Jerry,
My removable NiteRider solves the CR-authenticity/KOF dilemma, as nothing has to stay on the bike, and it can go on any bike that I want to ride. It isn't CR-qualified, but neither are my nylon-lycra shorts, LOOK pedals, Specialized Air Force 3 helmet, or my gel-filled gloves.
I like your reasoning on using the B & M 6V dyno lights, and for using backup flashlights and the Standlight. (Clearly the result of a thoughtful engineer at work...:-)
Are there any light output or performance numbers available for the 12V B & M systems? Without having any additional info or having a BEE degree, I would bet that the 12V B & M system would produce a significantly brighter light, based on the difference between my 6V NiteRider (now retired from active duty but still in working order) and its 13.2V successor. (My NiteRider is now charged up for a ride to tonight's Alameda Chamber of Commerce "social mixer" in the historic Webster Street business district on my CR-correct UO-18 mixte.)
As long as you are lit up brightly enough to stay safe, I'm happy. I always appreciate your postings, and would like to read many more. (Besides, we need your TA, Stronglight, and Schwinn expertise here in CR land.)
Yours for better illumination,
Jon Spangler
in CR-eligible Alameda, CA USA (See: http://www.ci.alameda.ca.us/
On Jan 14, 2009, at 12:10 AM, Jerry Moos wrote:
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:52:38 -0800
> From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Flashlights for Bike Lighting
> To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, <hsachs@alumni.rice.edu>
> Message-ID: <51881.97320.qm@web82205.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Well, I sometimes go into work at 7 AM, which by mid fall was in
> the dark because of Daylight Saving Time, and by the time that
> ended it was dark even on standard time. Looks like it will be
> another month at least before sunrise here is before 7 AM. And
> sometimes I may come home as late as 7 PM. In December it was
> getting dark by about 5:30, though the days are getting longer
> now. Farther north, of course, winter days are even shorter. So
> unless one actually can count on working 9 to 5, or at least 8 to
> 5, you have to be prepared to ride in the dark.
>
> If I'm going to use a flashlight as a primary headlight, I'd
> probably try to get a modern LED flashlight, but with a classic
> appearance. But an actual classic flashlight can be useful as a
> backup for a dynamo light, even though both my bikes currently
> equiped with dynamo lights, plus one under construction with Doug
> Fattic, all have Standlight. I have a couple of sets of small bike
> flashlights with brackets that Baron Corpus (or may Cecile) threw
> in as little freebies on some past orders back when they were in
> Holland. I may try mounting these on the bikes with dynamo
> headlights as a backup/supplement. I alreadly have a Spanninga
> battery mudguard mounted rear light on the Caygill I've been riding
> as a backup for the B&M DToplight, despite the Standlight.
>
> If your point is that one needs to have adequate lights, and that
> modern technology is superior in this area, you'll get no argument
> from me. That's why I use the modern B&M dynamos and lights and
> pay the little extra for the Standlight feature. But the B&M stuff
> IMHO qualifies as KOF in that it is in the tradition of classic
> dynamo lights and has an appearance such that it doesn't look out
> of place on a classic frame. And thanks to some responses from the
> list this morning, I think I've found at least a couple of powerful
> modern LED flashlights with a classic appearance. On thing I
> haven't done yet is to go to a B&M 12 volt system. These may be
> the next step in performance, but it is still very expensive, and
> realtively inflexible in that all the parts, dynamo, lights, bulbs
> and all have to be made specificaly for 12V. And it seems maybe
> you must run both the headlight and taillight. And it appears B&M
> may be the only firm making the 12V stuff.
> Five years from now maybe all the classic oriented serious
> commuters will be using this stuff, but it could also wind up a
> dead end, so I'll stick with the 6V stuff for now.
>
> Now I've so far been dealing with bikes that didn't come with
> lights and the ones where I have or plan dynamo lightling, the
> Caygill, new Bates, Fattic and Assemmacher are early 80's or newer,
> so the modern B&M stuff seems just fine. It would be more of a
> dilemma for a bike like one of those in "The Golden Age of Handmade
> Bicycles". I can't imagine one would change the original lighting
> on a highly original bike like those, probably not even if the
> original lighting didn't work at all, in which case one simply
> shouldn't ride them in the dark. Maybe the greater dilemma would
> be if such original lights did work. In that case, one could ride
> at night as safely as the original owner did many decades ago, when
> those lights were the best available, but this would be risky when
> measured against modern lighting. I would be interesting to know
> if any of the CR members who ride long randonneur events up to and
> including PBP have used highly original very old
> constructeur bikes in these events, and if so what they did about
> lighting. It would seem the bset solution might be to use some
> modern battery powered lights attached in such a way they could be
> easily removed again with no lasting alteration to the bike.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
>
Jon Spangler
Writer/Editor
Linda Hudson Writing
510-864-0370/FAX 864-2144
MOBILE 510-846-5356
hudsonspangler@earthlink.net