Commuting mojo

In the months that I haven't ridden my commute I've lost my commuting mojo. Specifically, I have lost my red light mojo.

There was a time where I could drift through town without missing a light. Sure, I'd have to hustle through some yellows, but I didn't have to stop. These last few days I've had streaks where I've had to stop at every light, five or more in a row. And since I'm rolling through a town like Alameda, if those lights are turning it means there's cars coming.

On another note - when I wrote about the TwoWheel Gear bag I mentioned that there wasn't a blinkie loop. I was wrong. I found the loop when I was packing the bag up for another trip to work. The little bag on top has a blinkie loop on the back, which puts the light right up on top. The downside is that at least with the light I'm using (Cateye TL-LD1000) unless the pocket is full the light flops over on its back. For now I'm going to keep playing with the way I load the bag to see what I can do to keep that pouch full, but in the ling run I'll probably try and figure out a good way to attach the light to the rack directly. 

More lighting, again

I've always been a bit of a gear snob when it comes to cycling, preferring to buy cool toys rather than DIY. Specifically, I've been of the "go big" school of lighting and have felt that the multi-tool option of using flashlights attached to the bike instead of a headlight was gauche. I'm beginning to change my mind, especially as more and more high quality, low cost flashlights come on the market.

The other night I was watching TV with my dad and saw a Home Depot ad for two sets of LED flashlights. I have no idea how bright these are (either set), but if they're any good they can at least be used as "to be seen" lights. A little work with some red plastic and you've got taillights to go with the headlights too, since the one set is 5 of the things.

Another interesting option for visibility was recently featured on Urban Velo - reflective lanyards. The post is about a company (Scott's Knots) that makes to-order lanyards, some of which are made from reflective cording. The site actually has a section specifically for bicycle use, which actually qualifies them for inclusion in the bike-spotting series, where they feature seat danglers and side markers (for handlebars). Reflectors are a secondary "look at me" (see Sheldon on the subject) and I put these in the same category as reflective tape - a great, passive way to draw extra attention to your ride at night while also adding some style.

More lighting

Continuing on Tuesday's post on lighting, here's a short one. 

A little while back I saw a post referencing a semi-hack that Gino was working the bugs out of before getting it manufactured. What? A nifty little device that can be screwed into any 5mm braze-on and will hold most lights that go on handlebars. Head over to Gino's blog for the details on why it's better to keep your light low.

I love the look of these and will probably pick up a few for my touring bike. Since it is being equipped for loaded touring handlebar space will be at a premium and I don't really see where I would put a light. One option is to add a secondary bar, but since I have a front rack with a top platform, any light mounted behind the rack might get blocked. Having the lights down on the fork avoids that problem nicely.

(The pic is Gino's, but it's pretty close to what I'm looking for)

Over at EcoVelo last week was a great post on the lack of lighting on many commuters. Short, to the point, and even including some statistical analysis (for people who like that sort of thing). The point is: if you ride in the dim, dusk, or dark you need lights. If you're riding through well-lit areas go with the blinky/steady combo to make yourself visible (blikies to attract the eye, steady to give something to focus on). If your ride is darker, go with something high powered to give enough light to see the road by.

THIS is a light

(with apologies to Paul Hogan)

Lighting is on most commuters' minds as we lose DST and the days get shorter. There are a couple of ways to go about properly lighting a bike, and each has its proponents. 

Generators: My main commuter bike has a generator hub and permanently installed lights. I like this option because I can grab the bike at any time and ride without having to hook up lights, worry about batteries, or worry about not having lights. The downside is that there is less variety in the style of lighting than with battery-powered and I have to be careful about where I park since I can't remove the lights to avoid theft.

Rechargeable: I used to have a NiteRider TrailRat on my MTB; the light was stolen along with the bike a few years ago. This style of light, with the rechargeable power cell, is a good compromise between the smaller battery lights and the larger generator lights. They are removable (which has pros and cons) and have to be charged.

Battery: The smaller lights, mostly in the "to be seen" category. Most serious cyclists have a few different options floating around. I have more tail lights than headlights. Some are powerful but not if you're riding in the black or fast.

Flashlights: A final option some people go with is strapping a flashlight to the bars. This is especially useful if you don't want to buy bike-specific lighting or plan to do some hacking and build your own system.

And then there's this:

The Polarion PH50's ergonomic design was specifically developed to meet the mission requirements of Law Enforcement and Military personnel in the field. The Polarion PH50 draws it namesake from the power and intensity of the sun. This 50-watt powerhouse features a High Intensity Discharge (HID) arc lamp emits an incredible level of blinding white light ~ 5,200 lamp lumens.

Yeah, that says 5,200 lumens. In comparison, the NiteRider SlickRock, which they describe as "just about the brightest bike light available" comes in at about 920 lumens

The downside to all that power? It'll set you back $2,395. To really appreciate the power of the light check out some of the pictures on the Polarion website.