Lighting suggestions for Hains Point, Rock Creek park?

[cyclingfool]

That's a fairly trivial circuit; all LEDs run on DC, and the appropriate circuitry is in all modern dynamo lights (which have moved to LEDs).

Like I said, my knowledge of circuitry and things electric is pretty piss-poor. I'm sure it's not too complicated. Just curious to find out what gets done/has to be done to make it work.

I really should have paid more attention to what I was doing with my Radio Shack kit (like this one) I had when I was a kid. I need to (re)teach myself some stuff. I also wish I'd worked a little harder in my HS physics class so that I remembered more.

[ronwalf]

That's a fairly trivial circuit; all LEDs run on DC, and the appropriate circuitry is in all modern dynamo lights (which have moved to LEDs).

There are a bazillion plans on the internet. I think some electrical engineers ride bikes just to power their hobby.

[jhr]

My knowledge of electrical circuitry is not what it should be, but this sounds like a cool project. Any ideas how you'd make it work? I think dynamo hub output is AC and battery powered lights run on DC. Voltages are all a little different, etc.

Keep me posted on how it goes if you do try to wire it up!

I don't really know what I'm doing, either, so it may not end up working, but from something I found an another forum this may do the job, and it should hopefully be small enough to fit in the existing housing. If it doesn't end up working with the cree xm-l led, or if I decide I need standlight functionality, this page has various circuits that should work.

Either way, I'll post an update when I get the premade driver circuit and I can test it.

[jhr]

Either way, I'll post an update when I get the premade driver circuit and I can test it.

I got the circuit in the mail today and I haven't tried to figure out soldering yet so I can actually attach it for real, but I tested the setup with a bunch of wires with alligator clips and the wheel in a truing stand and it works!

Now I'm sitting around in the dark spinning my wheel and blinding myself. I feel like a mad scientist.

[mattotoole]

No strobes on the trail please

And even with the steady light, be sure to dim it with your hand, or redirect it for oncoming traffic, especially when it's completely dark.

Indeed. Depending on your night vision, you may not even need the highest setting.

Unfortunately, most lights in the US have simple, conical beams with no vertical cutoff, like a car headlight's, to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. A few web dealers like Peter White sell Euro-brands like Busch & Muller that do.

But for dark places like Rock Creek Park, the conical MTB beams are great. Just beware of blinding people. I'm guilty of it myself.

[vvill]

I do what DismalScientist does... I have four lights that take 18650 cells. The quality is not great and the cheap mounts I've tried leave a bit to be desired (especially if you're on bumpy terrain), but they definitely put out a lot of light. As mentioned above, many of the bike-specific lights don't have very useful beam patterns anyway, and I don't ride MTB or anything in the dark so I'm fine so far with what I have for the rides I do.

[jabberwocky]

I just picked up two new taillights. One is the updated Planet Bike Superflash (the Turbo) to replace my aging superflash. The other was a Cygolite Hotshot. Both are impressively bright. The Cygolite is replacing a Cateye LD1000 that has lived on the back of my seat bag for the past several years. Its a hell of a lot more diminutive, which is nice, and has its own built in rechargeable battery, which is also nice.

I do really need to get my Dinotte 400L taillight back to be repaired. Its developed a short or loose wire or something inside and doesn't work reliably anymore. I've never seen a taillight that comes close to that thing for sheer badassness though.