#knogblinder4v posthumous review

So another not-so-awesome thing about Carebear being taken was I had all my rad new Knog Blinder 4V lights on them. In a nutshell, they are excellent at being very bright vertically on your seat post, and lend themselves perfectly to the Nightshades #1 rule: Don't die.

I kept meaning to write a review, but with everyone from the Bike Snob to your mom doing a review I thought no one would notice my opinions. People did notice them on the road and at parties "AH MY EYES- what is that cool thing?" was often the remark I got. I'm telling you, if you want to talk to strangers daily- be a Knog product tester.

Anyway, in true Nightshade fashion I began to compile all the uses for them that weren't just being seen by motorists on the road.

#1- Bike Rave enabler. I powered a mini break dancing session with my blinders at the 2012 Vancouver Bike Rave.



#2- Finding crap in your bag. Sometimes finding things in your bag at night is just hard. Just drop your light in and problem solved!



#3- Bling bling! When you take it off your bike to go inside and boogie, you can wear your super duper bling ring. In some smoke the light beams look like Wolverine's talon thingies. I wish I had gotten a picture of that.


#4- Hypnotize cute bike boys with your awesome blinky bike swag.



#5- Is it too dark to climb that 50 foot tree? Not with your Blinder mouth light!



#6- Who needs a real fire when you can make a bike light fire? It's cop friendly version of the real thing.



Also, you can:
- Unlock your door when your automatic porch light just doesn't feel like working!
- Find thing in the dark on the beach/park/dance floor!
- Fight back against that stupid little barking dog.
- Feel superior to all the puny bike lights around you.

That is all. I also have their cool Bouncer lock and it worked especially well when I actually used it. Actually, it was kinda funny as I'd come out from whatever building I was in to see someone staring at my bike. I would get rampantly paranoid they were thinking about cutting the lock and say something aggressive/mean/crazy, but they were always just admiring the funky design and the conversations with strangers never ended.

Now I'm going to go back in a corner and hate myself for at least another two weeks. Is it true there is life after love? Cher isn't reassuring me. Oh Carebear, I'll wait for you forever...

City / Time /Crossovers

So a few weeks back I got an email from DNS's light benefactor Mike over at Knog. He was coming into town [Vancouver] to visit NORCO and launch the Blinders, their new light line. I had just gotten them to test out a week before; lucky me, I was chosen to be a guinea pig! The dark, hilly streets of Vancouver are excellent places to test out lights (way less light pollution up in here.)

Verdict? Really bright, really stylish, with a small side button to prevent them from turning on in your bag and running out the battery. Maybe how to turn on and off the light is a bit of a learning curve, as you have to Swiss Army precision time your clickings to get the secret code to turn them on, off or change the 1,098 different light settings. Best part? It's rechargeable by USB, so you never have to pay for batteries again. Sweet.



They are even bright enough to cast a good light whilst biking along the Vancouver Seawall after a winter sunset. (I learned latter you can put them in beer!) I felt special, as I was in the same company as the Bike Snob. When I realized that I felt like Mary Tyler Moore! (Seriously, read the article, reading this blog gives me an abs work out.)



I digress. Mike arrives, and invites me out for a beer with these "Vancouver film guys" who wanted to show him their work. I ask who- and of course it's the Zenga Brothers. Mike is astonished, but I am not. Small world, right? On the other side, Benny didn't know I had met Mike while working at Momentum Magazine (check out their new website!), and was equally amused. I've realized extreme awesome runs in small circles, so I am never surprised anymore.



So we all met up in the rain for a few pints and laughs in Grandville Island in Vancouver. Benny is up to some cool stuff with Zenga Bros, has a new studio, and still rides mad tall bikes in the rain.







All photos courtesy of Mike.

LOVE. HATE.

...there's not much to hate right now.

Like last week, when I swapped out my old boring bars, for golden unwrapped dropped bars. I'm officially in love. Since then, these babies from Knog, have worked their way, even more so, into my daily routine.

Also, I definitely don't hate this awesome article the Toronto Star wrote on us today, with more sweet photos by Lucas Oleniuk!

So so much love.

BIKE LEGS = STOLEN TROPHIES & HORSE HEADS.

Bike Legs was bananas. The dance off was a fierce competition, complete with lifts, splits & other undefinable moves. But in the end, Cannibal Vixen's terrifying yet beautiful homemade trophy, was awarded to Branko (known for wearing very little clothing on behalf of DNS or better yet his band Dinosaur Bones). The rest of the night was all smiles & horse heads until SOMEONE STOLE THE TROPHY. Literally. Some girl ran in, grabbed it, and ran out.

Seriously, we're just as confused as you. Good thing all that awesome swag from Knog kept everyone grinning, and biking home safe & seen!

Thanks for an awesome night!

BIKE LEGS: THE RETURN OF THE DANCE-OFFS!

Remember the Dance-Offs? Those long ago nights when The Nightshades were not yet in existence, but we all still hung out. Those nights of shaving cream. Salmon spandex judges outfits. Roller girls. Robot costumes. Roping off areas on the dance floors at other people's parties to break out rehearsed or unrehearsed dance routines.

Well, good news - Because the Dance-offs are BACK!!!

So bring your best moves, and sexy sexy bike legs to our Dance Party Dance-Off Extravaganza! Awesome prizes from Knog & homemade trophy for the best routine... and maybe best bike legs.

Or just come dance your face off.

THURS. MARCH 31ST

THE DRAKE UNDERGROUND

Feat. Ghetto Cyborg & DJ Desk Jockey.

10pm - DEATH.

$5

If you want to attend on facebook go here!