OK so Option 1 or Option 2 ? I know that these are the bottom of the market and as such I may be asking the wrong people, but, I have been talking about doing some night biking (off road obviously) for a while and have decided to get on with it ASAP, so need to arrange some light…. I have a good head torch but would like to get some lights on the bike as well. Now my budget is some what limited but found these and wondered if anyone else had tired them or could recommend anything else for the same money?
Oh and I was thinking about a Fibre Flare for the back.

thanks for any help

Magicshine

Don't just take my word for it, investigate further but I can't help but repeated repeat this, they'll be MUCH better than those you've linked to from CRC.

2nd'd MagicShine

Just killed my battery with some water immersion therapy, so bag it up a bit or something, but the light is excellent and will last you function wise as long as you want (I've raced a few 12/24s with mine).

I had some of those electrons years back when they were on offer (5/10 watt with heavy bottle lead acid battery for £20 – poor run times, slow recharge, next to no light). Pay the little extra.

what e said ^^^^^

As above, I used a magicshine at SITS.

Not used or seen any of the Magicshine lights in use so cant comment. I would say though you should try and avoid halogen. They will not be bright enough and you will quickly wish you had got something else. From what I recall of my old Electron 5/10 you might as well hold a candle up, similar yellow light as well.

i use a set of option 2s (or something similar) and whilst more light would be nice there i've not needed more light yet and i'm just as quick as gents with more light. this include riding freeridey jumpy stuff at night as well.

half the fun of night riding, for me anyway, is not being able to see.

however – if i was to spend £50 now i'd buy hte magicshine.

Night rides have never really appealed to me but I want to start.

I'm going to get the magicshine light but not sure what helmet torch to supplement it?

You can get it for £50 give or take from Deal Extreme which is thirty quid cheaper then Magicshine.co.uk. Is the UK warranty worth it?

SH, for just another £20 ontop of that you could have another light from DX as a spare… 😈
I've not needed to warrenty my light (admittedly the battery has died out of warrenty), but those that did emailed a scan of shipping reciept to DX and apparently had their replacement parts despatched before the faulty bits arrived in HK.

Thanks everyone I have put a note in my diary to go back to the magicshine site on the 11th when they should have some stock, in the mean time I will be biking with just my head torch 🙂 if i dont post anything for a while you will know why…..

umm but if you ordered it from DealExtreme today for £30 less than the UK Magicshine site, you'd have it by the 11th …

Buy one of these

300 Lumen Zoom LED

and some of these

Batteries and Charger

And you'll be sorted. I've just ordered the above and have been using simular non adjustable lower lumen (around 200 – 250) torches for a few years for weekly night rides. I thought I'd give the beam adjust a go this year. Light output is great, run time is over 3 hours plus and there are no wires to get in the way. You can easily mount on helment or bars with lock blocks or simular. Same technology as DX light and much better than those on CRC and a fraction of the cost.

z1ppy good point (and advice taken) my order is being processed as I type… Ooooh now toys on the way.. very exciting 🙂

Mattbike, perhaps I should have refreshed this page between reading zippy's massage and placing my order…. only time will tell

Anyway thanks to everyone for helping.

Mattbike, perhaps I should have refreshed this page between reading zippy's massage and placing my order….

Except that what Matt's suggesting isn't "Same technology as DX light" (well apart from the fact both use LEDs). The DX/Magicshine light is far brighter and also less hassle.

dx are fine for returns. only thing about their returns process is that all comms are handled through their website – they don't send emails. so long as you make a note of the ticket you raise when you log the problem you're good to go.
i had to send a few torches back, and as soon as i'd sent a photo of the post office proof of posting the replacements were shipped.
a few friends have those lights and they are belters for the money.

This thread is going to make me spend more money, I think. I have come to the conclusion that with tropical daylight (winter 11hrs/summer 14hrs) I need to ride at night to get km in (and come summer it'll be cooler).

But which Magicshine? 900 or 1400?

It should be one or the other, but I am strangely drawn to the littlun on a helmet mount and the biggie on the bars. Go on somebody, talk me out of it. Tell me I only need the small one on the bars.

Riding conditions: nothing spectacular but plenty of flattish singletrack cattle-trails through the bush with springy branches waiting to poke an eye. And sudden thick sand here and there.

I rather like the scientific approach of lumens per buck.

I just use 2 DX P7 torches, one with a battery pack fitted, but if I was buying now it'd be Magicshine for sure. You can get better but not without spending a fortune generally, and they're much more than "good enough". I've seen a few lights that are better than mine but none of them cost under £300 and none of them are drastically more effective.

nearly bought one of these last year, but went for the Hope 4 Vision.

AMAZING!!! But a lot more expensive!!!

knottinbotswana the general reckoning is that the mickey mouse (1400) ain't worth it, get two of the small ones if you feel the need for more cheap light. I run the smaller 900 (600 realistically) lamp on my bars & a DX MCE LED torch of the similar power on my head (bought it from DX the year before the bike specific unit came out). Lots of light, though a small Troutie jobbie should be replacing it soon.

Will try and dig out Trout's review for you

I've just been onto DX and they have two versions available:

SKU 25149

SKU 30864

The only difference other the the 2pin/UK plug I can see is the SKU 25149 states

Circuitry: Digital Regulated 2400mA Current Output

while the SKU 30864 says its is 1000mA.

What does this mean in real terms, or shed any light as it were on what this means to a ludite like me?

make your own light

you get a lot better performance, cheaper and get to have fun with a soldering iron…

or push the boat out and buy one of trouties 'new' LIBERATOR lights

I would quite like a bash at making my own light however thats for another day when I have the time. The Trout lighhts look fantastic and would be lovely to have but nowhere near my price range hence DX-tastic for me.

The only difference other the the 2pin/UK plug I can see is the SKU 25149 states

They have different lenses as well.

Says they both have Coated glass lens however the SKU 25149 says its reflector is Aluminum Smooth/SMO Reflector whiel the SKU 30864 says s reflector is Aluminum Textured/OP Reflector.

What difference does this actually make, which would be the better to get?

I did my first ride last night with the Magicshine lights and I was a little disappointed.

They put out so much light that its not that much different to riding in the day!!

If you’re checking out a new trail at night, racing or just want to blind passers by then these are perfect.

Great light and would recommend them to anyone (although I have only done one dry ride so not much of a test….)