Portable charger for cyclists- Powers and charges small electronic items and is operated simply by p

[bonj2]

28 one way then?

yes

So what do you do? Three commutes a week?

on a good week yes, on a very good week 4. I have done 5 I think, not many times though. In reality a lot of evenings are taken up with other sports so it probably averages slightly fewer than 3.

I have only missed one commute in over six years because I stayed at work during the snow.

Have you got a light bike and all the lycra?

yes

 

[hackbike 666]

I've got a heavy hub dynamo'd bike and no lycra.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

The only advantage you seem to be able to come up with is that you might forget to replace/charge the batteries and they might then run out. Well, just don't forget!

The only advantage you seem to be able to come up with for battery-powered lights is that they don't create a small amount of drag...

You can prattle on for as long as you like about how little drag they create, or how unnoticeable it is, but the fact is batteries don't create ANY drag, so they're clearly always going to be better!

'better' clearly depends on what your priorities are for the light. If low drag is important to you, battery powered is better. If low maintainance is important to you, dynamos are going to be better.

 

[Black Sheep]

Bonj, have you ever ridden a bike with a modern hub dynamo? They create virtually no drag. (I'll admit, my old bottle dynamo does, but it is old, and all we had to hand when building the bike). I very much doubt a hub dynamo would affect your performance in any way you could actually notice.

he'd notice...

in his mind!

 

[bonj2]

The only advantage you seem to be able to come up with for battery-powered lights is that they don't create a small amount of drag...

smaller
lighter
cheaper
?

 

[hackbike 666]

I prefer my hub dynamo.I've slowed down recently and it isn't due to my hub dynamo.(Unless it's seized up)

Low maintenance and my lights work 90+% of the time (and so do my horns)(ooer).(Touchwood)

I agree I could dress up like bonj with all the lycra and lightweight bike and I'd be faster but at the moment my bike seems as reliable as it has ever been so I get there eventually.

 

[Arch]

You can prattle on for as long as you like about how little drag they create, or how unnoticeable it is, but the fact is batteries don't create ANY drag, so they're clearly always going to be better!

Go stick your head in a pig.

 

[bonj2]

Disposal of?

bin?

 

[Eat MY Dust]

At 20mph, a 5% decrease in power would result in maybe a 2.5% decrease in speed.

Keep in mind that Bonj averages 10mph on his commute.The drop would take him into a single figure average.

Didn't Bonj get rid of his camera because it showed everyone how slow he was?

 

[palinurus]

I'm with bonj in one respect. I wouldn't stick a hub generator on any of my other road bikes, I use a couple of small AAA LEDs for those rare occasions I'm out in the dusk. Glad to have it on my winter bike however.

 

[thomas]

bin?

I'm with bonj in one respect. I wouldn't stick a hub generator on any of my other road bikes, I use a couple of small AAA LEDs for those rare occasions I'm out in the dusk. Glad to have it on my winter bike however.

I've got some cheap rechargeable from poundland...they work fine and I can recharge them 1000x....if they run out, I have a thing called spare batteries.

I wouldn't want a dynamo...stick to convient batteries!

 

[Arch]

I've got some cheap rechargeable from poundland...they work fine and I can recharge them 1000x....if they run out, I have a thing called spare batteries.

I wouldn't want a dynamo...stick to convient batteries!

Why are batteries more convenient? You have to change them to charge them, and remember to carry spares in case they run out. And the lights generally have to be taken off when you leave the bike. How is that more convenient than having a source of power with you, all the time, and lights that are bolted on, and stay there? I can see that on a light bike that doesn't get much use after dark, (like my FCR) a dynamo is less of an advantage. But I don't see how it can be less convenient than batteries.

 

[palinurus]

I find batteries a pain in the winter, most- nearly all- of my riding is in the dark and battery runtimes and chargetimes make it difficult to just get out and ride when I need to and for as long as I want to.

 

[hackbike 666]

I get on fine with my hub dynamo thanks.

 

[meic]

Wow, how can you get so ideological about a simple technological question?

I use rechargeable batteries in LED lights and a GPS and MP3 player.

I would consider a Schmidt hub, B&M charge and ride and an Ixon IQ light. With that set up I could be totally self sufficient on a long tour. However it would cost nearly £200 per bike. With a substantial weight increase.

The weight increase is equivalent to at least 6 pairs of AA batteries in the hub alone. So in practice I carry a 100g mains battery charger and use it when I get the chance.

The dynohub route would mean that the bike had lights permanently, never have to think about it or do anything again. It would also be at least half a kilogram heavier ALL the time.
This is a reasonable trade off whichever way you decide to go.
Pretty academic in my case as I cant justify £200 for occasional use.

As the B&M Ixon IQ and ride and charge already exists, it would only be worth developing a system to be mass produced and CHEAP.