Lupine Edison for biking

Hi all flashmen (and -women) ! I've been searching for a really good light to put into my mountain bike for biking in total darkness. I found this German made set, would you kindly check it out and maybe point any weak points out for me?
I don't know a lot about lightning technology and would appreciate all the help I can get. I don't mind putting some serious money into this, I just need/want a great light. Thank you all in advance! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif
here's the link: http://lupine.de/en/bike/bike/index.html (Edison)

I don't have any experience w/ the Lupine Edison, but recently I purchased one of NiteRiders new HIDs. The Cyclone (and Flame Thrower) both have a 3 stage HID light plus LEDs for up close battery saving light. You can even put the LED in Flashing and SOS mode in addition to constant on mode.

I bought mine on ebay to save $50 or so. However, at the time they were hard to find on ebay. I think I bought the first sold on ebay. I just found one of the flame thrower models on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3635115545&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

The NiteRider is a well made light. It seems durable.

The Cyclone is the helmet mount flat battery style. The Flame Thrower is a handle bar mount/water bottle battery style.

I do search and rescue and recently purchased the Edison. It is far superior to the Nitrider. I've had some glitches with my nightrider. The Lupine is better built, and noticeably brighter. Also has a dimming switch for more burn time. Also a very light weight light compared to NR, which is important if you go light and fast as a hiker/climber, but may not be as important to a bike rider. If you need more info let me know, but I highly recommend it.

hi Kuvittelija!
did you recognize the comparison site from lupine?

Thank you all for your opinions! I hadn't noticed the comparison site since it was only at the German language side, Thanks for pointing me to it! Looks very promising this Edison! One question...when Xenon bulb has been burning for some time, it does get very hot? So in biking use, i would need to let it cool down before I could take it with me, right? Or otherwise burn my hands and backsack or pockets /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ?

Hi Jerimoth, Glad to hear that you like the Edison. How's its throw? Besides, how much heat it generate? Do you think if it would be too much heat if mount on headband instead of helmet?

TIA.

Alan

From my point of view, the throw is incredible. I can't imagine that it would compare to the big HID lights that people on this forum talk about, but it is much brighter than Nite RIder lights, which until I bought the Edison was the brightest headlight you could wear for mountain rescue. I used it a few nights ago for a rescue and it wasn't warm at all, and it's set a bit away from the band so it doesn't really touch your head anyway. Let me know if you have further questions.

Hi Jerimoth, which reflector you've ordered, the standard 18 degree or the 10 degree.

TIA.

Alan

Jerimoth- I have used the Niterider Storm(helmet mount) and find the beam slightly bluish yet still much more effective than a mr11 25W halogen. Beam color does vary from bulb to bulb,as witnessed at a recent 24 hour mountain bike race. During trail riding at speed the light seems to change color slightly when subjected to high freq. vibrations and this affects perception a little.

Is the light the same color white from both brands of lights even though the Lupine is brighter?
When switching the power settings on Edison does the beam change color. Better throw, Lupine or Niterider?
Any details why the Lupine is better quality?What Edison setup do you have?

Alan: I have the standard reflector.

Lightmight:
The Edison appears slightly whiter than the Storm. The beam appears very slightly bluer at the lower brightness setting.

Throw: I have a sense from using both that the Edison has a better throw, it's not a spot but it has significant reach. I can check it out this weekend on patrol in New Hampshire.

Here's my problem with NiteRider: Sometimes the battery seems to give up far earlier than I would have expected. I was on a search a few weeks ago in the middle of the night in the dense fog. My storm, after less than 2 hours of light, went dead, and it was fully charged. My range went from 30 feet to 3 feet as soon as I switched on my Tikka. I felt almost as lost as our lost hiker except I had a radio and a pack full of gear to spend the night if I had to. That's when I called Gretna's in Pennsylvania and had them ship me the Edison 5. The battery seems to hold up better and longer, and there don't seem to be the same connection problems that NR has, and also it is far far lighter in weight than the Storm- both the headpiece and the battery, which you start to notice after about 24 hours on the trail. Both NR and Lupine have solid looking units, but the Lupine feels more positive, just hard to describe I guess. It's definitely brighter, although for most purposes in SAR you don't need quite that much light, and the other rangers and fish and game officers kind of resent you for a. having a better light and b. blinding them if you accidentally point it in their direction. I've taken recently to hiking down with another ranger after dark with the light facing the other direction, using the peripheral glow of the light to light the trail, and only using the HID lights when I'm alone. But hikers appreciate the security/reassurance of someone coming upon them with a truly powerful blast of light when they're benighted or struggling to find their way down in the dark. It also helps speed people up who are kind of scaird of hiking in the dark, especially when they're tired and feeling weak. That for me is the main reason for using NR or Lupine- although I've also used it draw out lost hikers who see the beam sometimes before they hear my whistle.

Hope that helps. Check with me next week after I've had a chance to compare NR and Lupine to answer your questions better.

Hi Jerimoth,

Where did you get your Edison? Do they have a web site? I guess they might offer better price than from Lupine direct

alan

Here is the website for Gretna where I believe Jerimoth purchased his Lupine Edison.
Gee, I think the prices are in US$. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

http://www.gretnabikes.com/jcat2/product.asp?category=4&v=2

Lightmite, thans for the link. Its price is much better than German direct

Alan

Here are some tech differences to consider if you didn't know:
The NiteRider (and Light&Motion and others) use 10W HID's. They're Solarc according to this page. The Lupine is also listed as using the Solarc (Welch-Allyn) lamp, but according to Lupine it's 16W max. The more wattage the merrier! And Lupine is using Lithium ion batteries. The other folks are using NiMH. I don't know what the wattage on the Cateye Stadium 3 is, but I vaguely recall it was 20 or higher. But it has a very messy battery and separate ballast configuration.

I have Light&Motion on my bike and I've never had a problem with them during a fair amount of night riding in the woods.

Setting The Record Straight

FYI: on NiteRider

The new Cyclone and Flame Thrower models are NOT the same as the old Storm and Blow Torch models. The NEW HID/LED combo lights are 12 watts and NOT 10 watts. They are BRIGHTER than the previous models at the brightest setting. They are rated at 4-6 hours depending on the HID setting. They are rated at 80 or so hours depending on the LED setting.

Lupine Edison for Biking

OK, so get this. So I said before that I'm a park ranger. I was awakened in the middle of the night last weekend by a call from a camper who complained about a group of loud campers partying at 3am. I got up, put on my uniform, and put on the Edison. I walk through the campground,with the light off just following the noise. I come across a rowdy group of intoxicated campers sitting around a campfire. I walk right up to them (they can't see me because of the fire)and turned on the headlight. As the beam came to full brightness it was like I was an alien landing from outer space. I moved the beam across each person's face until I got the group's attention and told them they had to shut up and get to bed or they'd spend the night in the tank. They were sufficiently stunned that they all scurried around as best they could in the blinding white light. Finally, I stepped away and turned off my light to be sure they were quiet before I left to try to get back to sleep. It was the most fun I've had with a flashlight in years.
Jerimoth, a satisfied customer of Gretna and Lupine.

Re: Lupine Edison for Biking

Jerimoth, I am sold on this. I know what i will get this Christmas

Alan

Re: Lupine Edison for Biking

Hello Jerimoth,

Great story.

I will be looking for the sequel on the X Files.

Tom