Celebrity Death Match Brewing: Schmidt Edelux vs. Supernova E3

We randonneurs who use Schmidt dynohubs can hardly sleep at night. Like the man said, the future's so bright we gotta wear shades. New products are lighting up the road like never before.

The standard for years has been the E6 light, which throws a very even yellow light up the road. But the E6 is being eclipsed by a new generation of white bright LED lights.


The Supernova E3 has been getting rave reviews from riders who've already put it to use on early season night rides. A Seattle friend used one on last weekend's fleche and said it was "just outstanding.... it lights up the world." You'll see on the Supernova site that the maker brags about using "the world's brightest LED."

But....


Inquiring minds want to know how it will match up against a new Schmidt light, the Edelux, that will be available in June. The picture above is from this page of Peter White Cycles. The Edelux is said to have three times the total light output of the E6 and throw a beam twice as wide. It has a four-minute standlight and a sensor that automatically turns the light on and off as needed.

Bicyclists will have to pay dearly to see these two lights slug it out. Both lights are priced at over $200 -- and the price keeps climbing as the dollar falls. But one or the other will soon be lighting the way for my new Coho.