Mounted up my SON 20R generator hub tonight, connected to my Lumotec CYO headlight on the Barcroft.  Very sweet.  The SON 20R has much lower drag than the regular SON 28, and the shimano generator.  I knew that on paper, but it is very noticeably better,  Took the time to rotate my tires as well.  Now just hope I get a chance for some all night rides this year, work promises to be a bear this year!  --Nelson.

The Lumotec has a very excellent standlight, driven by capacitor I suspect.  It lasts quite a long time, not as bright as when moving, but enough for cars to see you waiting at the light.  -- Take Care, Nelson.

Well there is still a trade off between brightness, and runtime.  For a ride in the dark of a few hours this is not a problem.  But to be able to run all night, or at least half a night without changing batteries, you have to run at a dimmer light level.  It is very reassuring to be able to pedal all night in the middle of nowhere and not worry about running out light.  I still have a single light as a backup in case something fails however.  Also it can be a real pain to charge batteries constantly for commuting.  Also rechargeable batteries, even AA's do not last forever, and often as with tires, the wear and tear take them out of service early.  Also the battery lights I have been running, while nice, are also subject to wear an tear and road vibration.  Contacts have to be cleaned regularly, threads get worn out etc.   Always having a generator and a light on the bike is nice from a planning and maintenance standpoint.   A generator hub is a luxury really, not a necessity, but they are valid reasons for prefering them.  I have some desire to do a 1000-1200K in the future, and it will be nice to have the light situation covered.  -- Nelson.

Quote from mleuck on Feb 1^st, 2010, 9:04pm:

 
That cause you only ride flat trails in the daytime, ya big pansy!
 
Trufthfully I hadn't thought about a 1200k aspect.  My little batteries give me 6 hours each with a lot of light, so I'm good for 12 hours of darkness.  Guess I'll just have to pick up 2 sets for PBP, eh?