roadfix

Got a new light, primarily for the helmet…. but can go on the handlebar as well, same GoPro style clip in mount on the bar.

Troul 

plastic & cast alloy mounts are designed to have repeat customers... change my mind.

unterhausen

Plastic mounts are okay if they are designed properly. I have only had one light where the mount broke, and it was an inexpensive dyno light from amazon. Optics were good though. And it spent a lot of time in bike racks at work, so that probably didn't help. I also got a B&M dyno light from someone else that had a broken mount. I abuse mine, and they haven't broken. So this person was unlucky, I think.

roadfix

Plastic mounts, especially on helmets are meant to break away on impact.

rekmeyata

compact? Not sure how small you are looking for, but NiteRider has the Omega 330, it puts out 330 lumens but in broad daylight it is very easily seen from over a mile a way.


My older Omega 300 can be blindingly bright at night, so not sure why you would want 350 or more. Cygolite Hypershot 350 Rear Bike Light puts out 350 lumens. The NiteRider on the lowest setting will run for 36 hours vs 500 hours for the Cygolite, but on high the NiteRider will run for 6 hours vs 2 for the Cygolite, so that low setting on the Cygolite must be terribly dim to run that long. I have not been able to compare the brightness of the two, I don't know anyone who owns that particular Cygolite.


But according to this video the NiteRider is significantly brighter, watch the video, the NiteRider is on the right bike; on the second pair of lights the bike on the right again has the NiteRider but he has a cob light flashing first, then he turns on the NiteRider, but then in that shot he puts the Cygolite into some sort of strobe mode, and there is a single strobe like flash that is brighter than the NiteRider which would be extremely annoying at night in my opinion: Both of my Niterider rear lights use a very good rechargeable battery, one of them is 5 years old the other is 4, and the batteries run times are the same as when they were new.


The only light that is half the size of those if you want something smaller is the Bontrager Flair RT, while it only puts out 90 lumens it is an aimed narrow focused light so when viewed directly from the back it is pretty intense, but once you start moving off to the sides the light level decreases rapidly. You're not going to get a light that size with 350 plus lumens, the battery run time would be extremely short due to the battery size restriction of the light casing. I do own this light, and use it on my rear stay, it's ok, not as healthy in brightness as the NiteRider 300 I have on the seat post, nor as healthy as the NiteRider Aero 260 that is on my helmet at night. But at least Bontrager used a high-quality rechargeable battery, that battery is 5 years old and still lasting as long as it did when it was new.


I did own a Lezyne light a few years back, that battery only lasted 3 years, which is why I never went back to Lezyne for buying another light. Not bad mouthing Lezyne, I love their pumps, they're the best mini pumps on the market, but I hate their lights.

Troul 

I am going to try the magicshine 300. It has USB-C, the run time in "high" night mode if i'm reading it right, is 6 hours. The size is ideal for what I'm after.

I'm kinda on the fence with the brand, as the customer service is lacking based on past experiences.

John Valuk

If you do, then after you have had a chance to test it, please share your observations in a thread here!

I bought the original Magicshine Seemee 200, and I also bought the Seemee 200 V2.0 when it came out (and which is still the tail light that I use regularly).

To get the modes that I like best with the Seemee 200 V2.0, I use "Smart", and let it switch between "Smart Day" and "Smart Night" modes based on the ambient light sensor.

I bought a Seemee 300 shortly after it first became available, expecting to use it as a bigger, brighter, higher-capacity version of the 200, but I never used it on a ride. When I was testing it out, it was doing something weird when in "Smart Night" mode, where it would for no apparent reason seem to flip back to "Smart Day" for a moment. I had some messages back-and-forth with Magicshine describing and discussing what I saw, tried their suggestions, recorded and sent them a video - and they ended up having me mail it back for a refund.

If your plan is to use it on constant (non-blinking) high, then the weirdness that I observed might not come into play. Or, perhaps I got a bad one, or they were still working out some kinks with a new model (they didn't offer to exchange).

One wish I would have for both the Seemee 200 and 300 would be for a way for the user to disable the downward-facing "tracing light" that automatically comes into play when it's dark out. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think that some people would prefer to have just the rear-facing light, and with maximum runtime.

I would also like it if I could manually assert the modes that "Smart Day" and "Smart Night" produce, without depending on the ambient light sensor (and the direction of the light, and whether the light is "shaded" where it is mounted).

SpedFast

Quick question-do these Magicshine lights stand up to their stated run times? I noticed in their specs that they're packing a relatively small amp hour battery. Thanks (1600mAh in the 300 Smart version)

John Valuk

I can't personally vouch for maximum run times, as it's something that I've never tested. My typical rides don't have me in the dark for more than 1-1/2 hours, and aren't long enough overall to even come close to the claimed "smart day" run times.

I have not been trying to use it for multiple rides between charges, but instead, topping it off at the same time that I am charging the batteries for my headlamp.

When it's convenient to do so, I might do a test for "smart night" mode on my Seemee 200 V2.0, and see how long it lasts.

John Valuk

Another comment on the Magicshine Seemee 300...

I have seen an Amazon review, and also this video, where people were reporting what appeared to be problems with the sensitivity of the ambient light sensor, or how it was being implemented, resulting in disappointing run times (i.e., the light thinks it's dark outside when it isn't):
Although I would prefer to be able to assert the same lighting modes manually, the "smart" stuff on my Seemee 200 V2.0 works well enough that I haven't been looking for an alternative.

Troul 

I plan to set it to steady on that'll achieve at least 6 hours runtime using the max lumens under that criteria.
I will try to see if it's passive charging too. If it is, then the runtime to lumens usage may not be the priority for concern.

Idk why the manufacturers don't create a way to connect it to a computer or smartphone via USB to switch around button functions, omit or add light display options ie: flashing sequence, multi steady toggles only with different preprogrammed brightness settings.
the Xmas lights these days can do it...

SpedFast

On ALL usb charged lights!

Troul 

the 300 doesnt have passive charging.

John Valuk

I'm following up on this because I did a couple of test runs of my Seemee 200 V2.0 yesterday.

I had it set to "Smart" operation, and ran it in a location where the ambient light sensor kept the light in "Smart Night". So, the main light cyclically ramps up and down between 60 and 10 lumens, and the downward-facing "tracing light" runs continuously at 60 lumens. They claim a run time of 4:30.

My first test took a little bit over 4 hours before it switched to low-output blinking mode; I didn't catch the endpoint, but it had to be less than 4:15. The light had been charged a few days ago, and had been in a garage that was in the mid 40s in °F.

After a fresh charge, I repeated the test, and was there to catch the endpoint - which happened at 4:40.