Electric Pocket Bikes: Planet Bike Blaze Dynamo Headlight

Planet Bike Blaze Dynamo Headlight - 1watt

I have used the Planet Bike Blaze 1-Watt Generator Bicycle Light for about two months now. It is light-weight and very easy to mount and adjust. What I like the best is that they make my commute hassle free. I no longer need to think about if I left my regular battery lights at home or at work and I don't have to worry about battery levels.

Pretty good Headlight, beam seems strong enough for slow riding thru the city. If used with a flasher Headlight it'll work more than adequate for paced commutes. The construction is a sturdy plastic.

The Headlight uses a cheap mounting bracket that isn't great. It doesn't fit very well on the handlebars so you'll end up using a cut up old tube or tape to help keep it snug. You should still be able to tilt it back and forth for use in high/low beam (level it down towards the street in front of you) and flash mode (level it up towards traffic). The "close" pin doesn't snap back to keep it in "closed" for some reason but my Headlight didn't fall off yet.

#1 beam seems to be "low" for some reason instead of high on my Headlight. #2 high beam is brighter. #3 beam is flash mode.

The Headlight is not heavy, very decent size, compact, detaches easily from quick release mounting bracket. The button on the Headlight is rubber so it doesn't respond very well when you need to change modes quickly while riding. If you are in bright city lights, it's impossible to tell what mode it is in because the beam is barely visible on the ground and there is no extended visible light (or clear lens area) to see the light/mode while you are riding. The side of the Headlight has two clear lens/indents that aren't very visible from the side. The Headlight uses 2 AA batteries (use rechargeable batteries) as there is a low run time on alkaline cell batteries (5-18 hours).

If you are in city lights, the beam is barely visible on the ground, it's best to use the flash mode but level it up towards traffic or it won't be visible. The flashing lights in flash mode in darkness are visible on stop signs for at least 8 or more long city blocks, it's very good. The "flashing" mode bright flashes, are not very disturbing since it's impossible to see the flashes because there is no extended visible light (or clear lens area) to see the flashes while you are riding.

The front end lens area of the Headlight is very small (1 inch across - light mainly visible from front) but 60 feet away, it (on high beam) appears as a larger bright dot to far away traffic. It's best to use the Headlight for seeing the street in front of you with Another flasher "to be seen" Headlight, or as a flashing light in flash mode with Another flasher Headlight, double the flashing "to be seen" lights. If using Headlight on high beam, you can even level it up towards traffic, it is very bright.

The spread of the beam (high/low) is very adequate to see in front of you riding in darkness.

When using the high/low beam it's best to level it down towards the street in front of you, the beam is very adequate for (8-15 mph, slow city riding) (5-12 mph slow trail riding in darkness). It's best to use the Headlight with a flasher "to be seen" Headlight (Blackburn Quadrant Light is very good) in traffic.

In all, some technical/practical issues with the Headlight design, but a very, very good high/low beam for slow riding thru the city.

PROS: Headlight is not heavy, very decent size, compact, uses 2 AA batteries (lighter), the beam is strong enough for slow riding thru the dark city or slow trail riding in darkness, Headlight detaches easily from mounting bracket, flashing lights in flash mode very good, spread of the beam (high/low) visible in front in darkness is very adequate, The "flashing" mode bright flashes are not very disturbing/visible to rider, If using Headlight on high beam, you can even level it up towards traffic for a very bright "to be seen" light, lower price.

CONS: cheap mounting bracket that isn't great, light not very visible from the side, button on the Headlight is rubber that doesn't respond very well when you need to change modes quickly while riding in traffic, impossible to tell what mode it is in (in bright city lights) because there is no extended visible light (or clear lens area) to see the light/mode while you are riding, low run time on alkaline cell batteries.

With this Headlight, riding my bike at night, it allows me to see reasonably well. This is a very nice "to be seen" or "to see" light. Highly recommended for those on a budget and commuting or non-commuting bike riders.

This Headlight is barely visible in the rain. If you commute in the rain or ride fast, invest in something more powerful.

The flashing diodes are bright enough to catch the attention of other drivers.

The savings on not having to buy/recharge batteries will hopefully make up for the higher price in the long run.

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Product Description:
You don?t need any stinkin? headlights with batteries?you have your own generator hub. Hook up your 6v, 2.4, or 3-watt generator to the Planet Bike Blaze Dynamo Headlight and revel in the knowledge that your beam is pedal-driven. Set this headlight on steady or SuperFlash mode while you ride. Since stumbling around in the dark until your pupils adjust isn?t ideal when you stop pedaling, the Blaze Dynamo uses a power-reserve function to keep the light working even after you stop. *Generator hub not included.

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