Comments on: Planet Bike Blaze 1W

By: Tom C.

Tom C. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:31:40 +0000

I second charles. I’ve had both my 5 LED PB light mount on and off many a bike, the 1W works just the same. I say user error on these mount failures. I’ve dropped both mounts a few times and they function fine. I even mounted the 1W to my helmet using the factory mount and one zip tie to hold/force the cam closed, worked great.
I’ve switched to 2 Fenix LD20s, because I ride in pitch black trails for 12+ miles, so I wanted the car head light feel. 180 lumens each vs. ~40-50 lumens for the 1W, thats just a guessing from a side by side comp. So I’m sending these (PB lights) to my mom to put on her bike, that how much I trust them, I’ll just make sure she knows how to adjust the mounts before she plays around with them.

Read the instruction, and you’ll be better off. Also PB has great CS, so call them up and have them replace the mount, and ask how to mount them properly.

Cheers

By: Bruce B.

Bruce B. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:33:27 +0000

The 2 Watt Blaze from Planet Bike was put on the Market just a few weeks ago. Same body and form factor as the 1 watt model. It is available only in glossy black at the present time.

I’ll be interested in seeing a review posted here.

By: Planet Bike Blaze Dynamo at Urban Velo

Planet Bike Blaze Dynamo at Urban Velo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:54:49 +0000

[...] Blaze Dynamo is, as the name would imply, the dynamo-powered version of the previously reviewed Blaze headlight. For the uninitiated, a dynamo hub is a front hub which uses the magic of magnets to [...]

By: charles

charles — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:14:16 +0000

Sorry guys but the bracket is flawless if you read the instructions and adjust it properly!!!
The bracket has a notch and tab arrangement on the inside of the band for gross adjustment and the cam lever can be screwed in or out for fine adjustment. Finally the cam lever locks it in place with no need for tape, rubber strips or any other such nonsense. The light is bright with enough flood and a decent spot to see down the road with. I ride mine up to about 20 mph on flat roads but would not count on it for fast descents. For urban commuting it is fine and mine has proven reliable. The two AA batteries are smart to design a light around and last quite a long time. I run my light on the low setting most of the time and it is sufficient for most of my riding. I trust mine so much I purchased one for my daughter along with the excellent blaze tailight.

By: Richard E.

Richard E. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:45:14 +0000

I had two 1W Blaze lights. Now I have just one because the bracket is so awful. The light popped off and I couldn’t find all the parts. The flash mode is actually really excellent. I wish the rest of these lights had the same quality. The review says you can use rechargeable Li ion batteries. Actually, that would require some modifications since Li ion AA’s are 3.4v each. The reviewer probably meant NiMh. They don’t work very well either because they are 1.2v. The Blaze starts out bright, but dims long before the batteries run out. This is annoying. Maybe it is too much to expect power regulation in a cheap light. For casual use, the Blaze is OK. I didn’t replace the one I lost, and won’t get one unless they fix the awful bracket. I got a Dinotte, which cost a lot more but is reliable.

By: Bruce B.

Bruce B. — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:05:39 +0000

Quick update: I wrote to Planet Bike, and received a positive reply, regarding the bracket. Apparently, mine was not the first email they had received regarding the problem. The bracket will work fine on some bars, as some have noted, and slip on others, which was my situation.

Replacement brackets are listed at PB’s website, for sale at five dollars.

Still, I would be willing to pay five bucks for a bracket that is “tool adjustable”, and sold as an after-market item. I really like this headlight, and consider it very effective. It’s the bracket that I feel is a problem. I think this could be done, given that the upper part of the bracket is removable. This part could be then be attached to a tool adjustable bracket, for those of us who prefer tool adjustable things.

By: Chris P

Chris P — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:24:46 +0000

I have the 1 watt blaze + superflash rear set. I understand how the mounting bracket could cause issues, but I myself have had none. The light stays put.

The light itself is great, bright enough to ride unlit trails at night (if you are careful) and the superflash has gotten me “that thing will give someone a seizure” comment. Good enough for me.

By: Thomas B

Thomas B — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:38:33 +0000

You may wanna try attaching it to the thickest past of your bars, right towards the stem. I was having some problems too, and I moved it closer to the center, and no amount of turbulence could jar it.

By: Bruce B.

Bruce B. — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:34:16 +0000

I have to agree with Justin and Ghost Rider, above. The headlight itself is a nice design, with a good, well focused beam. The flash mode is good for high-traffic areas, and seems to get noticed.

But the bracket is simply a poor design. I struggled with mine, trying to find that sweet spot. No, no matter what I did, it was either too lose, or else the “quick cam” would not close up properly. I’ve been riding for 30 years now, and this is one of the worst headlight brackets I have encountered by far. My bars are 26 mm, polished alum.

My solution: I finally got it to fit by using a plastic strip from an old cateye mount, wrapped around the bar. That seemed to do the trick. If you don’t have a spare plastic strip laying around, try a carefully trimmed piece of inner tube.

I am a little aggravated by the manufacturers’ insistence on making the mounting brackets for headlights “tool free”. Are people that confused by the idea of using a 4mm allen head driver? As they say on TV, “What’s up with that?”

I plan on writing to Planet Bike, to inform them of my own experience. Hopefully, they’ll consider re-designing this mounting bracket.

By: Robert B

Robert B — Sat, 09 May 2009 02:38:23 +0000

My quick cam mount also worked flawlessly — adjusted right to the needed diameter… no problems, fits tight!