Bikes, Batteries and Babes

When visting a local bicycle store to check out some of the latest models, I was surprised by the trend of battery driven rear lights. What happened to the good old trusted dynamo? And if bikes come with a dynamo, why not use it to drive the rear lights as well? The shop owner tried to come up with some explanations but none of them made a lot of sense. The recommended batteries for these lights are non rechargeables. Rechargeables don't last long enough between charges to be practical in use. Just imagine the waste! And I thought biking was good for the planet! Luckily my eye caught this nifty product display from Reelight in the shop. This Danish company offers a front/rear wheel kit driven by induction (requires two strong magnets per wheel). The model I bought comes with an integrated capacitor so lights continue to blink when you stop pedaling at crossroads etc... Once installed, no more worries about batteries and I feel the resistance to be much lower than with a dynamo. Added benefit: where my old trusted dynamo skipped often when it rained, the Reelight, because of its contactless power generation, operates without a glitch. Warmly recommended. So why do you need babes in this story?