Cycling UK Forum

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I don't know whether you're thinking of spending money on your kit, but I would suggest a Ni-MH battery would be better than the lead acid. The problem is, lead acid don't like being repeatedly discharged and re-charged (which is inevitable when you run your lights off them - unless you have a dynamo), they work best on being constantly trickle charged so as to remain almost fully charged all the time (as in a car). Ni-Cd or Ni-MH on the other hand, benefit from being routinely discharged to flat and then re-charged.

Ni-Cd (the older technology) suffer from the 'memory' problem: if you frequently only half-discharge one before re-charging, it will suffer a loss of capacity. So Ni-MH are better.

If you're using incandescent bulbs, I would hazard a guess that even 10W+3W may not be enough on a completely unlit road, but that depends on the quality of the road, the speed you're going, and your eyesight. Dazzling by oncoming vehicles is unavoidable, best thing is to work out a survival strategy. If it means a stop, that's a shame, but again it depends on the road. I used to regularly commute at night on an unlit road, and I was only rarely forced to a standstill - but I made damn sure I knew where the nearside of the road was all the time!

661-Pete wrote:Ni-Cd (the older technology) suffer from the 'memory' problem: if you frequently only half-discharge one before re-charging, it will suffer a loss of capacity. So Ni-MH are better.

Well possibly but NiMh batteries have a vicious voltage drop off curve and give very little warning before cutting out. In any case, NiCds are outlawed and impossible to obtain now. LiPo or Liion are the way forward currently (pun intended).

I've gone from Lead Acid to NiMH - works very well for me. In actual fact with my lights, I do get a bit of warning - I usually notice that my lights are starting to look as lack-lustre as everyone else's - then I find my 10 watts of high beam / flash don't work.
I simply pull over and plug in the backup battery which I carry in my bag during the winter months.
I of course have some self-contained battery lights - only ever used once - and in fact I seem to remember that I got a reasonable amount of light from my normal 6 watt dipped beam, and just used the Cateye on the back.
I was amazed to hear that someone at work had paid £100 for a nasty LED lamp, when I have a proper dipped beam for £50.

I may even go over to the dark side one day and fit a rim dynamo for dire emergencies.

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From the OP it does not sound like a battery memory problem but clearly a connection problem, I have some Eurolights, one of which the connection will pull out, fortunately the second lamp does not suffer from this problem I do however also have another back-up light with me.

Reminds me of the old days of commuting when batteries so often failed, have often ridden without a front light as have had to ensure 'best' battery was in the back light.
Fortunately it is so much easier to carry back up lights these days, lights and their batteries are so much better, cheaper, and lighter to carry.

I have a 7 AH 12 V lead acid battery which I have been using for my main homemade front & rear lights since 2006! Still going strong.
No problem with multiple charge/discharge cycles and a lot cheaper to buy & charge. It is a bit heavy!
Originally I used halogen MR16 bulbs and had to charge it every night, but now run LED MR16's which are brighter and charge maybe once or twice a week. My latest front lights consist of a 3W flood as a driving light which is OK for streetlights and a switched 6W highbeam for the dark sections. As this is painful to look at, I have added an aluminium housing with a plastic 'peak' which reduces the amount of light thrown upwards and reduces the glare to oncoming traffic/pedestrians/cyclists. However, I can also switch it off as they approach.
However I have learnt not to rely on only 1 light and actually fit 2 sets of 'cheap' LED bicycle lights as back ups and carry a spare headtorch. At least I will have enough lights to be seen (if people look)

Mark

SleepyJoe wrote:I have a 7 AH 12 V lead acid battery which I have been using for my main homemade front & rear lights since 2006! Still going strong.
No problem with multiple charge/discharge cycles and a lot cheaper to buy & charge. It is a bit heavy!
Originally I used halogen MR16 bulbs and had to charge it every night, but now run LED MR16's which are brighter and charge maybe once or twice a week. My latest front lights consist of a 3W flood as a driving light which is OK for streetlights and a switched 6W highbeam for the dark sections. As this is painful to look at, I have added an aluminium housing with a plastic 'peak' which reduces the amount of light thrown upwards and reduces the glare to oncoming traffic/pedestrians/cyclists. However, I can also switch it off as they approach.
However I have learnt not to rely on only 1 light and actually fit 2 sets of 'cheap' LED bicycle lights as back ups and carry a spare headtorch. At least I will have enough lights to be seen (if people look)

Mark

We'll have to exchange notes. (types of MR16 etc)
I used to kill my lead acids over a couple of winters - but then I was running 20 watt car lamps front and back.
I now kill my 3.7AH NiMH batteries similarly quickly with LED lights - probably through over-charging.

hexhome wrote:Well possibly but NiMh batteries have a vicious voltage drop off curve and give very little warning before cutting out. In any case, NiCds are outlawed and impossible to obtain now. LiPo or Liion are the way forward currently (pun intended).

Certainly, when using any kind of rechargeable set, carrying spares is a 'must'. But my battery lights up a red warning LED; that gives me about 15-20 minutes reserve which is more than enough for my commute home.
I suppose it depends what one wants to spend. When my present set gives up the ghost, if I'm still cycling , then will be the time for a Li-based battery....