I've recently started commuting to work approx 25 miles per day. My journey mainly consists of country roads with a few villages in between. Outside the villages the roads are unlit.
With winter approaching I am looking for suitable light and am strongly leaning towards HID after reading many of the threads on here. Over here in the UK, we get quite a bit of rain so I am keen to know how HID lights perform when it is raining ?
Another reason for choosing HID for me is the safety factor. During the winter it will be dark when I leave and return home. I have hi-viz clothing already but I also want a light other drivers will be able to see. Unfortunately there are many drivers here who speed excessively along these roads - sometimes they fly past me at over 90mph which can be a little scary!
cheers
Russ.
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Maybe you should find a less travelled route. You know, a road where they DON'T drive at 90mph (150km/h!!)
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Unfortunately it is really the only option as the alternative would be a dual-carriageway. Not everyone drives at that speed but as the roads I use are relatively quiet and there are no speed cameras, it seems to be the younger drivers (boy racers) who think they are Michael Schumacker !
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I have not used my helmet mounted Niterider Storm HID in the rain, but I have used it in heavy, wet fog. You get a LOT of backscatter from the water droplets (before the HID turns them to steam ;-)). I think a bar mounted HID would be OK, but the helmet mounted one kind of sucks when there are droplets in the air.
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I've used my Cygolite in torrential downpours regularly and have not had a single problem out of it. Works great and helps the cars on the road see you better. Definitely worth it in my book. (锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Niterider Storm HID and other high end lights are designed for operation in the rain. Mine has worked fine in the rain.
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Have you considered a Schmidt dynohub? A descent wheel built around one, with a two headlight/single tail light system should run about the same price point as the new high end HID lights. No worries about failure or recharge.
Supplement the system for fog with a rear xenon strobe (ala Lightman), and a front 3LED white blinkie (ala Cateye/others).
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by CB HI
The Niterider Storm HID and other high end lights are designed for operation in the rain. Mine has worked fine in the rain.
I'm not saying it isn't waterproof or that it doesn't work in the rain. It's just that when it is helmet mounted, the axis of the light is close to your eyes, so the light reflecting off moisture droplets goes right back into your eyes, making the moisture droplets appear very bright.
It's not a criticism of the light itself, it's that perhaps a helmet mounted one isn't the best way to have it mounted for wet conditions.
Originally Posted by CB HI
The Niterider Storm HID and other high end lights are designed for operation in the rain. Mine has worked fine in the rain.
I'm not saying it isn't waterproof or that it doesn't work in the rain. It's just that when it is helmet mounted, the axis of the light is close to your eyes, so the light reflecting off moisture droplets goes right back into your eyes, making the moisture droplets appear very bright.