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Comment on Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set by A. Shea

A. Shea — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:39:30 +0000

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

Very cool for kids, August 6, 2007

A. Shea (Atlanta, GA) -

This review is from: Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set (Sports)

Just got these in the mail, so can't speak for battery life, but these are really neat for kids bikes. I have a 5 and 8 year old, and they love these little lights. They are about the size of a small egg... not very big at all, but they really are very bright. The headlight bulb fit perfect on the bike and has 3 modes. Push the button once and it flashes (fast like a strobe light), push the button again and the light stays on, push again and turns off. The head light can also be adjusted up or down. Very easy to install and use. The red light does the same except does not adjust once on the bike. My kids were riding in the garage in the dark today having a blast with these lights! I'd even get one for my own bike, if I rode at night. Very fast shipping also.

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Comment on Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set by The Derrty Egg

The Derrty Egg — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:28:42 +0000

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

Does exactly what it is mean to, June 10, 2008

The Derrty Egg -

This review is from: Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set (Sports)

They are cheap and work great. That is pretty much all there is to these. However, make sure that you are buying these in order to make yourself more visible to drives, and not to make late night rides more visible to you. They do offer some light on your pathway, but not enough to make it worth it if that is your goal. If, like me, you are simply looking for an inexpensive way to keep from getting hit by drivers at night, then this is one of your best choices.

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Comment on Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set by SportsMan50 "RW"

SportsMan50 "RW" — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:02:00 +0000

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

Bright white, August 26, 2008

SportsMan50 "RW" (Upstate/West NY) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set (Sports)

These lights work well, seem to be sturdy in construction and one battery seems to last quite a while. I'm very pleased with them but I couldn't give them 5 stars due to the design of the white light.
I had been using them for about a week and had to take an extra early ride in to work. It was my first when it was dark out. When I turned on the white light on the handlebars it shone in a wide arc, over 180 degrees up and down and left and right. I couldn't see because the light was shinning in my face as well as everywhere else.
A piece of black tape on the top part of the light and I was soon on my way. An easy fix to this if it happens to you.
Still riding with it and it is still working well. It's getting a bit darker every morning this time of year.
As other have noted this light shouldn't be counted on to light your way in the dark (I usually ride on lighted streets) but it will make you much more visible to others on the road.

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Comment on Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier by SEC "I am bookish!"

SEC "I am bookish!" — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:07:28 +0000

33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

It's scary that something this poorly made is meant to carry children., June 19, 2007

SEC "I am bookish!" (NE OH, USA) -

This review is from: Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier (Sports)

I wasn't looking for the cheapest option, but figured I'd go with this model since it seemed to have about the same reviews as the $120 alternatives. Well, I was a shocked when I saw how flimsy the actual body of the carrier was. I'd like to say it was sturdy when it was installed, except that the bottom mounts for the metal supports were so warped there was no way to mount the seat. You may think this is a rare occurrence, that is until you look at the non-'New Classic' model reviews (still listed as model 109459).

Also, don't bother if you have a quick-release seat on your bicycle. In fact, if you love or even remotely like the child you intend to use this with, don't buy this product.

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Comment on Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier by M. Kelly "pasadena_mom"

M. Kelly "pasadena_mom" — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:33:27 +0000

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

Meant for attachment to a Road Bike, September 26, 2009

M. Kelly "pasadena_mom" (Pasadena, CA United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier (Sports)

We purchased the Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier based on its reviews and as an economical choice for our almost 2-year old who will only get about 1 year's use from it.

Now that it is on and we have test driven it, we like how he fits in it, and we feel comfortable with the safety it provides. It is nice, but not exceptional.

But getting the seat on....

Suffice to say that, as best as we can determine, this Child Carrier is made to attach to a road bike and not a hybrid bike, like ours (a Trek 7000). Our frame is thicker than that of a road bike, so attaching the seat to the rear fork was just barely possible with the hardware supplied. It was possible, but squeezing the brackets around the fork so that they were close enough for us to even begin tightening the nut took a lot of muscle! We also had the same problem as another reviewer, in that our bike has a quick-release seat, and does not have the kind of seat post bolt that the seat needs to be attached. We were able to remedy that by removing the quick-release mechanism, going to the local hardware store to purchase a 1/4-inch hex bolt (which fit in our bike's seat bracket), and using that instead of the provided 8 mm Hex Bold.

At one point in our construction of the Child Carrier, we got particularly frustrated, and tried to find some customer support. There was a 1-800 number, which was closed on the weekend, and absolutely zero on-line support. I have gotten used to having some sort of on-line resources available to me, even if it is only a copy of the owner's manual, so the absolute lack of *anything* was very frustrating. (There is plenty of information for Bell bicycle helmets, but nothing for the child carrier.)

So bottom line, if you have a hybrid bicycle (or, heaven forbid, a mountain bike), be aware that it might not assemble as easily as it should, and you may need to make an extra run to the hardware store!

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Comment on Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier by K. Flashner

K. Flashner — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:32:13 +0000

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

A great product for very little money..., April 12, 2007

K. Flashner -

This review is from: Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier (Sports)

I purchased this child carrier seat for when we visit the grandparents. At home a have a trailer that both of our kids ride in. This little bike seat was perfect for the occastional use. Some of the 'shields' that are meant to protect the child from the wheel are a little flimsy, so I would not want to take them on and off on a regular basis. Once it's on the bike, it should probably stay there. But for our purposes where I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a second bike trailer to be used for maybe a month out of the year, that was great bang for the buck. I had my 2 year old riding in the back and he was perfectly happy & safe.

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Comment on Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit by Henry Berry "Henry Berry"

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:47:02 +0000

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

top-flight bicycles and their designers, May 17, 2009

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) -

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

Thirty-nine small (boutique) bicycle design and manufacture companies from Australia, Canada, the U.S., and Europe are catalogued with website references in an appendix. This alone would make the book of special interest for serious amateur bicyclists and competitors. But the book goes far beyond this with a section of a short essay on each company followed by half a dozen or so color photographs of its bicycles and close-ups of details of these. Some of the sections also have photographs of workshops, employees, manufacturing steps such as welding, and bikes in use for pleasure or competition.

Reading the essays on the companies gives an overview of design intents, ideas, and options for custom or limited-production bicycles and different types, uses, materials, and features. The essays also have information on the backgrounds of the founders of the small manufacturers, their attachment to the field, and the principles and aims in the design of their bicycles. In this material, readers will learn about advanced dimensions and trends of the field.

The illustrated book combining elements of a buyer's and consumer's guide and art-book appearance and quality makes an ideal gift for any bicycle enthusiast or an outstanding book on the technicalities and romance of the field for oneself.

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Comment on Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit by Steve Frazier

Steve Frazier — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:32:25 +0000

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

Beautiful book on beautifully crafted bicycles, May 19, 2009

Steve Frazier (Seattle) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

One of the great features of bicycling is that the bikes themselves can still be made to personal specifications by individual craftspeople or small shops. This book features both well known veterans, and a few newcomers, and shows all types of bikes -- from all-out racers, to touring bikes, to even a few "show" bikes that likely don't get ridden much (e.g., Craig Calfee's bamboo bike with bullhorn handlebars).

There are plenty of "coffee table" type books exploring other crafts -- hand made furniture, pottery, custom motorcycles, etc. -- but as far as I know this is the only widely available recent book showing the current state of the art of custom bike building. Many of these bikes appear to date from early 2008 (several of them were on display at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Portland in February 2008, and were made about then). And most of the builders are "open for business:" except for two or three who have exceptionally long waiting lists, I think you could contact practically anyone in the book and get your own custom bike in a matter of weeks or months (more likely months than weeks).

A few quibbles - since the photos were collected from a variety of photographers from various sources in Europe, North America and Australia, the photos and layout lack a consistency or point of view about how to show a bike (as opposed to Jan Heine's book, "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles," which is about historic custom bikes, and which used a single photographer shooting bikes with a consistent, clean white background). As a result, while all the photos are good, in some cases the photos are not as useful as they could be (for example, there are way too many shots of Calfee's novelty bikes and not enough of his standard bamboo or carbon fiber bikes).

Anyway, that is just a quibble. It's a great book for any serious cyclist or anyone who enjoys fine craftsmanship.

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Comment on Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit by G. R. Smith

G. R. Smith — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:05:50 +0000

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

images and writing miss the point, July 14, 2009

G. R. Smith (Chicago IL) -

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

It's a shame about this book. The Authors have hit on some interesting builders and some not...the book seems to have been put together by people who aren't passionate about bicycles or maybe don't know about what to put into a book for people who are...There are a few satisfying photos, but not many, its mostly artsy detail shots AND NEVER SHOWING YOU THE WHOLE FROM WHICH THE DETAIL WAS TAKEN...which is lame.
The writing also seems to miss, in that the one consistent point (made vaguely) is what music is playing in the builders studios at the time of interview...which could be interesting if there were real content.
At no piont are any specs of bicycles discussed in terms beyond the words steel, carbon fiber, and titanuim...

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Comment on Schwinn Men’s Wayfarer 7 Speed Bicycle (Silver) by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:26:48 +0000

Shipping and mechanical problems, August 25, 2011

James D. Parker "eclectic style" (Los Angeles, CA United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Schwinn Men's Wayfarer 7 Speed Bicycle (Silver) (Sports)

The bike was slightly damaged in shiping and the rear gear assembly fell apart after three short rides. Just realize that the entire bike must be returned in the original packing if you have a problem like this and it's not worth the hassle of shipping. It cost me another $50 to get it fixed at a local bike shop.

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