Reviews of Planet Bike Blinky "3" 3-Led Rear Bicycle Light

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List Price: $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
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The purpose of any LED tail light is to make sure cars coming up behind you know you're there. The Planet Bike Blinky 3 does a fine job at that, stays put, has great battery life and doesn't cost much. You get two mounting options a big cheap plastic clip for the seat post and a smaller clip for a rear side strut. I put mine on the seat post. In past years when I had a baby seat I would have used the side strut. You also get two settings steady and blinking. That's the only negative in my book. I can't imagine using anything but blinking.

This is pretty much a no brainer. My wife's has been through almost 8 years of abuse and has had only one battery change. I didn't think twice when it was time for my bike and my son's to get this safety enhancement. I now bike a lot during the late night. I haven't had a close call with a car coming up from my rear yet. Enough said.

Update 8 months later (6/5/09): I added a bike rack over my rear wheel and had to re-mount this because the rack's cargo obscured the seat post. Neither included mount fit the small gauge bars of the rack. I was able to use the small mounting clip by adding a small strip of black rubber (cut from an old inner tube scrap I had lying around). Because of the orientation of the rack's bars my light is now sideways. This arrangement works fine for me. I'm still on my original set of batteries and I use the light at least once a week.

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This rear light can be seen for BLOCKS!! A great feature is the clip--it can be either clipped onto its seat post attachment or to a piece of clothing, if you walk at night. Battery life on blink (which is IMO much safer than constantly on) is weeks, if not months. Small enough to easily fit into a pocket, if you need to take it with.

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Nice and bright, different flash settings, great visibility, mounting needs a little improvement. If there's one piece of advice I can give is check your seat-post before using this light. The seat-post is the ideal spot for placing this since you want the flashing to be as high as possible. Unfortunately my Raleigh SC40 has a seat shock post which is far too wide to use the mounting :( The rear forks also do not accomodate the mounting so there are precious few places this can be done. Unfurtunately, this means my flashing light is relegated to operate from a plastic bag dangling from my seat :(

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With today's cheap electronics and LED technology it's trivial to make a super bright bike tail light. What you are really paying for here is the housing and mounting bracket.

I bought four of these when there was a blowout sale at REI. They're not terrible as other people have mentioned (cheap, small, light, bright, cheap, long running, clip for clothes, cheap, and did I mention, cheap?)

What I don't like is that the light snaps together this is not unusual but the plastic on mine are thin enough that dropping the light onto a hard surface means you might be chasing the batteries on your hands and knees. Also, it's the plastic on the mount/clamp isn't very sturdy and if you put it on a mountain bike, it will need to be adjusted after every hard bump. Basically the plastic is so thin that you can't really tighten the adjustment screw sufficiently to keep it from slipping.

Do a search here at Amazon or the other online bike retailers it appears you can definitely do better for the same price or even get something better for less!

Cateye makes top notch stuff, and it appears they have one which is the same price. (LD-130) I ended up with a more expensive Cateye tail light LD1100 and do not regret the extra $20 I paid for it.

Princeton Tec, Marwi, Blackburn and Topeak make good stuff not as good as Cateye but certainly better than this.

Ride safe! Be seen!

If you've found this review to be helpful, please let me know!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Planet Bike Blinky "3" 3-Led Rear Bicycle Light

This is a great product for the money. The mount was a cinch to install on the seat post of my bike and took only about 10 minutes. It comes without instructions, and I was a little puzzled at first as to how to install the batteries. That was a minor hurdle and certainly no reason to rate the light down at all. It was a simple matter of pulling the red lens cover away from the black part. It takes a little effort, and I was afraid of breaking it. However, it proved to be up to the task so don't be too worried about that--you should be able to do it with just your hands easily enough. I can't speak to the battery life at this point, but the light is BRIGHT! When I held it at arms length I was seeing spots afterwards. A driver would have to be asleep at the wheel not to notice me.

Reviews of SRAM PG-980 Cassette

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I always use SRAM cassettes and chains on the Shimano XT drivetrain of my Giant Tance X mountain bike. Smooth shifting and durable, there is no reason to spend more for a cassette. I use SRAM cassettes and chains on my Shimano Ultegra road bike as well.

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I wanted a new cassette for my road bike that would give me a larger sprocket than the 28T and the SRAM did not disappoint me. It fit my road bike perfectly, with a compact crank and a regular Shimano rear deraileur. The bike shops will tell you it doesn't fit, but I've now added the SRAM 11-32T 9-speed and 10-speed cassettes to both my road bikes, and they fit perfectly. All you have to do is to adjust the rear derailleur for it to fit.

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I bought this considering the PG-990 is only a few grams less. The first 3 or 4 low gears are connected to a single thick ring on the spider giving you more connection to the cassette body, and less marring. I had to file off the burrs left by my old SLX cassette because each cog had eaten into it so much.

Overall I'm impressed more by SRAM products than Shimano lately. The x-9 lineup is just awesome.

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Very light and functions perfectly and precise. I am replacing all 4 of my bikes with this item. I was surprised at how nice this cassette functioned. Very pleased with purchase.

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Sram..what else can one say! I got the 11-32T and matched it with the Wipperman chain and what a set up..Great Cassette!!

Buy Kryptonite 720018210610 KryptoFlex 3/8" x 7' 1007 Double Loop

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Some people have issues with this cable being easily cut, which leads to their bike being stolen. I want to set the record straight about this product and proper locking methods. These cables are by no means meant to be your sole locking device, but rather, they are meant to be used in conjunction with (ideally) a U-Lock. I work in a bike shop and attend school at Michigan State, a virtual candy store for bike thieves, and as such proper locking is imperative. First off, buy yourself a good U-Lock. I would recommend going with the Kryptonite brand, as they are THE name in bike locks. I myself use what Kryptonite calls the "Fahgettaboudit" which is an 18mm-thick, vinyl-coated monster that would make New York's most proficient bike thieves shudder. THIS IS WHAT YOU USE TO LOCK YOUR BIKE TO THE STATIONARY OBJECT, not the cable. Put the U-Lock through the frame and through the stationary object. You then use a cable (I reccommend a seven or four-foot KryptoFlex, again, for the same reasons) to act as a secondary security device and, more importantly, SECURE YOUR REMOVABLE COMPONENTS (such as a quick-release wheel or seat). Before closing the U-Lock, put one end of the looped cable onto the U-Lock, then loop the cable through your wheel and seat supports. Put the other end of the looped cable onto the U-Lock, close the U-Lock, and walk away whistling, because your bike is now un-stealable. That is the proper application for these cables.

Okay, so now to actually review the cable. It's amazing. You cannot top Kryptonite's quality, and it is very useful. It is also just as resistant to cutting as any other cable you'll find. Top-notch durability

Now, there's no doubt that when people walk past your bike, with cables snaking through it like some kind of evil invasive weed, and a five-pound U-Lock hanging off the side, they'll be thinking "Man, this guy (or girl) is really obsessed with bike security." But, hey, isn't that the point?

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I bought all three 525 (5mm x 2.5'), 1004 (10mm x 4') and 1007 (10mm x 7').

Amazon seems to apply reviews of any of those products to all three products. So, be careful to understand which product a review applies to. For example, the 525 is a nice leash to keep your seat from walking away (while you step into a convenience store). But, it would take small wire cutters for a thief to cut. (Not a cable to use to keep your front wheel secure to a u-lock.).

The 1004 and 1007 models, at 3/8" diameter, is thinner than Avenir's 1/2" (12mm) x 7' cable. And, more expensive than the Avenir. Obviously, a little lighter to carry. But, perhaps less of a deterrent. Even though we're only talking about 1/8" difference, 3/8" tends to be the limit of smaller (concealable/affordable) wire-rope cutters. Having a 1/2" diameter cable could slow down a thief using smaller wire-rope cutters. Or, make a thief using the correctly-sized cutters draw more attention to himself (cutters to cute 1/2" wire rope are pretty large.).

I see people rate cables low because their bike was stolen. Everyone needs to realize that a cable is not adequate security except in low-theft areas. And even then: only for a quick trip inside a convenience store (to prevent the bike from being picked up and carried away). For everything else, you should use a U-lock. (Use that to lock the rear wheel through the chainstay/seatstay tubes to a bike rack). The cable should be loopped through the front wheel, seat and rear rack. Most thieves won't go to the trouble of cutting a cable just for a seat or front wheel. (More expensive front wheels have quick release axles and you're better off putting the front tire next to the rear tire and through the U Lock if you want more security than a cable.).

Riding around, I'm amazed at how many bikes I see that are secured incorrectly. Bikes left at bus stops, locked with a cable. Or, U Locks through a front wheel. Those people increase my security because thieves will target those bikes because mine would be too much more difficult.

When you use the right tool for the right job, and use the tool correctly, it can be effective. The Kryptonite cable is very effective when used appropriately.

I also like that Kryptonite cables come with a velcro strap to keep the cable wound up.

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I recently moved to Minneapolis (which is very bike-friendly) and work downtown. Biking to work is a pleasure and it is nice to have a little piece of mind about the storage of my bike.

Also, I thought the cable would be inconvenient to carry, but it is not.. It can store easily in most bags that you would bike with, or around the handlebars or other parts of the bike. It has a little Velco strip that you can use to keep it looped up.

I definitely think that a longer cable like this 7 footer is a good idea (as opposed to one of the shorter cables). Once you loop it up for storage, it doesn't take a lot of space, and it offers more flexibility when you lock your bike.

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A heads up, this might be more cable than you need. My daughter ordered two of these for us thinking the long one would be best--to get the front wheel, seat, etc. looped in to the u-lock (high bike theft area) But seven feet was much too long even for this, and the cable is too thick to pass through the bottom of the the seat. There must be a reason to need this size cable but I don't know what it is.

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I got sick of wondering if my bike seat would be there when I finish work. Now, I can lock it up every day. My 7 foot Kryptonite cable easily slips through the loop on the small cable and still locks the rest of the bike.

The diagram with the cable gives a suggestion on how to attach it to the seat. I leave that cable attached on the seat, with a cable-tie (or zip-tie, one of those things they use in electrical work) to hold it a bit more securely to the pole that the seat sits atop.

You can also use a separate lock to lock the cable to the bike.

The length of the cable seems good for its purpose.

Pacific Women's Stratus Mountain Bike, Aqua, Small Reviews

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List Price: $119.99
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I've owned this bike for 3 weeks now. Time to write a review. At first it was a nice basic bike. Perfect size for me, 5'2'', small framed woman. It assembled fairly easily and when I did have issues the Customer Service staff at Pacific Cycles were very helpful. Having taken it on a few different rides I feel I can accurately review it.

Long rides with a trailer (12 miles): Rides well (after I got a gel seat) but I've already had issues with the chains not switching from 3-2 and then from 2-1. The chains were fully assembled when I got the bike so this is not user error. With the chains not switching constantly it makes for some mildly annoying hilly rides. I have to get off and manually switch the chain.

Single ride, long distance: Let me say one thing... BASIC bike. Meaning I have no shocks on this bike. On a smooth trail I have no problems but when is there ever an outside trail that void of tree stumps, pot holes and cracks?

Short ride with a trailer: Same as the long distance ride. It rides well and most of my short rides are to the park and on an even level.

My biggest issues is that for a bike that was mostly assembled, I'm having lots of issues with those parts of the bike, the chain and the breaks, both front and back.

The front breaks, no matter how many times I've centered them will not stay centered. This causes friction when riding, making the ride harder. My back breaks aren't tight enough. There is a large gap between the pads and the frame, I've tightened them and they won't go closer.

So all in all, unless your looking for a basic, ride around by yourself bike, I would skip this and invest in a nicer one.

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"I have had numerous problems with this bike since its arrival. The front brakes dont work and the pedals keep falling off."

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You need to be over 6' tall to ride this bike. the colors were great, but it is blocking space in my garage.

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Well,, this item looks really good but, the front tire was broken already before I got this , so I should pay more than $200 for fixing this tire

If Sth is cheap there is always reason for it,,

Review of Planet Bike 3 Pack CO2 Refill Cartridges

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The Planet Bike 16 Gram Threaded CO2 Pack/3 *ORM-D* seems to be a good quality product I have not used them yet "thank God" but I have them just in case. The price is right and the shipping was fast.

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I've had to use one of these so far and it worked a hitch. They're a little pricy, but on a hot day if you need a fix in a hurry they can't be beat.

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the refill pack is a needed tool for keep on your bike and in case a bike shop is not near you or your ride route

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These came at a great price. It is a bonus that you receive the foam sleve to protect your fingers from the cold as the CO2 is released. Unless you want to buy the cartridges in bulk (16 or more), these are some of the best priced you can find.

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These Co2 canisters seem to be well made and the threads seem to be turned accurately. I haven't used any of them yet but expect them to do the job as I expected.