Second week in bedsit land and
the boiler has gone bong, meaning no heating and hot water. Memories of the
winter of ’92 are flooding back. At present, the temperatures are still
creeping into double figures and this property is double-glazed. Therefore, the
frosty glaze remains on the outside my window, when I don Lycra and head out
for a 5am ride.
Cold showers and a vanishing
toilet seat are less welcome, although said facilities remain superior to that
infamous East London property 28 years back. Indeed, its 28 years since I
bought my first LED light. A rear, two mode Vistalight that was essentially a
reflector on steroids but a huge leap ahead of the basic, heavy filament lights
that were the norm then.
Enter these Magicshine See Mee
lights. I have the 200, 180 and 100 versions on my test bench and am seriously
impressed. The highest figure refers to the “Braking function” which kicks in
for three seconds when their motion sensor detects deceleration/similar changes
in momentum.
Formative impressions suggest
these are too sensitive, triggered by washboard tarmac and longer climbs, thus
putting a noticeable dent in run times. Thankfully, they can be switched off.
“Braking” lights have become more popular but most I’ve used seem prone to these
quirks, so I’m not singling the See Mee range out, per se.
The flashing modes are very
effective and relatively frugal, across the board. The 200 also has a tracer
light, a secondary diode that casts a 360degree flood at the road, to highlight
bike and rider-again, fantastic in terms of presence and my inner child has grinned
at the novelty value.
Talking of which, these are
competitively priced. The 200 costs £33.99, the 100 £25.99. (At the time of
typing, I’m not sure of the 180’s rrp). For the time being, I’m sticking with the
Continental Contact Speed Reflex. These continue to impress with their tarmac
hugging prowess, low rolling resistant and magic carpet ride quality. To my
surprise, the Lezyne Floor Drive track pump’s gauge has expired. I’d had it for
some years and it’s a really solidly made unit.
I didn’t want the hassle of
buying and installing a replacement gauge, so I went the standalone route and
this Topeak Smart Gauge D2. The only potential weak spot is the sprung head. I
liked the original Smart Gauge, which came my way some 16 years back, which was
a little simpler and had a press on head that would automatically morph to a
Schrader, or Presta valve.
Alas after a few years
faithful service, mine imploded rather dramatically. A backlight function would
be rather handy, say when getting back on the road following a flat-my SKS Air
Checker (in storage) has one.
Some would say for the same
price, I could’ve bought another track pump but that would be wasteful, since
the Lezyne is really well made and a standalone gauge is not only portable but
the most accurate. Elsewhere, on the protective/winter front expensive crank
arms can get a spanking. These Zefal Crank Armor https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/zefal-crank-armor are an inexpensive way of protecting them from
dings, stones, and other accidental damage. However, they won’t guard against
unsightly toe-strap rub and may present compatibility niggles with some cadence
sensors.
I was stunned to discover
Control Tech are ceasing production of the Silicone bar tape, which I’m
astonished, since performance is top notch, in all conditions. 155g (uncut,
including CNC machined ends) might be a touch portly for bikes on calorie-controlled
diets. However, for mile munching tourers, gravel, and winter bikes, there’s so
much going for it. Need something bike-themed to read as lockdowns come into force? This might fit the bill https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/northbound-down
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