The question is literally burning on the tip of your tongue. How do you come up with the idea of making the brightest bike light in the world even brighter? So bright that it feels like you're riding on a laser beam?
But you don't really need to ask the question. Firstly, the answer is obvious anyway. And secondly, Lupine boss Wolf-Dieter Koch has said it countless times into reporters' microphones. Every time he has presented a new world record in terms of luminosity in the last 30 years.
"It's about the ultimate solution," he summarises once again on the occasion of the revised, now 8100 lumen top model Alpha: "We want to show what is technically feasible. With the Alpha, we are not concerned with what makes more sense. The lamp is a lighthouse project. It's the same with a Porsche 911, which wouldn't need a Turbo S either. But because it is technically possible, we are happy to realise it."
Because it's possible: Lupine Alpha now with 8100 lumens
The Lupine Alpha presented four years ago was for nocturnal bikers what a Leica S might be for camera enthusiasts, or the aforementioned Turbo S for car freaks: the technical maximum. And at the same time something that radiates deep into the realm of object eroticism.
Powerful, classy, expensive. More of a status symbol than a commodity. The 7200 lumens of the 2018 Alpha lit up the trail so brightly that the difference between day and night seemed to be cancelled out. This ruled out approval for official use, which is why Lupine declared its prestige model as a "race only" lamp.
Our verdict after an extensive test on the 300-kilometre EBM 300 ultra-marathon in August 2018: Impressive light with top illumination even at the lowest setting. The battery power was amazing. The battery was still half full after the race with a completely full night.
Two, even three nights were possible on one battery charge if you did without the fade-out. Which was easily possible on a not too rough surface. And another thing became clear during the test: 7200 lumens are an impressive brightness experience. But do you need that as a biker, from a purely sober point of view? Definitely not.
The successor Alpha is now being launched these days. The new version has 8100 lumens. Which is crazy when you consider that even with 2000 lumens you can race comfortably and without any feeling of insecurity over a 24-hour race course at night. The price hasn't changed: a whopping 1080 euros!
Seen in this light, it is difficult to conduct a standard product test driven by objective arguments. If one were to proceed strictly in this way, the judgement would be devastating: too heavy, too expensive, too bright, one would have to write. But that would do this lamp anything but justice. But first the sober facts:
The lamp head
The CNC-machined lamp head weighs 225 grams and is equipped with a total of 8 lenses. Two of these are so-called 22-degree lenses which, in combination with two ultra-wide-angle lenses, are designed to illuminate the close-up range more rigorously than any other bike lamp. Four further 18-degree lenses, on the other hand, focus the light so strongly that the beam reaches 480 metres.
To dissipate the heat, the new head is slightly larger than the old one and has even more cooling fins. The head is shock-resistant and elaborately sealed against water ingress.
Due to the legal situation, the lamp may only be sold in Germany as a helmet lamp and not as an integral part of the bike, as it is then not a bicycle lamp in the classic sense. The international versions come with a handlebar clamp and quick-release fastener, which can also be purchased separately for 32 euros.
The switch
The lamp head is controlled via Bluetooth remote control. The switch is attached to the handlebars with a rubber quick-release fastener. There are four levels.
The factory setting is graded as follows, but the modes can also be programmed individually. :
- 3 watts = 550 lumens, light duration 33 hours
- 10 watts = 1700 lumens, lighting duration 10 hours
- 30 watts = 4400 lumens, light duration 3:15 hours
- 70 watts = 8100 lumens, light duration 1:20 hours
The battery
Just like the lamp head, the battery is relatively large. It is mounted under the top tube using a Velcro strap or, if the lamp head is actually placed on the helmet, tucked into a jersey or rucksack. The 6.9 Ah battery measures 14 centimetres in length and weighs an impressive 420 grams. Great: small, integrated diodes indicate the charge status when required. The charger included in the set takes 4.5 hours to fully charge an empty battery.
The practical test
Installation and commissioning are simple and intuitive. As we don't think it makes much sense to use the relatively heavy Alpha as a helmet light, we opted for the international handlebar clamp version. The lamp head is positioned in no time at all and only requires rough alignment, as its angle can be fine-tuned at any time during the ride. The battery is attached under the top tube with a Velcro strap. Considering that it is 14 centimetres long and weighs almost half a kilo, it sits surprisingly securely. The Bluetooth switch can also be mounted on the handlebars in seconds.
If you press one of the two buttons, the light shines at level 2, i.e. 1700 lumens. This is amazingly bright, and actually quite sufficient for wider paths and not too technical trails. The light pattern is excellent. The area in front of the front wheel is illuminated in such a way that stones, roots or steps can be easily recognised. However, the beam also reaches far enough forwards to be able to adjust to the rest of the route.
If you tap the switch again, the trail suddenly shines brightly. Even at high speeds, the feeling of safety is the same as during the day. Every pebble, every bush, every bend in the distance is perfectly illuminated. 4400 lumens! That's how much the top models from other lamp manufacturers have, if at all.
The excitement is great to see what a floodlight feeling the click on the highest level with 8100 lumens will produce. In fact, the light now shoots out of the lamp like a laser beam several metres thick. It is as if the Alpha is atomising the darkness. This is impressive, but it is a fairly similar brightness to the previous version with 7200 lumens. The extra light power is particularly noticeable in the form of better illumination. Level four is so bright that it is almost unpleasant. In our opinion, this is more of a reserve in case a treacherous, blocked passage needs to be mastered.
The second switch takes you back to level 3, 2 and finally to 1. The weakest beam still has 550 lumens. Enough for pedalling on well-maintained routes. However, the light beam is then too weak for sporty trail biking.
Conclusion from BIKE editor-in-chief Henri Lesewitz
The Alpha already proved its outstanding quality and luminosity in our last test four years ago. The difference between the original version and the new version is smaller in practice than we had expected due to the increase from 7200 to 8100 lumens. This is probably due to the fact that the Alpha was already so bright in full power mode that you could have driven at night with sunglasses on.
The increased brightness is an unimportant secondary aspect that serves the manufacturer's ego more than the biker. Much more interesting is the superb illumination, which is virtually perfected with the new version. The light can even be used in the lowest levels for sporty use, while the battery lasts almost forever in these modes.
Due to its exorbitant price, the lamp only really makes sense for two target groups. Firstly, for competition bikers who want to chase laps without compromise in 24-hour races. And secondly, for ultra-bikers and bikepackers focussing on gravel tracks who are looking for a light that can last two or three nights on a single charge. For reasons of animal welfare, it's not advisable to be out in the forest at night. However, this is completely independent of the lamp type.
"What is technically feasible will be realised" Interview with Wolf-Dieter Koch, Managing Director of Lupine
The hunt for the crown of brightness runs through the history of Lupine. Why does it always have to be brighter? For company boss Wolf-Dieter Koch, there are more than just rational reasons.
BIKE: Why a lamp as bright as the Alpha?
Wolf-Dieter Koch: There are various reasons for this. Of course, we attach great importance to having the brightest bicycle lamp. We owe that to our reputation. There is a copy of the Alpha from Magicshine, which of course can't be any brighter. But maximum brightness is only one thing. We also want optimum light distribution for the intended use. Only bright, that would be possible with much less effort. But then the light distribution would be super-wide and without a massive range. This is the big challenge with the Alpha: still an acceptable size, wide, even illumination, but also a really wide range with pressure in the centre. This can only be achieved with relatively small LEDs and different lenses, which makes it difficult to achieve maximum light output. The Alpha is our lighthouse project. Whatever is technically feasible will be realised. We are not concerned with the further practicality of the Alpha. And there is certainly another aspect, similar to a Porsche 911: the Alpha is also a status symbol.
What exactly has changed technically in the new version?
We have focussed in particular on temperature management. Heat dissipation from the LED is of crucial importance for all our lamps. This is a particularly tricky task for the Alpha with its 70 watt power consumption. We have increased the sheer mass of the lamp head. More aluminium can absorb more heat in the short term. Even the rear cover is therefore milled from aluminium. The surface area has been maximised through deeper and a larger number of cooling fins. The connection of all temperature-sensitive components has been modified and optimised. We have also improved the selection of LEDs, as only 0.5 per cent of the Cree LEDs produced meet the requirements of the Alpha specifications.
Where can you officially use the lamp?
In Germany, the Alpha is permitted as a helmet lamp, as it is not a component on the bike. Otherwise, the law states that the customer is responsible for purchasing a quick release for the handlebars, but only as an accessory and not included in the package. Of course, the Alpha must not be used in road traffic, but that's obvious with a light like this anyway. Fortunately, the Alpha is quite expensive and is therefore more likely to be shortlisted by responsible buyers. This is not typically a lamp purchased by 18-year-olds.
