Magnic Microlights arrived, installed
 

The Microlights I ordered in mid-July arrived last week.

!

The quad microlight set:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e87af5d80.jpeg


I was interested in these because I have a folding bike that's basically impossible to install a hub or bottle dynamo on. Aaaaaand the bike has 16" wheels. I found installing these on such a small-wheeled bike problematic. I eventually gave up and put them on a different bike just to evaluate them. Fine, everybody else is probably installing them on a large-wheel bike, so

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0103296f.jpeg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7078121c9.jpeg

Hmm. Well, right, there's no discernable drag just as advertised, so they've got that going for them. Absolutely silent in operation. You have to mount these close to the rim to get the most out of the eddy current. Subsequently, the brakes actuate in the initial movement of the lever rather than mid-travel or close to the bars. YMMV, but I didn't really like that.

Output: the headlights are a big meh. Hey, in 1975, these would have been veritable lighthouses of photons, but time moves on. Magnic indicates in their advertising that the output of a pair of these is somewhere between 20 and 40 lux, and yeah, to my uncalibrated eyes that's about right. Compared to even my modest modern LED battery lights, the MagnicLights are relatively feeble and left me wanting. Nice StVZO-compliant beam shape, though. I'd rate them useable for only some riders, depending on their personal night-riding environment. Tailights are steady only as StVZO requires, but the output is fine for a taillight. The taillights have persistence, too.

Thanks for the review. I think the adage applies "no free lunch." No discernible drag implies that you can't get much light out of it. If the drag were heavy, people would not enjoy using it. I do have a couple of large-wheel bikes equipped with dynamo hubs, and I love those setups, but the headlights are just OK. The light is enough for some situations, but I would not feel comfortable riding on a totally dark road at 15 mph. Most of my riding is in a well lit city, so my headlight is mostly a be-seen light, and it is excellent for that with its German law compliant shaped beam. Taillights for dynamos are also weaker than battery powered lights, and they don't blink. The jury is out as to whether blinking is helpful for harmful.

It's a pet peeve of mine when manufacturers use non-standard units in their specs. Lux at what distance? (I'm not asking you. I looked on their site, and it's not specified, and the link to their datasheet results in a "404 Seite nicht gefunden" error.)

As a reference, I just measured the illuminance of a small tail light that seems similar. Its 2 lumen mode measured 9.7 lux at one meter, and its 20 lumen mode measured 76.4 lux at one meter. Keep in mind that these numbers are a very rough approximation, since the relationship between lumens and lux are highly dependent on the shape and efficiency of the reflector.

Since it's StVZO certified, lux are measured at 10 m distance.

I still find the concept of the Magnic interesting! The ability to get power from the wheel without touching it means that there is no wear on the wheel or tire, no noise, and no worry about loss of power if things get wet or messy. I also like having the dynamo and light integrated into one package, not unlike the block dynamos of a few decades ago.

Everything has disadvantages, and the method of getting power from the wheel means that you aren't going to get a lot of power at low weight. To be fair, though, I don't know what the numbers for the Magnic are. I still have my old Jos block dynamo....

https://live.staticflickr.com/2946/3...0954ed_b_d.jpg

It delivers 3 watts (I think) and weighs 300 grams. It mounted to the fork blade.
The optical performance doesn't compare to modern tech. The incandescent bulb and rotten optics resulted in light that was only marginally functional. Modern optics and LEDs would be a huge upgrade. The drag was still significant compared to a hub dynamo, which I still think is the best solution for general purpose riding.

Steve in Peoria

If so, then that would reduce my measurements by a factor of 100 (the inverse square law). 20 to 40 lux at 10 meters would be pretty bright compared to the little tail light I tested with.

I have all the light I need to see where I am going at night in the country where there is no other lighting with an older B&M IQ-XS headlamp that was rated at 70 lux, now the newer ones of that model are rated at 80 lux. I have these on two bikes.

Equipped my commuter/touring bike with a full set (2+2) of V-Brake version some 2 years ago. The headlights are not sufficient to ride through a forest, but for commuting they are fine, and no complaint about rear lights.
They worked pretty reliably summer and winter, but I had some failures:
The first versions had the light-Module attached to the generator/brakeshoe with a weak press-on connection. Since the LED modules are exposed, they have come off (simply disappeared) three times so far, with the connecting wires ruptured. Fortunately one can order spare modules (soldering work), and now glued them with Loctite in addition. Another unit failed after the generator had contact with the rim a number of days. There is a PU patch to protect, but it quickly wore off.
A general trouble is when changing the brake shoes of the rear units (at least V-brake version). This requires the generator unit be displaced from the brake shoe unit (tiny allen key required, too small to be part of typical bike multi-tools).
Do not forget to check the PU patch and replace, when worn.

That's not a glowing report. But thank you.

What I forgot to mention : According to their website the recent version has an improved clip-on element, and the mechanical connection is said to be stronger. Hopefully the problem might become obsolete.

I see what you did there. Kudos.

Oops, I didn't even notice. Thanks. :)

The idea is attractive enough but they seem to be something that is asking too much of basic physics. That is, I don't think it's surprising they don't appear to work too well.

(They might be OK enough to be "be seen" lights and satisfy legal requirements for riding at night.)

Hmm. Okay. My DynoHub™ driven B&M IQ-X lights up the street and retro-reflects street signs 6+ blocks away.

Your headlight is probably better than mine which is older. If I need to ride on a country road, I'll replace my headlight with one like yours.

On another point, if your light lights up signs above your light, it's pointed up too much. These German lights can be made so they don't go into anyone's eyes. The more light you take out of people's eyes, the more light you put on the road.

In total dark conditions, I am happy with my B&M IQ-XS, cheaper and slightly dimmer than the one TCS cited.

That said, going down a hill fast is problematic, as where the road flattens out, that is above the light beam so you can't see that well at a distance on downhills.

I set my lights so that the reflectors on the taillights on parked cars are lit up, but just barely that high.