Ross wrote:Do the dynamo lights have some sort of backup charging for when you stop at lights?
Yes. A capacitor charges very quickly when riding to give a 'standlight' that stays on for 3-4 mins. And my wife has a light with a 'Senso' function - it automatically switches on when daylight gets dim, a dark storm comes over or you ride into a tunnel. The lighting is fool-proof with a hub dynamo, and it is very bright for urban and rural uses.
Dynamo drag for the more expensive Schmidt hub-dynamo, when switched on, is equivalent to climbing 1m in 1km (1 in 1000 = as near to flat as you'll get), and something like 20cm in a km when switched off. So little drag that I often just leave the lights switched on as I cannot tell any difference in drag between 'on' and 'off'.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
The wife and I use Nitelights the 900 lumen one, and are extremely happy with them. I knew about the DX knock off ones but decided to go with Nitelights instead, because I wanted reliability and they haven't disappointed.
Graeme
***Looking For Information About Bicycle Cameras ***
The Walrus wrote:Ayups are popular because they work. They are reliable and durable. You won't have to buy another set in a year or two's time, unless you want them for your wife's bike etc.,.
I' a firm believer in paying for quality. Whilst I like a bargain as much as the next person, price is not the motivating factor for me.
However...what other options are there other than a) el cheapo or b) Ayups ?
I know someone posted Nitelights as another option and they seem good, but what I'm not seeing from these more expensive options are rear lights! I want a front and rear that will work off of the one battery but Ayups dont seem to mention rear lights, unless I'm missing that part!
The Walrus wrote:However...what other options are there other than a) el cheapo or b) Ayups ?
I know someone posted Nitelights as another option and they seem good, but what I'm not seeing from these more expensive options are rear lights! I want a front and rear that will work off of the one battery but Ayups dont seem to mention rear lights, unless I'm missing that part!
c) More expensive again: Niteflux, HID Technologies... the list goes on. Ay-up is actually at the cheaper end of the trail light market for soemthing decent.
The light output from these other brands is impressive. I had guys passing me at The Mont on the weekend and they had more than enough light for both of us. Will look into them later in the year as greater beam spread would be a definite improvement.
If you want a front and rear that works off the one battery, there are helmet-mounted units available from CRC that do that but are again more expensive than Ay-ups and have less run time.
Alternatively, you could always make your own. Right now, at the price point that you seem to be wanting to pay, what you want doesn't exist as far as I'm aware. In your shoes, though, I would take the hint: maybe the reason the single battery/both ends light kit doesn't exist is because people actually find managing the cabling a royal PITA. It would certainly annoy me. Unclipping self-contained units is much simpler.
"People have a right to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." -- James W Loewen
If $$$ were no object you could go for something like this, and have a tremendous bright light with road-use optics,and the ability to convert it to a wider beam for off-road. 5hr lithium battery and totally waterproof. A lot of money though!
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
I went the AyUps options after seeing that about 1 in every 4 commuters was using them, and my crappy NiteRider flashy LED thing was like a fading star in the sky.
You get a lot of kit for your money with the AyUps, and even at $500 it is a small price to pay for my safety. I run two sets on my commuter bike now (one narrow, one intermediate), and the effect is stunning. I actually get respect at night. Cars dare not cut me off because they think I am something much larger than a bicycle!
Build quality on the AyUps is sensational. They are almost indestructible, and if you do manage to break one somehow, the manufacturer says to send it back and they will replace it!
I think that at some point, the amount of lumens that a light puts out becomes largely irrelevant. Kind of like the CPU MHz wars of years past, there is a point of diminishing return. The AyUps are not the highest light output set of lights you can get, but if the road is already lit up like it is daylight, does it matter if another set can light up the road even more?
I also like that the AyUp is multi-purpose rather than "just a bike light". They are great for tending to the BBQ at night
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '09 Electra Townie Original 21D
il padrone wrote:If $$$ were no object you could go for something like this, and have a tremendous bright light with road-use optics,and the ability to convert it to a wider beam for off-road. 5hr lithium battery and totally waterproof. A lot of money though!
I've actually just bought something that's I believe is very similar in performace as this but only a 3.5 hour battery. Cost me $300 delivered. If I get it mounted on the weekend (doesn't have a bicycle mount for battery as it's not meant for bicycles) I'll take some pics and post some details.
The Walrus wrote:Lights! Christ almighty this shouldn't be so hard!] Rechargeable sets could be the go. Ay Up seems to be the trendy option but being trendy isn't my thing (it used to be ) and I want functionality. !
They arent trendy, they are popular because they work well. Find me an unhappy Ay Up user......
I am an unhappy Ay Up user.... No wait, no I'm not... I reckon they are the bees knees
the Nitelight that I recommended is not expensive, it cost approx $230 has a runtime of 3 - 3.5 hrs or 12hrs on low, is rain and dust proof. http://www.nitelights.com.au/
Just to throw another option in the mix ... DiNotte lights. I got two 400 lumen engines (so I have them mounted on two bikes) + two batteries for less dollars at the time that I would have had to pay for one Ay-Up. I just couldn't justify getting Ay-Ups when comparing them to the Dinottes which have a good reputation as well. Now with the dollar being so favourable they may be a even better deal. I am sure Ay-Ups are good, but I am not so sure they are the best option in that price range/style of light.
I also like that they are a bolt on mount (lowers the risk) and I can run them on medium (~200 lumens) and extend my battery life whilst still getting cars to pause as they work out what is coming towards them
elStado wrote:What about lights for people who are riding mainly in the city with ambient light and only occasional sections of unlit roads/paths?
That is why I have my DiNotte lights. I actually switch from medium to high when I get into Fremantle ... makes a big difference in driver behaviour. You see I want to be SEEN.
CommuRider wrote:Walrus, I don't think you'll ever buy a light. You're in danger of being paralysed by too much analysis.
Just dive in and enter the light market. You'll never get the perfect light. 100 years ago, lights were considered a LUXURY.
Here's the Yorkshiremen clip again.
Let me know when you finally buy a light
I just like to reseach things before I part with my cash. I've dived in many times before and wished I hadnt, hence the current slow methodical approach...thanks for 'The Yorkshireman' link, always worth a watch!
Thanks for all the other options guys...keep the suggestions coming
I went through a similar process about 2 1/2 years ago; my solution was to buy a couple of cheap UltraFire LED torches (~$15 each IIRC - less than 'be seen' blinkies locally) while I saved for something better; one died about 12 months later but I'm still using the other one. Not a bad option if you want to do more research without the pressure of not having decent lights on your bike as we head into winter - and once you upgrade your bike lights you'll still have an excellent torch or two for camping, the car, power failures etc. The ones I bought can run off a single li-ion battery or one or two AAs.
There are four phases of bicycle commuting; first there's fear, then rage, then self-righteousness and finally, fun. -Yehuda Moon
IMo, it's less about seeing where you're going and more about being seen by others.
Agree totally. I'm a DX 900 Lumen user for 12 months now and have had no issues, unlike some. Just forked out for the matching rear tailight as well.
When the DX system fails, not sure about what it will get replaced with - DX or AYUP. Leaning towards DX (as I'll already have most of the bits (two chargers and 3 batteries).
For a V2 Ayup with 40% more brightness and 6hr battery upgrade - I'm up for $284. And that still doesn't have a rear light
But the key is more about being seen by a long shot.
MichaelB wrote: For a V2 Ayup with 40% more brightness and 6hr battery upgrade - I'm up for $284. And that still doesn't have a rear light
But the key is more about being seen by a long shot.
and still is only half to 2/3s the light of a 1000 lumen DX light for $77 delivered. Price is not the issue for me, its lumens.
Everybody has a different way of looking at this of course, but you've got to get the lights for your needs. If I was an early morning pack rider, than AYups would be excellent. But for my commute, I go through a range of different scenarios that demand lumens and once you've enjoyed 1000 lumens (probably really only 700-800) you simply can't go back to just 400 (or 550) as claimed by AYUPs.
Bright lights gets peds to look around as I cut through the shopping centre car parks, bikepaths etc where they invariably sneek at night dressed in black with black labrador on long black lead.
Others may not need much light, but I do. Ayups have been getting steadily brighter though as led technology improves so maybe in a year or two I'll look at them again. Happy with my 1000 lumens until then.
There's now a 3,000 lumen LED on the market, basically the equivalent of a 140 watt driving light from what I understand. One of those will be a real look at me light. Can't wait to see these hit the market.
Life is not about waiting for the rain to pass.....it's about learning to dance (or ride) in the rain. - anonymous
m@ wrote: - and once you upgrade your bike lights you'll still have an excellent torch or two for camping, the car, power failures etc. The ones I bought can run off a single li-ion battery or one or two AAs.
Cyclists are leading the way in this technology. I have been asked so many times how so much light is coming out of a wee thing. It really is quite versatile and not too heavy compared to the handheld torches I see on the market now.
) and I want functionality. 
