Hi,

I need a new light or lights for winter as mine have broken which ones am I looking for on deal extreme ive been told many times before but forgotten…

cheers Tom

Most people go for these
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

for the little extra i went for http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36018

not for the extra power but the bar mount switch. It makes it alot easeyer to use. But they are definatly over estimated on the lumins.

Anyone tried the new range of 1500 lumens+ lights just come out by Light and Motion and Exposure?
Loads more dosh I know but if it’s not about the money, what is the best?
Also any suggestions for a decent helmet mount light?

A few people have recommended this one.

waterproof battery and a new bar mount.

I’m currently running one of the P7 torches, what is the advantage of the specific bike lights with seperate battery etc? Run time? Power? Weight?

bagstard..obviously the run time will be down without changing batts but I too am interested whether the beam/spread/power is much better on a bastid DX when compared to a P7 torch.

Here’s some beam shots I took last year of a Magicshine, MTE P7 5 mode torch, P7 2mode. All on high. Note that there are differences between individual torches and lights and someone else may get different comparisons.

To answer the OP – if I was to get another one I’d go for SKU 44676 which I believe is a copy of spokeblokes £99 light (but different battery):
SpokesLight

I can’t stop the torches wobbling on my bars (using 2fish lockblocks).

External batteries are invariably bigger, depends if swaping them over mid ride is an issue.

If your fine with the torches no point in changing, I’m still using 2x bastidized Q5 (240lumen claimed) torches on my head with an external battery in my backpack. Not sure if the new bastid is going to replace those entirely, relegate them to my bars or be the bar light itself to acompany the helmet lights.

Loads more dosh I know I know but if it’s not about the money, what is the best?
Then realistically you want to speak to Trout/Luminous or Lumicycle as they use the newer LED technology, cause as much as I love the bargain that is the Magicshine torches, they are built using the older P7 LED, which have been surpassed. That ignoring the fact that the Magicshine units are built to a very small tight budget, so if you have lots of money look elsewhere.

As for the beam of a MS vs a std P7 torch, I find the torches have a better/concentrated spot and the MS are more floody. In practice I use a P7 torch on my head and the MS unit on the bars, as I find that a good compromise.
Though as per TISNAS, I can’t stop the P7 torches wobbling on the bars on the rougher stuff (fine for pottling), so that did help making the decision on the setup….

oh and too the OP, this seems to be the latest incarnation of the magicshine unit with a new shaped head unit – not sure why as the old one never had an heat issue in my experience, maybe its cheaper to produce. It also has the latest battery and a newer handlebar mount.
.
This is the last previous model, which has the newer battery but the old shape head unit and ‘elastic band’ mounting.

And finally the Original, which old head unit, and the older battery type but does include the helmet mount.

Can’t see the output being much different between any of the model, only the change of reflector on the latest may make a slight difference.

Excuse the ignorance – but do these lights come “ready to ride”? Would I have to buy extra chargers, batteries or mounts? I use Hope but a mate is interested in getting lights and £300+ for a Vision 4 seems a lot to me these days…

Yes cb, the magicshine units are ready to use (other than charging) straight from the box.

If you bought a P7 torch (mentioned but not linked to on this thread), you’d need batteries & chargers seperately

cheers

While we’re here can anyone recommend any torch-style ones which work with rechargeables? I have some Tesco torches but the barrel is too narrow for rechargeables.

a mate is interested in getting lights and £300+ for a Vision 4 seems a lot to me

If you’re saying your mate is going to spend £300 on a Vision 4, then yes, I’d think that is too much.

Tell him to shop around, if he must have the Vision 4.

However, if the defining criteria is as much light as possible for around a £300 budget, then tell him that he’d be better off looking at one of my lights or a Trout light.

Either way, I think there is more light around for £300 than a Vision 4 gives.

😉

Bez – Fenix if you can stretch to £50ish

http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/led_torches/fenix-ld20-r4.html

Can someone tell me what the ‘bastid’ lights are, and what ‘bastidizing’ torches is? I’m looking at new lights but can’t afford the fancy ones, i could buy a car for the price of them!

I’ve got a couple of the mte p7 torches and would like to hack them into seperate lights and battery packs, anyone know if this has been done? Combining two of the batteries for longer run between changes would be cool.

Are there any good homebrew kits around too? I used to be a whizz with a soldering iron so it would be fun to diy…

Are there any good homebrew kits around too? I used to be a whizz with a soldering iron so it would be fun to diy…

Trout may help you out with a kit you can build yourself.
😉

Bez, take a look here, as that fenix torch is under powered for it’s price:
http://www.mtbbritain.co.uk/mountain_bike_lights_review_led.html
Though my personnaly recommendation goes to another similar P7 torch:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-want-a-torch

Bigjim, the bastid is a nickname for the magicshine unit (in it’s may forms), I assume ‘bastidizing’ a P7 torch is just a matter of removing the battery compartment and making the torch use a remote battery pack.
There used to be lots of thread on how to do it, but since the MS unit came along, most ppl don’t bother (unless they already have a P7 torch)

Luminous – sorry, didn’t make myself clear. He would rather spend less but the price of the Endurance version that I have seems to be £300+. I realise you could knock a fair bit off that for the single battery version.

I was aware of Trout (who on here isn’t) but will now check out your website!

Thanks

I have some Tesco torches but the barrel is too narrow for rechargeables.

I use ‘good to go’ cells in mine from 7dayshop, they are snug but fit OK.

I found rechargeables fit in my Tesco AA Cree torch BUT you need to cut the “skins” off the batteries.

While we’re here can anyone recommend any torch-style ones which work with rechargeables? I have some Tesco torches but the barrel is too narrow for rechargeables.

When I bought one, I just took a rat tail file to the inside of the barrel- took 10 minutes.

Yeah, but if you cut the skins off they short onto the barrel so you can’t reliably turn the torch off.

Works with some torches (especialy ones with a removable barrel)

Either:

take out the battery holder/barrel section and scrwe the lamp and tail sections together, take it appart again, drill a hole through the side (not through a threaded bit obviously), solder a wire to the +ve end, twist and shrink wrap a wire onto the -ve (spring) end, screw the 2 ends back together, twisting the wires as you go so they don’t get twisted.

If the torch doesn’t have a removable middle section, you’ll have to use a hacksaw and duct tape, just be sure to cut it dead straight otherwise it looks a right mess and wont work.