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Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

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If you night ride on trails a bunch, you’ve probably heard a lot of opinions on what makes the best light set up. It would seem that most riders agree that a light on the bars plus a light on your head makes the most sens since the light on your head allows you to see where you’re looking, not where the bike is pointed while the light on the bike keeps the light lower, and illuminates further down the trail.

But what if there was a light that combined the best of both worlds? That light may look like the new Mystic Devices Hydra3.

Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

Instead of a single LED that fixed straight ahead, the Hydra3 features three separate LEDs with “terrain-adaptive technology.” That means that when you turn, the light senses that motion and lights up one of the outer LEDs in the direction that you’re turning. Turn right, and the right LED lights up the inside of the turn. Turn left, and it’s the left LED. When riding straight ahead, only the center LED is lit – unless you’re on Descend & Climb mode (this mode turns on all three for a wider beam). This is all done without any moving parts or buttons and happens almost instantaneously.

Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

Compared to a standard center mounted light, the Hydra3 seems to illuminate much more of the turn.

Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

All three LEDs are packed in the same housing with an IP64 water resistant housing, and internal battery. When run on the internal battery alone, you can expect up to 2hrs of run time on high. However, you can plug in any external battery pack through the USB-C charging port to run indefinitely. On full power the light is said to generate 900 lumens with neutral color LEDs.

Go into the Mystic w/ motion sensing, beam shifting Hydra3 adaptive head light

The included mount will work on both 31.8 and 35mm bars, and positions the light over the center of the stem for an ideal position that places the light above your cables.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/564144577/hydra3-bike-light-the-ultimate-night-riding-experi/description

Obviously shown above as a prototype, the lights are being launched through Kickstarter and will be delivered if successful around February. Currently, you can pick up a light through the campaign for $149, or about 15% less than retail.

mysticdevices.com

kickstarter.com

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i
i
5 years ago

What does it do about the fact that bar mounted lights are pointed at the ground or in the air a significant portion of the time when trail riding, due to the fact that trails have obstacles and aren’t flat?
One of their graphics shows a guy jumping – anyone that’s ever done that with only a bar light knows you’re going to be blind for a second somewhere in that process (you’re probably also going to have the light shine directly in your face for a second).

That’s why we all know, the helmet light is primary, bar lights are only there as a backup. For road biking, where I’m not hopping logs or jumping or crossing gullies or… mountain biking, sure, that could reduce the need of a helmet light. If you had enough faith that it wouldn’t just turn off.

MTB4me
5 years ago

Got it…my VW Golf enjoys this tech and I like it while driving at night!

But in the case of riding single track at night and at speed, the function of a helmet-mount light is that as in daytime riding, you can direct the headlight in single-track manner to the corner/obstacle that your “looking-ahead” eyes would do on same trail during daytime.

Before you need to to turn your bar for this “adaptive left/right beam tech” to do their thing, it would be likely too late to be more effective than your helmet-mount and the reflexive need to see well ahead of where your front wheel is currently going!

Steve
Steve
5 years ago

I hate it when things like this are made. Because so many people worked so hard on problem that does not exist… So sad….. Reality for night riders is two lights for safety, redundancy, and the ability to look into corners.

Dylan Sutton
Dylan Sutton
5 years ago

Beam pattern inspired by graffiti on the wall of a public toilet cubicle?

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