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Howdo. My name is Zach Magoon and I have been commuting year-round by bike for the last 7 years in both Boston, MA and Portland, ME. Because each day brings new challenges, whether it be changing weather conditions, crappy drivers, sore muscles or mechanicals, I think my ramblings will be, at the very least, moderately amusing.
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Fiat Lux |
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Written by Commuter Files
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Wednesday, 08 October 2008 |
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Fiat Lux. I took four years of Latin in High School. Although I don't consider it a total waste of time (calculus takes that cake) I'm able to intersperse little phrases like fiat lux into my daily life. It basically means "let light be made." So as we creep towards the bike commuters darkest time of year, I would like to share my initial thoughts on bike lights. You can check back to my last year's blog post for the lights that have failed me in the past. I also got some great recommendations from readers as well. But this year, after some research online and asking some folks at the shop, I think I've found a great lighting system.
The first step in my decision was establishing a budget. This might be the hardest thing for most people and my only advise is don't skimp. While there are some adequate systems out there the less expensive ones that use AA batteries just don't last. Don't even consider these for anything more than a backup. For a daily commuter or even a couple times a week, you really need a rechargeable Li-Ion or a NiMH battery. My experience has been that the NiMH are much heavier and require either a bottle cage mount or some other velcro frame attachment. I've had several of these systems over the years and they only lasted about a season of charging on a nightly basis. That's not a great track record for something that costs over $100.
This year I've stepped up my budget and my light/battery selection. I've gone for the NiteRider MiNewt.X2. This system has a Li-Ion battery pack that is so small it mounts on the stem of the bike. The lamp is an LED which cranks out a blinding (commuting standards) 150 lumens of bright white light on high for a good 3.5 hours. I think I could make it home in that amount of time. The most impressive thing about this unit is the size of the headlamp. Pulling it out of the box I just laughed at the size--it's tiny--like golf ball size tiny and super light. The connection is so simple--a little rubber mounting ring that has a nice integrated pull tab for easy on and off.
I will give an update as to real run time later in the season, but for now, I'm so very ready for the night to come. Be safe and get that light charging.
Zm
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