Cockpit and light set-up oblique view

            Two photos I made in last years TPRNo1 to document my lighting system to which I evolved over the last road centric ultracycling races. Last year I switched already in summer for the TPBR2019 from a purely battery pack oriented set-up to a hub dynamo powered one. And I'm rather fond of it because it makes me completely self-sufficient. If I don't want to stop overnight in a hotel I don't have to. But I still can charge all my devices and have always light - even if days into the race and riding through the night. The peace of mind this provides is a big bonus in itself.

So last year I chose the SON Edelux II front light. It has a nice reflector and a nice beam. But it is StVZO compliant which means it's street legal in Germany. While this is a good thing it also means the beam shape has to comply to some restrictions so to not daze oncoming traffic. What's good for the oncoming traffic is to the detriment of my own range of vision and awareness of obstacles at the very edge of the beam. 

And apart from that if you are riding reasonably swift (i.e. already on a plain and certainly on a slight or even steep gradient) the range of the beam could be wider.

Then you also have the fact: if you would be very slow (more a concern for offroad riding uphill) or even hiking you would need a battery powered light nevertheless.

And the 3rd point is: every vital system you have (and lights are vital else you could only ride in daytime) needs a redundant backup. That is a battery powered light for a hub dynamo system.

So all that means: In my battery powered set-up my Lupine Neo was my main light and was mounted on the center bridge on the tip of my aerobar extensions. There where you see now the SON Edelux II mounted.

My redundancy option then was a separate battery powered light (the Supernova Airstream) transported inside my handlebar bag (only retrieved in case of need).

Now last year with the SON my new main light is the SON Edelux II now taking the center spot. But I kept the Lupine Neo. And decided to make it also fixed. I went down into the bend of my right extension where it neither collides with my grip nor gets shadowed by my hands. Im rather fond of this position. It's a small footprint GoPro-Cable-tie mount. And the diminuitive Neo has a special mount for this. Sweet.

It's permanently mounted because I use the Lupine Neo as my "high beam". I.e. every time when I'm outrunning the visibility range of the SON Edelux II beam. This is for every descent (safe for ones with really frequent tight corners and thus slow speed) and also for normal pace on the flats as long as I'm confident having enough battery juice left).

That is already a really sound and nice system. But I still thought it left something to be desired. How capable can a dynamo powered light really be? Can't I have both? Sufficient throw when going fast and but also well defined and wide enough at low speeds? And if that is not (yet) combinable with the German StVZO by the industry (or they don't see the market for this yet) then so be it. Because of this I approached Kerry Staite from kLite last winter and ended up purchasing his  kLite Bikepacker Ultra Lights. I got both because I wondered which would be better for me and my diverse needs. So I took the MTB version with me to the Atlas Mountain Race and plan to use the Road version instead of the SON Edelux II for the upcoming Three Peaks Bike Race. 

Still want to make another night time test of all 3 lights (SON and the 2 kLites), though (only did a quick first impression comparison of those last winter and was already impressed by the kLites).

Taken in: France / Occitanie / Arrondissement de Prades / Espira-de-Conflent (show map)

Taken on: October 7, 2019

Tags:

Aerobars

Akkuleuchte

Beleuchtung

Bikepacking

Bremshebel

Energie

Fahrrad

Fahrradbeleuchtung

Food Pouch

Frankreich

Gebirge

Lenker

Lenkeraufsatz

Lenkertasche

Leuchte

Licht

Lupine

Lupine Neo

Occitanie

Okzitanien

Ornot Bar Bag

Profile Design T1+

Pyrenäen

Pyrénées-Orientales

Radfahren

Radrennen

Radsport

Radtasche

SON

SON Edelux II

Schaltgruppe

TPRNo1

Trans Pyrenees Race « less

Sets appears in: • Bikepacking Preparation 2020

Groups appears in: • Bicycle Touring • CYCLOMANIA more » • Bicycle Addicts • PoweredBY SRAM • Bikepacking (and ultralight bicycle touring) • 1" Sensors • Bikepacking « less

Camera: Sony DSC-RX100M3, f/5.6, 1/320 sec, 25.7mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony DSC-RX100M3
Lens:	24-70mm F1.8-2.8
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	25.7mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	-0.3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Show full info

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