Lights and Insurance

[pam]

I'm looking for a light that's bright enough so I can see in the
dark. I like simple which means rechargeable batteries. Maybe this
isn't possible and I may need to break down for the light with a
battery pack. I've seen some really bright Dinotte and NiteRider but
they both have battery packs. And I don't want to get a whole new
wheel for a dyno hub. What to do?

Insurance - at the picnic Ann Groninger said to get more uninsured/
underinsured coverage on the car policy. How much do you have? or
think is reasonable? I think the standard is $100,000, $300,000. In
order to get umbrella coverage, you have to get more coverage?
Medical payments cover you regardless of fault. Think it's worth it?
What have you found in terms of cost and what insurance company do you
use? I'm checking Nationwide and USAA. Any thoughts?

[Mark Ortiz]

Can’t remember if I’ve addressed this in the past, but what I use is two Planet Bike Super Spots.  They use four AA cells each.  You can get lithium ion rechargeable AA’s, but they don’t last very long.  I just use Duracells and recycle them at UNCC.

 

I aim the right light just a little higher than the left.  I stagger my battery changes and always have the fresher batteries in the right light.  I use the left light alone in twilight.

 

These lights cost around $30 each.  Batteries cost around a penny a mile per light, when you have the lights on.  The lights are removable for use as flashlights.  Having two completely independent lights helps guarantee that you will never be completely blacked out, even if one fails.

 

 

Mark Ortiz

[Mark Ortiz]

Oh, insurance.

 

In addition to having ample uninsured/underinsured, the other thing is to have a medical rider, and max that out.  I have State Farm.  Maximum on the medical rider is $25,000.  It adds very little to your premium.  It only applies when a motor vehicle is involved.  I collided with a dog, and it did not apply.  I had a collision with a motorcycle, and it did.  It can be very helpful in covering things that charity care or your health insurance don’t cover, including deductibles.

 

 

Mark Ortiz

[Hernan Atencio]

Pam, I have been using a NiteRider for more than two years and it is very bright.  Is expensive and it uses a rechargeable battery pack but it is small and light.

If you want something less expensive, a good option is what I just bought for my daughter.  It is a Planet Bike Headlight Blaze 2W; it is quite bright, uses batteries and it is easy to remove from the handlebar.

See you,

Hernan Atencio

[Ann Groninger]

I have $1 million in UIM coverage. UIM doesn't cost much and, Mark is right, neither does med pay (he refers to as medical rider).  I've seen up to $100,000 in med pay and, with recent changes in the law making it more difficult to value claims, I would recommend upping your med pay as much as possible too.

On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 9:45 PM, pam <pamelam...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Pamela Murray]

Mark,

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.  I like the idea about 2 lights.  I’m going to try that with the ones I have and see how much it helps before I make another purchase.  I didn’t know that about the rechargeable batteries.  I don’t know what I have, I’ll have to look.

 

Thanks also for the insurance info.  Good to know about medical payments.  I knew someone on here would have some experience with these things.

 

I’m so glad we have this group.

 

Pam

[Jon Harding]

This will be my third year commuting through standard time, and my
light use has evolved. I started with the two battery front light
route using two Cateye lights. I am currently using two front and two
rear lights. I have a dyno-powered front and rear light, but they
didn't come cheap. The S3 supernova front light with S3 rear light
combo paired with the custom built front wheel with Alfine hub cost ~
$400. In addition to these lights, I use a Light & Motion Vis 360,
which is a helmet mounted configuration, which was about ~$150. It
has one light mounted on the front of the helmet, and one on the rear
which flashes. It's rechargeable via USB. I highly recommend a
helmet mounted light! Not only are they highly visible to other road
users, but they allow you to see where you are looking (Deer
spotting!). They can also be used as a tool to actively make yourself
seen by motorists, or in other words, to direct the light towards
motorists on the roadway ahead of you. I think an adequate and safe
configuration would include a battery based LED front light, a
blinking rear light which includes a reflector (like the B&M line),
and a helment mounted setup such as the Light & Motion Vis 360.

One additional thing to add is that front lights are best mounted
below the handlebars either on the fork crown, the fork, or near the
axle. The lower light mounts casts a longer shadow on road hazards
such as speed humps and pot-holes, thus making them more
visible.

Jon

[Pamela Murray]

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Now I need to figure out how to mount the light on the fork crown, the fork,
or near the
Axle. Do I need a special mount or something?

Based on cost and feedback I've decided to go with a Niterider. I actually
saw one at the CABA meeting and have seen others and admired the brightness.
I'll still keep a couple blinkies too as a backup. All total, I'll have the
bright Niterider, a Knog blinkie, a little red blinkie on the left side, a 5
LED Planet Bike rack mounted rear light, reflectors on the pedals,
reflective stripes on the tires, reflective tape on both fenders and
reflective tape on the rear of my purse that sits on the rack. Sometimes
I'll even wear a reflective belt. Hope it's enough.

Come ride with me on a Tuesday night and tell me if you can see me. We meet
at the Plaza Midwood library at 7:30 and roll out at 8.

Thanks,
Pam

[andrew israel]

The whole light on the the hub mount on the fork can be a bit tricky. Placing the light really low to the ground can affect the quality of the beam.
The only lights I have seen mounted on the hub have lights that are powered by generator.

http://www.wallbike.com/atoc/lighting/atoc-lite-beams <= sells little part that goes on the hub/axle mount on the wheel. There is a very good picture there showing how its mounted.
If you have a very bright light you may not need to mount it so low. To me the newer lights like the ones from Nite Rider, and my personal light Dinotte have very bright LED'S that generate
lots of bright light that eliminate the need to put the light near the fork crown or near the hub/axle.

my 2 shickles...

Andrew