Helios

[BruceBrown]

Awesome. I got the prototype frame earlier last week - will be painting it this coming week and assembling it.

I will have a better sense for the timeline by mid-late next week. Knowing where the frames and shipping timelines are. - we may not be able to get to Christmas ..

However, there are a few more cool (yes more cool) things I have been able to add. I will be able to show that as part of the prototype build. Founders obviously get these - but these are really important updates that I was planning for.
1. GPS (equipment cost is included, will be installed in the frame before shipping. Free first 3 months, and then a really great price for the rest) . This will be a service we will launch in Q1 but you can sign up for it. Will work in NA (Canada, US, Mexico). Yay. Will have iOS and Android apps.
2. Better controller cable (you can now derive more power from the motor) -- included
3. A better.. much much better and brighter head light. -- you can swap to this at no additional cost.
4. I already talked about the display - that will be available early - mid Q2 at a nominal shipping charge.


So working on a bunch of Helios stuff right now. Looking really good. Wish I could do better on the timeline.. so trying on that end.

Will this same GPS be offered with the Hydra?

 

[pushkar]

Can you share which light? The supernova is already super bright!

same with the gps, any links you can share?

1. Light can range from 2000-6000+ Lumens (depending on the mode). Wanted to give users options in case they did off road in the dark. It is with a manufacturer that has started to produce some incredible (and super well reviewed) high power lights. We are testing 2-3 variations right now, and I will have a better answer on the final choice in a few weeks. The construction is world class, they have local US presence, and the warranty etc is fantastic. On par with Supernova. Oh.. and you can actually turn the light OFF explicitely (since it is not euro spec).

2. GPS is a custom unit for Watt Wagons, certified for ATT style networks. The coverage is exceptional - you can still track quite well even in super remote areas. Technically any unit that is the right size, that has been certified for ATT can be used. We have something custom that has excellent performance, has a battery backup, great warranty, and a few more core changes to allow for dual charging, heartbeats, etc etc.




Question. for everyone :
For high power (20W-80W) lights, these can be wired to the ebike battery. However at 70 / 80W they use a significant amount of energy and can materially affect the range. I would recommend using a slim dedicated battery pack to power these. The battery pack is slim and can be mounted on the frame or under the lights. The battery pack can be charged from the DPC18 display. So you are technically never out of power.

Thoughts on choice of wired versus battery powered high power lights?

 

[pushkar]

Will this same GPS be offered with the Hydra?

yes! The downtubes are common so same stuff.

 

[coldriderwi]

Thoughts on choice of wired versus battery powered high power lights?

Definitely wired. Having a separate battery adds more complexity and clutter. Especially since it sounds like I can control brightness to consume less power.

 

[pushkar]

Definitely wired. Having a separate battery adds more complexity and clutter. Especially since it sounds like I can control brightness to consume less power.

Cool. That works. I will give everyone an option. Wired or Battery backup.

 

[onlineaddy]

Thoughts on choice of wired versus battery powered high power lights?

Until we get to see this other light option, I’m probably gonna stick with the wired Supernova.

 

[pushkar]

Until we get to see this other light option, I’m probably gonna stick with the wired Supernova.

Of course.

 

[flocknut]

Wired. If we have the second battery mounted we should rarely be short on ah.

 

[Zachdds]

Before we were talking best and worse case scenarios for the bike. Can you give us an idea as to where you see them now? Excited about all the new features.

 

[pushkar]

Before we were talking best and worse case scenarios for the bike. Can you give us an idea as to where you see them now? Excited about all the new features.

OK.. no need for us to be coy about this ... This is the light we are testing and want to offer.

Monteer 6500 Zeus
Comparing against other lights from Bike Radar
1.

Other reviews
1.

2.

 

[pushkar]

Added a couple of links and comparison with other lights for the Zeus.

 

[pennybags]

Added a couple of links and comparison with other lights for the Zeus.

Jesus.
I know I liked supernova till 15 minute ago ... but my god.. I think I can live with this.


are you sure you are able to do this in the initial budget? I know you are getting the prototype out - but just starting to wonder if you are making any money on the founder series at all ????

 

[Deacon Blues]

Since I never ride at night I will never need a really bright light, but I'll be happy with whatever light we end up getting. What I would prefer is a light that offered a flashing mode, which is what I use now when I ride.

 

[pushkar]

Jesus.
I know I liked supernova till 15 minute ago ... but my god.. I think I can live with this.


are you sure you are able to do this in the initial budget? I know you are getting the prototype out - but just starting to wonder if you are making any money on the founder series at all ????

Thanks bud.

Yeah.. I think the reality is that some of the shipping stuff is beyond my control. Demo frame was shipped late October and we literally just received it. Motors shipped in early November .. not here yet.

We have most everything else ready so I am spending time trying to make the bike even better. Yes it is a tad more cost to me but iterating allows me to put out a much much better product.

 

[pushkar]

Since I never ride at night I will never need a really bright light, but I'll be happy with whatever light we end up getting. What I would prefer is a light that offered a flashing mode, which is what I use now when I ride.

Yes you can do flashing / DRL on this.

 

[onlineaddy]

For my commuting use case, I’ll stick with the Supernova. It’s good to have choices though. So, thank you for that, Pushkar.

 

[Bluzrif]

Awesome. I got the prototype frame earlier last week - will be painting it this coming week and assembling it.

I will have a better sense for the timeline by mid-late next week. Knowing where the frames and shipping timelines are. - we may not be able to get to Christmas ..

However, there are a few more cool (yes more cool) things I have been able to add. I will be able to show that as part of the prototype build. Founders obviously get these - but these are really important updates that I was planning for.
1. GPS (equipment cost is included, will be installed in the frame before shipping. Free first 3 months, and then a really great price for the rest) . This will be a service we will launch in Q1 but you can sign up for it. Will work in NA (Canada, US, Mexico). Yay. Will have iOS and Android apps.
2. Better controller cable (you can now derive more power from the motor) -- included
3. A better.. much much better and brighter head light. -- you can swap to this at no additional cost.
4. I already talked about the display - that will be available early - mid Q2 at a nominal shipping charge.


So working on a bunch of Helios stuff right now. Looking really good. Wish I could do better on the timeline.. so trying on that end.

Yeah probably an unfair question, given the circumstances... I just wanted to be sure you weren’t taking the weekend off...LOL . Thanks for striving for excellence... I am so looking forward to owning and riding the end result of your obvious passion, even if it comes in a red box with chocolate.. JJ

 

[Masejoer]

That monteer appears to have a beam pattern (none) useless for the road - too much flood for the output. Usable light output (throw vs pupil constriction vs energy lost to the sky) may very well be similar between the two lights, but the supernova won't blind everyone else around. I'm actually surprised there's talks about a generic (LED in cylinder, nothing more) light over one with an actual beam pattern.

This is identical to people installing "hid" or LED bulbs into their halogen car headlights, and either blinding everyone, or aiming the lights down to flood the few feet in front of the vehicle, but destroying illumination distance, and making the nearby light cause pupil constriction, further hurting vision. Okay for specific rural off-road cases, but that's it.

 

[onlineaddy]

Right, it’s good for nighttime mountain biking, which isn’t what I’ll use my Helios for. But, may be exactly what someone else wants. So, choice is good.

 

[Bluzrif]

1. Light can range from 2000-6000+ Lumens (depending on the mode). Wanted to give users options in case they did off road in the dark. It is with a manufacturer that has started to produce some incredible (and super well reviewed) high power lights. We are testing 2-3 variations right now, and I will have a better answer on the final choice in a few weeks. The construction is world class, they have local US presence, and the warranty etc is fantastic. On par with Supernova. Oh.. and you can actually turn the light OFF explicitely (since it is not euro spec).

2. GPS is a custom unit for Watt Wagons, certified for ATT style networks. The coverage is exceptional - you can still track quite well even in super remote areas. Technically any unit that is the right size, that has been certified for ATT can be used. We have something custom that has excellent performance, has a battery backup, great warranty, and a few more core changes to allow for dual charging, heartbeats, etc etc.




Question. for everyone :
For high power (20W-80W) lights, these can be wired to the ebike battery. However at 70 / 80W they use a significant amount of energy and can materially affect the range. I would recommend using a slim dedicated battery pack to power these. The battery pack is slim and can be mounted on the frame or under the lights. The battery pack can be charged from the DPC18 display. So you are technically never out of power.

Thoughts on choice of wired versus battery powered high power lights?

love the option but I don’t foresee needing a high powered light for extended periods....I’m 4 wired I think.