I’m just building up my new commuter/tourer (see here).
I have an alfine generator hub for the front, but haven’t bought a light yet.
Any recommendations for Schmidt Edelux, B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo, or supernova E3?
I was leaning towards the Lumotec as it is only $120-130 whereas the others are around $200, but I was reading bad reviews of the beam pattern that referred to it as like “riding in a tunnel”.
My commute in dark, rainy Vancouver is all tarmac, but some of it is rough, so being able to see the potholes is important, but also letting the dumba$$ drivers know I’m there is a big part of the equation…E3 throws more light high so might be good for that.
Thanks
Paul

I’m currently using the B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo. I wouldn’t say it’s like riding in a tunnel – the beam pattern is certainly clipped at the top to stop too much spill upwards. I find it pretty wide and even TBH – ideal for road commuting. In terms of absolute power I doubt if there is a lot to choose between the three lights you’ve listed – I’m toying with the idea of upgrading to an E3 triple and the matched rear light before next winter, but that is the only over-the-counter system I have seen that would make me change. Homebrew is another matter entirely….. 😉

I’m currently using the B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo.

Me too.

I use it for descending a rough unlit path – and it’s more than adequate for that. It’s also very bright when looked at 8)

B&M on my Peregrine here too: it’s superb for a mix of commuting and lanes on the long way home.

I’m an Edelux fan – got me through some very long audax rides last year without trouble. I think the IQ uses the same optics; google “edelux iq cyo same optics”

The Edelux does a great job of generating an even intensity as you look further ahead. Clipping the top of the beam is deliberate – puts the light where you need it (on the road) instead of in the trees. This is part of what leads to the ‘tunnel effect’, but that never bothered me.

Don’t worry about being seen from ahead – drivers are looking directly at the light, not reflected light like you are. It’s plenty bright enough for you to be seen. A bigger issue is having too much light pointing upwards – it dazzles drivers means you have less light on the road to compete with their headlights.

read peterwhite’s article on lights,it’s pretty good.
got an edelux,had an e6 before.
I think beam pattern,shape is as important as output.

Thanks all, I’ll probably save the $$ and buy the lumotec then.
Do you guys have the “R” optics?
Intrigued to do some home brew too. I’m a mechanical engineer and work in LED lighting, so if i can figure out the electrical part I ought to be able to cobble together something brighter. I would really like a flashing mode too – I think on roads with streetlights where I don’t need to see the road too much it makes you more visible to drivers.

Paul

Have a look on this blog;

http://robdeanhove.blogspot.com/

some good dynamo stuff on there, although its more for seeing than be seen type stuff.

Cheers for mentioning my tinkerings, too kind 🙂 I actually started off trying to get myself something that I could ride to work off road with in the dark that was dynamo powered. Nothing out there got close except the Supernova E3 triple, but that fell a long way short of what I wanted (I know, I bought one and then sold it again!).

However, this was ~2years ago and I have now morphed my tinkerings into an on-road setup too, and one that I actually toured to North Wales with over Christmas in 1.5days, mostly in the dark and was more than happy with, as well as my off road setup that I use riding technical singletrack in the woods. I also have a “be seen” light.

Having accidentally developed a “range” and ridden these for a long time, what I am working on now is actually getting these off my kitchen table and available as I have had a lot of interest from people wanting to use one for everything from commuting, town bikes, endurance racing, training, just riding about to multi day on and off road tours and races. I just don’t have the time or the facilities to even answer the emails I have got so far, but watch this space!

More on my light
– On my blog here: CLICKY #1
– On Singletrack here (scroll down!): CLICKY #2

If you want an efficient & light hub that’s cheaper than a SON and also available with a disc flange, then I’d have a look here: CLICKY #3

For now I guess the E3 Triple is a good option, there’s also an Autralian Troutie equivalent called K-Lite who makes a “see with” dynamo that is a brighter offering.

My advice: Buy something economic for now and be prepared to sell it on if either my lights ever see the light of day or when Exposure bring out their new Dynamo light that was on display at the London Bike show. Also covered on road.cc, singletrack and road.cc both really seemed to like it.

In the days before LED front lights, I used to run two B&M headlights in series, since dynamos are constant current devices. Nowadays I have an Exposure Strada. I may go back to a hub dynamo as I like the maintenance free aspect,

Beam pattern is definitely the most important factor.

I have the E3 triple run by an alfine disc hub.

In terms of light output -v- outlay cost , its pretty steep compared to battery LED stuff at the moment. ( E3 triple + hub wheel setup )

In terms of being able to jump on the bike and not worry … its brilliant.

In riding terms .. its very good. Certainly enough to see by for commuting along the road at decent speeds and in total darkness areas, its plenty enough light. At walking speed, it flickers. Anything above then the single LED lights up solidly and brightly. Above 8 to 9mph, all 3 LED’s light up brightly. The transition is smooth so its not like it flicks bright and dim. At standstill, there is a dim light, but its not particularly bright ( think cheapo keyring light bright … not much more than that )

The triple doesn’t have the beam cut off like the e-delux models or the E3 pro one … its really down to where you would be riding I guess. For me, a decent amount of my commute is off the main road on single roads and paths at times when there just aren’t many other cars, so a bit of light spill upwards is quite welcome to see more around you. I dont worry about blinding oncoming , as the centre spot is pointed downwards and any light seen by others is side spill stuff and not overly dazzling.

That exposure light linked looks very similar to the E3 triple in the description of how it works and even the dappled front lens.

My E3 Triple:

The Exposure light is “similar” in that it has three LEDs and looks like it uses a similar lens, but that’s where the similarities end:

1) No flicker at slow speeds

2) It’s brighter when riding along

3) Most importantly, when you stop (or slow right down), the light is bright enough to see with, not just a “be seen” glow and you can even ride off road with it. It also lasts for more than just a few seconds like the E3 (their website quotes 2 seconds for just 1 LED. When I owned one, by the time I’d stopped 2 seconds was up!). This makes the Exposure light great for pulling out of junctions commuting and also makes it a sensible off-road option or dark country roads at high speeds & an alternative to a battery light for all uses, not just commuting like the current offerings only target.

In general however, any dynamo light is a great solution in my book as they’re always there and you never have to worry about burn time or fiddling with switches to prolong life!

Thank for all the info.
In the end i got a B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo Plus R Senso! They really need to work on their model names.
The main reasons for the choice being that it was only 60% the cost of the E3 or edelux, and came in a nice fake chrome that matched my new build!
First ride today and I was pretty impressed with the output. Only issue is that with it on the fork crown mount some of the R-nearfield light is wasted as it is blocked by the wheel&mudguard.

@robdeanhove – I would be interested in buying just PCB’s, either bare or populated if you get around to making some, as I have a solidworks license and a friend with a CNC shop, so I would like to do my own housings. I would love a dynamo with a flashing mode – I still think that is more visible to cars than a solid light.

Paul

The exposure lights looked pretty neat at the bike show, when they due for launch? Bit of a stupid question maybe, but could the dynamo be used for other things eg: phone charge.

@ robdeanhove, that you in mtbuk? great Dolomites article.

There are a couple of widgets out there for charging a phone or GPS:
e-werk
pedalpower+
The Plug

Just ordered myself an SP PV-8 36h from ebay for my road bike. Really like the idea of hassle free lights for my daily commute. I’m going touring through Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France straight after the Dunwich Dynamo in July and would really love a hybrid dynamo powered light with a usb port in the rear for charging my phone. I’m currently looking at the e-werk. I cannot use The Plug as it isn’t compatible with my old stem. There is something similar that somebody is working on here but I would love it if Exposure created something like this on their soon to be released light. It would mean there would be less wiring hanging off my bike which is the problem with the e-werk.

@paulpalf – yes, that is, indeed me, riding around the Dolomites in the latest MBUK. Thanks!

As for just PCBS, or any other options. Let’s just take this one step at a time, before we start talking shopping options, alternate light output options etc.! The reason a good, off road capable, “see by” light does not exist is because it’s pretty hard to do, so let’s just let me get what’s existing (and thoroughly tested) to market and then think about the next steps.

It might take a morning to design a circuit development and an afternoon to make up a new, modified circuit. But to then test it, develop it, and re-test repeatedly until it’s behaviour is to my satisfaction and to keep on testing it until I’m happy it’s been thoroughly tested and has enough proven durability in all conditions in as many different riding situations as I can think of in before letting other people loose on it, is not an overnight process!

I’m just one man, with a full time job, a girlfriend and a requirement to ride my bike in my spare time (a lot!) as well as someone who tinkers with DIY lights so go easy on me with the request for options please!!!

@rewski Yes, the power from the dynamo can be used for whatever you want. In fact, if you read my blog, you can see I don’t just light the deanamo, I use the power to do exacty that: Charge my GPS and phone. However, it’s not just a matter of plugging the dynamo to your phone, you’ve got to control the unregulated AC output into your desired DC power source and be careful you don’t blow your GPS or smart phone up, so careful with your experiments there! 😉

@ rob – cheers for the info, I should’ve read the blog, blog and dynamo look very interesting, best of luck with it.

I’ve been commuting off road this winter with the E3 triple and really like it, a lot better for every day use than batteries. It’s been upgraded by a couple of hundred lumens recently so if anyone is looking for one make sure it’s not old stock. It’s plenty for the speeds I ride at off road, I use it in conjunction with helmet mounted light but that’s just nice to have not essential.
I reckon it would be even better with a small built in rechargeable and user changeable battery rather than a capacitor but it’s still very good. I already had the hub so the outlay was not too great in one go.

I use a £25ish Kemo USB charger which I ordered from Amazon Germany. I’ve connected it to the trailing rear light connections on my Cyo (ie in parallel) and it seems to power my etrex fine. (The power drops when stopped, so you need batteries in it, but when you’re moving they’re not being drained.)