Wow! That's a great deal on a great light!

IMO, the "cornea blitz" mode sounds like a nice improvement over the Pop mode,
or whatever it's called in the first gen.  I've always wished mine had a faster
flashing mode.

I will add that the Radbot 1000 really chews up batteries, so you should invest
in some rechargeables.... yeah, that prob, goes without saying...

It seems I'm recharging my Radbot 1000 weekly, where I was recharging my PBSF
every two weeks.  I guess The Pop takes a lot of juice.



--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Rich" <astronut1001@...> wrote:
>
> Amazon currently has this taillight for $21.02.  List on the PDW web site is
$32.  It is considerably brighter than the Planet Bike Superflash (PBSF) and has
a built-in EU legal reflector.  If you do not ride in a group this is a great
taillight but it is probably too bright for following cyclists when group
riding.
>
> I have several of them and the latest one has a revised blink mode that
Portland Dersign Works refers to as the "cornea blitz" mode.  This replaces a
mode that was 1 long blink and 3 shorter ones, repeated.  The other modes,
continuous on and blink mode, are unchanged.  The cornea blitz mose is a fairly
high speed flashing mode with what appears to me to be a randomly variable
flashing intensity.
>
> To me one advantage over the PBSF is that the body and cover are screwed
together so it takes a philips screwdriver to change the battery.  IMO much less
chance of losing part of the light, a reported problem with the PBSF.
>
> BTW the PBSF and Radbot 1000 use the same mounts so are interchangeable on a
bike which has the PBSF mount already.  The Radbot 1000 includes seatpost,
seatstay and rack mounts.
>
>
http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Design-Works-Radbot-Light/dp/B0030BS30K/ref=pd_si\
m_sg_1
>
> Rich Wood
>

The PBSF uses a 1/2 watt LED and within each light pulse uses high frequency
pulsing to reduce power draw.  It actually has a relatively sophisticated drive
circuit to maximize battery life.  The Radbot has a 1 watt LED and the power to
it is not modulated though I doubt that it is driven at the full 1 watt LED
rating.  I say that as with AAA battery capacity the batteries would have a life
of under 3 hours in the continuous on mode if drawing LED full rated wattage.

Rich Wood

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "anthony_coley" <anthony_coley@...> wrote:
>
> Wow! That's a great deal on a great light!
>
> IMO, the "cornea blitz" mode sounds like a nice improvement over the Pop mode,
or whatever it's called in the first gen.  I've always wished mine had a faster
flashing mode.
>
> I will add that the Radbot 1000 really chews up batteries, so you should
invest in some rechargeables.... yeah, that prob, goes without saying...
>
> It seems I'm recharging my Radbot 1000 weekly, where I was recharging my PBSF
every two weeks.  I guess The Pop takes a lot of juice.
>
>
>
> --- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Rich" <astronut1001@> wrote:
> >
> > Amazon currently has this taillight for $21.02.  List on the PDW web site is
$32.  It is considerably brighter than the Planet Bike Superflash (PBSF) and has
a built-in EU legal reflector.  If you do not ride in a group this is a great
taillight but it is probably too bright for following cyclists when group
riding.
> >
> > I have several of them and the latest one has a revised blink mode that
Portland Dersign Works refers to as the "cornea blitz" mode.  This replaces a
mode that was 1 long blink and 3 shorter ones, repeated.  The other modes,
continuous on and blink mode, are unchanged.  The cornea blitz mose is a fairly
high speed flashing mode with what appears to me to be a randomly variable
flashing intensity.
> >
> > To me one advantage over the PBSF is that the body and cover are screwed
together so it takes a philips screwdriver to change the battery.  IMO much less
chance of losing part of the light, a reported problem with the PBSF.
> >
> > BTW the PBSF and Radbot 1000 use the same mounts so are interchangeable on a
bike which has the PBSF mount already.  The Radbot 1000 includes seatpost,
seatstay and rack mounts.
> >
> >
http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Design-Works-Radbot-Light/dp/B0030BS30K/ref=pd_si\
m_sg_1
> >
> > Rich Wood
> >
>

Another seriously bright taillight, at least by specification, I ran across at a
reasonable price is the Knog Boomer.  As with other Knog lights this has a
silicone rubber based body with integral strap to wrap around a handlebar or
seatpost.  The Boomer is larger though and takes two AAA batteries rather than
Lithium coin cells.

The red LED Boomer taillight version CLAIMS an output of 30 Lumens and the white
LED headlight version claims to have an output of 50 Lumens.  In comparison the
PBSF has an output of about 5 Lumens.

Jenson has both the headlight and taillight versions available in various colors
for under $20 apiece.

Per the Knog web site there is a rechargeable version of the Boomer that
recharges from a USB port coming shortly.

Rich Wood

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Rich" <astronut1001@...> wrote:
>
> The PBSF uses a 1/2 watt LED and within each light pulse uses high frequency
pulsing to reduce power draw.  It actually has a relatively sophisticated drive
circuit to maximize battery life.  The Radbot has a 1 watt LED and the power to
it is not modulated though I doubt that it is driven at the full 1 watt LED
rating.  I say that as with AAA battery capacity the batteries would have a life
of under 3 hours in the continuous on mode if drawing LED full rated wattage.
>
> Rich Wood
>
> --- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "anthony_coley" <anthony_coley@> wrote:
> >
> > Wow! That's a great deal on a great light!
> >
> > IMO, the "cornea blitz" mode sounds like a nice improvement over the Pop
mode, or whatever it's called in the first gen.  I've always wished mine had a
faster flashing mode.
> >
> > I will add that the Radbot 1000 really chews up batteries, so you should
invest in some rechargeables.... yeah, that prob, goes without saying...
> >
> > It seems I'm recharging my Radbot 1000 weekly, where I was recharging my
PBSF every two weeks.  I guess The Pop takes a lot of juice.
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Rich" <astronut1001@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Amazon currently has this taillight for $21.02.  List on the PDW web site
is $32.  It is considerably brighter than the Planet Bike Superflash (PBSF) and
has a built-in EU legal reflector.  If you do not ride in a group this is a
great taillight but it is probably too bright for following cyclists when group
riding.
> > >
> > > I have several of them and the latest one has a revised blink mode that
Portland Dersign Works refers to as the "cornea blitz" mode.  This replaces a
mode that was 1 long blink and 3 shorter ones, repeated.  The other modes,
continuous on and blink mode, are unchanged.  The cornea blitz mose is a fairly
high speed flashing mode with what appears to me to be a randomly variable
flashing intensity.
> > >
> > > To me one advantage over the PBSF is that the body and cover are screwed
together so it takes a philips screwdriver to change the battery.  IMO much less
chance of losing part of the light, a reported problem with the PBSF.
> > >
> > > BTW the PBSF and Radbot 1000 use the same mounts so are interchangeable on
a bike which has the PBSF mount already.  The Radbot 1000 includes seatpost,
seatstay and rack mounts.
> > >
> > >
http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Design-Works-Radbot-Light/dp/B0030BS30K/ref=pd_si\
m_sg_1
> > >
> > > Rich Wood
> > >
> >
>

Other than some of the Dinotte taillights the Magicshine is about the brightest
bicycle taillight available that I am aware of.  As noted it does use a separate
Lithium Ion battery pack which can be a mounting inconvenience.

The main US source has been Geomangear but they have temporarily ceased selling
Magicshine lights due recent to quality problems with the battery packs.  They
are reportedly working with the vendor to resolve the problem.

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_41&zenid=d0ck69vtaba\
6gvm0pkclq6ej20

Reviews on Bike Forums have been mixed on the Magicshine taillight.

Rich Wood

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Matthew Brealey" <thelawnet@...> wrote:
>
> I have a Magicshine MJ-818 on my Ute (mounted using the supplied o-ring to
> the rack)
>
>
>
> It runs off a custom 4x18650 (lithium) battery pack
>
> I bought mine as a set with battery pack and charger for $58
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.42077
>
>
>
> Battery life is around nine hours, then it switches to blinking mode before
> dying several hours later.
>
>
>
> They are 85 lumens. 3 Watts.
>
>
>
> They are pretty blindingly bright:
>
>
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY08heMJpnE
>
>
>
> Reliability is from what I've heard questionable – if you want quality, then
> Dinotte is the way to go:
>
>
>
> 140L:  $120 (uses AA batteries (not supplied) in a supplied pouch) – 140
> lumens
>
> 300R: $200 (integrated battery, USB charging)  - 300 lumens
>
> 400R: $229 (with 2-cell battery – 400 lumens
>
>
>
> There are some shots of the 140L against the MJ-818 here
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=620340
>
>
>
> Basically:
>
> PBSF: ½ watt
>
> Radbot 1000: 1W
>
> M7-818: 3W
>
> Dinotte 140L: 3W, but with better optics
>
>
>
> From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of ama3655@...
> Sent: 07 November 2010 23:53
> To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [rootsradicals] PDW Radbot 1000 on Sale
>
>
>
>
>
> Rich -
>
>
>
> I've been using a couple Radbot 500's for a few months now. I tried them
> because of the reflectors - they are a legal requirement here. The 500's are
> approximately 500 less rad than the 1000's, give or take. They are less
> bright, but I hear that the batteries last longer.
>
>
>
> I love these things. They do everything I need, and the price is way better
> than a Dinotte or equivalent. Plus, they are Rad. I'll probably try a 1000
> just so I can retaliate and blind some friends that use Dinotte taillights.
> They deserve some cheap competition.
>
>
>
> FatRob
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 11/7/2010 2:50:30 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> astronut1001@... writes:
>
> Amazon currently has this taillight for $21.02. List on the PDW web site is
> $32. It is considerably brighter than the Planet Bike Superflash (PBSF) and
> has a built-in EU legal reflector. If you do not ride in a group this is a
> great taillight but it is probably too bright for following cyclists when
> group riding.
>
> I have several of them and the latest one has a revised blink mode that
> Portland Dersign Works refers to as the "cornea blitz" mode. This replaces a
> mode that was 1 long blink and 3 shorter ones, repeated. The other modes,
> continuous on and blink mode, are unchanged. The cornea blitz mose is a
> fairly high speed flashing mode with what appears to me to be a randomly
> variable flashing intensity.
>
> To me one advantage over the PBSF is that the body and cover are screwed
> together so it takes a philips screwdriver to change the battery. IMO much
> less chance of losing part of the light, a reported problem with the PBSF.
>
> BTW the PBSF and Radbot 1000 use the same mounts so are interchangeable on a
> bike which has the PBSF mount already. The Radbot 1000 includes seatpost,
> seatstay and rack mounts.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Design-Works-Radbot-Light/dp/B0030BS30K/ref=p
> d_sim_sg_1
>
> Rich Wood
>

Not trying to compete with Xtracycle or other vendors but I glanced at the
bicycles section of Instructables and noted several building or adapting trailer
projects as well as one for building a longtail bike and another for building a
long john.

Everything up to and including making both plywood and bamboo frame bikes as
well as numerous accessories and lighting projects is covered.  Definitely a DIY
resource.

http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-outside/channel-bikes/

Rich Wood

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, ama3655@... wrote:
>
> The Radbot discussion has brought back a memory for me. If you like to
> tinker and would also like some good bright lighting then you need to go look
> at  Instructables. There are a number of really well done lighting projects
> and bike  projects in general.
> Here's a nice headlight -
>
_http://www.instructables.com/id/Improved-high-power-LED-bike-head-light-with-in\
teg/_
>
(http://www.instructables.com/id/Improved-high-power-LED-bike-head-light-with-in\
teg/)
>
> My main problem with instuctables is that there is too little time to try
> everything out...
>
> FatRob
>

While I usually post on more down-home, family and commuting topics, I thought
this would be of interest to all you adventure types out there (actual or
armchair)...

To keep myself occupied over the winter, I started an interview series (via the
internet) about bike touring, and I've got a couple of interviews lined up for
people who have toured with Xtracycles. The first is next week: Jon Watts who
did his latest music tour via Xtracycle Radish (600 miles from Richmond, VA to
Boston). You have to hand it to the guy - he had no previous long distance
biking or touring experience. Just decided to do it, bought an X so he could
carry his guitar, amp, CDs, and everything else, and rode up the East Coast for
a month (what a place to start!).  Jon's a very down-to-earth person and
interesting to talk to, so I'm looking forward to some good stories and
entertainment.

Also up, but date not yet set, I'm working on getting one of the Riding the
Spine guys to do an interview - they rode from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego on Big
Dummies over the space of a couple years. Thanks to Vic for giving me the tip to
talk to them - can't wait to hear THEIR story!

If you want to participate, the interviews are call-in / webcast affairs where
you can listen in and ask questions via phone or IM. If you can't make the
call-in time, the audios are available. The calls are FREE (but I hope you guys
ask lots of questions!). Register at the Bike Touring Bliss website to get the
skinny.
http://www.biketouringbliss.com

You can also check out the intro page on Cycle 9 website at
http://www.cycle9.com/bike-touring/

Thanks and happy Xtracycling!

Elise Giddings
Cycle 9
http://www.cycle9.com

The Alfine 11 is now shipping.  Harris Cyclery got some in Friday and sold out
some configurations but still had some available as of my last check.  Price is
$660 and includes the install kit and shifter so far as I can tell.

Wiggle in the UK also lists them as available but lists things a la carte.  The
total for the hub, shifter and install kit comes to about $540 with free
shipping to the USA for orders over about $200.

Rich Wood

Has anyone X'ed an electra amsterdam balloon 8, and have a picture,
and/or feedback on how you like it.  Thanks.  ~  Mickyle

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, Mickyle <xydeco@...> wrote:
>
> Has anyone X'ed an electra amsterdam balloon 8, and have a picture,
> and/or feedback on how you like it.  Thanks.  ~  Mickyle

We converted quite a few for customers who probably don't know of this forum.
I've heard only positive feedback. It was a good bang-for-buck choice, very
comfortable if a bit flexy.

I say "was" because Electra has discontinued the Amsterdam Balloon series.
Apparently our shop was one of few that had a good experience selling them.

I have my X on a Townie. I don't know if that is as similar to the Amsterdam as
I think it is. I like it, but it's not the fastest bike out there. :)

Abigail

On Nov 17, 2010, at 11:02 PM, todd wrote:

> --- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, Mickyle <xydeco@...> wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone X'ed an electra amsterdam balloon 8, and have a picture,
> > and/or feedback on how you like it. Thanks. ~ Mickyle
>
> We converted quite a few for customers who probably don't know of this forum.
I've heard only positive feedback. It was a good bang-for-buck choice, very
comfortable if a bit flexy.
>
> I say "was" because Electra has discontinued the Amsterdam Balloon series.
Apparently our shop was one of few that had a good experience selling them.

Per the latest documentation I note that Sanyo is now listing the life
expectancy of their low discharge rate Eneloop NIMH batteries as up to 1500
cycles.

For those not familiar with them these are NIMH rechargeable batteries with a
very low self discharge rate.  At normal temperatures they claim a retained
charge of over 85% after 1 year of storage.  A typical NIMH battery loses over
half of it's charge in a month or two.

So far as I know the only disadvantage these have compared to normal NIMH
batteries is a listed capacity that is only about 80% of the maximum NIMH
battery capacity.  That is 2000 mAh for the Eneloops rather than 2500 mAh.  If
using AA or AAA powered lights on your bike then the Sanyo batteries should be
excellent unless you need maximum capacity.

Rich Wood

If anyone is interested in a very nice, lightly used, NuVinci wheel (built
strong for cargo duty!) feel free to check out my Craigslist ad.

I'm in Portland, OR.  Willing to ship if necessary.

Thanks for looking!

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/2068447470.html

Well thanks Rick, Todd and Abigail for your useful info.  Sorry to hear
of the bike's discontinuation....there are lots of fish in the sea.
(But do these fish need bicycles?  Hmmm....)

Todd, and any others so moved:  What would you say is the top
sustainable cruising speed on a lightly loaded or unloaded stoked X?

Thanks.       ~  Mickyle

Hello Roots Radicals,

As the days get shorter, most bike commuters must head home under cover of
darkness.  This makes "being seen" (i.e. lighting up your bike) a major
priority.

I know all about the Down Low Glow downlighting option.  Does anyone have any
other ideas about what could be used to make my BD a little more noticeable to
DC traffic?

Thanks,

Scott
Washington, DC

On 2010-11-19, at 10:55 AM, Diane wrote:
> I know all about the Down Low Glow downlighting option. Does anyone have any
other ideas about what could be used to make my BD a little more noticeable to
DC traffic?

What's your budget, and what's your attitude on batteries vs. hub power?

And how are you with a soldering iron?

Given not much in the way of batteries, you can have almost arbitrarily
ridiculous amounts of light, but hubs have the option of not requiring battery
management.  Hubs, depending on how you feel about drag, can require a bit more
electronics.

David

On 2010-11-19, at 11:49 AM, Steve Lange wrote:

> This thread is relevant to my interests. I'm great with a soldering iron and
my basic "see/be seen" lighting requirements are already taken care of by a
dynamo driven lighting solution. Tell me more about going bonkers with EL wire
and DLGs, I think it would be really fun to "pimp my ride" :-)

I need to write this up at greater length and more carefully, sigh.  Here is a
start.

My generic recipe involves
- puck-mounted power LEDs (CREE XRE, XPE, XPG, or Luxeon III)
- lenses (or not, for glow/taillight)
- regulator (BuckPuck, BuckToot)
- aluminum flat stock
- acrylic mirror
- epoxy.

I get most of this from ledsupply.com.

Basic circuit involves LEDs in series, typically 3 (2 front, 1 rear).
That has 9 volts forward voltage.
Buckpuck/toot would like about 11-12 volts input to run that (but more is ok, up
to 32/25 volts) so I use a 10-pack (filled with previously mentioned Sanyo
Eneloop) for battery power.  One problem is that recharging 10 batteries in a
4-battery charger is a PITA.

Aluminum+epoxy work is here:

http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/converging-on-a-design-for-cheap-bright\
-bike-lights/

Circuit and other details are here:

http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/bike-light-2/

If you want to do generator, DO NOT get the B&M 12V, it is expensive, and mine
broke.
Spanninga Wave Dynamo is cheap, though the spring eventually broke on mine and
it wanted to always-engage.

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/lighting/dynamo/spanninga-wav\
e-dynamo.html

Using a sidewall dynamo, you need some caps (3) and some diodes (2, or 4 if you
are picky).

Hub dynamos produce "too much power", meaning you need a plan for what to do
with it, else you will cook your electronics.  This is a bit more complex, but
I've built one, and the plans are available online (and if you can wait a day or
two, I can report whether the "improved" version works properly; I have a bag of
electronics waiting for some solder and free time).

For "down low glow", I would use bare power LEDS, except you need a little
standoff to protect the LED from being crushed (a clear lens holder but no lens
is cheap, and gets the job done).  Mount them on some flat stock, drill the flat
stock to fit in a bottle holder, bend it to face the LED down.  For example, I
think mounted under the nose of the snap deck:

http://gallery.mac.com/dr2chase/100060/IMG_0776/web.jpg?ver=12426606150006

Here's a helmet light, with lens-holder-shielded bare LED rear, neutral white
with lens forward:

http://gallery.mac.com/dr2chase/100060/IMG_0679/web.jpg?ver=12426602880005

David