chandltp

So I'm ready to get a dyno light, and my MagicShine is just about perfect for my riding in terms of the amount of light I get out of it.

I was looking at the beam shots on Peter White Cycles, and I think the Lumotec IQ Cyo R Senso Plus is a pretty close match. Anyone have any experience with this light to know for sure?

He mentions about people running 2 lights. Is that advisable with an LED light if I'm going to be out regularly after dark?

Also, any recommendations on tail lights? I'd like something that would be visible during the day.

znomit

I recently did an all nighter and some of that was with a guy with a MS. He much preferred my cyo, though he was running on medium power to conserve battery life.

dcrowell

I think the only dyno headlight that comes close to the MagicShine would be the E3 Triple... and it's not cheap.

I personally think that much light is overkill. I have the IQ Cyo.

Tail lights are harder. There aren't any great ones. Your best bet would be a wired one on steady and a battery powered one for blinking.

chandltp

It may be. I have poor night vision though. I can run with the MagicShine on medium and I'm fairly happy. How does the IQ cyo compare to that?

kuan

The brightness levels on Peter White's site are extremely exaggerated. They're only good for comparing one light to the next. I have a Supernova Pro and it compares to two Fenix L2D flashlights. That's plenty of light for me since I rarely ride above 20mph.

Richard Cranium

I don't know of any generator that can put out 10 watts. (MS900 on high) But, when you realize that 3 watts is all you need most of the time - generators make sense. I don't like them, but they are economical and offer a second power and light source.

znomit

You can get 10W out of a dyno hub...
https://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectron...moCircuits.htm

dcrowell

I don't have the MagicShine to compare with, but I do have my old Dinotte 600L.

The IQ Cyo is probably roughly equal to the Dinotte on medium (MS on low?). The bigger difference is beam shape. Both the MS and the Dinotte has a round flood beam. The Cyo has a shaped beam that is cut off on the top. This focuses more of the light on the road where you need it, but almost none up on street signs or in motorists eyes.

If you need to light up street signs, use a helmet light too.

chandltp

So might I be happier with one of the higher end lights that are 4x as much? I don't want to spend $100 on a light only to find out I should have spend $200 or $300, and have a $100 light that I don't like.

I wish I lived somewhere that people actually sold this kind of thing.

Richard Cranium

Well, you know what - you really do have to actually "use" the light to know how it works.

It is my understanding that the "newer" XM-L MS 900 light is yet brighter than the original. If this is indeed true, then it is unlikely you could need much more light.

The truth is, the expensive lights provide more reliability, and involve higher quality workmanship and materials. But you must pay a pretty large premium to get much more light than the MS900.

dcrowell

The new E3 Triple is rated at 800 lumens - and that's probably accurate unlike the MS. You won't get full brightness at really low speed, but you don't need full brightness until you're moving faster anyway. I believe it has a round flood pattern like the MS.

Oh, and it's over $300.

unterhausen

I've been impressed by some of the better dyno lights that I've seen other people using. They really put more light down in a usable pattern. Personally, the E3 Triple doesn't seem like a very good choice because it doesn't have directional optics. I have been considering either the Cyo or the E3 Pro Glare-free

chandltp

Thanks, I'll have to take a look at that one.

PaulRivers

Everything I've read about the e3 glare free has said it kind of sucks. For one thing, it doesn't throw light as far down the trail as the non-glare-free version.

If you want glare free, I believe the Cyo is a far better option. If you want more spread out light, I believe the regular e3 is good to.

PaulRivers

Actually...this is something Peter White used to write on his site, but I've never found it a problem. My Cyo lights up street signs when I'm halfway down the block just fine - it puts out a tiny amount of flood light, and those street signs are very, very reflective.

It's low hanging branches and rabbits off the side of the trail that it's not so good at lighting up...though neither is those things is usually a huge concern...

dcrowell

You're right. My issue with the Cyo and street signs involved non-reflective signs in a park. It was frustrating at the time. I don't look at normal street signs much around town, because I generally know where I'm going.