rechargeable lights - do they exist?

[brittmix]

i want a bike light that recharges while i pedal. do they make them? i have seen bike lights that say they are rechargeable, but you have to plug them in. i'm thinking of something kind of like those flashlights that you crank and then they work? does someone make something like that that will crank from my wheel? i can't find anything on the internet, but surely someone has thought of this before me...

[mimitabby]

I have a wheel with a schmidt hub. There are no batteries involved at all; my legs provide the power to the generator hub which then powers the lights. The invention of LED's makes this whole generator hub thing even better because they are so bright.
Shimano makes a generator hub too, but I understand the best is the Schmidt hub.

[maillotpois]

mimi +1

I really like the complete independence you have with a generator hub. You can keep going forever. As long as your legs keep working. ;)

[Lucky, Fabulous]

I think it's a great idea, and if they don't make them already, you should invent them! However, it kind of brings to mind other sorts of inventions that you could power off your pedal power :D:p

[brittmix]

I have a wheel with a schmidt hub. There are no batteries involved at all; my legs provide the power to the generator hub which then powers the lights. The invention of LED's makes this whole generator hub thing even better because they are so bright.
Shimano makes a generator hub too, but I understand the best is the Schmidt hub.

sweet, thank you! another question - only real difference these articles are saying between the schmidt and the shimano (besides price) is that the schmidt has less drag than the shimano - doe this matter if i'm not racing my bike? i just want it to ride back from work when it's dark.

[mimitabby]

It probably doesn't matter. If you can afford it, it's going to be a lot better than what you have now.

[Blueberry]

I have the schmidt and shimano. I cannot tell a difference in drag - I know there is one - but it's not enough for me to register. I'd probably take the schmidt for a multi hour after dark ride. But 10-20 miles - I can't tell the difference.

I actually rode the bike with the shimano (off) on the MS150 last year. No issues.

CA

[Melalvai]

I have a nexus hub, which supposedly has about the worst drag of any of them. I can feel the drag when it is on. However I still get home no problem, and having the light there, no worries about dead batteries in the middle of winter, is absolutely wonderful.

[newfsmith]

I have ordered these http://www.reelight.com/
The only drawback is that they are designed to go on axles with a nut, not a quick-release skewer. I believe they can be safely mounted on the nut side of a quick-release, but that puts them on the non-traffic side in the USA. Because they use LEDs their light pattern is very narrow and this isn't very helpful. However, my husband's bike (a Giant Revive) has nutted axles and has received these on the traffic side where the work well.

I also have these, http://www.pedalite.com/ which will be going on my shopping bike, a '84 Ross Grand Tour with newsboy baskets. They have the advantage that I can wear my regular shoes, which are more comfortable to shop in than even my MTB shoes.

Finally, these have been around for a while, and could be mounted on almost any bike, but the light spot is still rather small. I haven't dropped the money for them yet, so can't comment on them. http://www.freelights.co.uk/

Yes, the lights you are looking for will be here in the near future. The only ones I have found yet that work with a hub generator are available from Peter Jon White's site. As described, they might be "seeing" lights on a country road, but probably "be seen" only on lighted streets. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/inoled.asp

I expect these types of lights will become more widely available, and hope to see the Pedalites required on children's bikes soon.

[mimitabby]

I have ordered these http://www.reelight.com/
The only drawback is that they are designed to go on axles with a nut, not a quick-release skewer. I believe they can be safely mounted on the nut side of a quick-release, but that puts them on the non-traffic side in the USA. Because they use LEDs their light pattern is very narrow and this isn't very helpful. However, my husband's bike (a Giant Revive) has nutted axles and has received these on the traffic side where the work well.

I expect these types of lights will become more widely available, and hope to see the Pedalites required on children's bikes soon.

we have these on our tandem. They don't light the road for you but they do help people SEE you. if you take your wheel off much, it's a pain.

[Geonz]

"rechargeable" is going to get you ones that plug in; "generator" gets you lights run by the wheel hub or the rim of the tire. They're not all that common around here 'cause most US cyclists don't ride that much at night.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm has info about them. I really like mine; I notice the drag if I'm trying to ride fast in the daytime and I forgot to turn it off. At night I'm not trying to go as fast :) I got the hub version - they are more efficient. (I have a rim one on the Gazelle... and I don't exactly notice much difference but the bike's so heavy it's beside the point ;) )