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Re: lights on bikes. Dynamos and dynamo hubs thankfully remain constrained by physics, so they will remain interoperable with a number of brands for a long time

by xattt 4y ago

Re: lights on bikes. Dynamos and dynamo hubs thankfully remain constrained by physics, so they will remain interoperable with a number of brands for a long time. I highly recommend anyone that uses a bicycle for any meaningful amount as part of their day-to-day routine to get a dynamo hub and a light. You will save your sanity with battery replacements.

hyperbovine 4y ago
But be prepared for constantly having to deal with well-meaning people saying “Excuse me, you left your light on!”.
- bradfa 4y ago
  I always have my battery powered lights on when I'm riding on the road, even in the middle of the day. I run a bright red rear light (not flashing 100-200 lumens depending on time of day) and a bright amber or white front light (120 lumen amber during daylight, 200-800 lumen white near sunrise/sunset or when dark). Car drivers are very unaware of their surroundings, any additional indication I can give them to pay attention to me and not hit me is worth it for me. I want my lights to look like drivers expect car lights to look, as that's what they're trained to look for.
giraffe_lady 4y ago
Mmmm I'm not sure about that universally in cities at least. I have dynamo lights on one bike and I love them. BUT the wheels on a decent bike are already the single most expensive part and easiest to steal if you're sloppy about your locking. Dynamo hub + custom wheel build just doubled the value of what was already the most stealable component. It definitely changes when and where I ride that bike in ways that don't always mesh well with the advantages of the dynamo. I still prefer it but if I didn't have a cheaper less desirable bike for some lockup situations I'm not sure I'd do it.
- xattt 4y ago
  I should check my privilege of living in a place with trivial bike thefts. I’ve gotten used to sticking my u-lock through the frame, bike rack and front wheel, but haven’t had it realistically challenged to know if it’s effective.
- hyperbovine 4y ago
  Not sure I agree. A basic dyno hub is not really that more expensive than a mid-level regular hub (the Shimano on my bike cost about $60 if memory serves), and you really have to have a trained eye to even spot it. They're also pretty rare, which makes recovery more likely in the event of theft. I guess mine never really stuck out at me as a theft target. And if you're in an area where that's really a risk, you probably want to be using something like PitLock anyways. The benefits of always having lights massively outweigh the downsides IMO.
  - giraffe_lady 4y ago
    Yeah most of the cost is in the wheel build. It's a couple hours of skilled work. I learned to do it myself but the last wheel I had built cost $150 for just spokes and labor. A bike thief has a trained eye! Someone snagged a vintage campagnolo brake caliper off my bike a couple years back. People know what they're looking for.

by xattt 4y ago

hyperbovine 4y ago

But be prepared for constantly having to deal with well-meaning people saying “Excuse me, you left your light on!”.

bradfa 4y ago
I always have my battery powered lights on when I'm riding on the road, even in the middle of the day. I run a bright red rear light (not flashing 100-200 lumens depending on time of day) and a bright amber or white front light (120 lumen amber during daylight, 200-800 lumen white near sunrise/sunset or when dark). Car drivers are very unaware of their surroundings, any additional indication I can give them to pay attention to me and not hit me is worth it for me. I want my lights to look like drivers expect car lights to look, as that's what they're trained to look for.

giraffe_lady 4y ago

Mmmm I'm not sure about that universally in cities at least. I have dynamo lights on one bike and I love them. BUT the wheels on a decent bike are already the single most expensive part and easiest to steal if you're sloppy about your locking. Dynamo hub + custom wheel build just doubled the value of what was already the most stealable component. It definitely changes when and where I ride that bike in ways that don't always mesh well with the advantages of the dynamo. I still prefer it but if I didn't have a cheaper less desirable bike for some lockup situations I'm not sure I'd do it.

xattt 4y ago
I should check my privilege of living in a place with trivial bike thefts. I’ve gotten used to sticking my u-lock through the frame, bike rack and front wheel, but haven’t had it realistically challenged to know if it’s effective.
hyperbovine 4y ago
Not sure I agree. A basic dyno hub is not really that more expensive than a mid-level regular hub (the Shimano on my bike cost about $60 if memory serves), and you really have to have a trained eye to even spot it. They're also pretty rare, which makes recovery more likely in the event of theft. I guess mine never really stuck out at me as a theft target. And if you're in an area where that's really a risk, you probably want to be using something like PitLock anyways. The benefits of always having lights massively outweigh the downsides IMO.
- giraffe_lady 4y ago
  Yeah most of the cost is in the wheel build. It's a couple hours of skilled work. I learned to do it myself but the last wheel I had built cost $150 for just spokes and labor. A bike thief has a trained eye! Someone snagged a vintage campagnolo brake caliper off my bike a couple years back. People know what they're looking for.