Frank Kinlan's Blog

I’ve had a set of MagicShine Bike Lights from DealExteme for about a year now and It’s now time to drag them out and make use of them.

The original 808 light was a copy of a Lupine Tesla 4 but at about a fifth of the price. I paid $75 for mine which is about £50.  For that you get a light that pumps out about 600-700 lumens on high mode from a single SSC P7 Led.

****** In ALL cases remove the screw that holds the handlebar clamp to the light body and apply some “Loctite”, nutlock or other threadlock compound.
Even a secure looking mount will work loose. As always you get what you pay for and in this case it won’t include threadlock.******

Comes with a 4400 mA/Hr battery that is supposedly  good for 3 hours.
Quality is good for the price but there are a few area where money has been saved. On the first generation the battery pack was not waterproof and it is fairly likely they were using unprotected cells. It led to a battery back recall in the US.
Shorting out unprotected Li-ion cells is not reccomended as there are explosive levels of energy involved.

Battery care, don’t let your battery go completly flat, ABOVE ALL don’t remove the charger from the wall while still connected to the battery. It will discharge to a level below  which  it will refuse to take a charge. It’s important other family members know this so as not to unplug the charger to plug in their phone.
This goes for ANY Li-Ion system.

The LED runs at 2800 mA which will quickly bring out any weaknesses in the heatsinking or the battery.  In use on a moving bike the light remains cool to the touch only heating up when stationary.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/p7-water-resistant-ssc-p7-3-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82734

The above is a copy of the Magicshine 808 copy. The leads are not compatible with the Magicshine being 7.2 mm instead of 8.4 mm on the Magicshine. Waterproofing on the battery is poor and needs looking at before it gets wet. Beam is very similar to a MagicShine if not brighter. 3 modes including an insane  strobe mode, no annoying SOS mode.  Head unit looks well made and the mount looks like it is properly screwed on unlike the Magicshine which fell apart.
See update above, they all fall apart.

Swapping the leads would make it compatible with the Magicshine accessories.

Terrible picture above but you can ride an unlit path at a normal speed and the light is whiter than a car halogen light which are yellow in comparison.

Parts are dirt cheap, a couple of $ for leads, headbands. Upgraded battery packs are available that are waterproof and have a battery charge indicator.

Plenty of chatter about these lights on various forums as you’ll never see them in a magazine light shootout.

For  good reviews and beamshots of the lower price high power lights see Torcheys site below.
http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/p/bike-light-database.html

Wednesday: Work, last day glorious weather to boot.
Thursday: Spin class at the Oval, laid another section of tiles in the kitchen, another glorious day. Called in at Aldi to see the Winter Cycling Offers.
Friday: Weather too good to miss so went out on a 40 mile Wirral ride.
Ended up at the Eureka where the Doc needed the use of the Lezyme tool to tighten a Mavic spoke.
Headed out to Liverpool where a gang from work were celebrating 30 of them getting finished up.
It was a really good turn out with 50 plus turning up, 3 blokes with 0ver 120 years service with the company. Not likely to be repeated by anyone I know these days.
The website was called “shit”, thanks Ian. Things move on, the original site is still all there in the pages across the top of the screen.(Jobs to do, check links still work)
Got the last bus home on what proved to be a really good day.
Saturday: Lie in then more work on the kitchen floor. Strange how you don’t associate Mapei Cycling Team with grout. This was triggered by seeing one of the old guys in the replica kit yesterday and reading the instructions off the bag and seeing the colours.
Sunday: Rain, record breaking temps over, glad I got a ride in.
Went to see Harry Potter in 3D before it finishes at the cinema.  An eyewatering £19.30 for 2. I normally go midweek for an early showing when prices are about half that for an empty cinema.

I’ve been posting about these for a few years now and the quality just improves year on year.
This years Winter Cycling Jacket has features found on really high end kit. The first thing that stood out was the thumb loops in the cuffs. No more gap between the glove and the cuff.
Comes with two rear pockets ,one of them zipped. The zipped pocket comes with an anchored lanyard to close the zip.
Water and wind repellant on the front  with Roubaix like inserts on the back and sides.
Gel on the waist seam will stop it riding up on a ride.

My only disappointment  was the lack of bibtights. The tights looked good with a decent pad.

The Winter Gloves don’t seem to have changed from a few years ago, good but there are more specific gloves out there if you are prepared to spend the money.

The Lighting set for £6.49 will get you seen and is better than no lights at all. If your on a roadbike you really need to be looking at something more specific again.

As I was coming out I bumped into a woman who was after shoes for her husband. At £20 they are about half the price of other entry level shoes.
SPD only and no pedals to match this year. It’s all a bit bonkers when you consider Look Keo cleats are £19.99 a set and last about 5 minutes.

Just a bit of a heads up to let you know where I’m at:

• Garminconnect. Now has a basic route planning function at long last. Nothing specatacular but at least it allows you to plot a Course.More in due course.
• Spinning. Still doing  the classes, bumped into one of the first instructors who was filling in for one of the regulars. Shocks to the system can do you good.
• Work. Still trying to get out of the place. Beset with a culture of closure. Dilbert sums it up.
• Home. Still got a kitchen in the back room a month after delivery. Grand Designs it isn’t but the tiling is nearly done. 600mm tiles just add to the headache. Still waiting for the guttering to be done, if you don’t want the job just let me know just don’t let me down.
• Aldi. Winter cycling offers on 29 Sep 2011. Separate post coming up, good stuff as usuall but can’t see no bibtights for some reason. Bibtights are what winter cycling is all about.  Don’t expect every store to have all the gear, there is a reccession going on and orders have beeen reduced in the last year or so. In short if you want it in your size be first through the door. Some stuff doesn’t move and gets reduced. Mega in the past but well worth a look in for the new cycle to work cyclist doing their first winter commute. Sizing is for a UK fit not Italian. Try it on in the store if possible, returns policy is generous but if you leave it too long the replacement size won’t be there for you. (hours in some cases).

Monday:  Tex’s morning spinning class at the Oval. Turned up as the online booking system is down. You can’t even book on the phone as they are using the same system. Finally got rid of the fridge by stuffing it in the Polo and taking it the recycling center.

Signed up for the Vita Steve Cummings Challenge Ride on Saturday after a short ride around the Wirral.  They new Oakley Split Jackets  are awesome giving a totally new outlook on everything. Opted for the polarised lens in black iridium. They add a surreal 3D effect to everything with a really strong depth of field.

Popped in to Vita in the afternoon where the Route was going to be mailed to everybody. Screwfix for some sockets and managed to book a spinning class at West Kirby once the booking system was back online.

Off work on Wednesday as the kitchen coming a.m. and I’m behind schedule.

Sundays route is in the Garmin only thing to do now is put air in the tyres ride out to the start and do the ride. Hope the weather is good.

One other thing clubs riding the Route without entering will be named and shamed. This event is a charity ride with profits going to Claire House. There are some good prizes in the raffle including 2 bikes and a signed jersey.
Claire,s mum called in at the shop on Saturday publicizing another event, I’d hate to see a true charity ride besmirched by some freeloading clubs.

Wednesday: rode the  Vita/ Steve Cummings Sportive.  Ended up doing 95 miles , picked up a puncture just after Dark Arc lane. The patch glue had dried out and the Park glueless patch was a let down so had to swap the tube.

Saturday: Volunteered to put the signs up for the long route.  Knew it was a fairly big job after riding the route on  Wednesday but didn’t thing it would take 9 hours. Was getting short of cable ties at the end of it.
Many thanks to I R McGarvey Opticians of Prenton for donating a pair of Team Sky Split Jacket Oakleys into the raffle. Same as mine but without the prescription lens.  A really nice piece of kit. There are 2 bikes in the raffle  along with a signed Sky Jersey, a helmet signed by Mark Cavendish.
All in aid of a good cause.
Next year promises to be even better.
The route sheet is next to unusable being computer generated it sticks the wrong turns in. The route wants a tweek here and there but is pretty much OK.  Bear in mind the abilities of people who sign up for this sort of event.
Haven’t seen Phil or Barry since I left the shop this morning but can imagine they are up to their necks in it.
Promises to be a great day. Hope the signs are still up in the morning.

Sunday: 4 AM A big heads up to Phil and Barry for sticking their necks on the line. Another heads up for all the sponsors. Next year will be mega.
Enjoy the ride and above all stay safe.
Most will be starting before the general population are up for their Sunday papers. Most of the roads are never busy but do follow the highway code and avoid riding two abreast when there are double white lines. (Mickle Trafford)
It’s not a race, but a great ride in a worthy cause.
You can do this sort of ride on any day of the week, it’s the Cause that counts.

The Ride: Got a lift to Ness Gardens as I overslept. I was still patching the tyre at 10 pm from the Wednesday recce. Things looked a bit chaotic as the security guard to open the gates didn’t turn up until 8 instead of 7 so there were no breakfasts to dish out. Signed on and headed out at 9 am. The sign in Burton was still up thankfully.
Picked up a guy in Woodbank who had latched on to a group not on the ride and backtracked to find the arrow.
Didn’t get his name but we rode together until the feed station at Delamere.
There were a couple of Tri guys looking lost at Backford as the route was going over the dual carriage way.  Steamed past us only for us to pass them in the lanes having a comfort break.
There were a couple of punctures around Wervin with one needing the Vita Assistance van.  Other than that there didn’t seem to be many problems. Passed the Tri mob again at the shop at Delamere when the feedstation was just a mile down the road.

Talked to Barry at the feedstation and ended up setting off on my own.
Had two lads on my wheel after Cob Hall lane  all the way back to Cheshire Oaks, where I took to the cyclepath. It was all big ring stuff and the legs feel like they can hack it. I’d signed the route as per the GPS track but opted to take the Missing Link it’s a no brainer, saw the 35mile group the other side of it.

Stopped for a pint of Wainwright at the Thatch the bulk of the ride completed.
Called in at the shop to have a chat and a look at the Parlee frame they have in.
Probably one of the last lugged carbon fibre frames around it looks really nice.

The long route crosses course at the shop so was hard to mark up with a few calling back in to see which way it went. Left at the junction and pick the arrows up again. Missed the Hoylake loop out as it was a bit pointless and probably won’t feature in the ride again.
Likewise , busy roads.
Nice to go along the front at Parkgate, then it was through Neston to the finish.
No signing back in, that needs addressing in future as you don’t know who is still out on the road.
The raffle went really well, fairly unique in a Sportive.
The breakfast porridge was been given away and I took a tub, saw another one on Route 56, must have fallen out of someones jersey pocket.

What doesn’t fall out of jersey pockets is discarded gel wrappers, there weren’t  too many but they were ours. I like my Cheshire countryside unspoilt  my wrappers went in the  Disco Channel Musette.
Rule #77.
Perhaps Vita musettes for next year?

There is going to be a next year, with all the bugs ironed out.

Monday: Work
Tuesday: Work. Watched Tour of Poland. My Colnago got a mention on Eurosport as it was a Kazak team bike on the 1992 Milk Race. Graham Weigh as got a mention too as that is where the bike originally came from. Needs the rear triangle repairing as the bonding on the chainstay has parted company with the lug.
Wednesday: Work, last day.  Seen and heard some  daft challenges in my time but a one mile race on a new cycle to work bike is the latest. £20 is at stake which wouldn’t be too bad if the guy knew what he was doing. Only ridden 2 1/2 miles on it, took the toe clips off because he doesn’t need them. Bought a gel saddle rather than a pair of shorts. Planning to ride into work (20 miles) in an hour with no spares other than the Kevlar tyres he had fitted.
I’d have come in on my day off to watch this.
Thursday: Spinning class at the Oval, Tesco meal deal for lunch. Had to go to the Coop for the comic as there is no space for it at Tesco no wonder circulation is static.
Started to rip up the  tiles in the kitchen along with the plaster. An SDS drill makes short work of it. Cleaning it up is another matter.
Evening  spinning class at West Kirby, was throwing it down when I booked it but brilliant sunshine on the way to it. Should have got out on the bike instead.
Ordered a chisel from Screwfix so will have to pick that up.
Weight has stayed steady, dropping 100g from the last reading.
No sign of the new Oaklies yet or should I say the rest of the order.
Friday: Booked an evening Trixster bike class. Might get a short ride in and there is the kitchen to do. Entered the Steve Cummings Challenge ride.
Route is still a bit vague and it’s done in reverse. The original is a cracking ride as once you’ve made it up Primrose Lane it is mostly downhill. You can use momentum on the downhill sections to attack the climbs.

Saturday:  Short ride out to the Eureka visiting a tile shop on the way out as the kitchen is in bits. Met up with Dave who had just got back from Llandegla.
28 miles and got caught in a shower. Daves found a new screen while riding a GPX Course so the Dummies Guide is going to need an update.