jade408

I have a new bike, with an Edelux 2. Something is a bit off, and I can't seem to properly describe it. So the light field seems absurdly short, the light is topping out at around 2 meters ahead. Then the light just seems to bunch up and not illuminate any further. I can't see any issues with the mounting, and I haven't ridden much at night yet - but the light pattern is different than I remember on my previous bike.

Should troubleshooting start with the hub, wires, wiring, or light?

tacreamer

Pictures? It sounds like it’s mounted upside down.

unterhausen

is it mounted at a different height? Seems like you just need to aim it up a bit more. I always find that a bit annoying. Particularly on the IQ-X, where it's really easy to break the mount

My criteria is mostly to illuminate warning signs from a distance, but not up close. Then I go out and ride some steep hills and see if it is too scary at the bottom. Usually have to aim up a little more for that,.

jade408

It is mounted around the same height as I had on my previous bike. Underneath a front rack. Right now it is only illuminating a tiny bit ahead on the road...but I also don't exactly know how far it is lighting up. It is definitely stopping abruptly just ahead of my bike on the road. Max 6 feet ahead....

Hmm, that is a possibility. Will take a look and take a pic...there is a special upside down mount version right too?

noglider 

German law requires bike headlights to have a certain beam shape. There must be a sharp cutoff at the top of the beam to prevent blinding people. This is a good thing. It also mandates a maximum power, which I think is a bad thing. To make use of the lower power, the makers work hard to get the most out of the little power the lights emit. The specially shaped reflector puts most of the energy at the top of the beam. By aiming the light right, the light spreads as if it is shone from above, i.e. the close part of the field to the bike is not brighter than the far part. Definitely make sure the light isn't upside down, but I'm guessing it's not. Make sure it's aimed high enough. If your mechanics are used to lights made for the American market, they will point it down to prevent blinding people. A German spec light should be pointed straight ahead.

Try to ride close to a wall or some pillars and see where the top of the beam is on vertical surfaces. It should be right at the height of the light or maybe a tiny bit lower. This will ensure it doesn't go into anyone's eyes.

One nice thing about the German law is that these lights work well elsewhere. They don't have to have different designs for different markets. They mass produce these lights, and they're not terribly expensive.

Another annoying thing about the law is that it doesn't allow for flashing headlights or taillights. The authors claim flashing lights are too distractive. Clearly, many of us disagree.

gecho

I bought this bracket for keeping my edelux 2 mounted upright while positioned beneath my rack. https://velo-orange.com/collections/...-light-bracket

There is an edelux 2 designed to be mounted upside down but I decided to just go with the standard one and get a suitable bracket.

jade408

I had the same before, and I don't remember the beam pattern working the same way. What is different, is the range is ending after only a few feet, but it is kind of bunching up at the edge of the beam, as opposed to ending in a clean line. I remember having maybe 20 feet of light before....even though it got dinner over the distance (which was fine).

The upside down hypothesis is a good one actually.

tacreamer

Yes, there is a special made upside down version of the Edelux II https://nabendynamo.de/en/products/h...r-hub-dynamos/

noglider 

@jade408, maybe your previous one was upside down and you got used to it. It is supposed to be bunched up at the far end. It will reach out farther and spread out if you point it higher.