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Cheers. Yeah, I've only used Medium on the Six Pack when it was exceptionally foggy or misty or something one night and for most of my 24hrs just wack it on Low and go. I got flashed by a truck (with about 30 front lights of its own) when it had rotated on the mount and was pointing up a bit.
If these MTB style dynamo lights fire out wide - is a helmet light necessary? I had issues during the last 24hr not being able to take a dog-leg fast because I kept missing the apex with a bar-mounted light that I'd have to twitch the steering to light up the turn. I was thinking about adding a helmet light to the mix. Helmet light would also help repairs, setting up sleep spots, etc in the middle of nowhere.
I'd like to not buy 20 different models of dynamo light but the more I read the more confuzzled I get about reliability, beam patterns and crap. I think since it's LFGSS I should just buy the stuff I think looks the best or is the lightest or brightest or something and sod functionality :)
hippy-
The helmet mounted light is a good idea for all the reasons you stated, the dynamo light is useless when stopped. It is also pretty pants on a hairpin road I use quite a lot as it doesn't shine around the corner! However I would beware Shermer's neck, as the added weight is in exactly the wrong place, and it was the helmet mounted bluetooth intercom that did it for the rider I was supporting in the race around ireland last year. Use a tiny torch (I have a Sunwayman VR11) It has about 500 lumens and is easy to click on when needed. The output is adjustable, so when faffing about off the bike you can turn it right down low to save the battery and your night vision.
Comparing dynamo lights I also have an ordinary Supernova E3 (useless, now a town bike light) and an Edelux (also useless as the cutoff beam is just where you need the light to be). E3 Triple pro gets my vote, although my mate has the Exposure revo, and I like the beam pattern of that. Just not as bright though.
adroit
I have the six pack and the e3 triple pro. The six pack as you know is overkill (I have the original 2000 lumen model) I only ever use it on low beam on the road. The Supernova actually has a similar light pattern as the Six Pack, maybe a slightly wider beam. On the road I point both at the ground so the centre of the beam is about 25 feet in front of me, and this doesn't dazzle drivers and allows the road surface to be progressively better illuminated as you ride towards things, so a pothole for example is visible in the far distance quite easily, and becomes progressively better illuminated as you get closer to it. The clamp is easy enough to adjust so it is tight enough to prevent unwanted movement, but not so tight that you can't adjust the beam upwards when suddenly presented by a bit of off road, or undipped car headlights approaching. The six pack has a massive reserve power output, the supernova is actually more than adequate.