WillemT

Sorry, had no intention of being rude or getting worked up, just wanted to state what i'm actually trying to do... That's all. Would love to see one of the brighter's in action, especially the revalation 4!! Have you seen it yet?

i'm not even going to build lights, i'm just going to try and be a "local suplier" of components that you cant get in SA easily, that's all! So I really don't know why you compare me to him at all??? Also, not everybody has the know how about electronics, and maybe don't want to have it, and would maybe, just maybe appreciate it if somebody else has a basic list of good components that they can only put together and know it will work. Please tell me if i'm missing the point completely!!!night tider2008-05-29 14:16:00

As I said, i'm not at all trying to compete with him!!! And yes he have done a lot of research for 2 years. Because i'm looking for components my self to build a few lights I thought about the idea. And it's not for the guy who is a serious mountain biker,(don't know exactly what that is) it's for the guy who can not afford one of those lights. They're nice!!!!!, but they are exspensive aswell!!

Well i'm busy working on the contact in the states, if I get the channels going you can just get one red cree P4 or something and let it strobe, you have at least 150 lumens for a rear light, would that be enough? will cost a few bucks but not to much. you said you can make aluminium housings... tell me more... because i'm still looking for options here. The primary idea behind this motive is not for me to make big bucks, it's to get some very good budget ligths out to my fellow MTBers. I don't have R2000+ budget for a light and this is where this idea started and i've been doing ALOT of research the last two days.

I would like to know if anyone would be interested in some light kits? I'm trying to find an overseas supplier of cree LEDs, optics and drives. Would people pay R600 - R800 rand for a package that will give them 500 + lumens of light? It will be a complete package to assemble your own light and you will not have to do any soldering, drilling of holes ect. Would appreciate any comments on the subject!

I'm looking at 3 or 4 cree P4's maybe Q5s. the control circuit I must still decide on, just waiting for the extremeshop guy to reply, will probably use a luxdrive buckpuck and then add some electronics to that to give me some dimm levels ect, except if i can get a different control circuit for cheap I'll use that. Still have to find some nice aluminium tuding. What i like about brighter lights is that he respects that I want to build my own light and he's even willing to give me advice and help me!! wow what a guy!night tider2008-05-29 06:05:42

do you live in the western cape? It's really not all that complicated, the most difficult part is to get all the components. I'm almost at the end of that search/part. Then i'll be using an uliminium housing/pipe to fit the whole ligth in. I'll hopefully start building my light at the end of next week if I have all the parts. I'll keep you posted if you want. Got some good advise from brigther lights aswell, very nice guy!!!

no I don't. I'm on the mission of building my own light, planning for about 500 - 700 lumens with cree LEDs. should come to about R500 - R700 without batteries which I allready have. just doing some research on www.extremeshop.co.za and sent them a long mail to get some details of their products and the compatibility... Do you have time or do you want the light within a week or two?night tider2008-05-29 05:45:53

go and have a look on www.brighter-lights.com , you can get a revelation 3 for R1900 but you need batteries...

If you really want you can endlessly replace stuff but it's not really neccesary... If you put a new chain on and it works perfectly with the rest of the drivetrain without any gliches or jumping, then there's no need replacing al the rest. I've had the cassette and chainrings on my one bike for 4 years know and there's absolutely no problem, the chain doesn't jump when I stand up (i'm 104 kg) and shifting is perfect. Just don't wait till the chain is really shot! That way you'll get very good milage from the rest. What I also do is to ride 2 or 3 chains at a time. don't know if it makes any sense but to me it does. Change them every week. that way you're wearing 3 chains and 1 set of all the rest.

If you read the next post: "I had some of the stuf already". I must admit you really need to want to do it yourself. Also it's fun for me to build stuf so I build my own bike stand, ect. I love to work on my bike myself and want to take the best care of it. I'm not saying it's like that at all LBSs but remember, to that mechanic it's just another bike, to me, my bike bike is my pride,(if that makes sense in english...).

BTW het enige iemand al 'n headshok of lefty uit mekaar gehaal? Wil dit nog doen maar is bietjie versigtig...

well if it work for you. I had never had a problem with anything I did on my bike so maybe i'm just lucky maybe not, luckily i've never damaged anything either. My point is I don't think you're better of at the LBS. They for sure don't torque everything!! If you know a little rather get some tools, cheap or exspensive, be carefull and do it yourself... that's my feeling... In the past 3 years i've saved a lot of my money and I believe my bike too, by doing everything myself. especially small stuff. Replacing cable/housings, bleeding brakes, changing cassets ect. The thing is you pay for their time, they have mechanics to pay a salary every month so they have to ask their hourly rate. Rather use your own time that you would've wasted on waching some TV show and get the work done for free...

Ok you have a point you won't get a "nice" toolset for R500. I had some stuff already, but how would you damage your bike with cheaper tools. it's not the tools that damage the bike it's usually the guy working with them... Do you think all the LBSs torque the stuff cause then your in for a huge surprise. There may be a few who does here and there. and besides there's very little on the bike that needs to be torqed and if you have work with mechanical stuff even just little you can do it "op gevoel"...

Well that depends on your technical skill and how much you know about the bike mechanics. I never take my bike to the shop to be serviced, be it to replace wheel bearings, crank headset whatever. rather go buy yourself a nice toolset for R500 and you can do EVERYTHING yourself. There is one thing that I don't do myself and that is taking my headshok apart or any shock for that matter, send them to the agents. But then again there's some people who do that at home aswell. If you look after your bike, lube and clean your chain, set your gears every now and then, check spoke and bearings then really what is there to service????

Well I think it's down to personal choice. I like the XT's cause they really are great breaks(tried them out on a buddy's bike), but then again so are the juicy 5s. The XT will look great if it mach the rest of your groupset, I'm a shimano fan so I would go for the XTs. What do they price by the way? Personaly I have LXs on my scott that work good!, but I prefer the magura's on my cannondale, they're a pleasure...

well it's worth a try but what i hate about that site is that it gives you absolutely no details. Go and have a look on www.rabtron.co.za I know it's old tecnology and whatever, but you must admit it's very sorted out and straight forward, and because I like to build stuff and know what i'm actually working with, i'll go with the luxeons for now... The site for the cree's is terrible!

I found a website with some cree q5's, just too bad it's in the usa. http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.917

have any one looked on www.extremeshop.co.za? they seem to have some cree LED's, i'm still trying to figure out what lenses i can use with what LEDs. The nice thing about the luxeons is they pretty sorted out in terms of what lenses you can use ect. especially if you contact rabtron, they seem to know what they're doing. tell me if anybody can figure out the cree systems!!!

I think you can even build your own light that out perform the xp. I'm starting on a project now to build my own light and i'm aiming for at least 500 lms when i'm done. And for a battery pack i'm looking for a decent lithium pack that'll give me some 6 hours plus on light. I'm still looking around wich LEDs i should use to get the best lm/watt. Have any of you ever considered building a custom light?

what town do you live in? I'll be sure to keep an eye open if it's in stellenbosch!!! I had a bike stolen from the garage and the insurance paid out in full because it was stolen from the house. I got my bike back though, and the insurance paid out!!

What about a Scott scale 50 or 40? I haven't looked at the scotts lately. I bought a elite racing, from the previous range, for my girlfriend to ride n and it's a very nice bike! Go and have a look on gumtree and see if you can find a connondale. I ride one and I promise you it's the best bike i've had!!!!!

If there was such a rule as only uphill or downhill I sure missed it and so all the people whom I ride with. I've never come across any one who was grumpy because he wanted right of way or anything. Does anybody know anything about the new singletrack being built from the top of upper canarie to 2nd contour(i think)?

I'm also busy putting my order together to build a light. Have anyone looked at the normal 1w LEDs they have at rabtron? It seems to give the same amount of light per LED but at 350mA. If this is correct it will mean a lot less heat is produced and that you can get much more battery life. they're also half the price of the luxeons. I contacted the guy from rabtron and he said the LEDs are %100 compatible with the lenses you guys used. If it works i'll be able to run 3 80lm LEDs at full capacity with about 5v input power and 1000mA. Another thing i'm going to try is to get someone to machine me a aluminium housing for the light. The guy from rabtron said the new K2 LEDs will arrive in some time, rated at about 200lm at 1000mA. Bet that would work nice if you put three of them together!!!