Knog Blinder Road Front 2 LED Bike Light Review

                               The Knog Blinder 2 LED Bike Light Review                       



                                                     What a Happy Little Chappie!

Welcome to our review on the Knog Blinder 2.


Knog was Launched in March 2003 by Hugo Davidson and Malcolm McKechnie.
Knog is a unique global cycling accessories brand, based in Australia currently selling Knog products to over 46 different countries, if you look out for the brand in your local cycle shop, you will start to notice the name is all around us, by this time most cyclist, have now at least heard of the Knog brand, but how many of you have tried the lights? well, I have had a chance to do a review on the Knog Blinder Road 2 Front Light, and this is what I think of the Knog light.

First things first, the quality on this light in our opinion is outa this world, from the feel, the quality of the finish, a piece of art, it feels indestructible!

Once out the box, and a read through the instructions regarding charging, and it was as simple as connecting a Usb cable to the Knog Blinder vie a clever design connector on the light, which was in the form of a simple lift the flap and connect the cable to it, and on comes the Red light to tell you it is charging, it turns green when charged, Knog recommend 6 hours for the first charge.




Two switches, Right is High and Low, left is the light sequence it goes through.
The Feel of the Blinder 2 is top class! so well made, feels solid.



Nice
2 X Velcro, and a larger strap
The Knog on charge!

After the recommended charge it was off to see who easy it was to fit to the handle bars of the MTB bike, and it is the most easiest fitting we ever have had the pleasure to do! just a quick place on the bar's, pull the clip round and connect the clasp, and a quick snap and it was tightly on the bars! Brilliant!

First ride out and was well impressed in the way the Knog held onto it place on the bars, did not slip once, some time's after a bumpy ride you have to adjust the light position, but the Knog has a Rubber type strap that makes it grip the handle bars very well.

Rear View as seen from the saddle

Out on the road I was amazed at the distance the Knog was throwing light out, I had it on the Low Echo Flash setting (The Light Flashes from left to right light) and the beam was throwing out light at well over 80 yards! The reason I know this is because on a  route I cycle, there are reflective signs well ahead, and this particular ride I noticed they were flashing up ahead, a quick hand over the front of the Knog Blinder 2, and I realized it was the Knog making the reflective strips on the signs flash from a long way down the road!  And that was on the Low setting!

First ride out along the Tow Path, and the Knog shone the way brilliantly, no problems at all, takes a bit of getting used to the amount of setting's on the light, but you soon get used to it, and start to switch to high or low settings depending on the brightness of the track your on, On another ride I had to change from Eco Flash to Dual Beam very quick, as I was on a down hill and all of a sudden went in to a very narrow arch with no light, and had little time for any error, but a quick press on the Knog and the path in front was well lit up!

The Knog has two setting for High and Low beam on one switch, just a simple push of the button and  that gets the Knog from Low to High easy, turning a Led light on the rear from Green to Blue, the left button is for the modes, all in high, and low modes, so, there is enough power to see your way safe.

One handy thing the 'Knog light can do, and that is a power drain, used for when the Knog will not be used for a long time, this is achieved by pushing the left button until it turns Red, the Knog then will drain itself to the optimum voltage level and turn it self off, it will flash 3 times, all very good, apart from when I was out riding and fiddled with the light going through the light phases, the red light came on! lucky I noticed what I had done, and managed to turn it off, and turn the light back on again! So, you need to watch for this when out and about!


Also in the box was a removable silicone strap for bars 29-35mm. so the Knog can handle 22-28mm Handel bars no problem.
A Helmet mount is also included, along with 2 pieces of Velcro strap to mount to your cycling helmet.

Verdict

Good Points

A Very nice compact, well made, and solid light, Eco flash is bright enough to be seen with on the roads.
Wide and long beam
Nice and easy to fit, and remove.
No problem with the Knog accidentally turning on once put away in your bag or pocket.
Great long run money saver on battery's.
A Nice helmet fixing bracket supplied.
Ideal for the commuter ride to work, where you could charge the Knog up for the rtn journey on PC.
   

Bad Points

Button's could be a bit fiddly with gloves on..
On high beam light may fade quicker


All in all a fantastic Light by Knog

For a Full instruction leaflet try here

http://www.knog.com.au/docs/road_front_instructions_web_2.pdf

UPDATE 24/04/2015

The Knog Blinder 2 is still holding it charge and putting out the light on the night rides! 

Knog Blinder on Low beam

See Your Local Bike Store For Stock



Review Update

It is time to mount the @Knog Blinder to the cycle helmet.

Remember in the box you have the helmet mount and the Velcro strap to fix it to your cycle helmet, Ideal for the MTB rider now the dark nights are drawing in.
 Simply attach the mount to the front of your helmet. 

 Attach the @Knog Blinder and you are sett to go! 
Look out for the next update when I test the @Knog Blinder on a night ride around the woods!

Update 25/10/2015

 

Knog Blinder with new strap fitted with helmet bracket.

Must just add that the Knog fitted to your cycle helmet make for a much safer ride when your out riding in wood land, have a Knog Blinder fitted to you Handel bars and one fitted to your and just see where your going before you even get there!
 Have it andgled up in front and as you approach a corner you can chose your path much sooner with the light fitted to the bars! 


The light the Blinder throws out from the position on your cycle helmet depends on the angle you have it in, I found it stayed in place and I was riding on rough ground a lot of the time!  

100% SAFER!


#Footnote#
I did not realise that I first started doing the review on the Knog Blinder around 28th June 2014! That is 16 Months use!
And the Knog is still going and being used on rides out regular!
Holds a charge!

Foot Note This is not a Paid Advertisement For Knog.




















Cycle Camera for Cyclist! I might of found a GoPro Beater here!

I am on the search for a  Cheaper Cycle Camera that has good battery life and great quality compared to the Mighty Go-Pro range of camera, Why you may ask!

That is a simple question to answer, "We are not all Millionaires", so my quest Begin's to find a Great quality Cycle camera at a affordable price!

A Brief list of cameras available for Cyclist,



www.dogcamsport.co.uk/action-pro-3-astak-camera.html    Sold at £149.95p inc Vat (1080p)

http://www.chilli-tech.com/Mini-Cam-Pro-HD   (Not 1080p) Sold at £79.99p


http://www.astak.com/product_detail.php?id=11 (1080p) ranging from £149,99p to £229.99p for the same camera! (Amazon UK)

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/dogcam-bullet-hd-2.html (1080p) £146.46 on Amazon

 
 http://contour.com/ (1080p) £139.99p

And one that nearly got forgotten, but has great raves about it is  the Isaw A2 Camera, as recommended by a fellow cyclist!


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Isaw-A2-Camcorder-Micro-Black/dp/B0099K7FPU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403200070&sr=8-1&keywords=isaw+a2


News Flash!

Toshiba have announced they will be bringing out a New Action Camera in July, and We have seen the Speck, and on Paper, this is the one that could take over from the Mighty Go Pro!

http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/toshiba-x-sports £179.90 inc VAT! Thats right, a £179.90p!

We await in anticipation to this mighty challenge!

Came across this one from EvoMTB http://www.evomtb.co.uk/sj4000-novatek-1080p-30fps-12mp-h264-15inch-170-outdoor-waterproof-sports-home-security-hd-dvcar-dvrcamera-recorder/

A £35 1080 action camera!


So, as you can see there is a mind field of cameras out there all available to the Cyclist and adventure sports man/woman, so, how do you buy the best camera for your needs, one thing talking to other camera cyclist is, They Learned The Hard Way", just ask them how many old camera they have, and if true full will tell you "Loads of old rubbish cameras"! Why you may ask, well its simple, the first camera you buy, looks good on paper, has the right type of quality and price your looking for, so, off you go and purchase the camera, only to find out it is total rubbish!

So, thats your first camera in the draw not being used, so, you look for a slightly better spec one, same thing happens, ends up in the draw, quality no good, battery life is complete rubbish! and so it goes on, untill you have no choiec but to buy a Go-Pro, as you know they are the Best!

But are they? That is what I want to find out, to let you make up the choice, to be able to buy 2 camera for the price of 1 Go=Pro, Interested, thought you may be, so stick around, on my journey into the dark depths of the Camera Cyclist!

A little about the thing called 1080p or as in some camera 780p, well what does it mean....

There are three main resolutions of HD video available: 1080p, 1080i, and 720p. Most HD camcorders on the market record in either 720p or 1080i resolution.
 The main difference between the three is how they record video. The “p” at the end of 1080p and 720p stands for "progressive scan." The “i” at the end of 1080i stands for interlaced.
 Progressive scan video records each line of video in order without skipping any lines. So it would start first with line one and work its way all the way to line 1080. Progressive scan video typically looks better than its interlaced counterpart with fast-motion video (like sports).

Got it so far! So basically the 1080p is better, but I wont write off the 780p,

Lets start with the Name "Contour", why start there you ask, well, no real reason,  apart from last year the company was, so we were all lead to believe in the UK, as folded up, no longer trading, so it left a lot of cyclist out there a bit peeved off, not being able to get help, replacement pasts, access to there web page, well, I think they are back up and running, dont know much about who runs the company, but do we care, if the products meet the criteria, and they are still in business, the warranty is valid.


UPDATE 

It seems that the name Kitvision UK has a New action Camera out, (Been out some time but only just seen it advertised!) it is called the Escape, seems to have a good impressive list of great things about it!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RQ50C3M/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0QWSNPE38XCG1BEW9ZK4&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=577048687&pf_rd_i=desktop

It is on sale at AmazonUK at 
RRP: £99.99
Price: £89.00 & FREE Delivery in the UK. Details
You Save: £10.99 (11%)
You may ask if it is so good, then how come it has been reduced more in price!

Price wise it has good speck for the money, 1080p at under £90.00! Even if it got smashed or broke after 6 months it could be a bargain!

One to look out for maybe when compared to the likes of  a AC53 Extreme Plus, this one from Action Camera retails at £189.99. and the speck is much greater than the Escape, but is it worth the extra money spent, check out the link here and decide for self sorry to say as yet we have not managed to get any Product Reviews placed except for the Blast Action camera by Kitvision, and that does what it says on the Box! For the price you cant beat this one, it is solid, reliable, and so easy to operate, well worth a look.

http://www.myactioncamera.co.uk/shop/cameras/ac53-extreme-plus/

Blast link By Kitvision UK

http://harlowcyclingpagegroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/kitvision-blast-cycle-camera.html

More updates very soon..

Want to see a good quality GoPro video, try this link from Aston Hill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpjLsAbebGw&feature=youtu.be

It seems that the GoPro boys have added a new camera to the range! 

http://shop.gopro.com/EMEA/cameras/hero4-session/CHDHS-101-EU.html 

Priced around the £329.00 yes, you read it right! £329.00!
But it is a GoPro after all!



One I missed at Press Day at the Cycle Show was a camera by TOM Tom!
(Just too busy and run out of time on the day! )
But any way you can check it out from a company called Dogcamsport OK
The camera is called the "Bandit" not too sure on picture quality but the spec seems OK
Battery life is just 3 hours so could present a problem for the longer commute ride, unless you can change the battery for a fresh one,, it seems to have its own kind of battery stick!
Details here

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/tomtom-bandit-camera.html
   


UPDATE 14/12/2015

I have come across a name called Hedcam, there spec of small light cameras look great, check out the site here for details, will let you know more as soon as I can.

http://hedcam.com/shop/ 

UPDATE 16/02/2016

Have found a really great Spec Action Camera here! 
Want to know more, sorry to say you will have to wait just that bit longer, spec for the Cam can be found here on this link, I think that once you read the spec, you may agree with me, "This could be the One", The GoPro beater we have all been looking for!  
http://olfi.co.uk/tech-spec/

Up Date 30/08/2016
Olfi have major supply problems with there first camera, so If you have purchased one I suggest you have a word to see if you could maybe exchange it for this new model called One.Five, how good it Is I have no Idea, Olfi seem to just give me the run around on a test of any of there models, so it is buyer be ware!
Best place is there Twitter feed. 
 

As soon as I find out more info and details etc, will let you all know, something exciting is on the Horizon with Hedcamz http://www.hedcamz.com/contact-us/

BARGAIN ACTION CAMERA: Came across this one, really is great spec, just as good as the Olfi

http://www.gearbest.com/action-cameras/pp_264071.html?currency=GBP&gclid=Cj0KEQjw3ZS-BRD1xu3qw8uS2s4BEiQA2bcfM4HIDgppzloBAEh9RxsCb4TomZHCeOmjoYOpIf4tQ54aAnJl8P8HAQ

H2 4K ultra HD WiFi action camera
Sunplus SPCA6350 chipset
OV4689 image sensor
100 percent compatible with GoPro Hero 4 waterproof case
Ultra slim design, the same size as GoPro Hero 4
2-inch TFT LCD
GoPro-style user interface
12.0 megapixels
4K Ultra-HD definition: 4K 25fps, 2.7K 30fps, 1080P 60fps / 30fps
Image resolution: 12M (4608 x 2592), 8M (3760 x 2120), 5M (2976 x 1672), 4M (2648 x 1504)
Shooting mode: Single shot, continuous shooting, self-timer (2s / 5s / 10s / 20s / 30s / 60s)
Audio: WAV format (Bitrate:176kbps)
Input / output: USB 2.0 and mini HDMI (Type D)
WiFi remote control
30m waterproof with waterproof case
6G 170 degree ultra-wide lens
Support HDMI and TV out
Support maximum 32GB TF card with class10 (not included in the package)
Rechargeable 1050mAh battery, recording time up to 90 minutes at 1080P 30fps, 50 minutes at 4K 25fps
Can be used as full HD action camera and car DVR as well
Ideal for outdoor and extreme activities such as cycling, diving, surfing, etc.

https://www.facebook.com/gearbest  





THIS IS A NO FEE PAID FOR REVIEW BLOG.
I Do not get paid to say if one camera is better than the rest, if it is a good model, I will tell you, if it is a waste of time and money, I will also tell you. 
Look out for updates. 

THANK YOU.


Dogcam Bullet HD 2 1080p Bullet Camera



Hornit Horn Review

A Look at the Hornit, a horn with a difference.

The Hornit, great packaging, well designed, I really like the way the lads at Hornit has spent time on the packaging 




The Hornit attaches to your handle bars vie a mount with a cateye type bracket, take a  second look it appears to use a slightly different tightening mechanism which is an improvement. It tightens via a hex key which appears to be very solid and the rubber grip of the strap allows the bracket to hold well on both road and any other handle bars

Bracket for the mount, and the Hex key


So whats in the Box, and what a great thought out design of a box it is, I liked the way the horn was displayed in side, you can see how much thought went into the design of the packaging.





1 X  Instruction sheet
1 X  Hex Key
1 X  Hornit horn
1 X  Micro switch
1 X  Connector wire
1  X Battery's
1 x Note reminder   

First thing to do was fit the battery's as directed in the very well thought out instructions leaflet, a simple case of a small screw, and you had access to the battery compartment on the horn.
What we then needed was to now fit to the bike!
I removed the old bell fitted, gave the handle bars a little clean up, and offered the horn up to see where it would sit, I decided on the left side of my bars.

Hornit being offers up into position.

I made sure it was not to far from the Micro switch, and then fitted the Mount, a nice bit of rubber held it in place to stop it from slipping, and tightened the clamp with the hex key.
Next thing was to fit the micro switch in place where it was close to pres, at first, I fitted it passed the hand grip, Then wound the wire round the handle bars to take up the slack, and connected the plug,  this was pushed all the way in as recommend on a slip of paper that was in the box, a quick test with a push of the button, and hey presto! One Loud Horn! and I do mean Loud!
It has 2 settings, a loud trill, and a slightly lower piercing sound, more suitable to cycle paths to warn pedestrians that you are approaching, the two tones are very easily changed by a little button on the back of the horn, press it and it changes tone.

I Took it out for a test ride, and it wasn't long before I had to use it in anger! Cars now know you are there, a car went to pull out, not too sure if he saw me, but a quick blast on the Hornit and he knew I was there!
Same with pedestrians, they walk along aimlessly on your part of the cycle track, a press on the Hornit and they turn around!
Found it brilliant when approaching a T crossing on a cycle path, a blast to warn other, and safe to proceed.

So, fits great on a straight bar bike, but how about a road bike!
A look on the instruction sheet on how to fir to road bars, and off I went to try.

First off, find the place it will sit on the handle bars, remove the old bell, place the Micro switch where your finger can press it easily, I found the right hand was more comfortable.

Micro switch fitted to the hood

I then checked on the length of cable from switch to the horn, I found I had more than enough, so, I mounted the clamp and tightened it with the hex key.

Now comes the bit some might not be too comfortable on doing, if this is the case, take your road bike to your nearest local bike shop for them to do it, as you will need to unwrap the part of the bar tape to cover the wire, so, find the end of the bar tape, and start to unwind the tape.

 Find the start
 Unravel the bar tape

 Place the wire on the handle bars and rewind bar tape tight
 Seal up the end of the tape again to stop it coming unwrapped
 Hornit in place
Micro switch
End result!

This only took about 15 minutes to do, it is that simple to fit the Hornit.

On a social ride on Sunday, it was shown to other cyclists, and in the words of Sam Snelling, who I can Quote, "Thats Amazing, well impressed".

The Summing Up!

Don't leave home with out one! 
Until you have one fitted, you wont realise just how easy it is to let other road users and pedestrians know you are there, a quick press of the button, a loud sound is omitted, and you get noticed, as simple as that, if you only have one horn, make it the Hornit, top quality, great service from the people at Hornit.

Simply a Must have product, highly reckoned this horn to every cyclist out there! .



UPDATE


Since fitting the Hornit to the Road bike, I had full use of it on the London to Brighton Bike ride on Sunday the 15th June, came in so useful as there were a lot of cyclists not keeping to the left!
And also it was great fun blasting away on it when the children were  standing with mum and dad all cheering us on and wanting all the passing cyclist to ring there bells, you can imagine there delight to hear the Hornit!

Fantastic horn, cant wait to get out there again and blast away! 

The Hornit on the London To Brighton Bike Ride 15th June 2014

Some Video Links to the Hornit Horn

 Critical Mass Ride in August Filmed with the Blast 


Here is one for the Younger riders out there!
Xmas is coming up soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCNokPNQSnI#t=48

Check them out at Lee Vally Cycles at The Stow in Harlow

http://www.leevalleycycles.co.uk/



























Aldi Bike Mits!

Just a quick review on Aldi Fingerless Bike Mitts as seen in Aldi shops in there Cycle madness week!


Got hold of a Pair, as my old Dunlop ones were wearing out, managed to get a large size, as I feel more comfortable in them, and what a Bargain they have turned out to be!

Comfortable, and well padded, stops your hands getting sweaty, and stay warm on colder rides in the evening!

Well worth looking at for the price.
 Gel Padded
 Fastener strip and has a reflective strip as well for the darker nights 


Well worth having a pair around for the muddy rides, saves getting your expensive pair dirty.





tooocycling TOOO Cycling™ DVR80 Model Bicycle Lamp Camera

TOOO Cycling™ DVR80 Model Bicycle Lamp Camera https://www.tooocycling.store/products/tooo-cycling%E2%84%A2-dvr90-model-bicycle-lamp-camera-f...