Dynamo Lights

[Polar Bear]

I share your pain Gordy.      It's another winter of halogen and bar-mounted Use Exposure for me.

You'd have thought that these manufacturers would have the stock ready to roll before launching the product.  I guess that they are wary that it just will not sell, or that somebody else will trump them pretty quickly in terms of product quality and price, thus leaving them with a few shipping containers full of unsold stock to discount.

[urban_biker]

If you already have some reasonable lights I reckon it makes sense to sit back and wait to see what the market is going to deliver.

There appears to be a lot of competition out there at the moment with a new light coming out alomost every month. Its worth waiting until mid-summer to buy a new light for next winter.

[Chris N]

If you already have some reasonable lights I reckon it makes sense to sit back and wait to see what the market is going to deliver.

There appears to be a lot of competition out there at the moment with a new light coming out alomost every month. Its worth waiting until mid-summer to buy a new light for next winter.

I thought that two years ago, so waited and waited before splashing out on Solidlights.  Then the IQ Fly came out, then the Edelux, then the IQ Cyo.   You could be waiting a long time if you keep taking that approach...

Just buy whatever you can gordy, the economy needs you.

[The Mechanic]

Thanks for all the advice chaps and chapesses.  Big Al has been commisioned to build the wheels.  He is suggesting DRC rims, they being as good as Mavic but a lot cheaper.  Anyone any experience.

Still not bought a light yet.  Even more undecided but think I might try and track down a Cyo.  If not then a IQ Fly.

[dehomag]

  He is suggesting DRC rims, they being as good as Mavic but a lot cheaper.  Anyone any experience.

I have used DRC ST19 since 2005, nowt wrong with them at all. A good wheel is built by a good wheel builder though, even great rims can be built into crap wheels by a crap builder. ST19s are relatively heavy and shouldn't take tyres narrower than 28mm so you may prefer ST17s which I have heard are OK too.

[RichForrest]

I'm fed up trying to buy one of the new LED lights. The Edelux isn't in stock anywhere, neither are the Cyo lights in Germany.

(Grumpy man with money-to-spend-is-thwarted mode.)

Roseversand have them in stock. Roseversand Shop MTB Rennrad Trekkingrad Versand Fahrrad

Rich.

[Craig]

That says available to preorder, due in stock week 44 (which is this week I think). Though a few weeks ago I'm sure it said due in week 41...

[The Mechanic]

OK, spoke to Big Al and have agreed on DRC ST17 rims.  Going for a 36 back wheel and 32 front (to match the dynohub), me being 14 stone at the moment.

[epa611]

OK, spoke to Big Al and have agreed on DRC ST17 rims.  Going for a 36 back wheel and 32 front (to match the dynohub), me being 14 stone at the moment.

Same as me (XT rear hub), but my front hub is 36 hole.  You won't regret it   I run Marathon 32mm on them and no issues so far (touch wood).

Enjoy your "experience" with Al 

[PH]

I'm fed up trying to buy one of the new LED lights.

(Grumpy man with money-to-spend-is-thwarted mode.)

Supernova E3 is still available, still the best, still the dearest.

[RichForrest]

That says available to preorder, due in stock week 44 (which is this week I think). Though a few weeks ago I'm sure it said due in week 41...

Oh that's what the arrow's for   
Didn't see that, but you're right this week is Wk44.

Rich.

[redshift]

Don't forget to check ebay - when I wanted my B&M lights last year, I ended up getting them from a German ebay bike shop.  IIRC, BikePlus didn't yet have the IQ Fly (Chris Juden had only just reviewed it in Cycle, I think) so despite me getting the wheel and dynohub from them, I went to ebay for the lights.  It was somewhat cheaper than anywhere else I could get them, even including the postage.

Make sure you set your search preferences to include 'European Union' locations.

[KevinK]

OK, spoke to Big Al and have agreed on DRC ST17 rims.  Going for a 36 back wheel and 32 front (to match the dynohub), me being 14 stone at the moment.

I was up at Wheelcraft yesterday collecting my own DRC MT17 Shimano 2N70 Dynohub wheel (a bargain at £80!) and saw what I think must have been your own wheel (it was the only 3N80 hub there). I think you'll be pleased!
Kevin

[The Mechanic]

Sounds good.   

[vorsprung]

I'm fed up trying to buy one of the new LED lights. The Edelux isn't in stock anywhere, neither are the Cyo lights in Germany. I bought an IQ Fly from SJS a long time ago and was staggered to find that it didn't have a switch. The switch, senso crap and standlight are all optional. Doh... I had an Edelux on order from Spa cycles but they sold it to someone else.

Bike Plus also say I need a £3.99 Koaxial kit to fit a Fly to a Schmidt dynohub although it isn't mentioned anywhere else. Oh - the only place in the whole world that sells a Schmidt handlebar bracket is SJS and they want £14 including delivery.

This is hopeless. I've got a half-broken old B&M light that I'll fit for this winter and buy something decent in a year's time when there is a glimmer of hope that a supplier might have a full range of lights and accessories in stock.

(Grumpy man with money-to-spend-is-thwarted mode.)

Ask IanH if he has any Inoled Extreme in stock.  They cost about 80 quid and are the same power level as an Edelux or a supernova e3
I used the older version of one of these for PBP they are excellent lights

[Charlotte]

You can get an IQ Cyo on eBay from German sellers for less than £60 (plus the postage, natch).

[epa611]

Good comparison of beam patterns from the SON website.   

[border-rider]

That's a really useful comparison

Looks like the Edelux/Cyco Sport would be the one I'd favour.

[alexb]

If anyone needs anything ordered from Roseversand and wants to split the postage with me, let me know. I aim to order a dynamo hub from them in the next week or so.
I'd prefer it if it was someone who could pick up from me in London, but I could post it on if you'll pay the UK postage.

[LEE]

I'm fed up trying to buy one of the new LED lights.

(Grumpy man with money-to-spend-is-thwarted mode.)

Supernova E3 is still available, still the best, still the dearest.

Has anyone got experience of the symmetrical and asymetrical lens E3?

The Asymmetrical lens is designed to stop blinding motorists and I wondered whether it put out more light nearer the front wheel as a result.

[Andrew Br]

It's an interesting comparison but it shows a fault (IMO) with several of the lights including the Edulux- the dark gap immediately in front of the wheel. The gap is big enough for a bike-sized pot-hole to disappear.
It's also a pity that the dark tunnel is so short- I expect that the E3 beam would project a lot further than the others.
Best combo looks to be a B&M Cyo Nahfeld with an E3.

I too would like to see an E3 with the asymmetric lens.

[andrew_s]

It's an interesting comparison but it shows a fault (IMO) with several of the lights including the Edulux- the dark gap immediately in front of the wheel. The gap is big enough for a bike-sized pot-hole to disappear.
It's also a pity that the dark tunnel is so short- I expect that the E3 beam would project a lot further than the others.
Best combo looks to be a B&M Cyo Nahfeld with an E3.

I too would like to see an E3 with the asymmetric lens.

I for one don't keep watching a hole until I'm past it
If you are looking at the ground that close to the bike, you are just going to run into the next well lit pothole further on, unless you are going slow enough that the dim close-to lighting is adequate.

The middle vertical wall photo for each light should give a good impression of the beam projection.
The E3 beam shot looks awfully wonky in the wall photo for a normal circular beam - it could be the asymmetric beam model? I'd expect the standard beam to be like the Basta beam, but brighter.

[PhilO]

It's an interesting comparison but it shows a fault (IMO) with several of the lights including the Edulux- the dark gap immediately in front of the wheel. The gap is big enough for a bike-sized pot-hole to disappear.

I've noticed a few people say this in discussions, & I struggle to understand it, myself.

You don't watch obstacles all the way under your front wheel, surely? You spot a hazard, 20, 30, 50 feet ahead, and plot a course round it. It's a bit late to avoid something when it's less than 6 feet away, so why do you need to see it?  You already know it's there...

[Andrew Br]

I often seem to come across pot-holes in series when I'm out (on and off-road) so I sometimes do look quite close to the front wheel.
I have the dark patch with my Ixon IQ and I don't like it- the E3 is much better in this respect plus it throws further when I'm going quickly.

[RJ]

It's an interesting comparison but it shows a fault (IMO) with several of the lights including the Edulux- the dark gap immediately in front of the wheel. The gap is big enough for a bike-sized pot-hole to disappear.
<snip>

The dark gap in front of my wheel is shadow of the wheel itself, thrown by a crown-fork-mounted D'Lumotec. 

That replaced a (broken) conventional Lumotec mounted on the same bracket, but my impression is that the shadow is sharper with the new LED-equipped lamp than with the old incandescent one.  If so, it may be a consequence of the way in which teh two light sources emit (LEDs are supposed to be more "directional").

I don't find it a problem, but then I'm rarely anywhere that has absolutely no street or other ambient lighting.