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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: APRIL 26th
HOW DO WE DECIDE OUR OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
MOON GEMINI FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS
47g (with bracket) £18.99 each (have seen lower price on the net) or £38.99 as a pair (have not seen cheaper on the net)
Moon’s Gemini lights are sold separately as well as together, making for a powerful pair of blinkies capable of getting you seen both day and night.
The basics; both have two LEDs and a number of modes (front seven, rear six) including a daylight flash mode as well as flashing and solid settings. Rear ranges from five to thirty lumens depending the oomph left in the rechargeable battery and mode of choice. Front emits between fifteen and eighty lumens.
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Not stunning for blinkies? Well, no, but under test on dull days, at dusk and in full darkness these have got some serious attention from both road and trail users. Visible from a hundred and fifty metres on a dull day, and further at night, the front would provide enough beam to make your way home carefully. Favourite quote during testing was, “Wow, that front one casts a beam,” whilst the rear, mounted on the seat-post, though not as bright as the sun, gives the distinct impression that a very strong light indeed shines forth from your orifice.
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Though not exactly 360 degree, sufficient light can be seen to alert those approaching from the side.
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Of the modes, I preferred the alternate flashing settings, but much will depend on time of day and how long it will take to get home. Run times seem to be about accurate. The shortest for the rear was one hour and forty-five minutes at 20 lumens solid. After that time it started to dim, but I fell asleep waiting for it to go out completely and it was still hanging on in there when I woke thirty minutes later. At the other extreme the daylight flash mode belts out 30 lumens for some thirty hours - according to the manufacturers website, which I have no reason to doubt.
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Up front, the daylight flash mode offers 80 lumens for thirty hours; the solid thirty lumen mode coming in at one hundred minutes. Settings between trade off time against lumens and intensity, but there should be something there to suit.
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Failing all, there is a safety mode to keep you going for around an hour, a standard feature on some other lights. Could have slept for longer!
Low charge is indicated by a gentle blue glow, as is recharge status. This comes on in plenty of time, a real boon for the forgetful commuter with a boss who watches his electricity bills.
Switching between modes is via a push button is generally easy enough, though operation with thick gloves will require a bit more dexterity. There is an upgrade remote control available.
Two rapid presses take you from solid to flashing modes for single prods to access the other settings.
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Recharging times, via the ubiquitous USB lead, depends on mains or computer socket; around a couple of hours was need to fill the battery from flat. A rubber cover protects the USB slot, and, combined with the CNC aluminium case seems to keep unwanted liquids out. The neat case dissipating heat, too, allowing those little diodes to work to their maximum.
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A couple of rubber ‘O’ rings come with the hinged bracket to facilitate mounting on bars, seat stays, or seat-post, keeping them secure on runs down the rutted canal towpath, stoney forest track, as well as pot-holed road. Incidentally, optional-extra mounts are available for helmet for the front and rack, saddle rail and helmet for the rear.
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Removal of the light from the bracket was stiff, so in a rush to get to my copy of Plato’s “Republic” at the Temperance Reading Room, removal using the ‘O’ ring offers the easier option - just keep it safe. Keeping the bracket on the light eased the danger of accidental in-pocket activation.
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The Gemini twins won’t oust my favourite blinkies, but then again, they’d not oust so much cash from my wallet.
Verdict: 3.5/5 seriously bright blinkies at a great price, but there are others that fit this bill, too.
Steve Dyster
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PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2016 UPDATED OCTOBER 2017
