Ediblestarfish
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2011
- Messages
- 8
Ok, my stupid curiosity got the best of me, and I have both dyno-lights in my possession, in a total lapse of good judgment (I only have one bike). :shakehead Tested them back and forth, and have some notes to share.
Running them off a Shimano DH-3N80 dynohub.
The B&M CYO-RT...
...to me has a better controlled beam--albeit, a bit too well controlled, since it's narrower than I'd like. It's also a little dimmer, despite lighting up less area, and more bluish in tint, which makes it even harder to see clearly. There's a small spot in the center that shows up, which is a minor annoyance.
The daytime running light feature is questionable, since it pulls as much drag as when the light is on fully. I can't deny it adds to your visibility noticeably, albeit, so much it can be somewhat embarrassing when people stare. The DRLs (only 2 of the LEDs) also take up duty as the standlight which I do not like at all. It's fine in the day, but not at night. It's just not bright enough in my opinion.
It does not flicker as much as the Phillips at lower speed.
But the mount is sturdier, and the lighter weight housing construction resists vibration much more than the Phillips SafeRide light. I like how you can tuck the rear light wires into the small housing on the mount for a cleaner look if you are using a battery taillight.
The switch at the back seems a bit flimsy. It doesn't engage with much positive feedback, and at inconsistent contact positions. I'd just leave it in automatic mode and not fiddle with it for concern of long term durability.
The Phillips Saferide...
... has a nice, solid housing, which looks like a single piece of aluminum. It's heavy, but unfortunately, the mount seems flimsy for that weight. Just the usual road imperfections cause the beam to shake to a fuzzy blur sometimes; it doens't happen to the IQ CYO-RT nearly as much. The button on top is a bit small, hard to turn on with gloves, and has no way of indicating if it's on or off. Clicks pretty nicely though.
Turning it on and off, you can feel the drag go down on the dynohub--it doesn't feel as notchy.
The light beam is kind of odd. The mid to long range is well done, with very good consistency, decent throw, subtle gradation on the beam edges, nice width. The nearfield is messy. Artifacts everywhere, light in a wide arc. At least there's no claustrophobic sensation that you get with the IQ CYO-RT, but then again, it could be better controlled. Perhaps add some textured areas to the reflector?
Beam color is coolish-neutral, at least on the one I got. Much better than the IQ CYO-RT. It's brighter too, by just a bit.
It starts flickering at modest speeds, which I highly dislike. It's described as being very flicker resistant, but it's not as good compared to the IQ CYO-RT. Standlight is good, reduced, but useful light. Much easier to walk around the unlit garage with the Phillips standlight than the IQ CYO-RT's.
Overall...
I prefer the Phillips SafeRide light to the B&M IQ CYO-RT, but it's fraught with trade-offs. Going up hills at low speed, the flickering of the Phillips can drive you a bit crazy. The artifacts are distracting. The shaky mount is poor oversight.
But more and more neutral light, over more area at medium speeds, on relatively smooth roads is what I need most of the time, and the Phillips fits that solution better for me. Not by a large margin, but a significant one nonetheless.
Running them off a Shimano DH-3N80 dynohub.
The B&M CYO-RT...
...to me has a better controlled beam--albeit, a bit too well controlled, since it's narrower than I'd like. It's also a little dimmer, despite lighting up less area, and more bluish in tint, which makes it even harder to see clearly. There's a small spot in the center that shows up, which is a minor annoyance.
The daytime running light feature is questionable, since it pulls as much drag as when the light is on fully. I can't deny it adds to your visibility noticeably, albeit, so much it can be somewhat embarrassing when people stare. The DRLs (only 2 of the LEDs) also take up duty as the standlight which I do not like at all. It's fine in the day, but not at night. It's just not bright enough in my opinion.
It does not flicker as much as the Phillips at lower speed.
But the mount is sturdier, and the lighter weight housing construction resists vibration much more than the Phillips SafeRide light. I like how you can tuck the rear light wires into the small housing on the mount for a cleaner look if you are using a battery taillight.
The switch at the back seems a bit flimsy. It doesn't engage with much positive feedback, and at inconsistent contact positions. I'd just leave it in automatic mode and not fiddle with it for concern of long term durability.
The Phillips Saferide...
... has a nice, solid housing, which looks like a single piece of aluminum. It's heavy, but unfortunately, the mount seems flimsy for that weight. Just the usual road imperfections cause the beam to shake to a fuzzy blur sometimes; it doens't happen to the IQ CYO-RT nearly as much. The button on top is a bit small, hard to turn on with gloves, and has no way of indicating if it's on or off. Clicks pretty nicely though.
Turning it on and off, you can feel the drag go down on the dynohub--it doesn't feel as notchy.
The light beam is kind of odd. The mid to long range is well done, with very good consistency, decent throw, subtle gradation on the beam edges, nice width. The nearfield is messy. Artifacts everywhere, light in a wide arc. At least there's no claustrophobic sensation that you get with the IQ CYO-RT, but then again, it could be better controlled. Perhaps add some textured areas to the reflector?
Beam color is coolish-neutral, at least on the one I got. Much better than the IQ CYO-RT. It's brighter too, by just a bit.
It starts flickering at modest speeds, which I highly dislike. It's described as being very flicker resistant, but it's not as good compared to the IQ CYO-RT. Standlight is good, reduced, but useful light. Much easier to walk around the unlit garage with the Phillips standlight than the IQ CYO-RT's.
Overall...
I prefer the Phillips SafeRide light to the B&M IQ CYO-RT, but it's fraught with trade-offs. Going up hills at low speed, the flickering of the Phillips can drive you a bit crazy. The artifacts are distracting. The shaky mount is poor oversight.
But more and more neutral light, over more area at medium speeds, on relatively smooth roads is what I need most of the time, and the Phillips fits that solution better for me. Not by a large margin, but a significant one nonetheless.