As you can imagine, we spend a considerable amount of time training in the dark training the dogs, clearing the trail of deer and in general keeping the night time bunny population in tip top condition........Therefore a good reliable lighting system is of utmost importance to ensure that we can see all those downhill hairpin bends before we get to them.

We used the Lumicycle 2004 NiMH system to train throughout the 2004/2005 rally season and competitively at Delamere, Sherwood & Yateley Heath night rallies. The Lumicycle system is designed for cross country/mountain biking enthusiasts. So it is extremely capable of standing up to the muddiest, stickiest, bumpy trail that a sled dog team can put it through. Not once have we had a light failure or had the need to yell "no lights!!!" to awaiting helpers as we came towards the vans all guns blazing.

We use a combination of a 20 Watt Mid and a 20 Watt Spot. This combination allows us to have excellent visibility further on up the trail whilst ensuring that we can keep an eye on the dogs up close. Lumicycle offer both one lamp or two lamp options in their kits with a choice of lamps from 5 Watts to 35 Watts Mids, Spots & Floods.

The kit comes with a Lightweight 4 Amp/ Hour 13.2 volt (52.8 Watt/Hour) Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Battery in a choice of Frame Mount Bag or Bottle Cage Battery. We chose the Bag as its two quick release straps means it can be lashed quite happily to xxxxxx and removed at ease when required.

The total system weighs a staggering 790 grams. The relative low weight makes it an excellent competition light for night rallies. Our particular set up cost us £xxxxx however this will vary according to the spec that you request.

We took full advantage of the optional four hour fast charger that is available. This has a handy trickle feature so if you plug it in before going to bed you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to unplug it.....we approve of all things that encourage uninterrupted sleep.........especially considering all the early morning starts this lifestyle entails!

We are currently trialing the Halide bulb for Lumicycle. The new bulb produces around 40 Watts of power but only draws 10 watts of power from the battery, meaning it has a whopping 4 hours run time. This light illuminates so much of the trail in front of you that you have plenty of time to identify any wildlife ahead and brace yourself for a bit of "cross country" bunny hunting! (NB no bunnies were hurt during the testing of this bulb.........however the musher did find themselves doing a 180 degree turn and facing the wrong way down the trail....... The Halide bulb retails at £ and as a complete system around

For more information about the performance of the system on the trail feel free to give us a call, our number is in the SHCGB membership book, or alternatively drop us an email.

If you decide that the Lumicycle system is the way forward for you, please mention us to them when ordering. We would like to add that we had been using the Lumicycle system for almost a year before being approached for sponsorship and as such our endorsement of the products is based on unbiased trial n`tested results!