rechargeable lights - do they exist?
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...
retrofit "be seen" lights
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.