Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Accessories for Mountain Bikers – What Do You Really Need?

Mountain bikers live off the edge and push their bodies and their bikes to the limit. In this post, we will list out a handful of important accessories that you will need to keep that adrenaline pumping and the journey unending. Bikers, who have a habit of venturing into uncharted farther territories as they push their own physical limits to the extreme, require a spate of bicycle accessories to help them last the thrilling ordeal. While some bikers may not consider them as essential, it is still helpful to have along with you the following:


Hydration packs – Several companies in the market offer hydration packs. When you choose to do some serious mountain riding, it is essential you remain hydrated and therefore choose a pack that enables that. Most packs today exist in the range of 70 oz to 100 oz. For longer and tougher rides, it is suggested you carry the 100 oz model. 

Spare tubes – Consider yourself in the middle of nowhere, having to sit by the side of the track until help comes through, with a flat tyre. This situations can arise anywhere, when least expected, and an extra tube is therefore essential to keep along the journey at least to a point where the other can be taken care of. 

Levers for use – A tube is no good without the tools to carry out a stitch-up on your puncture. It is impossible to carry out a patch-up on your wheels without having the appropriate levers to assist with the mechanics. Always keep some handy. 

Mini-Pump – Once you are done with your patch-up jobs, you need to refill the tubes, and that is when you need a mini-pump. In any case, a mini-pump is essential for long journeys. 

Multi-tool – A do-it-all gadget is important as you never know when you may have to unscrew something or cut into something. 

Bike Lights – Your bike must have good quality front and rear lights. Magicshine is the leader for bicycle lights in the UK. Coming from the house of trustable brand like Magicshine, their bike light accessories are essential when your riding adventures are set to extend into the darker hours of day. Some riders take upon the challenges of riding in the night, while some may end up having to deal with it circumstantially. In any case, bike lights are a must-have. 

PowerLinks – The risks of your chain breaking out there in the open grow severe as the terrain becomes difficult. It is important that you have a couple of powerLinks handy, to be installed with the help of a multi-tool kit. So whenever your chain breaks, you don’t have to carry the cycle on your shoulders; you can just install a new powerLink to reconnect the chains. 

First-Aid Kit and Nutritional supplements - When you are cycling for hours, you will naturally lose a big chunk of calories. While the whole objective of the cycling mission may be knock off calories, the body requires a re-supply to keep the energy level going and power in your legs. It is therefore essential that you pack in nutritious food packets, fruits, energy drinks and just about everything that can help you keep going. A first-aid kit is also essential to mend any injuries or bruises that you might suffer on the trail. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Magicshine MJ-816E 1800 Lumen Bike Light Upgraded – Really Bright!

Magicshine has already shown in its short history that it can deliver the best in range of bike lights. But the MJ-816E has gone a step further in stamping the brand’s authority on the market. The Magicshine MJ-816E is so far the most versatile of the range of bike lights from the house of Magicshine. The lighting just became better and brighter. With an iconic mickey-mouse design, the light comes with a central larger lens with two smaller lenses on either side. The two assisting lenses amplify the strength and reach of the light’s throw. An orange peel reflector helps in stretching the distance of the light’s beam. The two lights on either side are made from very high quality optical lens and therefore play a significant role in bringing out the exceptional output of the Magicshine MJ-816E.

The upgrade to the MJ-816E has increased the output to a whopping 1800 lumens. Additionally the rider can also select between using the two sidelights for a shorter but dispersed beam, whereas the central light alone for a longer more concentrated beam. Or the rider can simply choose to have all of them on at the same time, thereby making it easier for commutes in near darkness or even the middle of the night.The light is itself easy to mount onto the frame. It comes with the tried and trusted o-rings in two different sizes – one for the standard sized bars and the other for bars that are oversized. The button to control the functioning of the light can be mounted easily onto the handlebars giving the rider the comfort of changing the settings with his thumb, for wide angle, for distance or both. The Magicshine MJ-818E comes with the MJ-6002 battery, which includes 4x100 Li-ion batteries forming an 8.4v 4400mAh. The battery comes with a protective bag for its safety that can be mounted onto the bars, and provides an impressive runtime of 150-180 minutes. The light uses 2x CREE XP-E ultra bright (an upgrade) LED lights which illuminate in a way that it can make your nights become like the day. The glass lens used for the lights is anti-reflection and also scratch resistant.
There is an additional 3-level control provided, which helps in adjusting the brightness of the beams. The sidelights alone provide a beam strength of 800 lumens, which means that even if you choose the dispersed beam for rides when there is more to be kept an eye on the sides, there is a guarantee of brightness and impressive output. Having the command module for the lights next to your thumb makes is that much easier as compared to previous times when you had to bend and adjust lights from controllers strapped to the frame. The command module also has a built-in fuel gauge, which shows the battery levels and signals you immediately when they are low.