bradjackson

Yesterday's incident was rather unpleasant, but the outcome was certainly satisfying, especially considering my dad was one of those attacked. It was really comforting to see the co-operation and support of all involved. Our EC provincial XC race was scheduled to start about 15 minutes after the incident happened, so we naturally delayed the start of the race. The SAPS, Atlas & ADT were VERY quick to spring into action, as well as a number of the riders and race assistants who jumped into their cars and drove to block off the various exit points from the Valley. Another large group of riders rode down towards the place where it had happened, I suspect this had the effect of "herding" the culprits towards the Dodds Farm exit where the cops were entering. We've been relatively untouched by MTB bike jackings in PE, compared to Joburg and Cape Town, until now. I am aware of 3 incidents in PE in the last 2 months (2 of them within the last week though, which is a concern). At least the latest one didn't end so well for the attackers!! The Baakens Valley is an ideal riding area for us and we will certainly not give it up to these thugs. We've scheduled a meeting for tonight with a number of roleplayers and will be coming up with an action plan to step up security, especially in the area around the XC course. I would like to see us MTB'ers securing a stronghold in the immediate 5 or 6 sq km around the XC course, and then gradually extending this to cover a wider and wider area of the Baakens Valley. I'll post an update after tonights meeting for those interested.

We're very excited about our latest product. You can buy it as an add-on upgrade for your existing Magiclight bike light. Its a dynamo which attaches to your fork and generates enough power to recharge your Standard Magiclight battery in as little as 5 hours of riding on an average MTB trail (time is dependant on the terrain you're riding) What's more is it doesn't use the rotation of the wheel to generate the power, we all know this just addds resistance and makes it feel like you're riding one of those exercise bikes. Instead our dynamo uses the up and down motion of your shocks to generate its power. The longer your fork travel the more power you're able to generate. Downhill bikes in particular are ideal candidates. You can use it in recharge mode during the day - plugged into the battery and it will recharge while you ride. OR, connect it directly to the light at night to provide direct-drive power to the LED. Light output is determined by a combination of speed and bumpiness of the terrain. For example: Low speed riding on a tar road = 5 days to recharge the battery or 5 lumens in direct drive mode Medium speed riding on an average MTB trail = 5 hours to recharge or 200 lumens in direct drive mode High speed riding on a gnarly downhill (like the one we've just built in Loerie for the CSA Nationals in May) = 5 minutes to recharge or 1000 lumens in direct drive mode ...etc Available May 3011

There's a lot of mis-information about exactly how to treat your bicycle light battery. If yours is a Lithium based battery (Li Ion or Li Po) then you may find this info of use. Many people have the false perception that fully discharging their lithium ion battery is "good for the battery". This idea stems from the days of older battery technologies like NiCd or NiMH. These batteries were best treated by performing frequent full discharges (i.e. running them completely flat) and then recharging in order to counter the "memory" effect. Exactly the opposite is true of Li Ion batteries, which are best looked after by recharging more frequently and keeping them "topped up". For more info and an in-depth article about the topic, see the link below. Lithium Ion battery care By the way, this applies to any device which uses a Li Ion or Li Po battery (cell phone, laptop, camera, etc). Its not just for bike lights.

Have you guys seen this? Its called Podio. Its an MP3 player with a built-in speaker (it puts out really crisp, clear audio at a decent volume). http://www.podio.com.tw/ Yes I know its a shameless plug seeing as I am the importer and local distributor, but I really believe in the product and the safety benefits of riding without earphones stuck in your ears. Available from many cycle shops throughout SA.

Does anyone actually know what happens to these high end bikes that get jacked? I mean are these okes part of an organized syndicate shipping them across the border or do the bikes generally remain in circulation within the area they were swiped? Or are they simply stripped for their parts? I know there's lots of speculation, but does anyone know of any evidence to suggest whats happening to the stolen goods?

OK and how about this one to really stir the pot?? Same scene but this time a white guy then a black guy are the ones "stealing" the bike. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrOSL85ZMck

Interesting video of a staged bike theft and the reactions of passers-by. So what would you do??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea9Rg5760tE

Hmm, at that price it must be a grey import

Try Dunkeld Cycles. They ordered recently and should have in stock.

Strictly speaking, the correct term would be a parallel import Parallel importing definition on Wikipedia

Ah, OK The bad news is that yours is unfortunately not a Magiclight. Easybike are doing their own importing from an alternative supplier overseas. We are the only Magicshine-approved distributor in SA. The new mount was developed by Magiclight in SA and is only available through the cycling shops which stock our brand. The good news for you is that you can still buy the new mount as a bolt-on upgrade and attach it to your light.

As already stated, TREAD Skills is highly recommended. Check their schedule for the next one in your area. You won't be disappointed.

Ja they are compatible with all the Magicshine & Magicshine-clone lights. In fact it should work on just about any light which has a single mounting screw for the base. Its a great option for DIY bike light builders.

Hi Big Toe The first of the upgrade mounts would have only started hitting the shops around then. Can you confirm where you bought your light and I'll see what I can do for you.

Prices in the bike shops are as follows: R100 for the handlebar bracket R100 for the helmet mount bracket R150 for the anodized aluminium base unit which gets screwed onto the bottom of the light. The base unit is essential, then depending on your requirements, you choose whether you want just the handlebar / helmet mount or both

Hi Luke Sorry, I forgot to update this thread. Our new mounts are ready and they really are great. A number of the cycle shops already have them in stock. Let me know where you are and I can point you to your nearest LBS so you can go check them out. Here's some pics and more info: http://www.magiclight.co.za/news/magiclightupgradedmountingbrackets

I can highly recommend the TREAD Skills courses. Sat in on one at the end of last year and what struck me is how "complex" mountain biking really is. There's just so much physics going on that we take for granted. The theory part of the 101 course puts some of this into perspective and you actually start to understand how your bike is interacting with the dirt and the forces of nature. Then you get out as a group and put the theory into practice under the guidance of a skilled instructor. At the same learning from watching your fellow classmates do it right and wrong. I'm sure books are great but I don't think it could come close to what you will learn from a course like this.

Bump Note the price drop - now R1000 Available from your LBS

We've had a lot of compliments about our lights, and very few complaints. However one of the most frequent requests we've had has been to improve the mounting mechanism. (The other major issue was to improve the battery - which we've already done) The issue is that the light is susceptible to shifting on very bumpy terrain (this is more noticeable on the heavier MJ816). The problem is that the O-ring mount is just not able to grip the handlebars tight enough. So we've developed a neat solution in the form of a bolt-on upgrade - compatible with all our existing bike lights. A single allen bolt mounts the tiny bracket onto your handlebars and a CNC-machined base unit gets screwed onto the bottom of the light, replacing the old O-ring mount. From then on installing and removing your light is a simple 1-second exercise. We've also introduced 15 degrees of lateral adjustment so you can make sure your light is pointed in the right direction. A matching helmet mount is also available. More info here: www.magiclight.co.za/news http://www.magiclight.co.za/news/magiclightupgradedmountingbrackets/DSC04256%20%28Custom%29.JPG Prices: Upgraded bolt-on base unit - R150 Handlebar bracket - R100 Helmet bracket - R100 Available from your LBS Oh, and our MJ816 lights now include this upgrade as a standard fixture.

Our new bracket is finally ready, and we're super happy with the result. There's a helmet mount and a handlebar mount bracket. Its a simple bolt on upgrade to convert either an MJ808 or MJ816. Here's a few pics. They're not yet on the shelves in the shops but if you're interested, send me a PM and I'll make a plan to get one sent down to your nearest LBS for you. Price will be about R250 for a set (handlebar OR helmet mount)

Hey thanks for the positive feedback. Its nice when a compliment comes full circle. We strive to give the LBS's the best service possible so they can look good to their customers too!! I'm about to make your day even better!! We didn't just swap out your LED, we gave you an entirely new light and you'll notice its the newer, upgraded version of the MJ808 with: Stronger, more flexible and heat resistant cabling Thermal protection so it will drop itself to a lower setting if it begins overheating, and will automatically revert to the higher output once it cools down sufficiently And last but not least, it features a 4 stage power level indicator so you'll always know how much charge is left in your battery. Happy night riding!!

Hey Stephon Check out our website for the different Magiclight options. There are retailers scattered around SA but if you don't have one nearby let me know and we'll get you hooked up one way or another. By the way, we have a brand new ULTRA capacity battery, ideal for 24 hour races. Its a water bottle-type which will give you 7 hours on High Beam and about 12 hours on Low with the MJ808 light. It only weighs about 400g and comes with a Y splitter cable, allowing you to power 2 lights at a time with the single battery. Its really a great option for extended runtime applications.

We've been in contact with Geomangear and the Magicshine manufacturers regarding this issue. At this stage its not a factory recall. Geomangear have decided to initiate their own actions, citing quality concerns as the reason. Magiclight will continue to honour warranty claims for lights and batteries distributed by us. If you have a defective battery please stop using it immediately and contact the retailer where you bought it to arrange a replacement. Please take note of the following guidelines which pertain to all Lithium-Ion batteries. Keep battery away from extreme heat Do not reverse polarity Do not short circuit Do not allow plug socket to get wet If your battery is physically damaged (i.e. has been dropped or got wet) stop using it immediately Avoid repeatedly discharging to below 20% capacity. Lithium Ion batteries prefer to be topped up more frequently instead of being run flat. Charging Instructions: Only recharge using the prescribed Li-ion charger When charging place the battery in a fireproof container / location Do not charge near wood, textiles or other combustible materials Do not charge unattended. When charging Li-ion batteries you should always remain in proximity to observe and respond quickly should something go wrong Disconnect the battery as soon as charging is complete

Just Googled it and found that Hanebrink I was thinking about: http://www.mombat.org/Hanebrink.htm

Thats a hardcore looking bike I remember years ago there was a Hanebrink bike which was advertised for riding on the beach, but it had much fatter and smaller diameter wheels than this one in the pic. This one looks more versatile at least - you'll be able to ride it on a normal trail I'm sure.