New B&M Lights with Wide Beam and Daytime Mode Available

I think these
http://www.starbike.com/en/busch-and-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo/ are the
lights that Andre was talking about (the ones with premium in their
name). They have a much wider beam and there's a model with daytime
running lights. No flash mode for daytime use unfortunately, but perhaps
someone can modify one to add a flash mode for use outside Germany.

While these still don't meet all the requirements for lights (Google
"Choosing a Headlight for Your Bicycle" and see the sixth result) and
aren't as good as the Supernova E3 Triple
http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3_triple.html for commuting,
they are definitely a huge step up from previous B&M lights, and are a
lot less expensive than the Supernova E3 Triple.

http://bbandm.wordpress.com/2013/08/...e-advertising/

On Wednesday, November 13, 2013 11:18:59 PM UTC, sms wrote:
I think these

http://www.starbike.com/en/busch-and-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo/ are the

lights that Andre was talking about (the ones with premium in their

name). They have a much wider beam and there's a model with daytime

running lights. No flash mode for daytime use unfortunately, but perhaps

someone can modify one to add a flash mode for use outside Germany.



While these still don't meet all the requirements for lights (Google

"Choosing a Headlight for Your Bicycle" and see the sixth result) and

aren't as good as the Supernova E3 Triple

http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3_triple.html for commuting,

they are definitely a huge step up from previous B&M lights, and are a

lot less expensive than the Supernova E3 Triple.

Yup, that's them. The proper commuter lamp is the Premium R model, for "reflector" because it has the reflector built in. "Plus" means it has a built-in stand light function to keep the lamp on when you're temporarily stopped.."Senso" means a built-in light sensor switches it on when ambient light levels are low. The lifetime of the LEDs in these lamps is 50K hours plus, so you can run the lamps permanently, just leaving them on day and night, so you don't need the sense function but you generally have to take it if you want the other desirable functions.

Whether these new lamps are desirable -- speaking now to cyclists who aren't BUMMbuddies (who always have to have the latest BUMM lamps, and think they're the greatest because they're the latest) -- depends on whether BUMM have fixed the problems of the wretched recent series of Cyo, most notably the gross hotspot.

Andre Jute

On 11/13/2013 3:34 PM, Andre Jute wrote:

Whether these new lamps are desirable -- speaking now to cyclists who aren't BUMMbuddies (who always have to have the latest BUMM lamps, and think they're the greatest because they're the latest) -- depends on whether BUMM have fixed the problems of the wretched recent series of Cyo, most notably the gross hotspot.

Companies are finally learning to design optics specifically for LEDs
rather than trying to re-use the optics that they used for decades on
incandescent lamps. They also seem to now realize that they have
sufficient light that they don't have to focus all the available light
onto a small patch of road directly in front of the bicycle.

The last few lights I've purchased have had almost no hotspot. You can
see a slight hotspot if you look really closely but you'd have to be
actually looking for it. All of these have had spot to zoom optics.

The next goal of B&M should be to offer a version of their product with
optics and features that are highly desirable but that are not allowed
to be sold in Germany. Either they can follow what Supernova did and
state that the lights are not for on-road use, or they can do a version
for the rest-of-world with symmetrical optics and a flash mode. It would
greatly expand their TAM.

On 11/13/2013 07:34 PM, sms wrote:
On 11/13/2013 3:34 PM, Andre Jute wrote:

Whether these new lamps are desirable -- speaking now to cyclists who
aren't BUMMbuddies (who always have to have the latest BUMM lamps, and
think they're the greatest because they're the latest) -- depends on
whether BUMM have fixed the problems of the wretched recent series of
Cyo, most notably the gross hotspot.

Companies are finally learning to design optics specifically for LEDs
rather than trying to re-use the optics that they used for decades on
incandescent lamps. They also seem to now realize that they have
sufficient light that they don't have to focus all the available light
onto a small patch of road directly in front of the bicycle.

The last few lights I've purchased have had almost no hotspot. You can
see a slight hotspot if you look really closely but you'd have to be
actually looking for it. All of these have had spot to zoom optics.

The next goal of B&M should be to offer a version of their product with
optics and features that are highly desirable but that are not allowed
to be sold in Germany. Either they can follow what Supernova did and
state that the lights are not for on-road use, or they can do a version
for the rest-of-world with symmetrical optics and a flash mode. It would
greatly expand their TAM.

Why the **** would they take a perfectly good light and give it a
****tier beam pattern and a useless flash mode? Do you have any idea
what makes a good headlight, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Expert, or do you just
talk talk talk and never listen?


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On Thu, 14 Nov 2013 07:05:55 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:

On 11/13/2013 07:34 PM, sms wrote:
On 11/13/2013 3:34 PM, Andre Jute wrote:

Whether these new lamps are desirable -- speaking now to cyclists who
aren't BUMMbuddies (who always have to have the latest BUMM lamps, and
think they're the greatest because they're the latest) -- depends on
whether BUMM have fixed the problems of the wretched recent series of
Cyo, most notably the gross hotspot.

Companies are finally learning to design optics specifically for LEDs
rather than trying to re-use the optics that they used for decades on
incandescent lamps. They also seem to now realize that they have
sufficient light that they don't have to focus all the available light
onto a small patch of road directly in front of the bicycle.

The last few lights I've purchased have had almost no hotspot. You can
see a slight hotspot if you look really closely but you'd have to be
actually looking for it. All of these have had spot to zoom optics.

The next goal of B&M should be to offer a version of their product with
optics and features that are highly desirable but that are not allowed
to be sold in Germany. Either they can follow what Supernova did and
state that the lights are not for on-road use, or they can do a version
for the rest-of-world with symmetrical optics and a flash mode. It would
greatly expand their TAM.

Why the **** would they take a perfectly good light and give it a
****tier beam pattern and a useless flash mode? Do you have any idea
what makes a good headlight, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Expert, or do you just
talk talk talk and never listen?

It is likely that the Light People are reacting to popular demand.

Some bloke writes in a blog how useful the flash is and the Light Boss
reads it. Monday he calls the Engineering Guy and says, "George,
everybody is raving about flashing lights. Can we make out light
flash", and George thinks a bit and says,"Yup, we'll have to add a
little solid state thingee - they'll cost about a half a cents each
but we can do it."

The Boss calls the Sales Guy and says "Roger, if we had a flashing
light would it sell better?" and Roger thinks a bit and says, "We
could call the New Improved Version and raise the price $5.00."

The Boss makes a management decision that XYZ Bicycle Lights will
shortly be marketing a new, improved, bicycle light that is vastly
superior to older versions.

A news conference is scheduled to introduce the NEW Z-Lite! The best
thing to happen to bicycle lights since the invention of the candle.

And Swarf tells us about it.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 11/14/2013 8:06 PM, John B. wrote:
On Thu, 14 Nov 2013 07:05:55 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:

On 11/13/2013 07:34 PM, sms wrote:
On 11/13/2013 3:34 PM, Andre Jute wrote:

Whether these new lamps are desirable -- speaking now to cyclists who
aren't BUMMbuddies (who always have to have the latest BUMM lamps, and
think they're the greatest because they're the latest) -- depends on
whether BUMM have fixed the problems of the wretched recent series of
Cyo, most notably the gross hotspot.

Companies are finally learning to design optics specifically for LEDs
rather than trying to re-use the optics that they used for decades on
incandescent lamps. They also seem to now realize that they have
sufficient light that they don't have to focus all the available light
onto a small patch of road directly in front of the bicycle.

The last few lights I've purchased have had almost no hotspot. You can
see a slight hotspot if you look really closely but you'd have to be
actually looking for it. All of these have had spot to zoom optics.

The next goal of B&M should be to offer a version of their product with
optics and features that are highly desirable but that are not allowed
to be sold in Germany. Either they can follow what Supernova did and
state that the lights are not for on-road use, or they can do a version
for the rest-of-world with symmetrical optics and a flash mode. It would
greatly expand their TAM.

Why the **** would they take a perfectly good light and give it a
****tier beam pattern and a useless flash mode? Do you have any idea
what makes a good headlight, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Expert, or do you just
talk talk talk and never listen?

It is likely that the Light People are reacting to popular demand.

In this case the demand is driven by solid scientific studies, the kind
that a few people in r.b.t. abhor because invariably the results
contradict their own claimed beliefs (though it's highly questionable as
to whether or not they actually believe what they are posting).

Flashing lights are three to five times more visible than a steady light
of equivalent brightness (depending on which study you believe). The
negative about flashing lights is that they make it more difficult to
accurately judge the distance of the vehicle or bicycle with a flashing
light (and this applies to both front or rear flashers).

The optimal lighting setup for bicycles would be one flashing light and
one steady light, but few cyclists want to deal with two front and two
rear lights. There are a few higher end bicycle lights available with
two sets of light sources and optics with each being independently
settable, but that use one battery pack, i.e. the Light & Motion Stella
600 Dual. But not many cyclists are going to spend $300 on lights.
Buying two separate lights works fine, and it is much less expensive,
but it means dealing with two sets of batteries and chargers, and two
mounts.

Since a night commuter with dynamo lights is probably going to carry
along a battery powered light anyway (in case repairs need to be
performed), what makes sense is to make that battery powered light one
that can serve double-duty as a front flasher in the daytime. You can
buy a high quality, 600 lumen, single Li-Ion cell, zoomable light, with
flash mode, for about $35 including a battery and charger. Just add a
TwoFish mount.

The bottom line is that if you value your safety you don't want to be
riding in the daytime without a front flashing light of sufficient
brightness.

On 11/13/2013 06:18 PM, sms wrote:
I think these
http://www.starbike.com/en/busch-and-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo/ are the
lights that Andre was talking about (the ones with premium in their
name). They have a much wider beam and there's a model with daytime
running lights. No flash mode for daytime use unfortunately, but perhaps
someone can modify one to add a flash mode for use outside Germany.

Why are you constantly obsessing over flash modes?


While these still don't meet all the requirements for lights (Google
"Choosing a Headlight for Your Bicycle" and see the sixth result) and
aren't as good as the Supernova E3 Triple
http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3_triple.html for commuting,

You misspelled "are likely far superior to the Supernova E3 Triple for
commuting although not as good off road"

they are definitely a huge step up from previous B&M lights, and are a
lot less expensive than the Supernova E3 Triple.


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On Thursday, November 14, 2013 4:03:09 AM UTC-8, Nate Nagel wrote:
On 11/13/2013 06:18 PM, sms wrote:

I think these

http://www.starbike.com/en/busch-and-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo/ are the

lights that Andre was talking about (the ones with premium in their

name). They have a much wider beam and there's a model with daytime

running lights. No flash mode for daytime use unfortunately, but perhaps

someone can modify one to add a flash mode for use outside Germany.



Why are you constantly obsessing over flash modes?





While these still don't meet all the requirements for lights (Google

"Choosing a Headlight for Your Bicycle" and see the sixth result) and

aren't as good as the Supernova E3 Triple

http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3_triple.html for commuting,



You misspelled "are likely far superior to the Supernova E3 Triple for

commuting although not as good off road"

A flasher can be useful this time of year when my commute is in dreary conditions, and a solid beam can be lost in the light noise. I switch to flasher mode in a few places along my commute route. I would like that option on a dyno light, although it is not critical.

I also like a lot of light when riding in the rain at night, so the Super Nova makes sense. OTOH, I don't think a truly symmetrical beam is very efficient. I've never used a light with a hard cut-off, so I don't know whether I would miss the spew of my current light (which has some, minor beam shaping). I do know that the spew is handy for the climbing and descending portions of my hilly route home, but I waste a lot of lumens lighting the tree boughs and sidewalks when riding home on my flatter routes. Someone should design a light with variable beam patterns.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 11/14/2013 7:33 AM, Jay Beattie wrote:

A flasher can be useful this time of year when my commute is in dreary conditions, and a solid beam can be lost in the light noise. I switch to flasher mode in a few places along my commute route. I would like that option on a dyno light, although it is not critical.

I also like a lot of light when riding in the rain at night, so the Super Nova makes sense. OTOH, I don't think a truly symmetrical beam is very efficient. I've never used a light with a hard cut-off, so I don't know whether I would miss the spew of my current light (which has some, minor beam shaping). I do know that the spew is handy for the climbing and descending portions of my hilly route home, but I waste a lot of lumens lighting the tree boughs and sidewalks when riding home on my flatter routes. Someone should design a light with variable beam patterns.

I rarely see any adult commuters without a daytime flasher anymore (OTOH
I see a lot of school-age kids riding with no lights at all, day or night).

It would be incredibly clueless to not use a flasher if your lights have
that functionality, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a battery powered
light without a flash mode.

While I almost never see anyone with dynamo powered lights, for those
that do choose that option they can either use a Planet Bike Blaze
Dynamo in the daytime (to get the flash mode) and switch to a Supernova
E3 Triple at night (to get sufficient illumination and an optimal beam
shape) or simply add a separate battery powered light for flash mode in
the daytime.

The thing about a powerful daytime flasher is that it helps prevent
drivers from doing stupid things. Not always of course, but enough to
make using one a very intelligent thing to do.