Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Night biking

Lights: HDS Clickies (140Cgt, 100Chc).

I've had the TwoFish LockBlocks on my handlebars for months now but never used them for anything more than a quick test ride around the block. My bike hasn't been in the best condition lately, needing some new brake pads and adjustments, but for too long I allowed that to keep me off it. Finally, I got up the motivation to take it out for a night ride around the neighborhood, across the ranch, around another neighborhood, and back.

Total distance of probably 4-5 miles. To light my way, I strapped the Clickies on my handlebars with the GT (with 17670 body) at 100lm and pointed a little farther down the road and the HC at 25lm providing a nice pool of light directly in front of me. For a long and straight section that I wanted to cover at higher speed, I kicked the Chc up to high as well. Used just the HC at 25lm to cruise quietly through a little neighborhood with narrow streets so I'd be less likely to disturb anyone (I feel the warm beam is stealthier since it stands out less than a splash of dazzling cool white). With this combination, I had enough light to pretty much ride as fast as I cared to as long as I wasn't making big turns (little peripheral light). The lights were certainly very nicely cooled too, with the rush of cool, foggy air never allowing them above a standard room temperature.

The Clickies did well. I hate to say it, but I was glad to find a good use for the GT, since the beam is good for it, tint doesn't matter so much, and it combines good power with high efficiency and the ability to use the 17670. These days, it doesn't see a lot of use because it's not often that I don't have a better light for something, and usually a better Clicky. It's kind of sad that I need to look for jobs where "tint doesn't matter" for a Guaranteed Tint ($50 option) Clicky, but, pure and white as it is, that tint is just not one that I can unreservedly call "great" by today's standards. But it made a great bike light.

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