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Reelights - Arrivee Summer 08 |
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REAL LIGHTS FOR AUDAX – ARIVEE summer 08
Words – Chris Wilby
ReeLights
I took these lights on a fit-and-forget basis, and after a North West Passage 200, a Bryan Chapman 600 and lots of commuting, they are doing fine.
This a new concept based on the dynamo principle. There are no wires, no contact points and no batteries. Sounds perfect.
Magnets are attached to the spokes, and an LED lamp is positioned close to the spokes so that the magnets spin past as the wheel turns. The lamps are fastened to the axle with a bracket which is clamped by wheel nuts or quick release skewer.
The LED lamp unit contains coils so that a current is produced when the spoke magnets pass it. The weight of the magnets compares with batteries on a conventional lamp. On a small-wheeled bike it’s possible to just use one magnet because the magnet is passing the light more often.
Fixing the magnets to the spokes is straightforward and then fixing the light on the bracket so that it is near enough to the wheel to be affected by the magnetic field for not-too-near-to-touch the magnet is a bit more fiddly. As the unit passes the magnet, there is a strong pull so the lamp must be firmly fixed in its bracket. This is the difficult part of setting it up.
Versions
There is a standard flashing version and a constant light one. Both have standby (where the light remains on when stationary) but the fixed light stayed on for only a few seconds whilst the flasher stayed on a lot longer — at least two minutes.
A flashing light will use less power and it did seem brighter than the fixed light version. It also stayed on longer when stopped.
Constant version - I would only this one on rides that prohibit the use of rear flashing lights.
Low position
This is a unique feature of the design as the lights are designed to be fitted at the axle, necessary for the spoke magnets to pass. They are out of the way of the handlebars, and do not obstruct panniers.
The position of the lamp near the wheel centre gave a very good side illumination and extra reflection from wheel rims.
They did collect more dirt from their low position, but as they are sealed units they remained in good condition. Approaching the brow of a hill or when very close to a vehicle, the lights would be seen later than handlebar or head lamps.
On various rides I received several comments about how bright they were and people commented that I had left my lights on during the day. There’s no need to turn them off to save batteries.
A flashing light at the front is very effective but can also distract the rider with upwards glare if mounted on the handlebars. This light mounted on the wheel axle gave very little glare and distraction to the rider because, as well being lower, it was also further forward.
Flashing lights are very effective for being seen, and would recommend their use over non flashing lights.
However, Reelights have produced their lights in both flashing and constant versions as there are some countries such as The Netherlands who do not allow flashing lights. So I tried the constant front light to see if it was suitable for a front light, perhaps this would be bright enough illuminate the road - it wasn’t.
However, a set of the flashing ones is highly suitable for town riding where there is enough street light to not need a full headlight. Flashing lights are also legal when there is no fixed light setting, as is the case with these.
One thing I did like is that they are always on, because there are times when a light is needed but its not actually dark, or it is dusk and lights are needed but not switched on.
Conventional battery-powered LED lamps are very effective and the batteries last a long time, perhaps too long as they are often forgotten and the batteries left to go down, and some ride around with a dim or non existent rear light.
Showing the units to some people, they said that they were too low for cars to see, but those that used it found it fine, and in fact I liked having something less on my handlebars. Being low means collecting more dirt but the sealed units were fine and a wipe was all they needed. Once done, that’s it.
I gave a sample of these lights to two other cyclists. One person found them difficult to fit, and the other took five minutes. But once fitted it was agreed that these were ideal for town cycling or as a backup to a main lamp.
Conclusions - highly recommended
• Excellent for town commuters.
• Good safety backup.
• Maintenance free and durable.
• Allows space on handlebars and away from rear panniers.
• Fiddly to set up.
Specifications
There are three types of these lights:
1. Flashing which depends on the speed of the bicycle, two flash speeds 200 flashes per minute at 15km/h and 400 flashes per minute at 30km/h (SL100).
2. Fixed flashing frequency but with a two-minute backup standby when stopped (SL12O).
3. Steady light with some standby light (SL15O).
Also, as the lamps are mounted at one side of the wheel, also visible through the spokes, it is recommended that they are mounted on the right side in-the UK and a different bracket is used to extend over the cassette gears. Other brackets are available for hub gears, disc brakes, and roller brakes.
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