Do It Yourself

As some of you have noticed, thus far there hasn't been a whole lot of talk about lights this Fall. There is a very good reason for this.

A VERY good reason...

And I'll tell you about it another time. But for now, I've got some light news to share and that will have to take precedence. This week I received lights from NiteRider, Exposure Lights, and Magicshine. Today, I'm looking at the new NiteRider lights, then we'll go through the rest in turn.

So, on to the NiteRider Pro 1200 and 600.

I previewed these lights way back in May, and now I have them in my hands. Both of them.

My first impression is one of quality. These are well made lights. Each of the reflectors is different. The Pro 600's reflector is optimized for its single emitter, while the Pro 1200 has two different reflectors, one wide and another narrow.

The light head itself is a massive heat sink with channels for air flow. In some ways this is similar to Light and Motion's Seca lights. There is a lot of room for air flow to keep these lights cool.

The battery uses a cradle attached to the bike. The cradle has the cord attached, so removal of the battery does not require undoing any cords or Velcro; just slide the battery out of the cradle.

The charger, as seen above on the left, is unlike any other. This charger doesn't just charge the battery, which slides in from the top, but has a port for a USB plug, and a connector for the light head. This is command central for the Pro series. Using the NiteRider DIY software, you can change how you, the user, interacts with the light.

You can store up to 4 different programs in the light head--that can be used at will--and each of these programs is totally custom. You set the low and high intensity, up to 6 steps from low to high, and what the run time will be for each setting.

I like keeping it simple, so my first program for the Pro 600 is a simple high and low beam. According to the software, my high beam is 600 lumens, while my low beam is 200 lumens. On high, the software says that I can expect 5hrs and 40 minutes from the 8 cell battery, while on the low the light should run for a staggering 16hrs. That's long enough for even the longest nights.

Unless you are living in Alaska. Then you might want to get a second battery, should you decide to ride all night long. In the winter.

Downloading the software took no time, and I've got it running on a netbook, so it's not exactly a resource hog.

NiteRider has taken an interesting approach on separating themselves in the crowded LED light market.

Next time, we'll take a look at the Magicshine. A new entrant that defines inexpensive.

Testing a 29er

There's still so much talk about 29ers these days. Frankly, I was hoping they'd have gone away by now. Life was simpler with one wheel size for mountain bikes. However, being a professional, I wasn't about to let my misgivings get in the way of true investigative journalism. Therefore, today, part way through my ride on my 26er hardtail, I decided to give this whole "movement" a try. Did I switch bikes? No, that would possibly insert additional variables (such as a different frame and components) into the equation (and we all know how bad that would be). Instead, I swapped out the only component I could fit on my current set-up. I took out my front wheel inner-tube and swapped it with a 700c inner-tube.

(Okay, technically, it was a 700c x 18-25mm, but I believe the diameter--not width--is the key to 29ers.)

Now, I would have changed out the tire, too, but then I would have needed a new wheel. A new wheel, as you might suppose, wouldn't work with my existing fork. So, as you can see, I changed what could be changed without having to re-architect my whole bike. By doing this, I feel I've struck a balance between embracing a new standard and running my existing set-up so as to not introduce additional factors.

Also, technically, I was riding a 69er since my rear wheel's inner-tube remained the 26" variety.

How it rode
Well, I did the majority of the ride on this set-up (all the remainder, if you must know). To be honest, I don't know what all the hype is about. I mean, it worked, but the whole time I felt a little less confident. My wheel (the front) would squirm a bit around corners and going over obstacles. It felt as if it would roll off the rim quite easily. Now, perhaps this is what some proponents of 29ers have called, "rolls over obstacles more easily," but for me it really felt like it should be described as, "rolls right off the rim more easily." Now granted, I didn't actually try both wheels. Perhaps it would roll completely differently with two 700c inner-tubes. (Actually, I probably could have fit two in the front tire alone. Maybe 4 is the magic number.*

Verdict
I wouldn't go this route if I could help it. I mean, it's fine in an emergency**, but I don't think I would chose to run with this configuration on purpose. It _still_ remains to be seen if this will catch on.

* Okay, no one better run out and patent running four tiny tubes in your standard rims to use in a "run flat" setup. I thought of it/you saw it here first.

** Here's the type of emergency I could see it working for. Say, for instance, you're about to start a ride with a friend. He turns to you and says, "Do you have any 29er tubes? I'm all out." To which you respond, "No, do you have any 26er tubes? It looks like I don't have any of those, either. I'll just bring along my lone road bike tube in case I needed--but I'm sure I won't." You then pump up your skinny tires to about 30psi--wishing you had tubeless like your 29er friend.

After only a couple miles into the ride, you roll casually around a seemingly harmless corner and get a snake-bite puncture somehow. Good thing you have that road tube. You and your friend laugh as you put that tiny tube into your 26er tire. Then you pump and pump and pump until it feels like most of the tire is full of tube, but not down by the rim. No, the part down by the rim was empty. Huh. I guess that's what happens with a larger diameter tube.

Okay, with that in mind, what would you do? trace back the way you came or press on? If you're the inquisitive type, you'd press on the remaining 6 miles guessing that "It'll all work out." Corners are scary. Steep rocky descents are scary. It works in the end, though. "Not to mention," you say to yourself, "it's much lighter than before so it climbs with ease!"

A lesson you might learn from all this is, the wrong tube is better than no tube.

Night Time Etiquette

Depending on where you live, you may have noticed that it is getting dark sooner. At my latitude, there is less than 12 hours of daylight and those 12 hrs are shrinking, by the end of the month, there will be only 11hrs between sunrise and sunset.

But don't despair! Less daylight riding means more night-time riding!

However, before you rush right out and blind your riding partners, we need to go over some ground rules.

First, while it's desirable to run a helmet light--and bar mounted light--it is bad form to shine said light into another's eyes. It is worse form to continue talking to said person blissfully unaware as to the reason that you can see his/her face so clearly while it is dark everywhere else.

Instead, when joining a group standing waiting for the rest of the riders, turn off your lights, enjoy the stars, and don't look at the lights of the riders coming up to join you...

Sometimes, when the moon is full, the group may decide to ride without lights. This adds to the richness that is night riding and the decision of the group must be observed. It doesn't matter that you can't see a darn thing, democracy has spoken. Remember, by using your lights, not only are you giving the proverbial finger to the group--and labeling yourself as a loner, a rebel, and a free-thinker (the worst!)--but you are killing the acquired night vision of those around you. Even when your light is on low. If you must ride with lights in such an occasion, you must ride at least 200ft from the nearest rider. This rule is very similar to the rule for passing gas on a group ride, so it should be easy to remember. Especially if you are running lights and passing gas on a group ride where lights have been voted off.

So, to recap:

1) If you can see your riding partners just fine, but they keep averting their eyes, stop pointing your helmet light at them. Better yet, just turn them off if you must look at the person you are speaking to.

2) When the group-think has determined that there is sufficient ambient light to ride by, thereby ruling that lights are NOT to be used, you must adhere to this ruling or be relegated to riding 200ft from the nearest non-lighted rider.

Feel free to print these rules and affix to your top tube for easy reference.

Now, go and enjoy, nay, embrace the dark!