100 Lux dynamo light

[Ivo]

I can recommend the Edulux II as an alternative.

I'll be using an Edelux II during LEL, I've learned my lesson during the Silkourte 1200.

[citoyen]

I had a problem with my IQ-X recently, which I mentioned in the Igaro thread...

On the ride out to the start of a 300, the light was working fine, but something must have happened during the ride because when evening came round again, the light was refusing to work at full power - it seemed to be stuck in daytime mode. I didn't get a chance to do anything about it before the 400 the following weekend and riding those dark country lanes, it felt like I was back in the 80s with the amount of light I was getting.

Subsequently, I did some testing - removed the rear light and Igaro, and the IQ-X worked fine. Tried it with the rear light and no Igaro and it still worked fine. Tried it again with the Igaro and... it still worked fine.

I'm guessing that perhaps a wire had come loose and simply by reinstalling it, I had made the connection stronger. I don't understand why this would mean partial lighting power rather than no light at all though.

[tornandfrayed]

My Luxos U crapped out yesterday with a very odd failure: the switch stopped working, and the light would flash on and off slowly.  I think it was discharging the internal battery, as the taillight would come on too, and it continued to flash even after disconnecting the connection from the dynamo.

I've never used the charging function and while it might be handy on LEL I reckon I can get by with a couple of powerpacks in my drop bags.  So, is the IQ-X the best replacement out there, or is it worth spending more on the Edelux II or Supernova E3 Pro 2?

My luxos U did the same thing about a month ago after a particularly wet 150km ride. I bought it from Bike-discount in Germany and on checking their website it appears they have a 2 year warranty. As I purchased it in June 2015 for PBP I took advantage of their free returns service and it's currently back at the manufacturer for repair or replacement. It will be interesting to see which it is.

Well it was closer to 2 months than the 2/3 weeks stated on their website but I have received a replacement light. It's worked out quite well with a brand new light in time for LEL.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I had a problem with my IQ-X recently, which I mentioned in the Igaro thread...

On the ride out to the start of a 300, the light was working fine, but something must have happened during the ride because when evening came round again, the light was refusing to work at full power - it seemed to be stuck in daytime mode. I didn't get a chance to do anything about it before the 400 the following weekend and riding those dark country lanes, it felt like I was back in the 80s with the amount of light I was getting.

Subsequently, I did some testing - removed the rear light and Igaro, and the IQ-X worked fine. Tried it with the rear light and no Igaro and it still worked fine. Tried it again with the Igaro and... it still worked fine.

I'm guessing that perhaps a wire had come loose and simply by reinstalling it, I had made the connection stronger. I don't understand why this would mean partial lighting power rather than no light at all though.

You felt like a teenager again? 

[citoyen]

You felt like a teenager again? 

If only! These days, any long bike ride makes me feel more like I'm in my 80s...

[Christophe]

Morning
Resurrecting this thread after stumbling across it last night.

I'm in the market for an upgrade on my original Cyo's and was looking at the IQ-X which I see also now comes in a 150 (!?!?!) lux version.

Browsing the thread indicates that although IQ-X is brighter etc the Cyo Premium seems a better option, reliability wise? Am I correct in thinking this?

Also want to replace two original Cyo's and can get two premiums more or less for the price of the IQ-X.

Just as a side note, I purchased 3 original Cyo's at different times and the newer ones are definitely brighter. Have they been upgraded over the years?

[jiberjaber]

Morning
Resurrecting this thread after stumbling across it last night.

I'm in the market for an upgrade on my original Cyo's and was looking at the IQ-X which I see also now comes in a 150 (!?!?!) lux version.

Browsing the thread indicates that although IQ-X is brighter etc the Cyo Premium seems a better option, reliability wise? Am I correct in thinking this?

Also want to replace two original Cyo's and can get two premiums more or less for the price of the IQ-X.

Just as a side note, I purchased 3 original Cyo's at different times and the newer ones are definitely brighter. Have they been upgraded over the years?

I've got 2 IQ-X, one has been running since Feb 17, the other since June 17.  No issues to date.

[Brucey]

yes the cyo has been upgraded along the way.  The current 'premium' model is a good compromise between cost and performance.

BTW I think that it is possible that the super-duper 150 lux IQ-X won't get full brightness unless you are riding at a high speed, (or on an e-bike) because it needs 7.5W to achieve the full output.  Thus it is worth checking it out carefully before you purchase one.  Not seen the 150 Lux version in the flesh yet.

cheers

[andrew_s]

According to my reading of the B+M website, the 150 lux IQ-X is a battery light

https://www.bumm.de/de/produkte/akku-scheinwerfer/parent/164/produkt/164bla-silber-164bmla-schwarz.html?
https://www.bumm.de/de/produkte/dynamo-scheinwerfer/parent/164/produkt/164rtsndi-01-schwarz-164rtsndi-silber.html?

The English version of their website is often limited in what it shows.

My understanding is that the problems with the dynamo IQ-X relate to a failure mode than means you can't turn it on until after you've started riding. If you generally use senso, you may never notice.
(I use an Edelux II, no direct experience)

[fuaran]

There is also the 150 lux IQ-X E. Looks like it is specifically designed for ebikes. Manual here: https://www.bumm.de/files/Produkte/Anleitung%20IQ-X%20E.PDF

This headlight is suitable only for connecting to a DC power source from 6 to 60 V (e.g. the battery of an e-bike). Never connect it to an AC power source (e.g. a dynamo)! 

[Christophe]

There is also the 150 lux IQ-X E. Looks like it is specifically designed for ebikes. Manual here: https://www.bumm.de/files/Produkte/Anleitung%20IQ-X%20E.PDF

This headlight is suitable only for connecting to a DC power source from 6 to 60 V (e.g. the battery of an e-bike). Never connect it to an AC power source (e.g. a dynamo)! 

Yes see it now. Definitely for e bikes. Maybe should have read the Rose website description which specifically says 'E bike headlight' 

Might get a Cyo premium for the commuter and see how we get on. Might get a chance to have a look at Jibers IQ-X at some point in the near future.

[Kim]

Browsing the thread indicates that although IQ-X is brighter etc the Cyo Premium seems a better option, reliability wise? Am I correct in thinking this?

I have two IQ-Xen that have never had problems (admittedly one's had a lot more exposure to Weather than the other).  One was a replacement for one that had the only-switching-on-when-moving fault from new.  The whole thing smells like a quality control problem.

I also have a Cyo Premium.  It's not as bright/wide, but it's a proven design, and by far the best bang for the buck.

AIUI the Edelux II uses the Cyo Premium optics, with various refinements that lead to a slightly higher output.  Not sure how it compares to the IQ-X exactly, but it's bound to be a safe bet reliability-wise.


I'd say Cyo Premium for general purpose/commuter lighting, IQ-X for serious night riding (or recumbents, where the extra beam width makes all the difference).  Edelux II for TEH SHINY.

[Cudzoziemiec]

My understanding is that the problems with the dynamo IQ-X relate to a failure mode than means you can't turn it on until after you've started riding. If you generally use senso, you may never notice.
(I use an Edelux II, no direct experience)

The senso on the IQ-X doesn't work in an on/off way like most lights. The light has two modes, off and senso. Senso in this case switches automatically between DRL and headlight according to ambient light (and seems to do this rather well). Off is just off!

[Kim]

My understanding is that the problems with the dynamo IQ-X relate to a failure mode than means you can't turn it on until after you've started riding. If you generally use senso, you may never notice.
(I use an Edelux II, no direct experience)

The senso on the IQ-X doesn't work in an on/off way like most lights. The light has two modes, off and senso. Senso in this case switches automatically between DRL and headlight according to ambient light (and seems to do this rather well). Off is just off!

Yes, it's like the 'T' versions of the Cyo in that respect.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's almost a wonder we don't talk about T-lights rather than DRLs, just as we've anglicized Standlicht to standlight. Okay, I suppose if we want to look at the root of the phenomenon we should be using a Finnish word, but we'd never get our tongues round it.

[JonB]

One was a replacement for one that had the only-switching-on-when-moving fault from new.  The whole thing smells like a quality control problem.

Hmmm, I think I may have this problem. I have to lift the front, spin the wheel and then switch it on but I think it will turn on and off when the capacitor is charged.  The light is very good and a significant step-up to my Cyo premium. I've not had it that long but not sure if I can be bothered to return it as it's fine when out and about.  The other point I would make is that it does seem to annoy car drivers more than the Cyo, riding at night over Christmas I lost count of the number of times I was 'flashed' by oncoming car drivers.

[Kim]

One was a replacement for one that had the only-switching-on-when-moving fault from new.  The whole thing smells like a quality control problem.

Hmmm, I think I may have this problem. I have to lift the front, spin the wheel and then switch it on but I think it will turn on and off when the capacitor is charged.

Sounds like it:  This post refers.

The non-faulty lights will switch back on using standlight power after being switched off, so you can switch it on without the bike being in motion.

The light is very good and a significant step-up to my Cyo premium. I've not had it that long but not sure if I can be bothered to return it as it's fine when out and about.  The other point I would make is that it does seem to annoy car drivers more than the Cyo, riding at night over Christmas I lost count of the number of times I was 'flashed' by oncoming car drivers.

Yes, the cut-off is very sharp, so you have to be quite careful with alignment.  With a rough road it can bounce above the horizontal quite easily (see also: car headlights).  If I add luggage to my tourer without adjusting the suspension properly, it can easily dazzle oncoming traffic.

[Christophe]

What about the IQ-X bracket? Is that still deemed to be a bit sh*t? Is the light compatible with regular fork mounted brackets if necessary?

[Kim]

What about the IQ-X bracket? Is that still deemed to be a bit sh*t? Is the light compatible with regular fork mounted brackets if necessary?

I gave up on it when I fitted the replacement IQ-X due to the switch fault.  Mainly on the basis that on my tourer I really wanted a bracket that I could adjust at the roadside railway platform without special tools, after the light inevitably gets bashed out of alignment during bikes-on-trains shenannigans.  It helped that I had a perfectly good wire bracket from a broken Cyo that I could use.

The bracket had worked fine for me apart from this.  It didn't droop or break in normal riding (disclaimer: it's a suspended bike).  If you need it to clear a rim brake, it's probably worthwhile, but otherwise the normal Cyo braket works just fine.

The Red Baron has a braze-on on the bottom bracket shell that the light bolts to directly, so no bracket was needed for that one (just a long bolt).

[Cudzoziemiec]

I haven't found the bracket to droop or break but it is difficult to tighten and very fiddly to adjust.

[Kim]

I haven't found the bracket to droop or break but it is difficult to tighten and very fiddly to adjust.

Agreed.   Especially if you've got about an inch of clearance between the light and your chainset, which greatly limits what tools will fit.  With a conventional nut-and-bolt, you can get a spanner on the nut from the front.

[JonB]

What about the IQ-X bracket? Is that still deemed to be a bit sh*t? Is the light compatible with regular fork mounted brackets if necessary?

I ordered a different bracket when I ordered mine. It's one of the thick wire types that come with the CYO, partly because of the reports I'd read on here and because it looked like might be more difficult to fit to a bike with an external headset).  I've subsequently seen one break on one of our Wednesday club rides so I think it's definitely worth getting one of the thick wire types, I think it only cost about £2 when I bought the IQ-X

[jiberjaber]

I've not had an issue with the bracket on the one I fitted in Feb.  The other one uses a different bracket as it mounts of my aerobars.  One feature I do like is the ability to rotate the lamp 180 degrees so you can hang it upside down but still have the correct light projection.

It does sound like both my lights have the same issue Kim identified but I don't find it too much of an issue, in fact it's a good indicator to ensure I have reconnected my dynamo correctly after the bike has been in the team car

[Kim]

It does sound like both my lights have the same issue Kim identified but I don't find it too much of an issue, in fact it's a good indicator to ensure I have reconnected my dynamo correctly after the bike has been in the team car

The inconvenience of the switch fault depends mainly on the geometry of your bike, vis how easily you can reach the switch while in motion.

With my recumbents this is 'difficult' (requires sitting forward in the seat while freewheeling) and 'impossible' (you can't sit forward in the seat - the handlebars are in the way) respectively.  Similarly if it's mounted low on the forks or if access is blocked by luggage, or whatever.

When I thought it was bad design rather than a fault, I installed a handlebar-mounted switch which interrupts the supply from the dynamo.  Since the sensor doesn't actually switch the light off, and DRL - while occasionally useful - wastes power I might rather be charging batteries with, I've kept the extra switch for convenience.

[jiberjaber]

It does sound like both my lights have the same issue Kim identified but I don't find it too much of an issue, in fact it's a good indicator to ensure I have reconnected my dynamo correctly after the bike has been in the team car

The inconvenience of the switch fault depends mainly on the geometry of your bike, vis how easily you can reach the switch while in motion.

With my recumbents this is 'difficult' (requires sitting forward in the seat while freewheeling) and 'impossible' (you can't sit forward in the seat - the handlebars are in the way) respectively.  Similarly if it's mounted low on the forks or if access is blocked by luggage, or whatever.

When I thought it was bad design rather than a fault, I installed a handlebar-mounted switch which interrupts the supply from the dynamo.  Since the sensor doesn't actually switch the light off, and DRL - while occasionally useful - wastes power I might rather be charging batteries with, I've kept the extra switch for convenience.

That's a good idea Kim. I'm ok on both mine, one is on the crown mount the other at the end of aero bars. Both have a bit of luggage in the way but nothing that cannot be pushed out of the way.