Ever ready bike light
Re: Ever ready bike light
I would think most cheap plastic dynamos aren't too environmentally friendly, hardly ever used, hardly ever work properly and use up more unrecyclable materials than a cheap battery light.
Cheap bottle dynamos have done more harm to the image of dynamos than anything else IMO.
Cheap bottle dynamos have done more harm to the image of dynamos than anything else IMO.
Cheers
J Bro
J Bro
Re: Ever ready bike light
The photos show that its high and low beam are exactly that, unlike what some lights claim. But having boasted of their "extremely wide beam" why do they use such a narrow lane to illustrate it?andrew_s wrote: ↑19 Nov 2021, 7:30pmSupernova M99Sweep wrote: ↑19 Nov 2021, 6:43amCan I ask what the light is?andrew_s wrote: ↑19 Nov 2021, 1:30am
After 28 years of dedicated dynamo use, I recently weighed up the cost of a SON 28 thru-axle wheel and Edelux 2, and instead decided to invest in a modern battery light for the new N+1.
It really is quite impressive. There's a handlebar button for dip and main beam, just like a car, and just as bright, at least if you're comparing with my car. There aren't even any worries about run time - from fully charged, it's 3h on main, 10h on dip, or 50h on dim-dip (hold the button for 2 sec, a wide 30 lux)
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Re: Ever ready bike light
Overly cheap anything can discredit other products in the same market ... it is often true that he who buys cheap buys twice.jb wrote: ↑28 Nov 2021, 7:56pm I would think most cheap plastic dynamos aren't too environmentally friendly, hardly ever used, hardly ever work properly and use up more unrecyclable materials than a cheap battery light.
Cheap bottle dynamos have done more harm to the image of dynamos than anything else IMO.
The Soubitez Dynamos have a chromed plastic body and work well, I like the Union Dynamos with their alloy body too. The ones that I use are second hand, obviously, and quite a few years old. Bottle Dynamos can be cheap and effective, and really I don’t need the best I just need functional and reliable. Like many other riders, over past decades, I’ve found that a decent bottle Dynamo just works, they might drag a bit but they’re a very functional power source.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Re: Ever ready bike light
By 'cheap' I mean badly made, I've had Union dynamos that were both inexpensive and reliable.Carlton green wrote: ↑28 Nov 2021, 10:19pmOverly cheap anything can discredit other products in the same market ... it is often true that he who buys cheap buys twice.jb wrote: ↑28 Nov 2021, 7:56pm I would think most cheap plastic dynamos aren't too environmentally friendly, hardly ever used, hardly ever work properly and use up more unrecyclable materials than a cheap battery light.
Cheap bottle dynamos have done more harm to the image of dynamos than anything else IMO.
The Soubitez Dynamos have a chromed plastic body and work well, I like the Union Dynamos with their alloy body too. The ones that I use are second hand, obviously, and quite a few years old. Bottle Dynamos can be cheap and effective, and really I don’t need the best I just need functional and reliable. Like many other riders, over past decades, I’ve found that a decent bottle Dynamo just works, they might drag a bit but they’re a very functional power source.
The horrors in the marketplace usually have exceedingly crappy connectors, tinny useless mounting brackets and large amounts of drag giving the owner quite the opposite impression of what a good setup should be like.
And with availability of cheap powerful LED battery lamps now available there's not much chance of them ever returning.
It was probably only Evereadys offerings that gave the crap dynamo market breathing space to exist.
Cheers
J Bro
J Bro
Re: Ever ready bike light
+1Carlton green wrote: ↑28 Nov 2021, 10:19pmLike many other riders, over past decades, I’ve found that a decent bottle Dynamo just works, they might drag a bit but they’re a very functional power source.
Re: Ever ready bike light
I had a Union dynamo back in the '80s. It was very, very draggy and not too bright. After a couple of years I replaced it with Ever Ready Night Riders, which were heavy and drained the batteries quickly, but were brighter and did not drag. Nor go out when you stopped.
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Re: Ever ready bike light
Agreed - until it rains and the bottle slips on the tyre . I've just fitted a bottle dynamo to my wife's folder but I will be upgrading her to a hub dynamo as soon as I can find a second hand one at a reasonable price. I've never looked back since picking up a Schmidt dynohub for my bike for £15 at a bike jumble . I have a duplicate LED upgrade kit ready too, comprising a full wave rectifier and 5.7V Zener diode built around a pound shop LED light set, total cost £2.drossall wrote: ↑29 Nov 2021, 8:11am+1Carlton green wrote: ↑28 Nov 2021, 10:19pmLike many other riders, over past decades, I’ve found that a decent bottle Dynamo just works, they might drag a bit but they’re a very functional power source.
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Re: Ever ready bike light
Which is like finding the Koh-i-Noor diamond at a car boot sale!I've never looked back since picking up a Schmidt dynohub for my bike for £15 at a bike jumble
Re: Ever ready bike light
We're going round in circles here, but -1
Didn't really have trouble with slipping, especially with the old Nordlicht 2000. As long as I swapped the rubber roller for the optional metal one, that is.
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Re: Ever ready bike light
I appreciate that experiences vary but mine are common with the above from drossall and rogerzilla.
The debate about whether hub or bottle Dynamos are best never dies, but it’s a pointless debate as each type have their strengths and weaknesses and each of those judgments matters more to some people than to others. In terms of a technical solution then, IME, hubs are best. However it’s not always all about what’s the best possible technical solution but rather it’s about what meets particular individual needs, hence I use bottles and that choice has served me well.
The debate about whether hub or bottle Dynamos are best never dies, but it’s a pointless debate as each type have their strengths and weaknesses and each of those judgments matters more to some people than to others. In terms of a technical solution then, IME, hubs are best. However it’s not always all about what’s the best possible technical solution but rather it’s about what meets particular individual needs, hence I use bottles and that choice has served me well.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Re: Ever ready bike light
unfortunately I never had the chance of assessing bottle dynamos used with LED front lights, I suspect it would have made the already good Nordica 2000 I owned into a very good light indeed.
I did run it with an LED rear lamp with stand light which I remember was a huge jump forward in reliability as I had rear illumination even when stopped & no more blown bulbs or bad bulb connections - bliss.
I did run it with an LED rear lamp with stand light which I remember was a huge jump forward in reliability as I had rear illumination even when stopped & no more blown bulbs or bad bulb connections - bliss.
Cheers
J Bro
J Bro
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Re: Ever ready bike light
Yup, I did feel somewhat guilty when I found out what an expensive bit of kit it really was (after I got home and realised Schmidt = SON). Especially as I beat him down from £20 I comfort myself with the fact that the rest of £200's worth of parts I bought that day went towards rebuilding bikes for a charity salerogerzilla wrote: ↑29 Nov 2021, 6:09pmWhich is like finding the Koh-i-Noor diamond at a car boot sale!I've never looked back since picking up a Schmidt dynohub for my bike for £15 at a bike jumble
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Re: Ever ready bike light
In related news, I've been pleased with my 1.8W Sturmey-Archer GH6 energizing a Busch+Müller OneFive (30 Lux, StVZO-compliant).Stradageek wrote: ↑29 Nov 2021, 12:57pmI will be upgrading her to a hub dynamo as soon as I can find a second hand one at a reasonable price.
Re: Ever ready bike light
The output of 1.8 watts from a GH6 is measured into a set load. If you power a led light it will generate substantially more. I used mine to illuminate a 3 watt 12v mr16 bulb and a pound shop rear with a resistor in series to drop the voltage.Sid Aluminium wrote: ↑30 Nov 2021, 4:57pmIn related news, I've been pleased with my 1.8W Sturmey-Archer GH6 energizing a Busch+Müller OneFive (30 Lux, StVZO-compliant).Stradageek wrote: ↑29 Nov 2021, 12:57pmI will be upgrading her to a hub dynamo as soon as I can find a second hand one at a reasonable price.
Here's some useful info for anyone who can wield a soldering iron.
http://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectronics ... rcuits.htm
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway X2, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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Re: Ever ready bike light
Nice link - lots of good ideas, though I do favour half wave rectification to give a flashing LED