bikecurrent Reviews

This is a collection of reviews as posted to the bikecurrent mailing list by various people on the list. They are unsolicited and saved here for easy perusal by people interested in the products or areas mentioned therein.

Also see the bikecurrent-FAQ.

Disclaimer

The articles that are referred to in this web page are COPYRIGHT the respective author of the each article. This page is copyright 1998-2001 by William Burrow. Please e-mail for permission to mirror. Links to this page appreciated. :)

Table of Contents

1. Battery powered Front Lamps -- Updated 2005-01
2. Battery powered Tail Lamps
3. Batteries and Chargers
4. Generators and their Lamps
5. Performance Electronics
6. DIY
7. General

The Reviews

1. Battery powered Front lamps -- Updated 2005-01
   • VistaLite "NS0 - CAD5" vs NightSun "SunSport" Marty compares two 5 watt MR11 NiCd battery-powered lighting systems.
   • A summary of metal halide lighting systems for bicycles This is a summary of Marty's findings so far in 1999. Marty suggests this is suitable for posting to other bike-related mailing lists and bicycle club newsletters.
   • A preliminary look at the Specialized and Cateye lineup Marty reviews the 1999 fall offerings from the catalogues and spec sheets.
   • Marty's picks for 1999 Marty picks out the ultimate lighting system at a budget price off the shelf.
   • Marty's high tech lamp Marty Goodman talks about the ultimate in bicycle lighting c. 1999.
   • Review of Knight Lite white front lamp A review of the white flasher available in the UK.
   • Night Hawk Pro A glowing review of the inexpensive Night Hawk Pro dual lamp lighting system.
   • Do-it-yourself lamp heads Some suggestions for DIY lamp heads.
   • Cateye TriLight A first look at the top of the line Cateye TriLight three-beam headlight, with NiMH battery.
   • Lights 1997 A review and short series on several bicycle lighting products available in the 1997-1998 marketing year.
   • The Black Diamond Space Shot A reader reviews the Space Shot head mounted lamp.
   • David Bastians' homebrew HID lamp - OFFSITE- A detailed depiction of a homemade mounting assembly for a Welch-Allyn HID bulb and ballast.
   • Pawel's comparison of three halogen lamps (forest). - OFFSITE- Seeing is believing! How much wattage do you need? -- New 2005-01
   • Pawel's comparison of three halogen lamps and an LED lamp (indoors). - OFFSITE- Similar lamps to the previous link, done indoors so you can see the beam pattern. -- New 2005-01
   • Review of Cateye EL500 David Larson reprints his review of the Cateye EL500 from down under. -- New 2005-01
2. Battery powered Tail lamps
   • Marty's picks for 1999 Marty picks out the ultimate lighting system at a budget price off the shelf.
   • Review of the Niterider 6V rear flasher
   • Cygo vs. Cateye rear blinky A review of the Cygo and Cateye rear LED blinky lights including a subjective evaluation of each.
3. Batteries and chargers
   • Charging NiMH batteries Myra van Inwegen writes about her experiences and knowledge of charging NiMH batteries. (Offsite)
   • Battery comparisons Willie Hunt does a comparison of alkaline and lithium batteries of various sizes (AA, C, D).
   • A comment on the chemistry of LiFeS and LiSO2 lithium batteries To clear up some misconceptions on how and why these two chemistries differ.
   • Marty reviews Lithium chemistry batteries A useful summary of Lithium chemistries available and how effective they might be for bicycle applications.
   • Rechargeable alkaline batteries Some comments on recharging alkaline batteries and special rechargeable alkaline batteries.
   • A&A SLA Charger A raving review of the smart A&A sealed lead acid battery charger kit.
   • Chargers A review of suitable NiCad battery chargers -- basically of the DeWalt charger series.
   • Schulze isl 8-936 An overview of the Schulze isl 8-936 (NiMH?) battery charger.
   • Li-Ion batteries and chargers Marty talks about the current state of Li-Ion DIY technology for the 2003 season.
   • Review of the Maha C777PLUS II battery charger Per Elmsater gives this versatile charger the thumbs up, while giving an honest critique of its faults.
4. Generators and their lamps
   • An evaluation of the Sigma Sport Ellipsoid Plus and Bisy/Schmidt lamps Reviews the effectiveness of these lamps with standlights.
   • While in Germany, do as Germans do -- visit bike shops in search of generators. A recap of one tourist's experience with several generator sets while in Germany.
   • A review of the Union 9430 lamp A comparison of the Union 9430 generator driven lamp to the Soubitez lamp.
   • Praise for the SON generator
   • Generator advocacy A few words on the advantages of generators over battery powered lights.
   • Schmidt hub generator An evaluation and comparison of the Schmidt hub generator and an accompanying Lumotec headlamp.
   • Comparison of Micro FF and Bisy lamps A review and followup of two generator lamps.
   • A link to a thorough comparison of several generator lamps Andreas Oehler posts a pointer to a magazine article he wrote.
   • Review of dynamo efficiency by Velo Plus magazine (German).
5. Performance electronics (cyclometers, heart rate monitors, etc)
   • A summary of altitude measuring devices for bicycles Marty Goodman states it as it is about the various methods for measuring altitude while riding. Includes a quick review of some of the devices available.
   • Top speed of various cyclocomputers A report from some experiments on various cyclocomputers as to what maximum speed they were capable of reporting accurately.
   • Cateye HB100 Heart Rate Monitor A scathing product review.
   • Sports Instruments Circuit 5 Heart Rate Monitor A typical detailed Marty Goodman product review.
   • Shimano Flightdeck A critical review of the Shimano Flightdeck integrated cyclocomputer.
   • Astrale 8 Marty reviews this cyclocomputer
6. DIY
   • Do-it-yourself lamp heads Some suggestions for DIY lamp heads.
   • Soldering technique A lesson on the soldering reflow technique. Aimed at beginners, but a helpful reminder for the intermediate soldering tinkerer.
   • Crimping vs. Soldering Marty's comments on the merits of crimping vs. soldering connections.
7. General
   • A review of Lee Iaccoca's electric bike The former Chrysler head honcho hopes to make it big with an electric bike for commuters. Here is a quick review of that bike.
   • Marty Goodman's State of the Art message A few brief comments on the current state of the art in bicycle lighting.
   • Marty Goodman's History of the Lamp An historical look at the modern lamp and the Cateye Stadium lamp in particular. (Offsite)
   • Marty Goodman interviews Mark Siminoff of Specialized Marty puts a few tough questions to the resident representative of Specialized on the bikecurrent list.
   • Report on Zn_Air batteries and LVR/SON E6 headlights Todd Teachout reports on his PBP 2003 experience with this lighting equipment.

If you haven't already seen Francis Cooke's (aukhawk) collection of earlier reviews, go there now.