I like lights. That's sort-of a crusade I'm on--better lights mean less people dying on bikes. So I'm focused mainly on urban cyclists, because the recreational folks can take their own chances. But I'm not unwilling to draw from their experience, or to take advantage of the world of possibilities their interest opens up. Randonneurs open up the world of generator-powered light, and mountain bikers open up the world of excellent, portable light, and these get introduced to the ordinary commuting public who doesn't see the need for either. But once it gets out there, people like me start seeing a potential: to arrest the statistic that 50% of all cycling fatalities are cyclists riding at night without lights. I want to put lights on those bikes no matter what the cost; if I can reduce by half the number of cycling fatalities I'm happy with that. Unfortunately, generators are not yet an affordable solution: too many of the population that I serve wouldn't be able to afford a generator. A friend just bought a bike over the weekend, a Gary Fisher Simple City. She loves it, and it's perfectly appropriate for her and her needs, but it left us scrambling to get her a lock (I donated one of mine), and there weren't any lights. If a smart college-educated girl doesn't realize she needs lights to ride her bike at night (as she's never going to notice that the fenders and chain-guard that we approved of mean she can ride in any weather, and any wardrobe), then a poor Hispanic laborer who has lost his license because of a DUI is not likely to realize that either.
I don't think you can make the argument that LiIon is that much less expensive than generator lighting. Certainly, in the case of my friend, you'd want to make it as invisible as possible: like the fenders, you want to get the benefit without any sacrifice on the part of the cyclist. The lock was easy: just give her the lock and key and be done with it. The lights are harder: they involve either getting her to carry lights around with her, or retrofitting her front wheel with a generator hub. The truth is, lights or fenders, I want to make this bike more useful to her, so that she turns to it more often. On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 2:02 AM, Andrew Eichmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > On 8/24/08, Michael Wise <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Randonneurs rely on these systems for extreme events like PBP. They are > > required to qualify for these events by completing a series of ever more > > brutal distance rides. These rides are not easy to complete in a season, > and > > being disqualified from one might mean not being able to compete for the > > rest of the season. They may rely on backup systems, but they expect > their > > main lights to carry them through the event. In comparison, I'm taking a > > short commute of several miles in a heavily-populated urban environment. > I > > carry a battery-operated taillight in case of a failure back there I can > > just pop it on my bag; I've never had to use it. I haven't had a flat > tire > > in several years, which I attribute to riding in the lane and not in the > > debris, yet I still carry a pump and patch kit, but I've never carried a > > backup headlight. I'm that convinced that my generator lights are going > to > > work. > > I'm trying to do as the randonneurs: trust, but verify. And I have > something in between a brevet and a ride through an urban environment. > > While I appreciate the lateral answers, I'm not out to convice anybody > of the rightousness of my cause. I'm just trying to find out if > lithium cells will kill a basic headlight. > > -- > Andrew Eichmann > Narragansett, RI > > > > -- How often I have lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bicycle Lifestyle" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bicyclelifestyle?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
