Decent rack mounted battery rear light - where are they??

daniel_b

Chaps & chapesses,

trying to light up my gf's bike for her commute, has made me realise how difficult it is to get a decent rear light for her bike, and I imagine a whole load of other commuters, so what do you do?

It's a hybrid, fairly small frame, with a rear rack, and she uses a rackbag to get her stuff to work and back.

I had a decent bright Smart rear light, and wanted to fit it to her bike, trouble is it only comes with a seatpost mount, and cos of the rackbag, this is as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Luckily, the rack bag has a loop at the back, and it seems to fit fairly securely, still not my favourite solution, as would prefer it to be properly on a mount.

And I want another light on there anyway, so one can be constant, and one flashing.

So far I have found this supercheap one, which I ordered anyway, just to see what it was like:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22667

This one for £13:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=14845

And that's about it to be honest, someone else posted one that was about £25 I think, but they seem to be few and far betweem, 80-90% seem to be belt or seatpost mounted only.

So am I looking in the wrong places?

And if not, I wonder why they don't offer the excellent lights such as the Smart 1W with a bracket that means you can secure it to the back of a rack.

Just seems a bit starnge with the increase in cycling, and commuting, presumably there will be more and more need for rack mounted rear lights, or do so few people use a rack bag that is is neither here nor there :oops:

I would have thought that a light at the back of the bike is better than under the seat anyway?

*Please enligten me.

Dan

*Pun intended.

lost_in_thought

Get a SMART LED super flash doobree - I have one and although it doesn't say so it has a clip similar to what you get on a pen which slides onto the plate at the back of the rack...

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/Product/0/ ... light.html

but try your LBS as I have seen them much cheaper than this!

daniel_b

Thanks LIT, that was actually the one I intended to get her, I didn't mean the 1W one in my original post :oops:

It looks the same bracket as my Smart 3 LED one, so I'll have a look tonight, I think I know what you mean, as the Smart 3 LED one clips on to the back of the rack bag.

Will have to check out the design of the topeak rack, think it may prohibit the clipping on of lights, but will check it out tonight, thanks for the pointer.

Parkers sell the superflash for £9.95.

I quite like the look of this one as well:
http://www.parker-international.co.uk/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/10065/groupID/1/categoryID/104/v/aaf0f165-c5cc-41b6-b414-094bc59fd42f

Alfablue posted this on another thread about a bracket to allow fitting of smart units to rear racks :oops:

alfablue wrote:

there is a bracket for fitting Smart Superflash lights to rear racks - I use it when touring with panniers (£2.69 delivered from Dotbike).

Dan

daniel_b

Straying off topic a bit, I quite like the idea of this:

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/Product/216/BLT_308025/ukbs/blt-lid-led-frontrear-helmet-light.html


Thoughts?

Dan

Kieran_Burns

The cat eye LD-1100 has screw holes for rack-mounting - mine is.

Gussio

lost_in_thought wrote:

Get a SMART LED super flash doobree - I have one and although it doesn't say so it has a clip similar to what you get on a pen which slides onto the plate at the back of the rack...

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/Product/0/ ... light.html

but try your LBS as I have seen them much cheaper than this!

+1 for the Smart 1/2W - it is on sale at CRC at the moment

andrewc3142

There is a Cat-Eye mount which fits on a rack and takes most of their lights. We have one on the tandem, one on my tourer and my wife has one on her shopping bike. Saves buying several lights.

I couldn't find it mail order and the LBS needed to be convinced it actually exists. Costs about £2.50 I think.

AndyManc

Here's your baby ....




from here ... I've got one , you won't be sorry :P

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Blackburn_Mars_40_Safety_Rear_Light/5360037937/

daniel_b

AndyManc wrote:

Here's your baby ....




from here ... I've got one , you won't be sorry :P

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Blackburn_Mars_40_Safety_Rear_Light/5360037937/

I like the look of that Blackburn Andy, CRC have it for £17.99 FYI.

How do you find it regarding waterproofness, is it properly waterproof?

The one i bought at the top of the thread is 'water resistant' only, and has no seal, but I new that when I bought it.

Have you compared it to a smart at all?

Dan

daniel_b

Look what I just found for £1.49.....

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=29392

TheMightyHet

AndyManc wrote:

Here's your baby ....




from here ... I've got one , you won't be sorry :P

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Blackburn_Mars_40_Safety_Rear_Light/5360037937/

I'll second that! Awesome rear light very bright!!

AndyManc

Smart and Blackburn are my favourite lights .

I usually buy Smart front and Blackburn rear and I can't fault either , I've just started using the Mars 4.0 and I've had no problems even through this mornings deluge.

It's very ,very bright , even in daylight .

Any problems and there's always "Blackburn's no quibble lifetime warranty "

You can't lose

biondino

Damn, last week everyone was saying how good the 3.0 is so I got one of them!

Why so much black on the 4.0, does anyone know?

AndyManc

biondino wrote:

Damn, last week everyone was saying how good the 3.0 is so I got one of them!

Why so much black on the 4.0, does anyone know?

I've got a couple of the 3.0's , the 4.0 has only 2 modes ( pulse and constant ) but is brighter .

I guess the black is down to sexy design :? .. can't think of any other reason.

daniel_b

Hi Andy,

does it bolt straight onto the rack, ie a permanent fixture, or does it have a mounting bracket you bolt onto the rack, and then clip/unclip the light as required?

Dan

AndyManc

Bolts straight onto the rack ( bolt+nut supplied ) and is a permanent fixture.

( NOT TRUE , I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BRACKET :oops: )


Actually at present I don't have it there, instead I've got a hi-viz band round my helmet and I've just clipped it over the band.

It works well , I can be seen from some distance.

AndyManc

SCRAP THAT ...
The light can be removed from the bracket .... :oops:

daniel_b

AndyManc wrote:

SCRAP THAT ...
The light can be removed from the bracket .... :oops:

Thanks for that Andy!

That's good news, was just thinking it would make quite a good buy, as I presume it comes with a seperate seatpost mount as well?

Think I might use the cheapy £4 jobbie at the top of the post on my tourer, and get this Blackburn for my gf, then we can put the seatpost mount on her MTB or roadie, so it can be swapped over as and when required.

Don't suppose you have a pic of it fitted on your bike do you?

Dan

AndyManc

Daniel B wrote:

AndyManc wrote:

SCRAP THAT ...
The light can be removed from the bracket .... :oops:

Thanks for that Andy!
, as I presume it comes with a seperate seatpost mount as well?



Don't suppose you have a pic of it fitted on your bike do you?

Dan

You presume correct ...

" Versatile mounting system which includes a belt clip, countless bike mounted options and even comes with a rack adaptor "


and no I don't have a pic of it fitted to my bike .... cos it's fitted to my helmet :roll:

daniel_b

Down to £15.99 today on Wiggle!

Although out of stock for a little bit - I'm ordering 2 now!

Thanks for the recommendations all

Dan