Dear Mitchel, To purchase my $30.00 plus front white light I went to a local bike store and was serviced by a bike expert. I paid regular retail list and not mailorder discount. He claimed this was the light for my purpose as I explained it to him. It is a small "Cateye--Opti-cube" three led light. Yes, is does not have a very big beam and looked much brighter when the bike expert shined it in my eyes.
But in the less than a year I have exhausted an entire box of thirty AAA Alkaline batteries and am on my second box. Leds are efficient, but might use forty batteries in a year for, as you say, an "inadequate sized" headlight. Also, I have a "resistance" battery tester so that I don't discard batteries unnecessarily as when only one of the three batteries might be shot. EW Mitchell Nussbaum wrote: > If you're riding in the country (like Eric, apparently), you need a good > strong headlight that illuminates the roadway; these can be pretty > expensive, and they'll run through a lot of batteries. > > If you're riding in the city, like most college students, there is plenty > of ambient light most places you ride, and you need a light that will let > you be seen by cars, pedestrians and other bikers. You can be seen with a > pretty inexpensive LED light that will probably let you go weeks between > battery replacements. You'd have to be pretty luck to find one of these > lights for $10, but it's easy to get one for $15 or so. > > e.hay wrote: > > thanks eric. > > good point- i did purchase my light online and on-sale, so that might have > > been serendipitous loss leader to my benefit. this particular light runs 3 > > leds on four aa batteries. > > i dont spend anywhere near 20 bucks on batteries and i do ride at night > > quite alot, all year. > > > > regardless- the actual price charged is market based, and is not > > reflective > > of manufactured costs, and typically sale prices are to clear out a end of > > year product. > > my point is that at the loss leader price was reasonable, and it is > > achievable financially for someone of limited means. and especially to a > > group which $10 = three drinks. > > > > reflective tape is also an *inexpensive* idea which could be kept under > > ten > > bucks- and a good one at that. > > > > happy thanksgiving all- ride safe tonight. > > > > ed- > > > > > > > > On Nov 21, 2007 10:54 AM, Eric Westhagen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> Dear e.hay, > >> > >> Your description of cost has not been my experience. Of course if > >> bicycles and pedestrians cannot see each other, cost IS IRRELEVANT. But > >> the > >> cost is not negligible these days. Possibly you might find a red tail > >> light for $10.00 someplace, but in the past year my Catye white light > >> cost > >> over thirty. The bike shop salesperson said it was bright enough and > >> the > >> one he personally used. It cost over $30.00 and has a very small beam > >> running on three AAA batteries. The intensity drops quickly. So, if a > >> person rides much at night, a years supply of batteries is well over > >> $20.00. Between the two lights five batteries are used. And then the > >> expensive Catye has an electronic momentary switch which is not > >> reliable. I > >> examined the container for a "guarantee" statement and found none---so I > >> have to live with that flaw, also. > >> > >> Again, if one cannot see, they need light. But the cost is $60.00 > >> without > >> tax and NOT $10.00. If something is to be handed out--it should be > >> reflecting tape and reflectors--which are also expensive. > >> > >> EW > >> > >> "e.hay" wrote: > >> > >> maybe when you register your bike with the city - the reg fee could > >> cover > >> a freebee light? getting some at cost from planet bike or something > >> might be > >> an option. > >> > >> although cost is always presented as an issue- i bought a nite rider 3 > >> led > >> light for $10 a few years back. it's no back county light for sure- but > >> city > >> wise- it gets the job done. > >> students spend more than $10 on thursday night drinks- > >> > >> On Nov 20, 2007 9:30 PM, s meiers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> > Getting more cyclists to have lights at night is a prime concern of > >> mine > >> > and I have worked with the University bike people the last few years > >> to > >> > increase usage. We have concentrated on that audience because most > >> night > >> > time crashes are downtown and involve cyclists in their 20s. In the > >> past a > >> > local pizza company has delivered flyers about safe night time riding > >> with a > >> > coupon for a lite at local shops- with minimal results. We did this in > >> late > >> > September/ early October when it is starting to get dark earlier. But > >> as a > >> > bike shop owner told me student run out of $ pretty quickly and > >> typically > >> > don't go into bike stores that time of year. We need to do our > >> efforts when > >> > students return and Mom and Dad have their credit card handy. We need > >> to > >> > think of different ways of reaching this audience. My initial idea > >> would be > >> > to get an article in the State Journal and/ or something on the 6 > >> o'clock > >> > news. But 20 somethings don't read the WSJ or watch the 6 o'clock > >> news. If > >> > anyone has unique ideas for this aging boomer to reach younger people > >> please > >> > share them. > >> > *"Schimpff, Jeff A - DNR" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > >> > > >> > Bob's observation is universal and prompts a quick tale from last > >> > night. Heading from downtown to the SW Path after 5:00 (quite dark), I > >> > stopped on Dayton at Broom for traffic. An unlit cyclist came along > >> on > >> > Broom (a one-way street) within a few feet of me. and I called out > >> with a > >> > friendly reminder as I usually do, "You need to get a light, sir!" > >> Instead > >> > of responding the typical, "OK," or "I know." or with silence, he let > >> out a > >> > rude "F Y." I soon headed west across Broom while he continued > >> toward > >> > Johnson. I then heard a loud brake screech and horn honk, and turned > >> back > >> > to see that this guy had nearly been creamed by a car that somehow got > >> onto > >> > Broom heading the wrong way - and apparently couldn't see this unlit > >> cyclist > >> > any better than I could when he passed by me....Then on the SW Path > >> > there was the usual parade of unlit cyclists, appearing to be nearly > >> half of > >> > all riders.All of which begs the question of how can the City be more > >> > pre-emptive about lights at night. I suggest a short program of > >> educational > >> > stops, followed up by a program of ticketing, focused on the bike > >> paths and > >> > streets with high bike traffic and bike lanes. Our fellow cyclists > >> endanger > >> > far more people than themselves."Swinging in the other direction, you > >> > have the cyclist who ignores every traffic law, rides down the > >> sidewalk, > >> > then he goes through the crosswalk, and if a motorist doesn't see him > >> he > >> > flips him off. Then he jumps on the road in the wrong direction and he > >> > doesn't have lights on at night." > >> > P* Jeff Schimpff* > >> > Bureau of Science Services > >> > Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources > >> > "Bus, Bike, Walk or Carpool to Work for Clean Air for Kids" > >> > ( ()* phone:* (608) 267- 7853 > >> > (()* fax:* (608) 267-5231 > >> > (+ )* e-mail:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > > >> > ------------------------------ > >> > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> *On > >> > Behalf Of *Meiers, Steve > >> > *Sent:* Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:36 AM > >> > *To:* [email protected] > >> > *Subject:* [Bikies] article > >> > > >> > http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=687001 Hopefully, this is > >> an > >> > interview with a person, formerly from Wisconsin, who wrote a book > >> about the > >> > law and bicycling. If this link doesn't work I'll go to Plan BSteve > >> > MeiersSafety educator(608) [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > Bikies mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Steve Meiers > >> > 608 241-3460158 Dixon StMadison, WI 53704 > >> > ------------------------------ > >> > Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See > >> > how. > >> <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51732/*http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/> > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > Bikies mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > >> > > >> > > >> ------------------------------ > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Bikies mailing > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
