Magicshine Light

[rugbysecondrow]

Has anybody used this and what do you think?
http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_41&products_id=138

I have a Schmidt SON hub with E-6 light, which is great for the road, but I want something a little different for paths and trails. This lights seems like it would work and would be a good value. Any thoughts. I have looked into the Dinotte and some of the others, but I am not really wanting to drop $200 plus on another light.

Thanks,

Paul

[Birddog]

Lots of info here. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=576697
Birddog

[NRRider]

I bought one even though I didn't really need it (have a TriNewt). Have not used it on the road yet, but when I charged it up and tried turned it on in the house it seemed incredibly bright. I think it's birgher than the Trinewt why cost about 3x as much.
As the days get shorter I'll give it a try. Just seemed like too good a deal to pass up. Plus, one day I'll convince the wife to ride at night and then I'll have alight she can use.

[damcyclist]

I've had one since they first came out - use it for a daily commute (aprox 40mins). Couple of impressions:

It's BRIGHT - uses a 4 die MCE led so it's very very bright. This is like having 4 normal led's in a single light. Easily brighter than most $200+ lights

It's CHEAP - but not just price. It's cheaply made from cheap components and the quality is hit and miss. I always ride with a backup light & since I have a very short commute it's not a big deal with me. I wold hesitate to use this light as my only light out on the trail.

You may want to check out the geoman light (see MTBR link above). From what I understand - he's re-spec'd the components & imports them directly. He also stands behind the product.

Over all - I am happy with this light. It does exactly what I want & so far, no failures.

DA

[rugbysecondrow]

I think I am going to pull the trigger with Geoman. It seems some of the issues have been dealt with and for the money, it should be good. It will not be my primary, just for some trail and path night riding a time or two a week.

Thanks for the insight.

Cheers.
Paul

[salem]

It wasn't surprising to me to finally see a super low price Chinese made light. In fact, I was considering trying to produce a low cost LED light system kit earlier this year, but ultimately I guessed something like this would come along and close the market, which is fine with me, as I don't have the distribution and marketing expertise.

That said, before you consider this a great value, ask yourself if your job could be done by someone else in a different country at a better value. US production is expensive, especially for relatively low unit count items like bike lights, but maybe there is some value in keeping some manufacturing here in light of our economic climate and unemployment. There are also the environmental factors of shipping and the fact that this will be a throw-away (unlikely the company will be able to service the unit) if it ever breaks.

Just to preempt any possible backlash, I don't mean to call anyone buying this light a bad person or unpatriotic or any of that other trash. I'm just hoping people will fully consider the wisdom (and it may be there) of buying something like this.

[DfCas]

The most under rated part of any light system is the charger. Overcharging and overheating damages batteries, resulting in shorter run times and reduced light output.

If a light system does not come with a smart charger, then it should be used with an appliance timer or some other method of limiting the charging.

I have a Light and Motion halogen system from 2000 that still has a good battery.

[NRRider]

Update--used it for the first time last night. Worked great. More powerful than my TriNewt. Had it on high for 1.5 hours, no sign of dimming. It shouldn't since it's rated to go much longer than that. So far, so good for now.

[dawgie]

I bought a Magicshine LED light about a month ago and use it for commuting 3-4 days/week. The early production problems have been addressed by the manufacturer, and these lights are an excellent value. Can you buy a better light? Yes. Can you buy a better light for less than $100. I doubt it.

The MS puts out a tremendous amount of light on high (the actual lumens are uncertain, but it appears to be at least 500 lumens) with a run time exceeding 3 hours. On low, it still puts out over 200 lumens, with a run time exceeding 4 hours. The beam pattern is excellent for road riding.

For $90, you get the light with handlebar mount, a lithium ion battery and charger, plus free shipping. That's pretty hard to beat. Here are the limitations:

- The cable connecting the battery to the light is much longer than needed for most people, about 6';
- The light is so powerful that it interferes with the function of my wireless computer. I plan to buy an inexpensive wired computer to resolve that issue.
- The case holding the battery could be improved, but I've resolved that by securing it to my bike with a velcro strap.

Regarding the buy USA issue, isn't everything was made in China these days?

[54ny77]

you can finesse the tucking in of excess cable length into that battery pack and make it look really clean. after a bit of trial and error, i got it dialed in with 2 very thin zip ties and learning the best way to fold the wires. works great mounted on my bars or underneath the stem.

can't wait to try my light out on the road. it lights up my dark apartment at night like nobody's business.

[Waldo]

I've used my MS for over a month now and am very happy with it. I run it on low beam on climbs and flats and on high on downhills. My bar-mounted light is the slightly earlier version with a shorter cable. I've also bought one with a longer cable that I'll use with a helmet mount and carry the battery in the jersey pocket. Even on low beam setting it's painfully bright -- when I stick my hand in front of the light, the reflection hurts my eyes.

[54ny77]

i'm kind of morbidly curious what two of those magicshines would be like on the high setting. for where i mostly use it, that would be pure overkill...but fun... :D

[Likes2ridefar]

The light is so powerful that it interferes with the function of my wireless computer. I plan to buy an inexpensive wired computer to resolve that issue.


How powerful it is has nothing to do with the interference.

[EddieBirdsell]

i'm kind of morbidly curious what two of those magicshines would be like on the high setting. for where i mostly use it, that would be pure overkill...but fun... :D

I've got two coming to me in the next batch Geoman ships out. Great minds think alike; I'm planning to fire both of the up on my Mandaric for a trip around the neighborhood the first night I have them.

[dawgie]

How powerful it is has nothing to do with the interference.

I'm not an electrical engineer so I don't know what is actually causing the interference, but my 180-lumen Fenix flashlight doesn't interfere with my wireless computer. Not a big deal but it's something you might want to know if you're considering buying one of these lights.

[54ny77]

pic of magicshine light mounted under the stem (110mm). fits snug, looks clean, tastes great, less filling....

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_0739.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_0742.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_0746.jpg

[rnhood]

Looks very good and clean. I think I will order one. I've heard nothing but good things about these lights. Good job with the pics.

[54ny77]

Finally had a chance to ride my bike at night and give this little Magicshine light a whirl. Did a bunch of laps in central park tonight.

All I can say is in high mode...IT'S BRIGHT! :blink:

As in really, really bright. People get outta the way bright. People put hands in front of eyes bright. People turn their heads to look away bright.

Blinking mode: almost overkill, since it's high mode flash. Low mode flash would be better, but hey, it does the job. Used it on flash mode only a couple of times. Sure as heck was seen. Some people jumped outta the way! Kinda funny, actually...

When riding on city streets, I kept it on high. Drivers definitely saw me.

When little old ladies crossed in front of me in the crosswalk, I put my hand over the light and covered it, very gentlemanly if I do say so... :)

Here's a couple of pictures, taken in a dark section, with no flash and with time exposure. Most of the lamp posts in the background are quite far away, and they provide very little, if any, ambient lighting in the area where I was standing. You'll see there's a wide spread as well as a narrow beam that shoots straight ahead.

Conclusion: if this holds up well through the seasons & lasts for a decent amount of time without any hiccups (I'd say a few years or more), this is a great light for the money.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_0785.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_0780.jpg

[rugbysecondrow]

Awesome, I just ordered one a few days ago with the helmet strap. Seeing these photos make me very happy about my purchase.

[54ny77]

For where I ride and how I'll use this, no way I need two lights. It would be overkill. If you're out in the boondocks and want to see to the next state line, yeah, two would be great. Put it on strobe and you'll attract some aliens.

Now as for customer service, I have no idea how that'll play out over time. Some of the sellers of these otherwise generic lights (found throughout the web) aren't the manufacturers, so will they be around in [x] years? Who knows. If that's important to you, keep that in mind when purchasing these lights. I'm using Dinotte or Night Rider as an example of good companies that've been around, with good reputations for warranty & customer service. That's worth a certain premium for sure.

I went in with the expectation that I'll likely never hear from the Magicshine seller again (in one case, a certain seller hasn't returned 3 of my inquiries, so I guess I was right... :crap: ).

Whatever, I'm happy with my purchase. :beer:

[rugbysecondrow]

Just got mine yesterday and did a nice 14 mile night ride last night. I was very very pleased with it and how bright it was. Like has been noted, the bright is really bright and I used that setting sparingly. The Med or Low works well for most instances. I actually have a Schmidt Hub with an E6 light up front, so using this to look into corners, to spot the deer and fox in the woods was very helpful.

If it holds up well, it will be a great purchase.

[54ny77]

Cool! :beer:

Note that it appears there are variations on the "Magicshine" light. Mine, for example, only has 3 modes: high, low, strobe. Some out there have 5 modes: high, medium, low, strobe, sos. Geomanger sells the 5 mode version from what I've read on his website. The random ebay seller I got mine from has 3 modes.

If you're in the U.K., check these out: http://www.troutie.com/mainpage.html

Really sweet. I exchanged emails with the guy, and if it weren't for the darned exchange rate, I think I'd be riding one of these instead (or in addition to...).

[Ahneida Ride]

Regarding the buy USA issue, isn't everything was made in China these days?

HandleBra is USA made. :)

[rugbysecondrow]

Mine is the 5 mode, High, Med, Low, Strobe and S-O-S.

The various settings allow you to adjust for the conditions well, which was nice since I did some lighted road riding, neighborhood with no street lights and some paved park trails with Zero light...very impressed so far and for only $90 bucks.





Cool! :beer:

Note that it appears there are variations on the "Magicshine" light. Mine, for example, only has 3 modes: high, low, strobe. Some out there have 5 modes: high, medium, low, strobe, sos. Geomanger sells the 5 mode version from what I've read on his website. The random ebay seller I got mine from has 3 modes.

If you're in the U.K., check these out: http://www.troutie.com/mainpage.html

Really sweet. I exchanged emails with the guy, and if it weren't for the darned exchange rate, I think I'd be riding one of these instead (or in addition to...).

[Waldo]

I've been using my Majicshine on bars. It's great, though if I were to pick nits, I don't like the hot spot. I put the light on my helmet on Thursday and after a two-hour ride in the dark, I can say that it was absolutely outstanding: I didn't even notice the hot spot with the light mounted on the helmet, very lightweight, puts out more than enough light even on low beam mode, and the cable from the battery in my jersey pocket was no bother at all. That said, I usually prefer helmet-mounted lights because I can look around turns while descending, which bar-mounted lights just don't allow me to do.

[rugbysecondrow]

I set mine up on the helmet too and it worked well.

I've been using my Majicshine on bars. It's great, though if I were to pick nits, I don't like the hot spot. I put the light on my helmet on Thursday and after a two-hour ride in the dark, I can say that it was absolutely outstanding: I didn't even notice the hot spot with the light mounted on the helmet, very lightweight, puts out more than enough light even on low beam mode, and the cable from the battery in my jersey pocket was no bother at all. That said, I usually prefer helmet-mounted lights because I can look around turns while descending, which bar-mounted lights just don't allow me to do.

[fiamme red]

From RoadBikeRider.com:

Buyer Beware

A reader tipped us off to a headlight called Magicshine. Its single LED puts out a pavement-melting 900 lumens from a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The system is compact, lightweight (315 grams), comes with a charger and costs only $85, plus shipping, from a company called GeoManGear.com.

It sounds like a heckuva product, so we ordered a Magicshine to review for RBR.

We used it on night rides of 3:30 and 5:20 and were stunned. The high beam was long, wide and clean. The medium beam was plenty, even on 30-mph (48-kph) descents, and provided a runtime of more than 5 hours. The low beam would be fine for commuting and other rides at moderate speeds.

There were a few flaws to nitpick but, basically, it was a nifty little light. Until we got ready for the third ride and found the system completely kaput. The light wouldn't shine and the battery was dead. It seems the charger had failed.

It was a disappointment to say the least. After a few more hours in the dark to continue checking reliability and burn time, we were going to tip you off to very nice light.

The Chinese-made Magicshine has a 90-day warranty. We phoned GeoManGear.com and left messages. We e-mailed twice. No response.

You've probably never heard of GeoManGear.com. We hadn't, either. It sells a number of products besides the Magicshine headlight. It appears to be a legitimate company, but if our experience is indicative of the quality of goods and customer service, you'll do well to take your business elsewhere.

Comments from readers (including GeoManGear) here (http://www.roadbikerider.com/comments.htm).

[paulrad9]

The Chinese-made Magicshine is a knock off of the Lupine Tesla (http://www.lupine.de/web/en/products/lightsets/tesla/4/)
I am not a fan of the Magicshine so I felt obligated to 'improve' the quote

Take a look at the pics above and compare to those below.
Tesla:
http://www.lupine.de/web/content/en/products/lightsets/tesla/4/images/0031_2.jpg

http://www.lupine.de/web/content/en/products/lightsets/tesla/4/images/DSC_2684.jpg

http://www.lupine.de/web/content/en/products/lightsets/tesla/4/images/0105_20.jpg

From RoadBikeRider.com:
You've probably never heard of GeoManGear.com. We hadn't, either. It sells a number of products besides the Magicshine headlight. It appears to be a legitimate company, but if our experience is indicative of the quality of goods and customer service, you'll do well to take your business elsewhere.[/I]

Comments from readers (including GeoManGear) here (http://www.roadbikerider.com/comments.htm).
On the contrary, while Geoman is a one man shop, he is a biker who also runs a bike business. Most people who buy from him like him. After I received a light I purchased from him two years ago, he called me and asked me if I was satisfied and that is service

[rugbysecondrow]

On the contrary, while Geoman is a one man shop, he is a biker who also runs a bike business. Most people who buy from him like him. Me included


In addition, the comments thread includes the following note:

GeomanGear Lights
Ed, to make this short and to the point, I am a friend and riding buddy of Jay ak "GeomanGear" and he is a great person and very good business man. He has been going through cancer treatments for almost two years that I am aware of, and has tried very hard to continue his business and run a good business throughout his ordeal. He has been a one man operation and I'm sure he will make thing good for you and any other buyer if he has the ability and time. I don't know if this note will change your opinion of his business, but give him another call, if he is available and or capable he will take care of business.

Thank You for "listening", I really enjoy your weekly news letter!!

Adios, Jaime Bustos


I have been very happy with my light and from nearly all the comments I have read, the Geoman is good to deal with. That is why I chose him over buying from Ebay.

I look forward to RBR making a follow up comment to resolve this as this is a man's reputation they are toying with.

[NRRider]

I echo the positive experiences with Geoman. Purchased my Garmin Edge 305 from him a couple years ago when he was running a great deal with free shipping. Emailed questions were responded to quickly. Confirmation and order showed up pronto. Then ordered the Magicshine light. Again showed up pronto (and btw no problems thus far, though any report of failure of a light is troubling given the potential to lose light while night riding).

I've emailed him about a couple other items and always received a quick response. Most recently emailed him re a high-powered rear light of similar value to the Magicshine and he responded right away saying one was coming soon. Based on what I've read from others and from his postings you'll be hard-pressed to find another bike business as responsive to customer input (both emails and forums) as this guy.

No place is perfect and it sounds like this was a rare glitch. Speaking of light quality, I also have a Trinewt (much more expensive light manufactured by NiteRider) and the battery failed shortly after purchase. This was a common problem. They fixed it promptly, but the point is, even on the higher-end lights, things can fail.

Geoman, if you're reading this, best wishes and hope your recovery goes well.

[Blue Jays]

Doing business with Jay at GeoManGear.com has been outstanding.
He is courteous, fast, honest, and customer-focused.
I would look to him for ANY bicycle electronics purchase first prior to checking other vendors.

[Ken Robb]

I think we choose to take certain risks when we order/buy from a one-man operation. If the sole operator becomes incapacitated it may take a while before someone else can step in to keep things going until the boss is back up to speed. For example I read that j-Tek sales have been handled lately by the owner's son and I think that's great. If Dave Kirk sprains a wrist lifting a stein I don't think we want Karin wielding a torch. :)

[54ny77]

caveat emptor on these cheapo lights....

my charger was replaced too under warranty.

(and just as any customer can have great success and service with a seller, others may not. at the time i was shopping around, the geoguy never responded to my few separate emails with product questions, so i went elsewhere. whatever, i don't lose sleep about it--as i'm sure neither does he.)

[bshell]

I've use my MS 7-8 times now on mountain rides. The thing is fantastic and there is no "hot spot". I sort of wish there was a hot spot, focused further away. I get going pretty fast on the fire roads on my way out of the forest and there's way more "fill in" or "spill" light than necessary. Long run times, quick recharges. If this thing holds up it is an absolute no-brainer. The Geoman guy has been prompt/great to deal with.