IanT
http://www.sprocketwaffle.co.uk
Don't know about you, but I love a hack around our local woods on my MTB on a weekday evening. Blows the cobwebs of the day away and even though the woods is in the heart of quite a populated area, when you're in there, you could be miles from anywhere.
As the evenings closed in I found my regular hack through the woods getting shorter and shorter. I purchased a couple of Cateye lights - bright Opticube items - sure that they would solve the problem - wrong. This became evident when, during my first ride with them, I became comprehensively lost - riding around in circles. At one point, I just stopped and had to laugh at myself for being such a tw@t.
After a bit of research, it looked like what I needed was a REAL light - something with a big lumen figure. After a trawl through ebay, I secured myself a Magic Shine MJ-872 for the princely sum of just £92. I happened to mention this to a mate (fellow cyclist) who looked at me as if I had two heads and exclaimed, "a hundred quid - for a light; are you mad!"
Well, the light arrived last Friday. After a thorough charge, I got out that evening with it and hit the woods. Not wanting to use too much battery too early, I waited until I had actually entered the woods before turning it on. Tentatively, I hit the button - hoping I would not be disappointed and - boom - night turned into day.
I found myself holding almost the same speed that I could during the day - with the only difference being the total absence of dog walkers, walkers and the local posse of hoodies. The woods to myself and the bike whirring along nicely - cracking - absolutely cracking.
So, in answer to my mate, no, I have not simply spent a hundred quid on a light - what I've done is invested a hundred pounds in giving me several more months off-road bliss that I wouldn't have got had I not done it. Given the extra training hours this gives me - and the satisfaction of the woods to myself in the evening - excepting for one or two like minded riders, I have met, with a similar lighting setup.
As the evenings closed in I found my regular hack through the woods getting shorter and shorter. I purchased a couple of Cateye lights - bright Opticube items - sure that they would solve the problem - wrong. This became evident when, during my first ride with them, I became comprehensively lost - riding around in circles. At one point, I just stopped and had to laugh at myself for being such a tw@t.
After a bit of research, it looked like what I needed was a REAL light - something with a big lumen figure. After a trawl through ebay, I secured myself a Magic Shine MJ-872 for the princely sum of just £92. I happened to mention this to a mate (fellow cyclist) who looked at me as if I had two heads and exclaimed, "a hundred quid - for a light; are you mad!"
Well, the light arrived last Friday. After a thorough charge, I got out that evening with it and hit the woods. Not wanting to use too much battery too early, I waited until I had actually entered the woods before turning it on. Tentatively, I hit the button - hoping I would not be disappointed and - boom - night turned into day.
I found myself holding almost the same speed that I could during the day - with the only difference being the total absence of dog walkers, walkers and the local posse of hoodies. The woods to myself and the bike whirring along nicely - cracking - absolutely cracking.
So, in answer to my mate, no, I have not simply spent a hundred quid on a light - what I've done is invested a hundred pounds in giving me several more months off-road bliss that I wouldn't have got had I not done it. Given the extra training hours this gives me - and the satisfaction of the woods to myself in the evening - excepting for one or two like minded riders, I have met, with a similar lighting setup.
I wouldn't fancy surprising you head on. 