Al's Blog-o-Sphere

I’ve written about it here before, and now after five years of development, I finally have my hands on the Lucid Brake bike light. And while it’s everything I had hoped it would be, I still am a bit at a loss with what to do with it.

The concept was simple. A bike light that also alerted those behind you that you were stopping. It uses an inertial sensor to know when the light, and whatever it is attached to, stops or slows. The eight LEDs around the octagonal PC board, like a stop sign, come on brightly when stopping and flash furiously for a sudden stop. It’s quite an attention-getter, as it is designed to be.

The LEDs flash or glow steadily, depending on the mode of operation, but are almost an afterthought to the brake function. One mode even leaves them off until a stop.

The board is coated and waterproof with the only bare spots being the battery connections which hold the 2 AAA batteries firmly. The device is meant to be lightweight and minimalist for the weight-weenies in the cycling world. For those who prefer a little more of a package, there is a translucent plastic cover that snaps over it.

It has no on-off switch! Continue Reading…

The Cygolite Hotshot USB 2 Watt taillight.

I heard good things about this light in some cycling groups I was reading, so I thought I’d give it a try. I spent some Discover Card cashback bonus and didn’t hurt the wallet too much. It sells in the $28 range, so even full price would not be bad.

So here’s the deal, why would I need yet another bike light?

Well, other than I have become interested in following the topic, using a very bright light, one bright enough to attract attention in bright sunlight, is the second most important thing you can do to keep safe when riding your bike on the road.

What’s the first?

Well, riding where you can be seen, in the middle of the lane, if possible. Cyclists that hide off to the edge get hit. Continue Reading…

In case my last post about the USB dynamo didn’t tip you off, I’m working on a third version of a solar power system for bikepacking.

V2.0 on the GAP Trail. Solar panel covered up.

My first and second attempts were a 12 volt system in a bike trailer that used a large 22Ah SLA battery for storage. The first version used a commercial 15 watt solar panel, and the second used a 20 watt hand made panel. These were somewhat successful in that they worked, but I never really utilized their capabilities to fully try them out. The size and weight were drawbacks and even though I did take the trailer on at least one major trip, I didn’t use it all that much. I don’t think I ever used the 120 vac inverter.

Since then things have changed a bit in terms of my requirements. I’ve given USB powered bike accessories more thought and since they seem to be the way of the future, if not totally here already, it makes a 12 volt DC system a bit of overkill. That’s why I’m looking at the dynamo charging as well as more compact solar panels. Continue Reading…

Whether I’m out riding or not, I’m thinking about it and how to do it better. In pursuit of self-sufficient power for extended overnight tours, I’ve been playing around again with generating power while on the road.

I came across a post somewhere on the internets about charging 5v USB devices off of an old style generator like used to be used for headlights on bikes. Technically, they are dynamos, but I know you’ve seen one once. I have a couple kicking around in the garage from long ago.

Bottle dynamo rescued from garage

So, I cleaned one up and began thinking about building the circuitry needed to produce a 5v USB charging source.

Meanwhile, I came across a all-in-one solution, only money required.

It was a Pyle PBDNC10 and I found it on Amazon.

Well, in the interest of simplicity and cutting haywire, I decided to order it. It was only $35 and was basically a bigger “bottle” generator with all the circuitry built in. Just plug a USB cord into it and ride. Continue Reading…