Re: connected lights

On 9/12/2024 6:40 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

On 9/12/2024 8:53 AM, AMuzi wrote:

On 9/11/2024 4:42 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 9/11/2024 5:34 PM, AMuzi wrote:

On 9/11/2024 3:49 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 9/11/2024 3:37 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

Am Wed, 11 Sep 2024 17:23:22 GMT schrieb Roger Merriman
<roger@sarlet.com>:
>
>

There is also the fact I like lights that can kick out more oomph
that a
Dynamo can do, and I’m not wild on such cut off beams, while my
commute
light has a low wide beam on low, ie fine around town and so on,
with the
High Beam to give a bit more punch in the woods and so on.

>
In my experience, a modern, StVZO-conforming LED based headlight is
more
than good enough for riding in city traffic. More power usually only
serves to blind other cyclists and still can't compete with car
headlights. Riding in the woods and in the dark, on the other hand, is
better done using a weaker, but wider beam.
>
The only reasonable need I see for more powerful headlights is when
driving on unlit rural roads. Here you need a powerful low beam and
sometimes also a high beam.

>
I agree woods riding is different than road riding. But I've done
lots of unlit road riding with dyno lights and no problems. So have
countless randonneurs.
>
Night vision varies, I'm sure; but I believe the general desire for
more and more and more lumens is caused by the same mechanism the
triggers the desire for more and more rear cogs, less and less bike
weight, bigger and bigger pickup trucks, etc. After a while, people
are chasing advertising copy or quickly diminishing returns.
>

>
You've repeated that for years, implying that unlike mere mortals you
are magically immune to the evil spell of marketers. OK, that could
be true.
>
Or maybe other people actually ride offroad and actually need
brighter lights than you.

>
Read again, Andrew. See where I said "I agree woods riding is
different than road riding"?
>

>
And all the others inbetween who may very rarely ride offroad without
ambient streetlights but want the capacity, people who use the wondrous
little things for car repair and the like (me, just not on my bicycle),
people who just want 'the best one' and yes some amount of the Veblen
effect.
>
As with most consumer decisions, sorting out motive is a fool's errand
as people sincerely misstate motive as they sometimes don't have any
conscious logical process.

>
Understood. Your near-default point is "Everyone's decision is correct."
>
My frequent point is "You don't need to go to extremes to be safe,
especially on a bike."
>

 None of the lights I’ve described are extremely powerful, even the Race
which is a MTB light it’s only a smidge over what lights intended for road
use are, and some margin less than the E bike lights ie bikes using the E
bike batteries than dynamo and quite a jump in watts in and corresponding
lumens out, broadly in range with MTB lights ie in the 3/5k range, but for
utility bikes which I suspect may be overkill.
 Not sure safety concerns drive more powerful lights, more rider comfort ie
not having to work so hard, and ability to ride faster etc.
 In general roadie lights tends to suggest weight or lack of, commute lights
cost and use ability etc, only really MTB lights that it’s performance is
absolutely mentioned and for good reason.
 I’d also note that some of the cheaper lights folks can buy from Ali
express and similar lumen and other claims are somewhat suspect if not in
some cases impossible!
 Roger Merriman
 

The term which used to be used here on RBT is a 'chilumen'. It's actually equal to a lumen but advertised a magnitude higher.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971