little strobe light! It is made by Tekna Lights in Belmont California. The light is a small slowly (for a strobe) flashing blue strobe light with a strap. It is worn on the left arm. Boy Oh Boy! You are *VISIBLE* to drivers! charlie
reid@Cascade.ARPA (09/06/84)
> I need the best lighting system I can find. I am seeking > suggestions on the "best" system to use in order to see and > be seen. If by "best" you mean "brightest", you want to deal with a company called Bicycle Lighting Systems in Alexandria or Arlington Virginia. Many issues of Bicycling magazine carry their ad in the back. BLS is a one-man operation run by a fanatical EE who works for the government. BLS uses a motorcycle battery that mounts on the rear rack, running a cable to a 10-watt GE sealed-beam halogen bulb. It's quite a job to install and keep charged and balanced, but wow, is it bright! I outfit my family's bicycles in the following way. On the front I put a 6-watt Nicad halogen headlight manufactured by Velo-lux of Davis, California. This is a superior unit, almost as bright as a motorcycle headlight, that will both light the road for you and make you be seen for quite a distance. Each light comes with a recharger, and lasts about an hour and a half between rechargings (just take it inside every night). You can also hook it up to the Sanyo "kickstand" generator and it will recharge itself. On the rear I put a lamp that I make myself, but don't be scared away--it's really easy. I buy a "Wonder light" (French made) and a high-quality red rear reflector. I split the reflector open with a chisel, removing the red front lens from the rear mirror, and glue the lens part of it over the front of the Wonder light with model airplane glue. I then mount the whole contraption on the seat post or one of the seat stays if there is no room on the seat post. The rear light is about 1 watt, but the light shines through a really top-quality retro-reflector so that it is very visible. I tow my 1-year-old daughter around in a Burley bike trailer; just for grins I have installed 4 of these homemade taillights on the trailer. I look like a flying saucer going down the road pulling baby V. behind me, but the cars sure do keep their distance. I can't recommend the Velo-lux light highly enough. It's just incredible. It costs about $60, and is worth every penny. The Wonder lights are about $6, and run about 20 hours on one $2 battery. Brian Reid Stanford
asente@CSL-Vax.ARPA (Paul Asente) (09/07/84)
I would also like to recommend the flashing yellow lights you can get in various bike shops. They run for about a year on one 9-volt battery, which is good because the battery is a pain to replace. You are extremely noticable with one. I've also seen a few bikes around with generator-driven fluorescent tubes that mount on the frame; they don't make it much easier to see but again improve your visibility a lot. It's quite a sight to see someone riding down the street at night with this wierd green glow coming from between their legs! -paul asente (decwrl,ucbvax)!csl-vax!asente
scot@dartvax.UUCP (Scot Drysdale) (09/11/84)
A good addition to whatever other lighting you have is a "leg light" -
a tube holding 2 "C" cells with a bulb on top and a white (or yellow)
lens forward, a red lens backward, and a yellow diamond-shaped lens to
the side. They recommend wearing it on your arm, but worn on your leg
just below the knee it bobs up and down as you pedal. It does nothing
to help you see, but the movement makes it quite visible.
Scot Drysdale (scot @ dartmouth)
({decvax, cornell, linus, ...}!dartvax!scot)lab@qubix.UUCP (Q-Bick) (09/14/84)
[Of the 10 worst road hazards, >= 5 of them are cars]
While the Wonder Light seems a good idea, I am thoroughly disappointed
with the Wonder 4.5V battery. I've had 2 and both have exhibited the
same behavior - dying even if they aren't used, with maybe a total of 4
hours of service.
I have since been using blinking light - Barron's in Torrance CA
estimates 75 hours between battery changes, and I'm seeing it work out
that way. I'd like to wear it on my leg, but there are several problems:
1. Too easily hidden by cars - even the guy next to you often can't see it.
2. While my leg is coming up, the light is nowhere close to vertical.
3. Even just below the knee, my leg is none-too-small. The strap simply
isn't long enough to go around my leg and stay there while it is flexing.
(The strap has a Veclro closure.)
--
The Ice Floe of Larry Bickford
{amd,decwrl,sun,idi,ittvax}!qubix!lab
You can't settle the issue until you've settled how to settle the issue.