Magic Shine
rubertoe
Posts: 3,994
I am just about to embark on a new life out of the big smoke and into the warwickshire countryside.
I need some lights and I think that Magic-Shine might just fit the bill for a county that has seemingly abandoned street lights - Especially in the part that i shall be living (lower Quinton in the north cotswolds - HILLY).
Anyone use them?general thoughts?
I am looking at the MJ808e and rear.
which should be enough.
anything else i should be looking? at and what about batteries 4. or 6.?
I need some lights and I think that Magic-Shine might just fit the bill for a county that has seemingly abandoned street lights - Especially in the part that i shall be living (lower Quinton in the north cotswolds - HILLY).
Anyone use them?general thoughts?
I am looking at the MJ808e and rear.
which should be enough.
anything else i should be looking? at and what about batteries 4. or 6.?
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
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Comments
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I'm just thinking about the same but haven't pulled the trigger yet: I would definitely go for the larger 6Ah battery pack and was also thinking of getting the two lights separately: this would give you an emergency battery just in case the main one goes down.
I found that my very reliable Exp. Joystick's (mk7) 400lumens are not enough on unlit country roads, I can't see any further than 5 meters: maybe the newer ones are brighter but £100 price range the magshine seems to offer a good performance.
They have the 858 with the rear on sale here:
http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/offers/magicshine-mj-858-rear-light-split-kit.html0 -
I am just about to embark on a new life out of the big smoke and into the warwickshire countryside.
I need some lights and I think that Magic-Shine might just fit the bill for a county that has seemingly abandoned street lights - Especially in the part that i shall be living (lower Quinton in the north cotswolds - HILLY).
Anyone use them?general thoughts?
I am looking at the MJ808e and rear.
which should be enough.
anything else i should be looking? at and what about batteries 4. or 6.?
Initial thoughts are that it's overly expensive for what it is, a bit on the spottier side, a little on the large side by todays standards and not the "Go To" light it was a few years ago. As always there's the usual overload of info in this thread you can read if you have time and patience...0 -
Get yourself over too the big lights thread then onto eBay and buy one of the £15 jobbies and an extra battery.
I have a couple of the original majicshines and whilst tthey're very good they're not a patch on the new cheap small Chinese lights.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
This sort of thing http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/5500LM-CREE-U2-LED-Cycle-Bicycle-Light-Mountain-Bike-Lamp-Headlamp-Headlight-/252166491708?nav=SEARCHRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Yep. There's a really rough stretch of my commute which has no streetlights and is thick woods on both sides, so very little ambient light at all. One of these (or one of the many similar variants) is comfortably bright enough for me to get through it.
That said, i could pretty much do without a light for the rest of the way so if it gave up on me the consequences wouldn't be that dire. For the price though you could have three on you at all times.0 -
See the big thread for some very good advice about cheap magicshine clones - I followed it and got one, it throws the light far, far further ahead than the twin u2 light I also have. Much cheaper than a real magicshine too.0
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same here. Just search for 'Cree lights' on the bay of E and grab yourself a bargain. 'Cree' is just the brand of LED bulb(s) they use.
Mine were £20 for 5000 lumens about 18 months ago. They are on their are second winter now and still going strong.
They are so bright I can easily use them to MTB off road and that is really dark.
The only thing i wouldn't do is to leave them to charge overnight/unattended as some people on the interwebz have reported problems with the charger.
But mine came with a charger and I just plug it in at my desk at work, sorted.
One full charge lasts 9 hours on the low beam (which is still plenty bright enough). Don't use the flash mode as it will give either you or oncoming drivers a fit. Seriously, I feel ill if I have mine on flash mode.
Oh and don't look into the light to check that it's working. you will be seeing stars for the next two days....FCN = 40 -
i have a magicshine 858, which is a decent oomph.
one of the reasons for not buying the clones, is so I can trust it to leave it alone when charging, I'm very sure that some of the clones have many times the lumens but something I can't leave charging isn't something I'm prepared to buy.0 -
Have a look at the B&M IQ Speed Premium:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-illumination-set/aid:703620
You can also buy a second head for it to double the brightness:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-additional-headlamp/aid:703624
Should be more than bright enough for anyone, and has the benefit that the beam is shaped so that it lights the road evenly and isn't going to dazzle oncoming traffic (in short, more like a car headlight).
Good luck with the move!0 -
I love how the description says up to 90 lux on those, but the switch gives you 50 or 10...
I do love my dynamo light for winter, I'd never go back on my main bike. German lights make a lot of sense, the lack of blinding oncoming traffic and the even illumination on the road is superb. Wouldn't fancy them if I was riding trails, though, low branches would be no fun.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19741652#p19741652]UndercoverElephant[/url] wrote:I love how the description says up to 90 lux on those, but the switch gives you 50 or 10...
Yeah, I think there's confusion between the IQ Speed (which is 50 lux) and the IQ Speed Premium (which is 90 lux) - they seem to have their descriptions/pictures mixed up.0 -
Can you use a similar style rear and splitter cable with the Ebay versions?"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
Can you use a similar style rear and splitter cable with the Ebay versions?
Don't run your rear off the same battery as the front. That's just asking for trouble.0 -
I use a Leyzene PowerDrive XL which lights up the country lanes on my commute home well enough.
Whatever light you get, don't forget to charge it, and get two. You don't want to be caught with no light, 10 miles from home, on a very dark night, down a country lane...0 -
I was looking at those, I don't really understand why it's over double the price of the self contained IQ Premium though.Have a look at the B&M IQ Speed Premium:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-illumination-set/aid:703620
You can also buy a second head for it to double the brightness:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-additional-headlamp/aid:703624
Should be more than bright enough for anyone, and has the benefit that the beam is shaped so that it lights the road evenly and isn't going to dazzle oncoming traffic (in short, more like a car headlight).
Good luck with the move!
It's 80 lux and £40 - two of those at £80 would be my choice rather than £150 for the speed premium double set up...0 -
Whatever light you get, don't forget to charge it, and get two. You don't want to be caught with no light, 10 miles from home, on a very dark night, down a country lane...
agree and that's another reason to go with the cheap ebay lights.
A few years ago (okay maybe it was six or seven years ago) we were all getting into night riding MTB's. A load of my mates splashed out upwards of £200 to £300 on whatever were the light of the day cos i'ts got like five HUNDRED lumens and it's amayyyyyyzing. They all look a bit sick now cos the lights are like candles and aren't even LED's which really upped the overall light gameFCN = 40 -
Have a look at the B&M IQ Speed Premium:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-illumination-set/aid:703620
You can also buy a second head for it to double the brightness:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/fromsearch/b--m-ixon-iq-speed-premium-led-additional-headlamp/aid:703624
Should be more than bright enough for anyone, and has the benefit that the beam is shaped so that it lights the road evenly and isn't going to dazzle oncoming traffic (in short, more like a car headlight).
Good luck with the move!
Like a dipped beam yes, the magic shine and like are much more liken to full beam, it's what I use mine like.
with 10hrs on full and 50 on low even from a 4Ah battery even with cleverer lenses etc, it shouldn't be comparable really ie a far bit lower powered light, I have a 858 magcshine high 1000lumens lasts 3.5 hrs low 400lumens ish lasts 10hrs.0 -
Or get a dynamo wheel and never have to worry about it again.Whatever light you get, don't forget to charge it, and get two. You don't want to be caught with no light, 10 miles from home, on a very dark night, down a country lane...0 -
Bought the crees,
will report back when they arrive. Not to worried about back ups as i always carry a couple of micro drives and 2 exposure flashes as well (helmet and bar mounted).
Lots of lighting options on the front."If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
I've just bought a cree chineses special...£15 plus delivery £18 all in
and its the nuts for the money....would defo buy another one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251288567677?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT0 -
Yep the tech in the light it so simple these days that the cost is pretty much the battery and packaging, when the cheap battery bites the bullet spend a few quid on a proper one and there's no reason that lightset won't last you forever.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0
