Poor man's Down Low Glow?

[Eden]

I got a newsletter with this

http://www.guyotdesigns.com/site/img/firefly/fireflypage.gif

in it - It's called the Firefly and its an LED lid for a standard wide mouth bottle.
( http://www.guyotdesigns.com/firefly )
I'm thinking paired with something like this

http://media.rei.com/media/757629.jpg

and you'd have a similar effect that could be put in your water bottle cage for about $35 or less (though it would be on the wrong side of the downtube to shine on the ground as much)

[Zen]

That looks interesting. LED's are the up and coming light source.
I just wished they had shown it in the dark.

[velogirl]

my BF (the romantic that he is) got me one for Christmas. I never thought of putting it in a bottle on the bike.

[Eden]

As far north as we are up here, we get a bit of extra darkness, not so bad as the arctic of course, but at the height of it, it gets light at around 8am and dark again at about 4:30pm. Our weather is relaitvely mild so its easy to forget that we are up as far as we are .... so anyway at this time of the year my commute is both ways in the dark. The first time I saw the DLG system I thought it was pretty cool - it does look as if it would solve the being fairly invisible from the side, no matter how many blinky lights you use problem, but its expensive and requires a fairly bulky battery (and I already have a big battery for my bright headlight...). I was thinking you might be able to do something similar with a string of led lights in a frosted tube, but wasn't sure how bright it would be. The firefly looks plenty bright and the water in the bottle probably diffuses it nicely, and if you don't like the color get a new bottle.

[Tri Girl]

I like that idea! If you put it on your bike, will you please take a picture in the dark so we can see it??? I really like the idea!!!!
LED string lights in a tube? Now that's a good idea, too! And with Christmas items half off or more, I may try getting some battery lights and try that.
Great ideas, ladies. Keep them coming. I want a DLG, but just can't justify the cost. I'd love a cheaper solution to my nighttime invisibility.

[Trek420]

Oooooh, I want one. :D Let's see it at night.

[Eden]

I've got some x-mas gift cards for REI - I'm going to (hopefully) test it out to make sure everything fits together - lid/bottle/cage and if I like it I'm gong to buy it. I'll post my impressions and pics if I get it.

[Geonz]

'way cool!!! I'm not sure I understand it, but I like it ...

[Eden]

So it all worked together and I bought it. I got a Nagalene bottle rather than the Camel Back one, since it was a bit cheaper and fit in a bottle cage a bit better. It definitely works nicely and its better full of water than empty. It casts a nice glow all around the bike very much like the DLG, though I'm guessing its not quite as bright. I bought a pink bottle as it was the lightest one REI had. The whole set up cost me $28.25 plus tax. It uses 3AAA batteries.
I've taken a photo, though digital doesn't handle low light very well, so in reality it looks a lot nicer than this

[KnottedYet]

I wonder if I could fake a DLG with a couple Mutant Guppies aimed at the ground? Anybody with a DLG able to compare the apparent brightness with a couple Knogs or Guppies?

[Eden]

That would probably work too - the thing I like about the bottle is that its a great big light that's visible from the side - directly from the side is where I feel the most vulnerable at night.

[KnottedYet]

side visibility is a big worry for me, too. Especially if I start commuting in the dark.

[Tri Girl]

Thanks Eden!!!! That seems like it would work! OK- $30 I can swallow (not that I can put a price on my safety- but I guess I can). Woo hoo. I'll be placing an online order tomorrow. Very cool!!!! Thanks for taking the pic.

Oh- and what are knogs???? I know what guppies are- are they the same thing?

[KnottedYet]

Pretty much the same idea: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48066214&parent_category_rn=4500822&vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC

Only with rubber strappy-things instead of bungee-cordy things

[fatbottomedgurl]

I ordered two of these today. Will let you know what I think when I get them. With pictures, of course. The Down Low Glow is cool- but $$$

http://www.littlebrightlights.com/site/1435548/product/LLW-07-28

[Jenerator]

I've added a couple of Knogs to my lighting system to, hopefully, add some side visibility. I wrapped the red one around my rear hub and the white one on my fork. The red almost gives the impression that I've got a glowing red disk wheel. I tried it on the front with the white, but it tended to blind me each time the light came around. The light on the fork does light up the front wheel.

Not quite the same effect as the down low glow, but a lot cheaper.

[7rider]

Interesting.
Eden, did you get the Nalgene (http://www.rei.com/product/729143)OTG bottle?
It says the Firefly works on "wide mouth" bottles and was wondering if that was wide enough.
I suppose, tho', that it eliminates your being able to actually DRINK from the waterbottle - while on the bike - right? My second cage holds my coffee thermos (and I'm not giving THAT up!), so I'm kind of running out of real estate on the frame. I could, tho, squish the thermos in the panniers.
Hmmmm....always like more light!

[SadieKate]

Is it just the picture, Eden? It doesn't look like your version puts out anywhere near the same amount of light that the DLG does. The photos of the DLG show colored circles of light even when the bike is in fairly well lit areas - like under street lamps, at store fronts, etc. That's a heck of a lot of light. It's powerful enought to throw light on the ground and on the rider.

And, I assume the DLG's battery is rechargeable? Can AAA's be recharged? It seems that AAs chargers are the most common. You'd have to take the batteries out of the unit, recharge and replace. My little pea brain would constantly leave home without them.

BTW, for those using knogs. My experience is that they are invisible in ground fog.

[Trek420]

Well, we didn't say "better than DLG" the thread is "Poor man's DLG".

One could do all of them; DLG, cool bottle thingies, knogs, illuminite socks, firefly shoelaces ....

Nobody ever got stuck on a night ride and said "woah, dude, that's too visible, better leave some of that at home" ;):rolleyes:

And there's a Blackburn Quadrant Mars 3.0 Light Combo on Steep and Cheap right now

[Eden]

Regina - yup, that's the bottle. It does have a standard wide mouth sized cap, so the Firefly fits on just fine. You can have drinkable liquid in it, but yes, it is a screw cap so drinking on the go would be somewhat out of the question. My coummute is short so I'm not really worried about having water for it.

SadieKate - no, I don't think that it is as bright as a DLG (but we are talking 70$ less dough too....), but it does cast a pretty nice looking glow on the ground and is nice and bright from the sides. I'll have to see if I can get some better photos. It takes 3 AAA batteries and I have NIHM rechargables - they are just like rechargable AA's (they use the same charger as the AA's even). If the battery life is anything like any of the other LED devices that I have I expect they will last a long time between charges and I have enough that I can have a set charged and waiting when the first set runs out.

[KnottedYet]

And there's a Blackburn Quadrant Mars 3.0 Light Combo on Steep and Cheap right now

I have that. I'm happy with it.

[GLC1968]

Wow, this is a really great idea! And the first thing I thought of was my husband's old Trek 520 - it's got holes for a third third bottle cage on the bottom of the downtube, so it would cast even more light onto the ground. This would be a great idea for anyone with a touring frame that has that third bottle cage! Very cool!

[KnottedYet]

oooh, yeah, that would work really well!

[KathiCville]

Here's another possibility that might be worth checking out? Cordless rechargeable "work lights." I poked around a little on line and came up with a few models on amazon.com and automotive and tool sites. Here's one that received an overall good review from The Gadgeteer and three reviewers on another website.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/terralux_workstar60_led_work_light

And here's a link to a company that carries this one and a few other similar rechargeable TerraLUX lights.

http://www.genesis7supply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=5

Pricing is half or less than the down low glow.....I've only seen white ones---'cause they're work lights---but you could probably come up with a cheap, translucent cover if you wanted color.......

In terms of mounting, looks like all you might have to do is use velcro straps? Or some other easy bracketing system for your down tube, similar to what DLG suggests?

I also wonder if there any really bright mini-lanterns (battery-operated LED) for camping that might drop easily into a bottle cage??

Just a thought......;)

[KnottedYet]

Oh, baby, those Terralux lights are GREAT!!!!!

Like having 60 Guppies or Knogs all lined up!

I'd rather get one of those at this point than a DLG, and use some contact film to make it orange or red or something.

(that would leave me enough money that I could buy a couple Terraluxes. Maybe put one across my pannier rack... Hellooooo visibility!)

[Eden]

Who knew how many LED products were out there these days...
LED flashing jewlery (and lots of other stuff too...) http://www.dida-co.com/eng/led-flashing-products/glowing-necklaces-bracelets.html

[Eden]

First commute using all my new lights. I stopped to see what the total effect was and I'm pretty pleased. 1 flashing tail light, 1 flashing front light, 1 red and 1 white Frog Knog on my messenger bag, my bottle light and a head light that I usually only turn on when there are no street lights. (from looking at other cyclists I've decided that flashing lights are better for being seen, while a steady light is good to see by)

[KnottedYet]

Wow! That bottle really shows up great! Is that just one LED in there?

Thanks for the pics, Eden!

[RoadRaven]

Very cool pix all, thanks...

Eden, from a drivers viewpoint, the best cyclists at night are the ones with a flashing light AND a steady light on the front. The flashing one is def the most visible, I know it is a bike, and I never mistake it for a tin or road marker like I have with one steady light.

However, the flashing lights give no easy perspective until I am close to the cyclist. Because the light flashes, there is no constant point of referral to judge distance or how quickly the bike is moving.

I strongly recommend you use both :)

[Eden]

Wow! That bottle really shows up great! Is that just one LED in there?

Thanks for the pics, Eden!

I'm pretty sure there are 3 leds. I do have to make sure its turned all the way up - its got a dimmer.... (for mooooood lighting when you are camping)

Raven - around here in the city, where there mostly is a fair amount of light from streetlights, I've found as a driver I don't always notice a steady light unless its a really, really bright one that overpowers the ambient light, but a flashing one gets my attention right away and I know its a bike (as opposed to a scooter or a motorcycle). I think it also helps that most flashers are white, while the streetlights are orangish sodium vapor lights. I turn my steady headlight on when there aren't many street lights around, but I've had it run out of battery charge right in the middle of my darkest section of commute, so I've taken to shutting it off during the lighter portions.

[RoadRaven]

Ah - good point Eden.

I live in the country, so when I drive home I am on country roads with no street lights! There is no ambient light. (My work is on the edge of town so i rarely drive in town at night...)

You do what you have been doing - of course you know how bikes look in the city cause thats where you drive.
;)

[Tri Girl]

Wow, Eden, that looks really great! Really looks like it puts a lot of light out. I may go ahead and buy one of those.
When I rode the other day, I had two headlights on the handlebars (overkill, maybe: nerdy, certainly :p). One was flashing and one was steady. I needed the steady one to see the ground, and the flashing one was so people would hopefully notice me.

Thanks for posting the pics, Eden. It really helps to see them on someone's bike before buying them. :D

[Eden]

Wow, Eden, that looks really great! Really looks like it puts a lot of light out. I may go ahead and buy one of those.
When I rode the other day, I had two headlights on the handlebars (overkill, maybe: nerdy, certainly :p). One was flashing and one was steady. I needed the steady one to see the ground, and the flashing one was so people would hopefully notice me.

Thanks for posting the pics, Eden. It really helps to see them on someone's bike before buying them. :D

I do the same thing (two head lights). From observing other cyclists I've decided that around here with the streetlights a steady headlight is fairly poor for being noticable to drivers, but a flashing one screams bike. In fact I have 2 flashies on each end. If anyone ever hits me in the dark, I didn't see her will be a poor excuse.... the Knogs I put on my messenger bag are so bright I'm always looking up to make sure low flying planes don't think I'm the runway at seatac....

[KnottedYet]

I just bought one of these 60 LED shop lights. ($25 at Fred Meyer) www.feit.com

There is no way this critter can fit safely on my downtube or chainstay. It will fit on the top tube or the pannier rack. I'm thinking of putting it on the pannier rack at an angle so it shines both at the ground and to the traffic side. Then I think it would shine beyond my pannier (which would block it otherwise) It is a VERY bright little critter. I'll have to see how it goes.

It might do better on the top tube if my legs don't block it too much. Hard to tell just in my dark apartment.

Fred Meyer had a great selection of LED blinkies and safety lights. A 4 pack of 1 LED blinkies was $8. A single 5 LED blinkie was also $8.

[Tri Girl]

Good job on the 25 LED, Knot!
Inspired by your creativity here, I bought a little LED light and put it on the bike. It sits in the bottom of the water bottle cage, face down (it's round- got it at Lowe's for $9). I put a full bottle on top of it and it stays put. It shines quite a bit of the ground below and makes me far more visible. Don't know how long it'll last with the batteries, but I bought some rechargeable AAAs, so I'm hoping it'll at least last a few days at a time.
You ladies just saved me a TON of money on a lighting system. Who knew I could buy a cheap light and get creative with it and still be seen. I LOVE alternate ways around things (read: I'm a cheapskate and love to save money to buy more bike things :p).

[KnottedYet]

Ow! My eyes! :eek:

I charged up my shop light, and man it is BRIGHT!!!! Hurts-to-look-at-it bright!

Played around with it this morning when it was still dark, and I think considering how bright the 60 LEDs are when it is fully charged, I am best off putting it under the top tube. (like a frame mount pump) It is very light weight and not too wide so I think it'll be fine there. Besides, as I was getting it out of the package I accidentally pulled the water resistant gasket thingie off the rocker switch. (oops!) If I put the light under my top tube hopefully it will stay dryer.

I'll do a test ride tonight and ask SKnot if I'm visible.

[Tri Girl]

WOWZER! I misread that. I thought it was a 25 LED. A 60 LED just might blind a person. :eek: hee hee I'll bet you'll be quite visible!
And under the top tube is a great idea! It'll light the ground, your legs as you pedal, heck- it might just light the street enough that they won't need street lights anymore. :p

[KathiCville]

KnottedYet........Glad you nabbed one of the shop lights to try out! I wondered if anyone was able to give it a whirl........If you can post pics, please do......Are you going to add any kind of color covering to tint the light, or leave it as is?

[ElizaJo]

I know of two more night-lighting options. One is the Spoke Sparks or Tire Sparks:

http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/popup_image.php?pID=91 (http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/popup_image.php?pID=91)
http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/popup_image.php?pID=126\

The other is the Hokey Spokes:

http://www.hokeyspokes.com/

They are a bit flashy but also a bit of fun. I have a pair of the tire sparks, but I got them just before the daylight started to return so haven't really had a good test run with them. They worked really well. They are motion activated and they blink. They're also a great conversation piece while you're waiting at a light.

The hokey spokes really interest me because they're a bit more artsy and you can display messages. Do a search on YouTube to see some video of them in action. They're just about as much as the DLG, because you need at least 3 for it to work, apparently. I'm concerned they might be more of a distraction and less of a safety feature, but I think they would be great for critical mass rides, etc.

[Geonz]

I have hokey spokes but lost the special nuts to attach them to the wheels, and haven't been able to find anything like a replacement, which seems odd to me.

[csr1210]

I have the tire sparx....

Originally got the purple to match bike trim, but they weren't that bright. Then, got the red/white/blue for hubby, and ended up borrowing (stealing:o) them because they are very visible!

I do love my down low glow, but I wouldn't have chunked out the money for it myself (I'm kinda cheap-what can I say?). DH got it for me for Christmas, and I must say that I'm really pleased with it.