Really bright _rear_ light

CrookedCucumber

It's easy enough to get really bright front lights for a bicycle, but there don't seem to be many bright rear lights. I've generally managed with the usual flashing LED thingies up until now, but I'll be cycling in the dark with some fast-moving traffic, and I'd really like to be seen from behind a long way off

Any suggestions?

redddraggon

I used a Cateye LD1100 for commuting through the winter.

giant_man

Oh the best one for the price has to be the Smart 1/2 watt for little money. Very very bright and great for winter use, highly recommended.

http://parker-international.co.uk/Produ ... 3801ef0096

Crapaud

I'd second the Smart 1/2 watt - great value forthe money and very bright compared to other LED rear lights!

tonyp71

I'd second the Smart 1/2 watt - great value forthe money and very bright compared to other LED rear lights

I agree, used them for 12 months now coming home late and always get plenty of clearance from rush hour cars

Bronzie

giant mancp wrote:

Oh the best one for the price has to be the Smart 1/2 watt

+3 - blindingly bright light bugger - if you sit behind someone with one of these on a winter chaingang, wear your shades :shock:

Belv

Dinotte tail light: http://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?modul ... IDI140LAAR

cakewalk

Crapaud wrote:

I'd second the Smart 1/2 watt - great value forthe money and very bright compared to other LED rear lights!

I'll third that. Very bright, light weight and well priced.

redddraggon

cakewalk wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

I'd second the Smart 1/2 watt - great value forthe money and very bright compared to other LED rear lights!

I'll third that. Very bright, light weight and well priced.

I think you mean "I'll fourth that"

Smokin Joe

Smart for me too. Best rear light i have ever used.

Monty Dog

Dinotte for the eyeball-burning experience, or the Smart for affordability

woody-som

the smart 1/2 watt without a doubt.

rhext

Another vote for the Smart 1/2 watt. Tiny, and blindingly bright.

CrookedCucumber

Thanks for the suggestions.

The Dinotte is jolly expensive -- is it that much brighter than the competition that it's worth the extra money? Can it share a battery with a front lamp, or does it have to have its own battery.

feel

I'll nineth(sp) the smart.

johnnyc71

The dinotte can share a battery with a set of 200L lights. I run 2 dinotte 200L lights of a 4 cell lithium ion battery. My Dinotte tail light runs of a 2 cell lithium ion - very small and light. I also run a Smart light - excellent for the price.

You can also get the dinottes with AA battery packs - but the lithium ion gives you longer run times and more options.

I don't think you can put a price on safety - the dinotte is worth every penny. They are very bright - but isn't that the point. Cars are more cautious with overtakes (imo).

Yes they cost alot - but It may be the only light you'll ever need. The customer service is fantastic too.

Stewie Griffin

I have a cateye Ld600 which is perfectly fine but a friend has the smart 1/2 watt and it is very bright. The Dinotte may well be bright too I have no idea. Its £99, the Smart is £11 from Wiggle. Get 2 and you and will be seen. I will probably pick one up for the winter.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... ar%20Light

johnnyc71

With a Dinotte - you can be seen from over a mile - giving vehicles plenty of time to adjust. For one thing, they don't know what you are - especially cycling at night on country lanes - the light casts a radiant pool of red around - that can be seen from around bends.

It can also be seen in bright sunshine - I always have mine on. No doubt it would also be useful for guiding planes into land if required.

CrookedCucumber

The Dinotte stuff looks great, but that's certainly something I would have to save up for. Hmm... tricky....

mercurykev

do I have to recommend the smart 1/2 watt? I bought one after riding home behind someone who had to brightest rear light I'd ever seen. It was so impressive, I asked him what type of light it was: smart 1/2 watt £13 - brilliant.

mercurykev

do I have to recommend the smart 1/2 watt? I bought one after riding home behind someone who had to brightest rear light I'd ever seen. It was so impressive, I asked him what type of light it was: smart 1/2 watt £13 - brilliant.

giant_man

The Smart is just brilliant. I have been using one for around 2 years, now if I could only find something to go on the front that was very very bright and cheap too .......

CrookedCucumber

Craving your further indulgence...

I've never really cycled in the dark before. I mean dark dark. When I've had to commute in the winter, it's always been on brightly-it roads with slow-moving traffic, and visibility has never really been a problem. I've usually just clipped on a couple of those LED thingies and not given it another thought.

Now I'm considering training rides in the evenings on roads which are not well lit. There isn't much traffic, but what there is is belting along. Hence my renewed interest in lighting (and my ignorance of the subject).

Anwyay, on my road bike I have a sort of sports rack thing attached to the back just below and behind the saddle. I hate carrying stuff on my back unless I really have to. But this means that I can't attach a rear light to the seat pin or under the saddle as most people do. I suppose a simple light could be clipped to my clothing or onto the saddlebag or something like that. But a bigger one, or a Dinotte-type thing that needs wires, probably needs a proper mount.

So I'm looking for is some sort of bracket that I could attach to the seat stay, perhaps halfway between the seat tube junction and the rear axle, something like that. In the `old' days such things were readily available because all bike lights were big and heavy. But I've not seen anything like that around lately.

So... is there an obvious, easy way to mount a rear light on a seat stay or thereabouts? And, if not, is it still possible to get brackets for this?

Gussio

Currently £11.19 at Wiggle for the Smart 1/2 watt

prevailrob

Yet another recommendation for the Smart 1/2 watt.

My current one I have attached to my right seat stay. I'm considering buying a second one to attach to seatpost/saddle bag. Now if a car can't see me now I don't know what to do

Rob

joew4ll

I've got to recommend the Blackburn Mars 3.0 LED - £14.99 from wiggle. Similar to the Smart but I think it has better side visibility for vehicle with it's 7 LEDs. Also run time on AAA is pretty phenominal. I commute through town and then fast B and A roads and always get given plenty of room at night and day (I have it on all the time). It's also super tough against the wet/mud. The clamp is also very good - I think it can be rearranged to be attached to your seat stays.

iga

CrookedCucumber wrote:

Craving your further indulgence...

So I'm looking for is some sort of bracket that I could attach to the seat stay, perhaps halfway between the seat tube junction and the rear axle, something like that. In the `old' days such things were readily available because all bike lights were big and heavy. But I've not seen anything like that around lately.

So... is there an obvious, easy way to mount a rear light on a seat stay or thereabouts? And, if not, is it still possible to get brackets for this?

There's brackets to attach lights to the back of racks, to rack stays, to seat tubes, you name it: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/category-Rea ... ts-784.htm

Many rear lights come with straps to fit seat stays anyway. Hope this helps

jammykam

Some good info here and has actually made me think about my lights... which are just some cheapo LED ones but I haven't done any night riding yet... Not too sure I'm likely to either with the current long hours in the UK but Smart 1/2w is cheap enough so have just in case... now for some cheap Ultrafire C3's for the front I think...

willbevan

Hmm have to admit the dinotte has really interested me for next winter, as i have been using the other lights mentioned in the thread, spent a lot more money on my rear lights than my 25 quid smart 10/10w front head light....

After having to really cheap lights pack up on me in a week, i decided that i would spend some money on a decent rear light and bought a cateye LD1100, okay 26 odd quid so pricey but do not regret it as you cant put a price on safety as many many people keep saying



I had more than a few comments about how bright it was, espeically cyclists behind me so was happy with that as it was blinding them when flashing constantly.



As a backup i bought a smart light and was impressed for the price difference, i picked one up for about 11 quid, which at under half the price of the cateye, is amazng.

I actually have three of them now, so i don't have to swithced one off a bike, and carry one as a spare to go onto clothing, or onto someone elses bike if needed

However i do always use it with something that does have a little bit of side visibility, either a cateye or a MARS 3.0



Now i wouldnt be happy using a MARS on its own (yes it is bright, but just not as bright as a cateeye LD1000, or the smart light)

But for the cost of the cateeye, you can have a MARS 3.0 and a SMART 1/2 Watt which in my opinion if your straped for cash would be a good option, resonable side visiblity (not as a good as the cateeye though) and bright rear visiblity.

If the side visiblity does anything is a different matter but ah well.

I am so going to keep my eyes open for a dinotte though, so thanks for postng the picy johnnyc71, as that looks like it might be a purchase for this coming winter, along side a high spec front light, forget the 10w/10w halogen lol

Rykard

I have 3 1/2 watt smarts, 1 on each pannier and one attached to the rack. Really good and great value too as a bonus

willbevan

Rykard wrote:

I have 3 1/2 watt smarts, 1 on each pannier and one attached to the rack. Really good and great value too as a bonus

Thats not a bad idea, just got some panniers and used them for the first time this weekend i knew having some spares would be handy lol