S.Giles
Guest
Hello,
Now that I finally have some decent lights ('Cree' front light with Li ion rechargeable batteries), I've adopted the policy of always having them switched on whether it's day or night time. It just doesn't seem worth not having them on, since any possibility of being even a little more visible to vehicle drivers is worth having, and the batteries are easily recharged so there's little hassle and no expense involved. This particularly applies at this time of year, when the sun is low in the sky and casts long shadows.
Also (being handy with a soldering iron), I've adapted my rear light from taking two AAA batteries to using an external battery pack (actually an old 18650 Li ion cell which I had spare). The cell is pushed inside one of those spongy handlebar grips which is then tucked up underneath the saddle, and connected to the light unit with a short wire and standard 2.5mm connector. This is a good solution, since the light now runs at 3.7-4.2v instead of 3.0v so it's BRIGHT. The project took me about 30 minutes to do, was interesting, and cost very little. I was initially concerned that the added voltage would damage the LED's, but a couple of weeks in and everything is working just fine. The battery lasts for several weeks (being used about 45 minutes/day) between charges.
There is one downside to keeping the lights on during the day, though, and that is people 'helpfully' shouting out 'Hey, do you know your lights are on?', which seems to happen on a regular basis. At least this confirms that the lights are visible in daylight and therefore justifies them being switched on in the first place!
All-in-all, I feel safer with much brighter lights on my bike (be it day or night), which is an advantage worth having in itself.
Steve
Now that I finally have some decent lights ('Cree' front light with Li ion rechargeable batteries), I've adopted the policy of always having them switched on whether it's day or night time. It just doesn't seem worth not having them on, since any possibility of being even a little more visible to vehicle drivers is worth having, and the batteries are easily recharged so there's little hassle and no expense involved. This particularly applies at this time of year, when the sun is low in the sky and casts long shadows.
Also (being handy with a soldering iron), I've adapted my rear light from taking two AAA batteries to using an external battery pack (actually an old 18650 Li ion cell which I had spare). The cell is pushed inside one of those spongy handlebar grips which is then tucked up underneath the saddle, and connected to the light unit with a short wire and standard 2.5mm connector. This is a good solution, since the light now runs at 3.7-4.2v instead of 3.0v so it's BRIGHT. The project took me about 30 minutes to do, was interesting, and cost very little. I was initially concerned that the added voltage would damage the LED's, but a couple of weeks in and everything is working just fine. The battery lasts for several weeks (being used about 45 minutes/day) between charges.
There is one downside to keeping the lights on during the day, though, and that is people 'helpfully' shouting out 'Hey, do you know your lights are on?', which seems to happen on a regular basis. At least this confirms that the lights are visible in daylight and therefore justifies them being switched on in the first place!
All-in-all, I feel safer with much brighter lights on my bike (be it day or night), which is an advantage worth having in itself.
Steve
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