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From: Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: For those who believe in electricity
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:08:49 -0400
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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On 4/11/2025 5:15 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:
> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>> I'm convinced the problem was that faulty switch, probably with internal
>> parts rattling around enough to occasionally toggle that A to C or A to
>> B contact. I suspect it will work fine if I successfully reassemble it
>> without the switch.
>>
>> It's still slightly worrisome, because a headlight really does have to
>> be reliable. Maybe I'll carry a little battery light as a spare for a
>> while. I often do that anyway when night riding with others, because of
>> so many incidents of other folks' headlights failing on rides.
>>
> Who on earth to you ride with that have light failures? I’ve never had a
> light fail on the ride, I’ve had in the early days ooh batteries is a bit
> tired as the light dims as the battery can’t hold the voltage any more, and
> had cheap lights mounts and so on start to wear.

I used to regularly lead bike club rides. Granted, that was long ago, 
the last one being over five years ago. Most would have been in the days 
of replacement batteries, before the current rechargeable ones.

But before that, for years I led at least one night ride per month 
during summer. For years, there was a battery light failure almost every 
ride. The last one I remember was a woman who  hit a bump and had her 
handlebar mounted headlight fly apart and spew disposable batteries and 
other parts. Other riders were tilting their bike headlights at various 
spots in the road to help her locate, then reassemble the pieces.

Another incident was the guy with a Nightsun or Nightrider set, with a 
large external rechargeable battery. This was a guy who tended to buy 
top shelf equipment, but he hadn't used his light set for a couple 
years. It worked pretty well, until the degraded battery displayed less 
than half the run time he expected.

The last such club ride I led did not have an actual failure, IIRC. But 
I remember one woman who said "I'm going to ride next to Frank. His 
light is SO much better!" That was immediately pre-Covid, and I'm sure 
she had a fairly modern LED battery light. It would probably been 
adequate as an about town, "be seen" light for lighted streets. But we 
were on a dark rural road.

The guy with whom I've done most of my recent night rides is not a 
dedicated cyclist. Instead, he's a biologist/naturalist who loves a 
certain isolated rail trail, mostly for the night sounds and wildlife. 
He's had his disposable batteries fail mid-ride. It doesn't matter much 
because he can see perfectly well by riding next to me. My Cyo throws 
enough light that his is negligible by comparison. Still, I've loaned 
him a spare LED battery light, especially because he sometimes stops to 
observe something ("What's that frog?") and has to catch up riding solo.

I'm sure his headlight is old technology. I wouldn't doubt that new 
battery headlights are much better. But I'll still throw one in the 
handlebar bag in case he, or someone else, needs it.


-- 
- Frank Krygowski