Lupine Piko 4 and Rotlicht

Perhaps you think my introduction is somewhat exaggerated. Perhaps you think there's a tad too much pathos in it. Well, there are bikes and there are bikes; there are brakes and there are brakes; and there are lamps and there are lamps. I hope you can see the point I'm trying to make.

I usually don't go out riding in the woods at night out of respect for mothernature. But it might happen - especially in the dark winter months - the darkness falls while I'm still on the road. That's why I wanted a lamp that is both compact and decent but at the same time powerful enough to guarantee a safe descent in the dark...

... adding to which it should be reliable and easily mountable on both handlebar and helmet, so it can be used for bike tours as well as climbs.

When I first saw the Piko a couple of years ago, I was mostly impressed by its design. There's no way one could create a more elegant case around two high performance LED bulbs. On my first night ride, all remaining doubts about the ultra compact shape dissolved. This tiny lamp has about as much power as my 6 year old Lupine Wilma (which I enhanced with a DIY upgrade kit) - which is more than enough for swift down hills or fast road passages.

Tech Specs Piko 4

The LED lamp market has been highly competitive for years. Thus, it is even more important for companies like Lupine to stand out and continue to offer innovative, high-quality products. Features like the aluminum handlebar mount show the love of detail that is part of Lupine's engineering. The screw is surrounded by two rubber bands; after tightening, the quick release firmly holds the lamp head between the rubber bands, which in turn makes sure that the head is able to move. I could not think of a neater way to solve this.

A 3.3 Ah SmartCore battery is part of the set. Due to its low weight, the battery can easily be attached to the head tube using the Velcro battery strap. A rubber protector ensures that the battery stays in place and won't scratch the frame. The capacity indicator works with 5 red LED lights, which can function as a rear light if the battery is mounted on the seat tube. A charger is also included in the set, as well as a helmet mount to guarantee for perfect illumination of your field of vision. The optional handlebar mount's advantage on the other hand is that the extra weight is carried by the bike, not by your head; however, it also means that your field of view won't always be illuminated in turns.

Tech Specs Rotlicht

Lupine's Rotlicht (which is German for "red light") has two special functions. Firstly, there's the accelerometer, transforming the red light into a brake light; secondly, there's a brightness sensor, adjusting luminosity depending on the surrounding light. The little thing can be mounted to all tubes between 22 and 55 mm in diameter, easily and without tools by simply using a rubber attachment strap. It's somewhat disturbing that, when mounted on a very thin tube, the protruding part of the strap can't be fastened anywhere and will end up hanging loose. However, if need be, the rubber strap can be shortened by screwing off the base and removing a few "joints".

Besides that, the red light is one of the brightest rear lights I have ever used. This is especially helpful to calm your nerves when you're on the road at night - or even worse, on a Canary coastal road in the darkness.

Check out this video with Harald Philipp for a demonstration: