Mxfarm

Interested in using a dynamo hub ( have a Sanyo ) to power a light. Will be on country, unlit, paved roads, speed avg of 15-16 mph. Primary concern is seeing wildlife ( deer, hogs, raccoon's etc ) and road hazards.

Anyone with recommendation for a light?

marc

unterhausen

I really like the width of the B&M Luxos. Look at the beam patterns on Peter White's site, there are other alternatives now.

pdlamb

Any of the $200 lights should work well for you -- Edelux, Supernova, Luxos.

Of course, I'd have said that two years ago, when the lights that now cost $100 cost $200. Country riding is fairly easy once you get the lights situated right, so you don't lose peripheral night vision from the glare of a too-bright spot. Deer and possum eyes retro-reflect pretty well, just keep your head up and watch the edges of the road.

trailmix

+1
I have always ridden with battery powered lights until I rode with a guy on a 300k that had a B&M Luxos. Amazing light to say the least, it really lit up the wooded backroads of Kentucky. I am building up my bike for next year with a SONdelux/B&M Cyo.

zacster

The B&M Cyo Premium is cheaper than the Luxos and puts out the same beam. And yes, once you see what a good shaped beam dynamo light will do you won't want to go back to cone shaped beam battery lights.

Mxfarm

So what's the difference in the lights to cause the price difference?

marc

zacster

The high end Luxos unit has a USB port, but otherwise I don't really know.

I checked the Peter White site and it has a few other doo-dads, such a dimming feature when speed drops, and a handlebar switch. For the extra money I don't think these things are worth it. The Cyo Premium is expensive enough.

PaulRivers

You definitely do not want the original Cyo. The Cyo premium has a much wider beam. Not sure if the cutoff would be a problem or not - car low beams have the same kind of cutoff.

The more expensive Schmidt Edelux II (again be sure to get the II, not the 1, as the II's beam pattern is much wider) use the same beam pattern but the LED is supposed to be slightly brighter and with a nicer color temperature.

These lights with a shaped beam and a cutoff produce the best light for road riding. Again, not sure if you'll find the cutoff to be a problem for you regarding wildlife. You should be able to see hogs and racoons fine, not as sure about deer as they're taller with skinny legs.

I've seen mountain bike dynamo lights as well - no cutoff and the beam isn't shaped, so they're better for seeing tall things on the side of the road but worse for lighting up the road itself.

The Supernova e3 has gotten poor reviews. I've seen k-lite mentioned for mountain bikers before as being better:
kLite.com.au Dynamo Lighting Systems

Suggested from this thread:
Edelux vs. The World- Mtbr.com

Here's another thread on the topic of the best dynamo light for mountain biking (no cutoff) -
Generator lights. How do they compare? - Page 2- Mtbr.com

PaulRivers

The high end Luxos "U" has usb charging.

The cheaper Luxos "B" does not have usb charging.

They're both physically huge when I saw them in the store.

What happened is that the original Cyo was out. Then they came out with the Luxos - usb charging on the U model, wider beam pattern with more throw. Then a year later, they came out with the Cyo Premium.

I don't think there's any reason to buy the Luxos B now that the Cyo Premium and Schmidth Edelux II are out. The Luxos "U" might be useful if you need usb charging, but I know one poster who owned both though the Cyo beam pattern was better.

zacster

That's what I thought when I read the Peter White description. There was nothing on the B model that I didn't have on my Cyo Premium, and the Cyo is brighter too, 80 lux vs. 70. I expect a 100 lux model soon, maybe a Luxos unit with an upgraded bulb but otherwise the same.

Mxfarm

Well, I've got a B&M Cyo Prem headed my way.

Mxfarm

Ran across the web site w/some pretty good comparisons

Busch & Müller: Lichtvergleich Scheinwerfer

PaulRivers

I hope you'll comment back and let us know what you think. Curious to see what others opinions are. I've heard just about everything from people who owned the battery version (Ixon Iq Premium), and been debating if it was worth the extra cost to go for the Schmidt Edelux II which is supposed to have an LED with a little nicer color output and a few more lumens.

StephenH

"Country riding" is easy. It's the city riding that's the problem. Specifically, my Edelux lights are great out on a dark road, but if you get in with a bunch of car headlights, they get washed out, and a lot more power would be handy.

I have seen several riders using Edelux lights adjusted so it made a bright little rectangle right in front of the bike. That's wrong. You want the bottom of the beam pattern to be several feet out and the top of the beam pattern at "infinity"- you can light stuff up a good ways off, then.

zacster

Love mine, so good luck with it.

Mxfarm

Will do PaulRivers.

Reynolds 

You did well IMO. I have a Cyo Premium and like it very much, the beam pattern is adequate for country riding, it's small and it's half the price of the Luxos U.

noglider 

I don't ride in the country often. I've developed a technique of swerving left and right to sweep my light beam side to side. It works for me, but I can't say it will work for you.

I love B&M lights, but darn, why are their model names so immemorable for me? I get them all confused. I can't remember which lights I have.

zacster

They have way too many variations on the same thing, aside from the names being unmemorable.

Check out Arthur's tavern on Thursday nights, Grove right off Seventh. Good funk band, with big mama most Thursdays. No cover.

surfjimc

I just put on a Luxos U. I really like the beam pattern, but I think that it might not be great if you like to ride fast. I roll along at 16 - 18mph, and can't imagine going much faster with just the Luxos on. That said, it is just an impression. I have only been riding it for a week, and haven't had a chance to get it out on a truly dark road to see how it fares. On another note, they did change the switch so that the usb port is on a cable that screws in. The fitting is protected by a small cap. Pro is that it much more rain friendly; con is that now I have another small piece to lose. I really like the light for my commute; it is very visible day and night.

zacster

When I first used my Cyo premium, I still had my battery light mounted on the bars, so I compared them. The Cyo was much brighter, in fact the Lezyne light barely lit anything in comparison and I thought the Lezyne was pretty bright. I rode a few more times before I found a really dark place in NYC. Once I did I was astounded by how much it lit the area in front of me, how far and how wide. Find a dark place with no street lights and go ride.

noglider 

I rode with my Dosun U1 (I think) on Thursday night, and I did go through some dark patches at the northern end of the Hudson River Greenway. My feeling is similar to @surfjimc's about his light. It's a good beam, but I probably won't exceed about 18 or 20 mph on it. This is not a big sacrifice for me. The beam is also narrow, so I swerve left and right sometimes to sweep the path with my light. No biggie, really.

I powered it with my antique Miller sidewall generator. I suspect the light doesn't care what kind of dynamo powers it, since the voltage is regulated in the light. My legs would prefer me to use a different generator, for sure, and I'm considering swapping this old thing off this old bike. The drag is, well, a drag.

kickstart

I also have the Cyo premium and find it excellent for in town, and out in the sticks with no ambient light. The Sanyo hub was a major disappointment, it dragged excessively in the cold, finally seizing up when got down to the low 20s.
Moved the B&M lights to my Robin Hood, running them on a 40 year old S&A Dynohub until I get new wheels for my Ross Porteur.

noglider 

@kickstart, I wonder if your Sanyo was defective. I have two. I've been using one for two years without problems. I feel the vibration but not the drag.

Mxfarm

Quick question, when I travel w/bike I do so with front wheel removed. Not overly impressed w/the plug on the Sanyo dynamo for repeated use. Has anyone ever wired another plug between the hub and light for front wheel removal? What did you use?

marc