Re: [TheThinkTank] Piles of freewheels?
-Effective (i.e., non-destructive) Cottered Crank removal (and re-usage)
-ways to prevent cold weather pawl freeze up in cassette hubs
-Cheap lights for bikes (I've heard tell of some creative holiday
string-light setups)
-ideas for rust proofing/rust prevention concerning steel frames, spokes,
hub bodies, etc... the stuff that typically looks drippy and nasty.
There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As we humans
get older our cornea become harder and do not open and close as quickly as in
our youth. This leaves us blind to all but the brightest lights after we are
hit in the face by car headlamps. I witnessed a cyclist disappear when he
was backlit by car headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 front flashers, a
reflective vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he was back lit by a car all
those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless to his safety
If you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when back lit and
in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if you are to be traffic
at night time you need to act like traffic. If you can get the Cat Eye 520
at cost, it is about $30 and well worth it. 1200 candle power is close to the
brightness of a car head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA batteries. When
in traffic, act like traffic. If they are well lit, you should be equally lit
to be seen. A flash light is not enough.
I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like an alien
space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I also have a serious
head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of myself out on the road at night.
Have fun and think about safety.
Christopher Wallace
**************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.
http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
Christopher, While the points you raise are valid and very good advice, I'm afraid it doesn' help our shop out very much. We deal with a lot of homeless and working class poeple who can not or would rather not spend $30 on a bike light. Likewise, our organization doesn't have the funds to provide every EAB paticipant with a full set of lights, even though we want to.
That being said, I'm still open to hearing what other shops have come up with for inexpensive solutions to the light issue. I still feel that any light is better than no light.
-Doug 1304bikes, Raleigh
There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As we humans get older our cornea become harder and do not open and close as quickly as in our youth. This leaves us blind to all but the brightest lights after we are hit in the face by car headlamps. I witnessed a cyclist disappear when he was backlit by car headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 front flashers, a reflective vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he was back lit by a car all those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless to his safety
If you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when back lit and in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if you are to be traffic at night time you need to act like traffic. If you can get the Cat Eye 520 at cost, it is about $30 and well worth it. 1200 candle power is close to the brightness of a car head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA batteries. When in traffic, act like traffic. If they are well lit, you should be equally lit to be seen. A flash light is not enough.
I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like an alien space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I also have a serious head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of myself out on the road at night. Have fun and think about safety.
Christopher Wallace
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shapehttp://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489in the new year.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Doug and all,
I suggest contacting the bike representative at your Department of Transportation. We have received sets of planet bike "blinky" lights and helmets for free. They had money available to do this kind of thing and all we had to do was ask.
The sets are 16 bucks if you were to buy themhttp://ecom1.planetbike.com/3035.htmland I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with something as effective (the forward strobe works great to alert turning cars etc.) and reliable for cheaper than that. I agree any light is better than no light as long as someone doesn't rely on it to keep them safe. I always behave like i'm invisible to cars no matter how much illumination I have.
Brian UBP
P.S. I'd like to see some nifty ideas as well : )
On 1/14/08, 1304bikes 1304bikes@gmail.com wrote:
Christopher, While the points you raise are valid and very good advice, I'm afraid it doesn' help our shop out very much. We deal with a lot of homeless and working class poeple who can not or would rather not spend $30 on a bike light. Likewise, our organization doesn't have the funds to provide every EAB paticipant with a full set of lights, even though we want to.
That being said, I'm still open to hearing what other shops have come up with for inexpensive solutions to the light issue. I still feel that any light is better than no light.
-Doug 1304bikes, Raleigh
There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As we humans get older our cornea become harder and do not open and close as quickly as in our youth. This leaves us blind to all but the brightest lights after we are hit in the face by car headlamps. I witnessed a cyclist disappear when he was backlit by car headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 front flashers, a reflective vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he was back lit by a car all those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless to his safety
If you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when back lit and in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if you are to be traffic at night time you need to act like traffic. If you can get the Cat Eye 520 at cost, it is about $30 and well worth it. 1200 candle power is close to the brightness of a car head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA batteries. When in traffic, act like traffic. If they are well lit, you should be equally lit to be seen. A flash light is not enough.
I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like an alien space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I also have a serious head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of myself out on the road at night. Have fun and think about safety.
Christopher Wallace
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shapehttp://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489in the new year.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
-- 1304bikes 2419 Mayview Rd. Raleigh, NC 1304bikes.org _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
The little "turtle" style LED lights are certainly better that
nothing, and can cost as little as $3. MEC here in Canada sells
them, but I don't know of their availability elsewhere.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000707.php
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C% 3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&PRODUCT%3C% 3Eprd_id=845524442588127&bmUID=1200333599410
Mark
On 14-Jan-08, at 8:31 AM, 1304bikes wrote:
Christopher, While the points you raise are valid and very good
advice, I'm afraid it doesn' help our shop out very much. We deal
with a lot of homeless and working class poeple who can not or
would rather not spend $30 on a bike light. Likewise, our
organization doesn't have the funds to provide every EAB paticipant
with a full set of lights, even though we want to.That being said, I'm still open to hearing what other shops have
come up with for inexpensive solutions to the light issue. I still
feel that any light is better than no light.-Doug 1304bikes, Raleigh
There is a physical problem with lights that are not powerful. As
we humans get older our cornea become harder and do not open and
close as quickly as in our youth. This leaves us blind to all but
the brightest lights after we are hit in the face by car headlamps.
I witnessed a cyclist disappear when he was backlit by car
headlamps. He had a few $15 to $20 front flashers, a reflective
vest, and reflective tape on the bike. Once he was back lit by a
car all those inexpensive low wattage lamps were worthless to his
safetyIf you do not invest in a bright light you will disappear when
back lit and in other situations. The lesson I learned is simple if
you are to be traffic at night time you need to act like traffic.
If you can get the Cat Eye 520 at cost, it is about $30 and well
worth it. 1200 candle power is close to the brightness of a car
head lamp, 300 hour burn time with 4 AA batteries. When in traffic,
act like traffic. If they are well lit, you should be equally lit
to be seen. A flash light is not enough.I am not saying do not have fun with cheap lights too. I look like
an alien space craft with all the cheap lights around my bike. I
also have a serious head and tail light. I do make a spectacle of
myself out on the road at night. Have fun and think about safety.Christopher Wallace
participants (4)
-
1304bikes -
BovineOaks＠aol.com -
Mark Rehder -
Urban Bike Project of Wilmington, Inc.