Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

i find the standard light on my VWR could be improved for some of my night time commutes.
the beam is too narrow and could be a bit brighter for night times.
i plan on moving the b&m over to my city bike(dynamo powered), but i'm a bit lost with the choice of other dynamo powered lights.
any advice or suggestions will be welcome

I've got a cheap Supernova E3 triple available(ebay $50) after upgrading to the B&M Luxos 179 U. Mind you the Luxos 179U smashes the supernova E3 triple in terms of beam appearance. Some people have reported water ingress and latest disclaimer from B&M says not to use the USB while it's raining

maxknott wrote: the beam is too narrow and could be a bit brighter for night time...

Are you using the "S" (Sensor) or "T" (Day) switch setting, I had been using S which is supposed to be for sensor where it switches to day or night mode based on the light conditions but on a recent very dark ride I moved it to T and was very surprised that the beam appeared to be much brighter, especially close to medium range and wider. Am using T all the time now, makes no sense but I am happy, do 45 km couple of times a week at night in area without any street lighting.

Not too sure if the headlight that the OP had supplied on his VWR is the model with a switch to 'T' and 'S', maybe you're talking about B&M's Cyo light?

Vivente states that they use the B&M Lumotec IQ Fly RT http://www.rosebikes.com/article/b--m-l ... aid:457400, this only gives 40 lux and uses a reflector to provide near-field illumination that nobbles it for country riding. If you want a brighter B&M light try the Lumotec IQ Cyo T senso plus, 60 lux plus those 'T' and 'S' settings to decide on http://www.rosebikes.com/article/b--m-l ... aid:457434. A bright light without being wasteful, no blinding of oncoming traffic if set up right. Standard light on my country and Audax bikes. If you want a wider beam than this the new B&M light is the Luxos series with the Luxos U being the better http://www.rosebikes.com/article/b--m-h ... aid:620049.

If you want to look at brands other than B&M the Supernova lights are just as good quality however you might find the headlight not compatible with your B&M taillight. http://www.rosebikes.com/article/supern ... aid:642319. As to other brands this compatibility might not be an issue. The Phillips lights are popular. I've tried the AXA Nano but the wiring was shoddy, only lived 200km.

thanks for the replies guys

I've been using an Edelux by Schmidt/Son for over a year now.
These have been sometimes considered by reviewers as the benchmark of bicycle lighting that others are compared to.
If I was buying again and I had the funds, I'd buy the same in a heartbeat.
If I was lacking the funds I'd go with a Cyo by B&M.
The Philips is a great bang for buck light offering great output for value pricing.
Complaints include fracturing of the housing where the mount attaches. Again great price. I didnt like the look.
The Luxos is great on paper but there has been evidence of a product which can be suggested to have been a little rushed to market without enough ironing out of issues. Namely water ingress.
The Luxos has been the only product to date, before said issues became evident, to make me consider an upgrade from my Edelux.
That wont be happening now for the foreseeable future.
I think from memory that the Edelux is 80 lux and compatible with your taillight.

I have a Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ Cyo Senso Plus on my Surly Long Haul Trucker and I am very happy with it in the context of this bike and the type of riding that I do with it. Not sure how it compares with what your Vivente Randonneur has on it but.

It might be a reasonably priced option if the Lumotec IQ2 Luxos is not an option or the reported issues put you off it.

Regards
Andrew

Aushiker wrote:

I have a Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ Cyo Senso Plus on my Surly Long Haul Trucker and I am very happy with it in the context of this bike and the type of riding that I do with it. Not sure how it compares with what your Vivente Randonneur has on it but.

It might be a reasonably priced option if the Lumotec IQ2 Luxos is not an option or the reported issues put you off it.

Regards
Andrew

fantastic thanks for the info

i ended up getting the b&m iq2 as it also has the usb charging capabilities, so far so good for me,loving the light output

I have the B&M IQ2 'Luxos B' which doesn't have USB charging capability but the light output is impressive, being both bright and extensive (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I haven't used it yet in rain but it seems from the comments above that it's the Luxos U (with USB charging) that has had the problem with water ingress.

Greg

All concerns about water are very simply remedied if you just follow the product instructions from B&M. Some people like to overdramatise a "disaster".