Headlamps without cutoff (for dynamo or batteries)

Tested: June 2010

MTB lamp, not suitable on public roads, doing so is dangerous and antisocial (at least in countries where car drivers aren't trying to kill cyclists, as some seem to want to do from what I read about the US and the UK (but see (*)); btw. I believe that a major influence on changing attitudes of people is children: Letting children ride to school on a bicycle, as is common practice in the Netherlands, would definitely help, not only in the attitude these children will have later in life, but this will undoubtedly have an immediate effect on what car drivers feel they can do...). Not better than an Edelux for on-road use.

More details: Magicshine MJ-808 P7 LED lamp 10W: description and review + comparison with Edelux

Tested: 17-29 Nov 2010

MTB lamp using 7 x XP-G cool white LEDs producing ca. 1850 lumen (claimed by manufacturer, but likely real). Illumination of the road surface is better than the Philips LED bike light by virtue of the enormous amount of light, but it's not a spectacular improvement and this only works when aiming the lamp far, otherwise the close-field is illuminated far too brightly.

More details: Lupine Betty 2011 (7 x XP-G R5), for MTB use, no cutoff: description and review

Tested: March 2019

MTB lamp, though in the UK used for on-road riding, it's definitely better than a circular symmetric beam, but a real cutoff beam is quite significantly better for on-road riding!

I compare this lamp with a lowly Spanninga Axnedo 40 dynamo lamp (= Philips Saferide 40, ca. 40 lux, 110 lumen) and though it's brighter, it doesn't work much better than this low output dynamo lamp. It's worse than the Philips LED bike light on the road, though better for curves due to wide beam.

More details with videos: Exposure Strada 1200, 1200 lumen, rectangular beam.

Tested: 1-21 August 2010

MTB lamp using 3 x XP-G cool white LEDs, this gives a lot of light powered by a standard dynamo, but for on-road use it's not suitable because of the beam that shines into the face of oncoming traffic (esp. cyclists will have problems with this, drivers in cars less so because they have powerful headlamps). Not actually better than an Edelux for on-road use. Especially disappointing is the short throw of about 40 m. For MTB use the Ktronik lamps are the best dynamo lamps you can buy.

More details: Dynamo headlamp: Ktronik triple XP-G (cool white) lamp: description and review

Tested: From 10 January 2011.

MTB lamp using 3 x (XR-E or P4?) cool white LEDs that according to Supernova produces 550 lumen. In reality it probably produces about 270 lumen and that's an optimistic estimate. It is not very bright, esp. compared to the Ktronik triple XP-G. A regular headlamp with cutoff gives much more useful light for use on public roads and for MTB use the lamp seems to me far too dim. The 2010 version is undoubtedly better, but not much better considering the light measurements of Olaf Schultz (max. ca. 345 lumen at 40 km/h).

More details: Supernova E3 triple (version from summer 2009, supposedly 550 lumen), 3 LEDs, for MTB use, no cutoff, for dynamo: description and review

Tested: From 17 April 2013.

This is my test of a prototype of a custom made MTB lamp using 3 x LEDs. A good amount of light, but throw doesn't get to where the best dynamo lamps with cutoff get, as expected, because that's very hard to do. It lights up the road and what's beside it very well as you can see in the beam shot. This light has been designed with a lot of care and is as good as any other you can buy. The switch and dynamo cable are the best I've seen on any dynamo lamp showing how much the designer looks at details. A brighter version will come soon. Price could be around €70,-. If you're interested in this lamp at such price, let me know, and I will let the designer know.

More details: Bidi triple 2013, 3 LEDs, for MTB use, no cutoff, for dynamo: description and review

Tested: From June 2015.

Puts out a lot of light, achieves throw similar to the best headlamps with cutoff (except IQ-X and LS905/906), and is unbeatably cheap at 90 euro including taillamp. Contact me if you want to buy one and I'll refer you to the maker...

More details: Bidi 2015, for MTB use, no cutoff, for dynamo: description and review