Reply With QuoteMy bad for not posting these pictures here much earlier, but I had forgotten about your query in the forum. They're also over in the "photos" forum, but here they are again.Originally Posted by Nikolai
Ed's Terra Trike:
And now, a quote from Dave-
"I don't always run both lights at the same time, since the light show can be overwhelming for people behind me. Many people think I am an emergency vehicle with both lights flashing and some drivers get upset when they finally find out that I am really just a bicycle."
Dave gets the "overkill" award running TWO DS-500 on the same bike. I don't know why, but I get a silly grin on my face every time I read this quote. I've never tried two at once, but now I sure am, just for kicks.
Updated... here's a picture of the monster machine
My bad for not posting these pictures here much earlier, but I had forgotten about your query in the forum. They're also over in the "photos" forum, but here they are again.
Ed's Terra Trike:
Had a nice email exchange recently with my New Zealand customer. He takes a lot of "from-the-road" videos and posts on YouTube, which I happened to checkout just recently. Truly terrifying... some of the close calls that he experiences on some very heavily trafficked roads. In any case, he had some kind words to say about the DS-500, in the midst of his congested road riding.
"The light is going great as you can see, I do give the light a plug at any opportunity. True, you can't do much about the idiots that want to come too close, but I seem to get 1 or 2 very good, patient passes in a 3 1/2 hour ride now, pre DS-500 I would get about 3 per year. The main reason I upgraded from a DiNotte 400R was to embarrass anyone (to the point that it was laughable) that claimed to the Police that they didn't see me. I was not expecting anything like this level of improvement from drivers as the 400R is very bright, but there is no denying the difference the light has made. -Ian"
Hi Stephen
I just started reading the forums here on your lights. It's about a year now First Build light userI have to say they are really GREAT LIGHTS!!!!!!! I have been really happy with both rear DS-500 and front DS1300. No buyers remorse!!!!!!! The lights still work great and so does the charger and the two small batt.packs I picked. I feel very safe riding at any time I am out. Cars to wait a little longer for you to pass,or move over more to next lane when passing. I always get comments like great lights,or boy those are way too bright. I gave your site name every time I am asked where to get them. For sure one of my co-workers here in Orlando ordered the lights because he liked them when I showed all the settings. I have to say that when I went on a 30mile group ride with my LBS, after a few miles they told me I HAD TO TURN IT OFF!!!IT was really blinding them on the lowest mode. So on the following ride with the small included hex key you sent I aimed the light down toward the ground and happily rode and it was all over the road and very visable! Sorry I don't have any pics. to show off. I even get some Law Enforcement go back and forth and come out other streets and watch me pass and I smile at them.OH and they are brighter then the Law Enforcement Bicycle lights from NiteRider
Follow-up from purchase on 9/26/11 -
Hi Stephen: I just wanted to convey my appreciation for such a great product - the Design Shine headlight/taillights are phenomenal! I originally purchased them for my Trek FX+ hybrid bicycle that I used for a year to commute to work (12-15 mi. each way) but I fell in love with a 2011 Trek Madone 4.7 road bicycle and now use that for commuting as well as pleasure. I could send some photos of the set-up; it isn't too uber-dorkey but I'm sure the purists would scoff at it . . . until they try bicycling at 5am in the dark on a cold November morning!!!!
You make an incredible product and I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase! Please continue the great work!
Sincerely,
Paul
I thought I would contribute to the forum and write a quick review of the DS-500 taillight.
I received the light last week and couldn't get the box open fast enough. My first impression was the light is smaller than I expected. I wasn't worried about the size but this was still a nice suprise. I had been following his blog/updates for the past year so I was aware of the level of detail/thought Stephen puts into the design of the lights and it becomes apparant after seeing one first hand.
Installation was very easy and everything came together perfectly. I had contemplated having Stephen shorten the cable length but I am glad I went with the standard cable length. Its really one loop around the seatstay for each cable and the excess is out of the way. No issues there and I have extra cable should I find the need to mount the light in a location further from the battery.
It took about 5 minutes to learn how to cycle through the modes but now I have a comfortable grasp on the operation of the light.
I used the light on my two rides this past weekend and really enjoyed the enhanced piece of mind while riding. I already got one compliment by a passing motorist. We caught each other at a light and he said the light has "awesome visibility". This was at about 9:30am on a sunny day riding towards the sun.
I could not be more pleased with this purchase and can easily justify the price given the added security I receive. I consider myself to be a very defensive rider and am very aware of my surroundings so I can act quickly should there be an incident. The one variable I cannot control too well is the traffic approaching from behind. Thanks to this light I can now feel safer knowing that I am much more visible on the road.
I also value a product based on the customer service behind it. I must say that the informative and thorough responses by Stephen were always appreciated. He seems like a great guy and i wish him all the success in this venture.
I have attached some pictures and will try to get a video of this baby in action.
Thanks Stephen for the amazing product!
Cheers,
Jonathan
Last edited by inaba116; 11-13-2012 at 03:16 PM.
The light is so powerfull... indescribable!
You see the highend quality of this amazing product. The instructions is very easy but very detailed,too. Myself i didnt need the construction, only read few minutes in the forum and i understand the handling^^ Before i used the magicshine mj 818 but its a other level of light...
Nice work Stephen!!! Greetings from Germany;-)
Last edited by shark_attack; 12-02-2012 at 06:36 PM.
I received my lights quite a while ago...THANKS Stephen for a truly awesome lighting system, these lights are small but have a HUGE footprint both front and posterior. Every where I go at night, people constantly point at me, or just stay stationary and watch me ride by or initiate a conversation about my lights. Even my hardcore riding buddies, who at first were very skeptical about me paying $600 for all the lights and accessories, then when they actually see these lights in person, their jaws just drop to the ground. They always want me riding up front! KUDOS to you Stephen from "ONLY" one Designshine lighting system in ALL of Vancouver BC, Canada!!!
from a Very HaPpY camper...Patrick aka Capt. Vancouver
Looks like Francis decided to give the lights some air time for his review this year. I don't think he'd had time to familiarize with the operation just yet, since he struggled a bit during the video. Initially he was treating the headlight like some other lights that cycle between low-med-high and ended up with it on medium for most of the camera shots... oh well. The actual operation is that once you're on medium, a click toggles back and forth between high and medium. I set it up in this mode because it's so convenient for "dimming" for oncoming traffic, if you happen to be riding with it on high. Press-and-hold takes it back to low.
For the taillight, he had trouble getting into flash mode because he didn't turn it off first. You always have to start with the light OFF, then you can turn it on into either steady mode or flash mode. Once you're into either of those modes, then you have the option of changing the power level and/or the flash patterns.
Anyway, here's the link:
A nice year-end comment from a summer customer, re-printed here with permission from a recent email.
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Hello Stephen,
Merry Christmas, and best wishes to you for a very happy and prosperous New Year!
I want to thank you again for all of your help and genius-level design in creating the best bicycle headlight and taillight on the market. During the 540-mile AIDS LifeCycle Ride I completed in June 2012, it rained heavily on the 2nd day of the 7-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Many of my fellow 2,500 bicyclists commented that they kept riding because seeing your bright blinking taillight in the far distance gave them a reference ride towards that motivated them to keep going and eventually pass me. Many said they could see me from a mile away (I kept the light on the brightest setting). I also felt immeasurably safer riding in poor visibility knowing that motorists could see me.
Later in the ride when we were riding down a very long, narrow stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway near Los Angeles, your light saved the day again. We were constrained to riding single-file, and your light caused motorists from a quarter-mile behind me to slow down (they probably thought we had a police escort, and didn’t want to get into any trouble). This made it much safer for the bicyclists who often had to zip into the lane of traffic to pass slower riders (me included).
Many bicyclists asked me who made the incredible lights I was using and I was proud to give them your name and website.
So thanks again for the terrific job you’ve done in developing your lights. I wish you much success in the year ahead!
-Ben
