The rear light is a fixed point for the of your digital ecosystem. . MagicShine Seemee 508 It's an excellent tool that warns us when one or more vehicles are approaching from behind. Thanks to the radar, it's a sort of posterior “third eye”.
It is light and compact, but it is also customizable in its functions and uses the Ant+ protocol, easy to pair with GPS devices of any brand.
Seemee 508 = safety
Regardless of the flashing mode, MagicShine's Seemee 508 can be spotted from more than a kilometer away. A great advantage for the cyclist who shares the road with fast, motorized traffic and also for the car driver who is warned by a very wide margin. The radar detects vehicles at a distance of 140 meters (20 lumens of power) and, when connected to the bike device, activates the LEDs, the traffic image and/or the audible alarm.
Furthermore, the slightly curved shape of the hull of MagicShine allows him to expand the light beam also to the sides, with an angle of 220°.
How it is made and how it works
It weighs (measured) 61 grams, is 9,4 centimeters tall, 3,8 centimeters wide, and 2,5 centimeters thick, making it compact and unobtrusive. It features an internal rechargeable lithium battery (the input port is Type-C). The list price is 129,90 euros, in our opinion adequate for the product and slightly lower than the category average.
It has six function modes and each of these is also subject to a minimum of customization (for example each flashing function involves a change in intensity of the LEDs when the vehicle approaches), directly, or via the Magene Utility appThe latter, thanks to the smartphone, becomes a radar detection tool itself. Battery life, depending on the function, is (declared) between 6 and 16 hours. This factor is influenced by traffic intensity.
The Ray 2100 series front
If the rear Seemee 508 is a security deterrent, the MagicShine Ray 2100 front light It's designed for those who need plenty of light at all times, even at night. It delivers a maximum output of 2100 lumens (a powerful beam that reaches hundreds of meters). There are four modes (thanks to the two separate LEDs) and each of these can be customized with four different intensities (the lumen output also changes).
MagicShine Ray 2100 It's not a lightweight, weighing (almost) 200 grams and featuring an all-aluminum body, but it's built to last. It also functions as a sort of power bank (for example, you can plug your phone in to charge it). Additionally, you can connect a wired remote control. The list price is 149,90 euros.
Safety is priceless
While it's true that we're faced with increasingly chaotic and fast-paced traffic, which is also distracted and disrespectful of current regulations, it's also true that cyclists must learn to use the available tools (deterrents). An accessory such as Seemee 508 by Magicshine (and more generally the rear lights which have integrated radar) does not completely solve the “security problem”, but it is certainly a valid help.
If configured correctly, it warns us when one or more vehicles are approaching from behind. This means that the cyclist does not turn around, does not lose attention and does not take his hands off the handlebars. Means that the driver of the vehicle is encouraged to pay greater attention, after noticing the red LEDs. These are not trivial factors that should find more space in theroad safety education of all.
