Lights - Dynamo vs Battery

[Frank9755]

Yes. 
It also doesn't meet (UK) legal requirements, and is not a very efficient place to have a light as it flattens all the bumps (search for parallax error if you want the physics).

[marcusjb]

I use a battery light its more than powerful enough .
But I have it on my helmet so I can use it to read routesheet etc..
I never have it fixed on my bike ,will this be a problem with the bike checkers?

I suspect that falls foul of the "It must be securely and permanently fixed on the bike," part of regulation 8 I am afraid. 

[Somnolent]

And if it's powerful enough to light the road ahead it is way too bright for the routesheet?

[simonp]

I've been in the dynohub camp for virtually every audax I've ever ridden (and was using one before I rode my first 200k).

I'm also going to try new shorts out on this ride.

On LEL I tried a new saddle.

Living live on the edge.

[LEE]

I use a battery light its more than powerful enough .
But I have it on my helmet so I can use it to read routesheet etc..
I never have it fixed on my bike ,will this be a problem with the bike checkers?

I suspect that falls foul of the "It must be securely and permanently fixed on the bike," part of regulation 8 I am afraid.

It will fall foul of the "Stop f***ing looking directly at me with that spotlight on your helmet" Rule.

Though that may just be my rule.

[mmmmartin]

It will fall foul of the "Stop f***ing looking directly at me with that spotlight on your helmet" Rule.
Though that may just be my rule.

Not just you rule, it's mine as well. Hint: if you shut one eye you'll find night vision returns very quickly.*


*coppers used to use it when looking at cars in the dark

[Somnolent]

OTOH fist/nose interface can be gauged more accurately with both eyes open 

[Veloman]

It will fall foul of the "Stop f***ing looking directly at me with that spotlight on your helmet" Rule.

Though that may just be my rule.

That is a very sensible rule which should be a 'Universal Rule' IMO.

[Frank9755]

As a recent user of a dynamo hub (SON Deluxe) and light (Edelux II) I have not noticed a difference regards additional power requirement to maintain my average speed.  I even use it on fast club runs and do not appear to find it anymore difficult to keep-up than when I put the non-dynamo wheel in (same tyres/spokes/rims)...

Having the light lower down is also better IMO.

Agree with having the light lower down.  I do that with a battery one (skewer mount) and it is much more effective at pothole / bump spotting.

That 5W loss (or whatever it is without the lights on) willl be far less significant on a fast club run when you are probably running at over 200W, but when you are struggling along in the middle of the night after 100km and 70 hours, it will be a far higher percentage of your leg power!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I don't find lack of leg power to be the problem, more a case of lack of motivation to pedal hard (and hurt a bit).

[Von Broad]

I've been in the dynohub camp for virtually every audax I've ever ridden (and was using one before I rode my first 200k).

I'm also going to try new shorts out on this ride.

On LEL I tried a new saddle.

Living live on the edge.

I'm fabricating some carbon fiber stem/handle bars for my recumbent as we speak [so I can use bar end shifters..just].
By the time they're done and I'm ready, I'll probably be trying them for the first time when I roll off the ferry in Dieppe.

This is something I was looking to do after 2007.
If I'm still of this world, the whole project will all be finished by 2019.
If I get a move on.

[marcusjb]

^ I now feel supremely organised and ready for PBP as I am not spending the weekend making new components for my bike! 

Good luck VB and see you in Franceland!

[Von Broad]

^ I now feel supremely organised and ready for PBP

You most certainly are sir, I've just read the print out in Arrivee. What more does a person need as a check list?
Wow! All bases covered or what. Must take a few pages of an atlas too   

[Kim]

The drag of a high-end dynamo hub is small but measurable in real-world situations.  But the effect on performance is roughly equivalent to the aerodynamic advantage of moving your hands from the tops to the hoods.

[jsabine]

I use a battery light its more than powerful enough .
But I have it on my helmet so I can use it to read routesheet etc..
I never have it fixed on my bike ,will this be a problem with the bike checkers?

As others have said, it'll be a problem with the bike checkers, it's not actually legal here or in France, and it will really, really piss off anyone you end up riding with at night. You'll be a lot more popular if you stick it on the bars or fork crown, and adjust it down so it doesn't dazzle folk. (No flashing rear lights in France either - they must be solid red.)

Dynamo light and a low(ish) powered headtorch for me.

[Frank9755]

I consider myself a fairly strong long distance rider and yet on both the 600s I've ridden where I've logged power I've averaged 130-135W for the last 100km. I'm curious to see how much further this drops off over twice the distance, and the only way to do that conveniently is by recording it with a dynohub-powered (  ) Edge 810.

I'm interested to see that, too. 
I don't have any data beyond 450km from my 600 this year (only one I've done with a power meter) as my Garmin got waterlogged at that point, but I was already down to about 130W by then.  I might have just hung on above 100W to the end.  It may well plateau at some point.  I actually just ordered a second battery pack this morning so that I can run my Garmin all the way - without sacrificing an increasing % of my diminishing power!

[Lars]

I'll use my good 'ol bought in 2010 internal battery Exposure MaXx-D LED light plus an external
3-cell battery pack for it.

Worked fine in the two beyond 600 rides I've done to date. And a cheap backup small compact AAA
battery light. And two LED rear lights attached to the bike from the start. And a backup one in the
bag. Not much weight penalty.

[jamesld8]

The drag of a high-end dynamo hub is small but measurable in real-world situations.  But the effect on performance is roughly equivalent to the aerodynamic advantage of moving your hands from the tops to the hoods.

I decided to go with a dynohub setup earlier this year and really have not regretted it one bit---I don`t notice any drag with it off or on. I find it immensely useful to have a front light at disposal at all times with no worry about checking / charging batteries. So in addition to its obvious use at night I`m finding increasingly I`ll just flick it on when riding thro` a local town, on shaded lanes or on a dull day just to give that added bit of visibility as a safety measure.

I thought that I`d end up keeping the dynohub wheel just for winter riding on my winter / disc setup bike and use a standard wheel during mid summer but this has not been the case---in fact I`ve now invested in a SP -PV8 for my lighter / faster bike and this is in place all the time too.  having weighed  front wheels there` s less than 300gm , ie half a bidon , in it.

So in IMHO it`s a no choice issue 
 Anyone want to buy a set of Fluxient 1000lumen battery lights  Going (fairly) cheap !

[simonp]

I agree that the impact of the weight is not likely to be significant, but the power loss with a hub dynamo is far from negligible. 

If it's 5W, given that many riders will ride PBP - at least on the way back - at less than 100W average power...

I consider myself a fairly strong long distance rider and yet on both the 600s I've ridden where I've logged power I've averaged 130-135W for the last 100km. I'm curious to see how much further this drops off over twice the distance, and the only way to do that conveniently is by recording it with a dynohub-powered (  ) Edge 810.

I’ll be doing it via the use of an iPhone and an external battery pack (or two). Garmin will be reserved for navigational uses, it can’t record power, only HR, and I’ll probably power it off Lithium cells to save on weight and bulk and time spent changing cells.

I doubt very much I’ll be doing 130W average by the end.

[zacklaws]

I use a battery light its more than powerful enough .
But I have it on my helmet so I can use it to read routesheet etc..
I never have it fixed on my bike ,will this be a problem with the bike checkers?

I suspect that falls foul of the "It must be securely and permanently fixed on the bike," part of regulation 8 I am afraid.

Just zip tie yourself to your bike then it will be securely and permanently fixed on your bike and if they question it, just say your the mount.

[SR Steve]

I used battery lights for the 24 hour TT and powered my Garmin with a Power bank. This was quite successful and I could do the same for the PBP, but the Luxos U gives a great light and I can run my GPS from the USB port. I'm a relatively new convert to hub dynamos and can't actually notice any drag from mine whilst riding.

Being able to see better helps me go faster at night. I have managed with the very worst battery lights in the past and still don't have any really good ones. The ones I used for the 24 were adequate for main roads, but not good enough for laney descents. As for power output dropping off towards the end of the ride, I was 8 hours quicker on the second half of the last PBP so I guess my power output was higher. I just need to work on getting to Brest a lot quicker this year and staying upright would help.

I will have out and back routes in my Garmin, but will have speed, average speed, distance showing most of the time. It will still beep if I go off course. I won't take my phone, but might take a small camera that could be charged via the USB port if needed.

[Veloman]

.... I won't take my phone, but might take a small camera that could be charged via the USB port if needed.

Does your phone have a camera?  Could it be charged from the USB port if needed?

[SR Steve]

.... I won't take my phone, but might take a small camera that could be charged via the USB port if needed.

Does your phone have a camera?  Could it be charged from the USB port if needed?

Yes, but it's bigger than the camera and it reminds me of work so I'll be happy to do without it for a few days. My family will be able to follow my progress on the rider tracking.

[Ivo]

No way a phone can substitute a decent camera. I'll certainly take my DSLR along, just as I did the previous two times. During my first rides I took a disposable or a compact camera but the quality of this is far too low.

[Aunt Maud]

I might take a camera along. It'll be the first time ever on a ride and I'm hoping to record some of the human wreckage for future character assassination attempts.