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…

Maybe you are starting to think that I am obsessed with bicycle lights. Well, I am interested in the subject, but not to the point of obsession, it’s just that as I add to the stable of bikes I own, I keep needing to outfit them with lights for my safety and I keep looking for new, better models.

The technology keeps getting better and manufacturers keep coming up with different models that suit different needs. I’ve found lights for one bike that I wouldn’t use on another bike. Others are good all-round.

Read my other posts about bike lights.

It’s really tough to measure brightness, but lights are getting brighter in general, but the race to the top for brightest is dying down. A couple of companies now make lights that are in the overkill range and there is no longer any reason to keep on getting brighter. DiNotte even sells one model with a disclaimer you must accept saying that you won’t use it at night. But many consumer level lights in the $30-50 range are now bright enough to be considered “daytime-bright.” In other words, bright enough to be of use as a warning to motorists even during the daytime.

My latest purchase in a bike tail light is the Serfas Thunderbolt. I’ve been watching this light for over a year now and finally decided to buy one after reading some good comments about it’s brightness. I liked the way it attaches to the bike and decided it would be one of the few possibilities to fit the bar on the back of the seat on my Tour Easy.

It’s another USB rechargeable Li-Ion powered light. It is encased in some kind of silicone plastic and is supposed to be waterproof. It attaches to any tube or bar on a bike that you can wrap the two silicone bands around, making it very versatile. It’s one of the few I’ve seen that is equally at home on a recumbent and a diamond-frame bike.

Continue Reading…

I’ve written several times about bicycle lighting on this blog. You may have read them, if not you can go back and see what I wrote.

As with most technology, it is moving forward every year, and bicycle lights are no exception. I’m currently waiting for the arrival of a new tail light for my trike.

The Cateye Reflex Auto is the newest addition to my lighting stable. It’s not the best, or the most expensive bike tail light, but it represents a significant step forward in bike lights for a few reasons. Continue Reading…