I really like my Magicshine. I have had no problems with the original battery and am still using it despite Geoman's recall. It's just a backup that I use once a month to make sure it's still good though; mainly I use an 8 cell pack that I bought from Tenergy when they were on sale.
I don't think I'd look elsewhere for a light, the Magicshine just can't be beat for bang for the buck. But I think it helps if you are a bit of a DIYer in case you need to replace a frayed wire or something. If you really can't do any repairs yourself, or don't think it's worth your time, I'd probably go with a P7 flashlight or two, or spend the money and go up to a bigger name brand.
I think the flashlight is probably a better call though.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.