Today’s ride was… unremarkable. The roads were good, the drivers considerate, and the weather was fine, but it wasn’t very interesting. A large part of it goes through private timber land that has either been clear-cut, or replanted. I know wood has to come from somewhere, but it doesn’t make good sightseeing. I only took one picture all day, when I noticed the tide seemed really low.
So, instead of talking about the ride, I want to share my impressions of my headlight. Those of you who know me know that I love gadgets. Keeping them charged is a challenge. Since 2014, every bike I’ve ridden has been equipped with a hub dynamo and a headlight, taillight and USB charger powered by the hub dynamo – more than 150,000 miles.
In 2014, the best choice was the B+M Luxos U that combined the headlight and USB charger, but I ended up having serious problems with this headlight. First, it wasn’t sealed against rain, so I had two that failed – at night, in the middle of rides – due to water ingress. Second, the dynamo connected to tiny spade connectors that turned out to be really fragile – and not replaceable. This light failed at night as well. I started carrying a helmet-mounted light because I couldn’t trust my headlight.
Around 2017, Sinewave, the maker of separate dynamo-powered USB chargers, released the Sinewave Beacon. It was instantly better than the B+M Luxos U in almost every way. It was (and is) incredibly reliable, completely sealed, and basically indestructible. The only two ways in which it didn’t measure up were:
1. It doesn’t have beam cutoff. This means it shines light in oncoming traffic’s eyes, so you really should mount it on handlebars if you use it on multiuse trails.
2. The “standlight” is practically useless. It is so dim, I’d be surprised if anyone would notice it.
In 2023, SON, the maker of (inarguably) the best hub dynamos, announced a new headlight with built-in USB charging. Their most famous headlight – the Edelux and Edelux II – seemed to be the basis for this light, which they ultimately called the Ladelux. Although it was announced in December 2023, the first lights weren’t available until spring of 2025, and, frustratingly, they were only available in Europe, and none were available for sale online. They expected you to bring the bicycle into their partners’ stores for custom installation. I checked all the time, waiting for them to become available in the US. The day Peter White, the official importer, listed them, I ordered one.
It’s very expensive. The light alone is $465, and you need a switch ($103) and charging cable ($49). This is far more expensive than a Sinewave Beacon ($350). But it has a shaped beam, using the same reflector as the famous Edelux II (actually designed by, and built by Busch and Muller!), and an actually useful standlight. It also has a built-in cache battery, so the charger is either delivering power or not, instead of having a trickle of power when you’re riding really slowly (e.g. when you are climbing a steep hill).
So, what is the verdict? This headlight is amazing. I can easily keep my Samsung S24 Ultra, Garmin Edge 1050 computer and Garmin inReach Mini 2 completely charged by swapping the cable from device to device when each reaches 100%. All of this while keeping the headlight and taillight on constantly. This is much better than the Sinewave Beacon, which I’ve put 100,000 miles on and know intimately.
I only have two concerns:
1. The LED indicator that tells you what mode the light is in is really hard to see in daylight.
2. The absurdly expensive and completely proprietary magnetic charging cable is super-tiny, and will be easy to lose. I already lost one (and found it two weeks later). I attached it to my bike with Velcro, but I am also carrying a spare, because the charger is simply unusable without it.
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