Yeah, beam pattern is important, and I can't claim that I've yet found the perfect setup. There does seem to be some benefit for going with a more focused lens on the headlamp and a broader/diffuse beam on the bars, but I wonder how much of this is ultimately personal preference (keeping in my that I wear corrective lenses, so my peripheral vision is not particularly useful).
Runtime really shouldn't be an issue nowadays; standard power-tool 18650 cells are cheap and offer substantial capacity for the money. Those cells are less than $4/each in small quantities, and they only weigh 50 grams/each so it's possible to stuff a crapload of them into a pack without adversely affecting weight. But looking at the Gloworm system, the 4-cell pack offers 50 Wh for about $120
Color temperature is super-important, and I'll gladly give up intensity for CRI. I want flora to look green, not grey.
Adaptive optics could be extremely useful, but I'm not sure the benefit is worth the complexity. Maybe I'd feel differently after trying it! But for now, a decent bar-mounted intensity control works fine.
Thermal performance is all too often overlooked. I've done some LED design for the day job, and it's easy to underestimate the impact of temperature rise on the system performance. Pump a few amps through a handful of Cree XHPs and then assume summertime ambient temperatures and realistic (i.e. near-zero) airflow; it's not easy to maintain an acceptable die temperature with a reasonably-sized housing.
Frankly, the wiring and connectors on most lighting setups kinda sucks. They aren't mechanically robust nor sealed as well as needed for occasional submersion. No one wants the bulk of automotive connectors or the cost of some of the smaller specialty connectors (such as those used for industrial automation), and so we get junk like coaxial/pin-and-barrel connectors.
Runtime really shouldn't be an issue nowadays; standard power-tool 18650 cells are cheap and offer substantial capacity for the money. Those cells are less than $4/each in small quantities, and they only weigh 50 grams/each so it's possible to stuff a crapload of them into a pack without adversely affecting weight. But looking at the Gloworm system, the 4-cell pack offers 50 Wh for about $120
Color temperature is super-important, and I'll gladly give up intensity for CRI. I want flora to look green, not grey.
Adaptive optics could be extremely useful, but I'm not sure the benefit is worth the complexity. Maybe I'd feel differently after trying it! But for now, a decent bar-mounted intensity control works fine.
Thermal performance is all too often overlooked. I've done some LED design for the day job, and it's easy to underestimate the impact of temperature rise on the system performance. Pump a few amps through a handful of Cree XHPs and then assume summertime ambient temperatures and realistic (i.e. near-zero) airflow; it's not easy to maintain an acceptable die temperature with a reasonably-sized housing.
Frankly, the wiring and connectors on most lighting setups kinda sucks. They aren't mechanically robust nor sealed as well as needed for occasional submersion. No one wants the bulk of automotive connectors or the cost of some of the smaller specialty connectors (such as those used for industrial automation), and so we get junk like coaxial/pin-and-barrel connectors.
). This bike is basically the stock XO1 build, less the power meter. I would really like to get it down to 22 pounds. I’m putting my Hydra/Enve wheels on it next week and just put the new Sid Ultimate 120 on it, so I don’t think 22# is in the cards. But that weight is ready to race less a full bottle (including tools and tube). It’s a great riding bike!
.....Oops !
