Why are batteries so **** !

pinno

cougie wrote:

Loved my tyre dynamo. Great light and made a noise like Airwolf.

Jeez you youngsters don't know how easy you've got it these days.

I had a front hub dynamo. It was actually quite good bar the current regulation. If I went too quick (draughting tractors/ Skoda Estelles or going down hill), it popped the bulb.

kafkathedog

Pinno wrote:

Oh, those were the days:

Oh yeah, i had those (as a kid)

big_harv

I’ve a happy memory of fashioning a bracket for one of those front lights and attaching it to my fork. Think it must have been at school metalwork. Anyhow one day the thing came loose straight into my (rapidly spinning) front wheel. As if the minor injury wasn’t bad enough there were a bunch of girls watching at the time.... :oops:

cougie

Pinno wrote:

Oh, those were the days:

Yes ! I had those too. With the flat cardboard covered batteries. Your spare would fall apart in your back pocket if it rained. Also how the hell could we see ?? Might as well attach a glow worm to your bike.

pinno

They were dire.
But I do remember Tuesday evening club runs in winter where most had them and the whole club run was always within town limits and under street lighting. Not surprised really, looking back.

cougie

We were quite adventurous. Unlit country roads. Either potholes weren't a problem or we were lighter and bounced through them. Maybe both..

pinno

cougie wrote:

We were quite adventurous. Unlit country roads. Either potholes weren't a problem or we were lighter and bounced through them. Maybe both..

Maybe it was just youth.

Matthewfalle

i remember being well chuffed with a set of dual headlight things that plugged into a rechargeablebattery that you strapped to your frame in a small velcro pack.

i had them on a lime green CAAD4 and it made it look like a frog.

looking back, the charge lasted two days, the light was rubbish, they weighed a ton and they broke all the time.

cougie

Maybe batteries are rubbish. Out on the bike in constant rain today. Obviously we've got our lights on flash.

The number of cars out - inevitably rain coloured cars who couldn't turn their lights on was incredible. They must have the same battery problems as the OP.

cooldad

Hopefully not your front ones flashing. Apart from illegal, it's fucking annoying.

Almost as annoying as fucktards without lights at all, cars or bikes.

cougie

Not illegal.

Loads of cyclists have flashing lights. They don't annoy me. Maybe you're too sensitive ?

lettingthedaysgoby

cooldad wrote:

front ones flashing... illegal

Nonsense.

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/art ... now-48568/

kettrinboy

I know some people moan about Garmin batteries not lasting but the other day I found my old 305 in a draw that was bought in 2006 and last used and charged in around 2011 I think, I was going to chuck it because I was sure the battery must be totally dead by now but pressed the button and it fired up with still one bar in the battery power display , and my 2011 vintage 800 is still going strong albeit with a bit less maximum ride time than when it was new but otherwise fine.

cooldad

cougie wrote:

Not illegal.

Loads of cyclists have flashing lights. They don't annoy me. Maybe you're too sensitive ?

Probably because bloody annoying bright stroby leds hadn't been invented.

I probably am, I find a lot of lights at night a problem, but bright flashing strobes are the worst.

cougie

I was out in the daylight. Am I allowed my flashing lights now ?

roypsb

cougie wrote:

You obviously don't remember the nights of Eveready bike lights.
We'd go out for a couple of hours at night and we would be lucky to have one working front and rear between three or four of us.

With phones I don't get the fascination with thinner and thinner phones. I'd rather have a sturdier phone with a bigger battery.

This. It’s quite astonishing how crap ever ready batteries were.

Bumo_b

Have to say I use a small flashing front during the day although go solid front at night.