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02-07-09, 10:44 PM
Ordered a pair of Reelight SL120s (http://www.reelight.com/) from Amazon on Wednesday and got them this afternoon so here's my review:
These things were a ***** to install! The Reelight site claims that anyone can install them in a matter of minutes! It took me an hour to get them on the back wheel and about half an hour to get them on the front and then another half hour of tweaking after the first test ride!
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94271&stc=1&d=1234065883
As you can see I do not have it mounted on the rear axle because of my IGH. I tried it and it forced me to have to secure the magnets too deep between the spokes, basically touching the hub. Though it worked, this would overtime bend or pop the spokes. Reelights sells a version with a longer mounting brackets but I don't think any place in America carries them.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94272&stc=1&d=1234065978
The reason why they are so tricky to install is you have to get the magnets and light within 1-3mm of each other in order for the magnets turn the dynamo thingy inside the light. Now this is very tricky to adjust, since a mm too far and you get nothing while a mm too close and the components start to rub. If you have a quick release skewer you might want to thread it from the other end like I just to be see but it probably wouldn’t matter.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94273&stc=1&d=1234066036
Took her for a test ride to the market for some beer (2 miles) just now and am very satisfied so far. These lights are about the same brightness and a typical blinky and at cruising speed they blink at about 3 blinks per second and 4 when going fast. They also stay on for 1-5 minutes after you have stopped, depending on how long you have ridden. When I got out of the market they were still blinking.
I wish all bikes came standard with something like this.
These things were a ***** to install! The Reelight site claims that anyone can install them in a matter of minutes! It took me an hour to get them on the back wheel and about half an hour to get them on the front and then another half hour of tweaking after the first test ride!
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94271&stc=1&d=1234065883
As you can see I do not have it mounted on the rear axle because of my IGH. I tried it and it forced me to have to secure the magnets too deep between the spokes, basically touching the hub. Though it worked, this would overtime bend or pop the spokes. Reelights sells a version with a longer mounting brackets but I don't think any place in America carries them.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94272&stc=1&d=1234065978
The reason why they are so tricky to install is you have to get the magnets and light within 1-3mm of each other in order for the magnets turn the dynamo thingy inside the light. Now this is very tricky to adjust, since a mm too far and you get nothing while a mm too close and the components start to rub. If you have a quick release skewer you might want to thread it from the other end like I just to be see but it probably wouldn’t matter.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94273&stc=1&d=1234066036
Took her for a test ride to the market for some beer (2 miles) just now and am very satisfied so far. These lights are about the same brightness and a typical blinky and at cruising speed they blink at about 3 blinks per second and 4 when going fast. They also stay on for 1-5 minutes after you have stopped, depending on how long you have ridden. When I got out of the market they were still blinking.
I wish all bikes came standard with something like this.